CCA Advocacy Update Q3 2022

CCA Advocacy Update Q 3 2022

An update on our advocacy efforts – Q3 2022

Throughout this quarter, our advocacy efforts were focused on familiarizing ourselves with the policy environment in Calgary, creating key connections with stakeholders in the City of Calgary and the Province of Alberta, and changing the narrative around construction in Calgary.

To that end, we’ve developed important relationships with many City Councillors, senior officials in the Mayor’s Office, the Green Line LRT Board, and other key figures in City Administration. Here is an update on the positions we’ve taken, our media coverage, and what we’re looking at in closing off 2022.

Highlights from this Q3 2022:

Calgary’s Climate Initiatives:

Following the City Council’s declaration of a Climate Emergency late in 2021, City Administration has been tasked with creating a new climate strategy. The implementation plan of the strategy is expected to be finalized and voted on in November 2022.

Our position remains that the conversation must shift towards building our city’s sustainability – together, with the input of our local construction industry. These conversations have begun, and input on the feasibility of the City’s goals and milestones has been provided by the Association. We will continue to monitor the development of the new strategy and voice our concerns about the impact on the local construction industry.

We’ve also been very vocal about the best path forward when it comes to the climate conversation around construction. In an op-ed published in the Calgary Herald, we offered our opinion on how the City should move forward with its climate goals, emphasizing the need to be pragmatic.

The last three months saw significant engagement with the City’s Climate Resiliency team – particularly on the topic of the Climate Resiliency Strategy, which was finalized by City Council in July 2022. Multiple meetings were held between the CCA team, Senior managers and City Councillors on the climate file. This cumulated in a series of amendments brought forward by Cllr. Evan Spencer and Mayor Gondek emphasized the need for further engagement with our construction industry.

As a result of our advocacy efforts, the Calgary Construction Association has been invited to participate in the Calgary Climate Panel, which brings together industry and community advocates in a common forum to discuss meaningful and actionable climate initiatives.

The CCA will participate in the City’s flagship climate summit. This year’s climate symposium is set to run from October 26-30. CCA President Bill Black will be giving a presentation on how a Zero Emissions Buildings Exchange (ZEBx) can help Calgary reach its 2050 climate goals. Sign up today – it’s free!

“Missing Middle” Land-Use Bylaw Amendments:

The City of Calgary’s planning department reached out in late September, asking for support for their amendments to the land-use bylaw that will enable “missing middle” redevelopments while relaxing parking requirements. On October 4, 2022, Frano Cavar, Director of Government Relations, attended the Council meeting on this issue and spoke on behalf of the CCA.

We stand in support of City Administration in pursuit of its creative solutions to assist with housing affordability. Namely, the proposed “missing middle” amendments to the land-use bylaw will accommodate housing forms which are unique and gently increase density in existing communities.

We see the addition of a new housing district, the H-GO, as ultimately another tool for the market to consider when redesignations are put forward.

You can find our letter to City Council on this issue here.

Green Line LRT Project:

As expected, the Green Line LRT Board has narrowed down the Green Line project to two foreign proponents.

We were very vocal in our advocacy highlighting our concerns about a foreign consortium managing the project. Further conversations have occurred with the Green Line LRT team since. Moving forward, our advocacy goal will be to ensure that any agreements offer both work and protection to the local construction industry.

Public Procurement

The Deerfoot Trail Procurement cancellation highlighted that the relationship between industry and the Province of Alberta, as a purchaser of construction needs, is broken. As a result, the CCA team is preparing an advocacy approach that will highlight and address the state of public procurement in Alberta.

Event Centre

Following the collapse of an agreement for the new Event Centre, City Council has struck a new committee to assess the feasibility of a new entertainment complex. The committee members include Cllrs. Sharp, McLean, Walcott, Deborah Yedlin from the Calgary Chamber of Commerce and Brad Parry from Calgary Economic Development.

Cllr. Sonya Sharp has indicated that conversations on the proposed new arena project are ongoing and continuous. We will continue to monitor this project as talks between the City and CSEC progress.

Media Exposure

Another goal of the quarter was to further expand and establish our voice in the local media. In doing so, this grows our outreach and visibility, while also providing an avenue for our members to “see us in action”. From the Green Line LRT project, growth trends, new development and more, there was no shortage of commentary that we were able to provide on behalf of Calgary’s construction industry.

In June 2022 the Calgary Construction Association was highlighted nationally in the Globe and Mail for a web seminar it did at the height of the pandemic around mental health and supports for men struggling with depression.
The CCA issued a press release criticizing the Green Line LRT shortlisting that guarantees a foreign consortium will manage the project. This generated a news story that covered two days in July-August 2022.
Following the implementation of new prompt payment legislation, CCA President Bill Black was featured in an article highlighting the impact on the industry.
As City Council contemplated further growth on the City’s edge, CCA President Bill Black was interviewed on the issue in the Calgary Herald.
We issued a news release that highlighted the state of the construction industry in the context of jobs, generating multiple