CANMORE – The federal and provincial housing ministers are asking the Town of Canmore to do more when it comes to housing.
In back-to-back weeks, the two ministers with the high profile portfolios urged the mountain town's politicians and adminstration to do more when it comes to housing.
Federal Minister of Housing, Infrastructure and Communities Sean Fraser fired the first salvo Feb. 19 and Alberta Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services Jason Nixon followed suit Feb. 26. The comments were prompted by questions about Canmore’s application for the federal Housing Accelerator Fund and what the Bow Valley – but specifically Canmore – could expect for housing help from the province.
Nixon stressed Canmore had to get on board for applications and not resist development.
He pointed to the province providing 2.3 hectares of land in the Palliser Trail area structure plan – worth an estimated $8.7 million – but that municipalities must approve housing projects rather than obstruct it.
“The No. 1 thing Canmore and the Bow Valley need to do if they want to see large investments in affordable housing in their community from us or the federal government, who have both been clear, then they better start approving projects because our government is focused on getting money out the door, shovels in the ground and units built for people to live in and are not interested in seeing multi-million housing projects being blocked by a municipal government going forward,” he said.
Fraser made similar comments two weeks earlier when announcing the Town of Banff is getting $4.6 million over three years, emphasizing “only the most ambitious communities in Canada” would get funding as part of the Housing Accelerator Fund.
"With respect to Canmore or others, we continue to go through the process. But to the extent anybody expects to be funded through the Housing Accelerator Fund, they should ensure first their applications are among the very most ambitious and certainly more ambitious than their neighbours,” Fraser said.
“The reason why the six communities are being funded, it's because they’re doing more with the things within their control to get more homes built. If anyone else is listening in neighbouring municipalities, consider doing more to match the ambition of your neighbours and we’re happy to have conversations about that means for specific applicants.”
Mayor Sean Krausert said he was “troubled” by Nixon’s comments since they “seemed to be outdated and incomplete factually. Canmore is doing a lot around housing.”
Krausert noted he has reached out to Nixon’s office for a meeting at his convenience in Canmore or elsewhere to discuss housing.
Following the Court of Appeal upholding the 2022 Land and Property Rights Tribunal (LPRT) decisions, council passed the Three Sisters Village and Smith Creek area structure plans (ASPs). A minimum 10 per cent is to be affordable housing, but could go to 20 per cent with the bonus density.
The two plans combine for between 5,200-9,500 residential units, but also add significant amounts of light industrial, commercial, recreation and open space over the next two to three decades.
Council passed the Palliser Trail ASP in late 2023, which could add more than 1,300 residential units – including about 1,100 affordable housing units – under Canmore Community Housing’s (CCH) portfolio in the next two decades. CCH will bring first reading of four- and six-storey buildings for 100 Palliser Lane in the spring.
However, the Town is largely going at the project alone, meaning building is likely to be slower paced since municipalities have a provincially legislated debt limit to follow. The Town is advocating to have housing projects not count towards the limit. Without it, and due to the costly nature of infrastructure, only one or two projects are likely to be concurrent.
The Lawrence Grassi Middle School area redevelopment plan (ARP) was approved in 2022, which will add 120 residential units and at least 20 affordable units.
A common amenity build for employees of Spring Creek Mountain Village will add 79 bedrooms and three employee housing units. Council also approved a purpose-built rental on Railway Avenue that will add 59 units, of which 95 per cent are for Canmore residents.
A livability task force from council is analyzing removing tourism home designation, exploring a tax for second homeownership and incentivizing purpose-built rental units.
“I think there’s a mistaken narrative held by some that Canmore is anti-development. This is not true. Canmore is very pro-responsible development and based on all of the construction and approvals we’ve had, the proof in the streets and in our bylaws and all the (construction) activities going on,” Krausert said. “I think some might be operating on a very limited scope with respect to one particular issue and coming up with an incorrect conclusion. I’d invite any member of government provincial or federal to lunch, so I can explain all of the activity that’s going on in Canmore.”
