🤯 City committee votes in favour of diverting $582M from existing communities to build a new community on city outskirts

Record of vote at the March 11 Infrastructure and Planning Committee meeting where city councillors voted 10-3 recommending approval of a new community called "Providence" on city's outskirts requiring $582-million in public funding from existing neighbourhoods.

💰 Providence requires diversion of $582.7-million in public funds that could otherwise be reinvested back into existing communities 

The proposed new community of "Providence" has been pitched to Calgary City Council as "a logical choice for sensible growth" despite over half a billion dollars in unfunded capital infrastructure investments required from taxpayers to support its development instead of reinvesting back into already existing neighbourhoods. 

Now that approval has been recommended by committee, the final vote will move to city council on the community named "Providence" - west of the southwest ring road and north of Highway 22X. The cost of new capital infrastructure required to support this new community at full build out is estimated at over $550M. Spending of the first tranche of funds (enabling infrastructure, including a brand new major water infrastructure expansion) would start in 2029, and would divert finite public funds from being reinvested in already existing neighbourhoods.

💸Calgary can't afford to spread resources even thinner

With the potential repeal of rezoning next week, Calgary needs citywide gentle density more than ever so that growth can be absorbed within our existing footprint. According to the independent report on the Bearspaw South Feedermain, decades of sprawl “exacerbated the risk and integrity challenges that ultimately affected the [Bearspaw South Feedermain]”. As a result, Calgary taxpayers are burdened with more kilometres of pipe per resident than any other large Canadian peer city. Instead of funding new sprawl, tax dollars should be reinvested in existing communities to tackle the crumbling infrastructure.

Source: Bearspaw South Feedermain Independent Review Panel: Final Report | January 6, 2026

🚧 Calgary is facing a $49-billion infrastructure crisis

The Bearspaw water feeder failure is just the tip of the iceberg. Today, Calgary faces a more than $49-billion infrastructure bill for aging roads, public transit, wastewater infrastructure and more over the next decade.

Approving new sprawl communities like Providence with their own new infrastructure needs or fully repealing citywide rezoning would be financially reckless of city council. It would be doubling down on the status quo conditions that led to this crisis where you are being asked to take 3 minute showers and not flush your toilet, yet again.

Citywide gentle density is needed to increase housing options.

⚡️ TAKE ACTION: Help us ask City Council to support citywide gentle density so we can reinvest public funds in existing neighbourhoods

Calgary must build new housing within its existing footprint. Council must support citywide rezoning for community-focused gentle density (partial repeal or no repeal of rezoning) so we can preserve the billion dollars in federal funding for infrastructure and housing, address Calgary's aging infrastructure crisis and provide more affordable housing options citywide.

We are 5 days away from the start of the public hearing on the repeal of the Rezoning for Housing Bylaw. Here's how you can make your voice heard:

🎤 Sign up to speak at the March 23 public hearing

You can participate in the public hearing and submission to City Council on the proposed repeal of the Rezoning for Housing Bylaw using the City Clerk's Office online form before March 23, 2026. (Audio-video submissions (slides) must be submitted before March 16th at 12pm.)

📨 Email City Council

Email City Council and ask them to vote against approving the proposed new community of Providence and to hit pause on new sprawl communities until Calgary can get its crumbling infrastructure crisis under control. In the current housing crisis, Calgary must build new housing within its existing footprint. Council must support citywide rezoning for community-focused gentle density (partial repeal or no repeal of rezoning) so we can preserve the billion dollars in federal funding for infrastructure and housing, address Calgary's aging infrastructure crisis and provide more affordable housing options citywide.

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