Candidates are making big promises, but what does it mean for Edmonton

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The elections did continue when the big new promises began to fly. Both the Liberals and the Conservatives were in full startup mode on Monday.

Conservative leader Pierre Poilievre has pledged to create a national energy corridor that will speed up approval of energy-related infrastructure projects and compare it to Sir John A. Macdonald’s vision for railway construction.

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Leader Mark Carney assured that the Liberal government will build Canadian houses, a national developer that will build 500,000 homes each year.

Kalen Anderson, CEO of Bild Edmonton Metro, which represents developers and builders in the region, said Carney’s commitment proved that “housing is on the vote.”

Carney’s promise calls for $25 billion in financing for prefabricated houses, and another $10 billion in financing and capital for affordable home builders.

Although Anderson agrees that this is a lofty goal, she says it doesn’t solve one of the biggest problems at the moment, but rather a lack of affordability for a home in general.

“It doesn’t make any sense to say that it’s about (U.S. President Donald) Trump or tariffs,” she said. “It’s a question we created.”

Nationally, Canadian home builders are expected to create 2.3 million new front doors over the next decade, she said. Although this seems to be a lot, it is very short. Canadian mortgage and housing companies predict 5.8 million new homes will be needed by 2030 just to further upgrade home prices.

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“We are still building about 250,000 homes each year, which is the same as in the 1970s,” Anderson said. “But our population has doubled since then.”

Although Edmonton has grown nearly 200,000 people over the past five years, many of them from “economic refugees” from other parts of the country, this growth is not sustainable and puts pressure on the city’s affordability advantage. Edmonton’s latest Association of Realtors Report shows that average house prices in Edmonton have increased by 11% year-on-year. At that time, wages had not increased by 11%.

“Canada needs to accommodate Canada, Edmonton cannot accommodate Canada,” Anderson said. “This is a national issue and we have to solve the problem correctly.”

So, why is there a lack of housing? Anderson said all three levels of government taxes, as well as local development fees and levies, totaling up to 30% of housing costs. With a labor shortage, the industry wants to see immigration policies align with the housing industry’s demand for skilled professionals. Similarly, Nimbyism and community cut green space expansion, just as the City of Edmonton’s efforts to slow further expansion to the south, limiting what builders can do.

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“We have caused this kind of housing problem over the past decade,” she said.

Malcolm Bruce, Edmonton global CEO, said that developing lasting policies that benefit trade and energy is much higher than the promises of the Shining Movement.

“As federal parties launch campaign commitments, the Edmonton Metropolitan District calls for targeted practical investments that will drive long-term resilience – starting with infrastructure, thus strengthening our energy and export corridors and strengthening connections between North and North and East and West. We urge the federal government to move beyond one-off relief measures rather than competing with them strategically to compete for strategic work and win over the whole strategy, and strive to integrate domination and strive to integrate domination and ”””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””

Deputy Mayor Karen Principe currently serves as the Grand Chair, while Mayor Amarjeet Sohi, who seeks a liberal seat in Southeast Edmonton Southeast, lists where she hopes federal parties will focus on it.

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“I heard from Edmontonians that when we head to the polls, there were many major issues,” Princip said via email. “The most important of these is affordability. The uncertainty of uncertainty and the current political climate have exacerbated the growing cost of living, leading to efforts to maintain a proper standard of living. The problem further exacerbates the uncertainty of uncertainty is due to the uncertainty caused by the tariff/trade war caused by the much-needed demand in the United States, which is increasing for urgent housing and related grounds to make people more relevant – ultimately leading to relevant issues and non-compliance and so on.”

Chamber of Commerce President Doug Griffiths responded to her concerns about affordability.

“The biggest problem in the federal election is our economic situation.” Griffith. “Edmonton and businesses across the country are working harder than ever, but keeping their livelihoods is getting harder. Costs are rising, tax systems are outdated, and Ottawa has no clear plans to support growth. We need comprehensive tax laws, we need investment in core infrastructure and practical actions in labor shortages. The practical actions of labor enterprises are to build a need, and we can do it well.

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St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron was elected as president of the city of Alberta in 2021, so she has had many conversations with citizen leaders about the crossing of federal issues or in combination with their citizenship issues.

She said that even if St. Albert’s new 600-acre lakeview commercial district will not have any heavy industry or chimneys, any cuts in the energy sector are a good thing. But she knew many of them worked in the industrial heartland north of the city, working and playing in St. Albert.

“Any policy that helps bring energy into the global market is beneficial to St. Albert,” she said.

Heron said St. Albert benefited from the $4.4 billion Housing Accelerator Fund established by Trudeau Liberals in 2023 and hopes to see that extension. It is scheduled to expire in 2027-28.

She said any attempt to bring affordable housing online would be worth it, but said municipalities need help serving these homes. Ottawa may help pay for the home, but the city bears the cost of sewers and plumbing.

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“Once people are ready to graduate from affordable housing, we also have to consider transitions. They need affordable market value housing.”

Basically, “market value” does not mean “pricing is out of reach”.

Heron is also concerned about the situation where the city contract with the RCMP is to provide policing. This will expire in 2032, and she wants to see from Ottawa instructions on the future of the agreement between the Mounted Police and municipalities like her. Otherwise, she will need to start thinking about St. Albert law enforcement in the next decade.

ssandor@postmedia.com

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