The Town and developers have also been at loggerheads for an amendment to the off-site levy bylaw amendment, with the two sides on a potential crash course for an LPRT hearing.
The lengthy back and forth between the two sides has culminated in contention between the Town’s methodology of allocating costs and whether proper benefitting has been given to the cost-sharing of certain projects.
With council passing the bylaw amendment March 5, area developers have the option of appealing within 90 days of the bylaw amendment passing.
Area developers have been critical of the slow response times for permitting from the municipality, which are not in alignment with provincial legislation requirements for completion.
Bow Valley Builders and Developers Association (BOWDA) commissioned a third-party report in 2022 to look at Canmore’s planning timelines. The report analyzed planning and development wait times in Canmore and used municipal benchmarking from comparable communities.
It came after BOWDA had five member surveys between October 2018 and November 2022, with lengthy timelines being the biggest concern for developers.
Heather Barlow, Nixon's press secretary, said both the province and his ministry want to see permitting timelines reduced, which will be a factor when considering who gets funding.
"One example would be the Three Sisters project’s multi-decade delay that was only resolved through court action," she said. "The minister and Alberta’s government have been clear that overall permit and development approval timelines are and will be a key part of funding decisions on housing. Alberta wants to get projects built for the people who need these homes, and not have them stuck in municipal red tape."
The Town added efficiencies such as CityView software, updated bylaws and standard operating procedure documents and online submissions for some permits. A temporary permit clerk position was approved by council late last year to help implement the CityView online portal to increase permitting timelines.
Council has approved a senior planning position specific for the downtown ARP and Palliser Trail ASP, while creating a specific senior planning position to work on the Three Sisters Village and Smith Creek ASPs.
When appearing at the monthly BOWDA luncheon last October, Premier Danielle Smith emphasized the need for public and private sector and all levels of government to work together when it comes to housing.
“We want to ensure that provincial and municipal approval processes work quickly and efficiently, so new development proceeds smoothly,” she said. “Many municipalities are doing a great job to improve permit timelines. We can always improve by working together more closely.”
At the time, the premier noted the City of Leduc has short timeframes for permitting and the City of St. Albert has equally reduced permitting timelines.
Pamela Osborne, a communications advisor for the City of St. Albert, said the majority of mechanical – plumbing, heating, gas and HVAC – and low-density residential building permits are reviewed within three to five business days.
She added the bulk of multi-family, commercial and industrial building permit application reviews are done within 10 business days, but the quality of submission can make it longer. The City is also undergoing an update to its land use bylaw, leading to development permits being slightly longer as City staff are working on it.
“All complete submissions are issued when reviewed; in instances where an application is incomplete, the applicant will be contacted within five to nine business days of the original submission date for more information,” she said via email.
“The speed of review can also be attributed to having an experienced staff with developed processes, who have the professional latitude to continue to improve these processes and prioritize applications as they need, in order to keep permits moving forward.”
At the October luncheon, Smith said the province would be paying attention to permitting timelines and work with those municipalities that have found success.
“I’m encouraging municipalities to look at that as a challenge. We’ll be monitoring it and we’ll be measuring it and we’ll also be working with those municipalities that want to grow because we recognize as you grow, there’s growth pressures,” Smith said. “You need to upgrade roads, you need to upgrade interchanges, you need to build schools and so those municipalities that are willing to work with us to assist in bringing more people into their communities, we’re more than willing to help them support infrastructure development.”
Krausert said a key focus of council is housing in the community. He said he couldn’t specifically speak on the status of Canmore’s Housing Accelerator Fund, but Town and council will continue to move forward with housing in the community.
“In the meantime, we will continue to do the good work we’re doing and reaching out to government on all of the things we’re moving forward,” Krausert said.
“If we get the Housing Accelerator Fund, that would be icing on the cake but we’re still going to be baking cake. We’re moving ahead. It’s not contingent on Housing Accelerator Fund money. It would make projects perhaps a little easier and quicker, but we’re still committed to all the items on our Housing Action Plan.”
