Update on our advocacy efforts

Update on our advocacy efforts:

I’ve been very fortunate to join the CCA as the Director of Government Relations at a time when our local municipal political environment has been going through new leadership and change following the October election. Indeed, my hiring coincided with the largest Council-shift in Calgary’s history. With that in mind, we’ve already begun advocating on behalf of our membership while fostering strong and productive relationships with City Council and Administration. Earlier this month, we sent each City Councillor and the Mayor a welcome package that explained the role of the Association, who we are, and what we stand for. In the coming weeks, Bill and I will be meeting with the Councillors and the Mayor to advocate on behalf of our membership.

Declaration of a Climate Emergency – What Does that Mean for the Construction Industry?

Earlier this month, City Council declared a “climate emergency”, which you can read about in our briefing note on what this means the potential impact on our industry. Should the City of Calgary develop new building material standards for new projects and existing buildings (retrofits), we hope to see our membership engaged. Our members provide both knowledge and expertise in this area that we believe to be valuable for consideration.

We project that a greater emphasis on climate initiatives will see new demands on local industry to construct new rail lines, stations and more. New transportation projects are catalysts for construction jobs and growth, and we wish to see that these projects are contracted out to local companies – see them built by Calgarians, for Calgarians.

Supporting the Event Centre Project and Calgary’s Culture and Entertainment District

This month also saw Calgary Planning Commission review the development permit for the new Event Centre in the downtown Rivers’ District. In our letter to the Commission, we wrote that we are excited to see the development of the new event centre and culture and entertainment district that all Calgarians can be proud of.

We see the CEC as an anchor and a gathering place for all Calgarians, an excellent “gateway” to Stampede Park – especially as a complementary facility when used in conjunction with the BMO Expansion project. The CEC itself will put Calgary back on the map as the “entertainment capital” of Alberta by attracting the large-scale events that have previously driven three hours to the north. The CEC will rival Rogers Place in all technical aspects and will be a promoter-friendly building.

From an economic standpoint, we believe that the construction of the CEC and the buildout of the Culture and Entertainment District will directly impact the construction industry. In 2019, Ernst & Young prepared an economic impact assessment on the full build-out of the district and estimated that 4,750 full-time jobs could be created during the construction phase of the projects – not to forget the 1,536 permanent jobs created once the new facilities open. Moreover, the build-out of the district is primed to encourage further private investment into the area – generating new economic activity and jobs for our struggling downtown.

City Council Approves 2022 Operating Budget – Impacts on Industry:

Last week, City Council made changes to the 2022 One Calgary Service Plans and Budget, which you can learn about in our briefing note. The budget saw funding commitments for downtown revitalization, executing on the climate strategy, an extension of the hail-proof rebate program, and new affordable housing commitments.