Alberta’s population growth is a well-known fact, but a significant number of residents in Calgary and Edmonton are dissatisfied with the speed of this growth and its impact on their daily lives.
Recent figures from Statistics Canada indicate that Alberta’s population has exceeded five million as of July 1. This number is projected to continue rising, with the provincial government estimating an increase of around two million people over the next 25 years.
Conducting surveys on behalf of CBC News, Janet Brown Opinion Research polled 1,000 residents in each city to gauge their sentiments towards the current rate of population growth. The survey, carried out via the Trend Research Online Panel from Oct. 1 to 8, revealed that a majority of individuals expressed concerns about the rapid growth.
According to Janet Brown, “The majority of people feel their city is growing too fast.”
In Calgary, 64% of respondents believed that the city’s population growth was too rapid, while 26% considered it acceptable, and 1% felt it was too slow. The remaining 8% were unsure or did not provide an answer.
Similarly, in Edmonton, 62% of participants felt that the pace of growth was too fast, 23% thought it was appropriate, 2% deemed it too slow, and 13% were unsure or did not respond.
The survey also inquired about the personal impacts of recent population growth on residents in both cities.
In Calgary, 51% described the impact as negative, 8% as positive, about one-third reported no impact, and 9% were uncertain or did not respond.
Meanwhile, in Edmonton, 56% of respondents viewed the impact as negative, 8% as positive, 27% as having no impact, and 9% were uncertain or did not answer.
Janet Brown pointed out, “Individuals most concerned about the impact of growth tend to fall within the age group of 25 to 45,” adding that those facing challenges related to affordability and education were more likely to express discontent with the growth.
Expressing her dissatisfaction with the situation, Pearl Parchem, a long-time Calgary resident, remarked, “It’s too overcrowded for me.” She highlighted issues like prolonged wait times for health services and difficulties in finding a doctor as consequences of the population surge.
Marissa Atkinson, another Calgary resident, noted the challenges in accessing recreational facilities due to the high population density. She shared experiences of struggling to secure swimming lessons for children and facing parking issues during local events.