Canmore housing crisis leads to debate over employees living in industrial areas | 24CA News
Canmore is filled with folks from around the globe seeking to loosen up within the mountains. The guests want a spot to sleep and eat however the staff within the mountain city additionally want a spot to reside.
“I would say the need is dire,” stated Sky McLean, the CEO of Basecamp Resorts. “We need it so badly as an organization, and I know, amid my peers of entrepreneurs and business owners in the Bow Valley, everybody needs employee housing.
“If you don’t have employee housing in this region your business is kind of dead in the water.”
Basecamp Resorts has some inexpensive worker housing for workers together with a 4 bed room housing unit above the workplace on Bow Valley Trail.
“It’s brand new and it’s built to code with four bedrooms. Each bedroom has an ensuite bathroom and it’s convenient,” McLean stated.
But the city’s subdivision and growth enchantment board lately turned down a request by Basecamp Resorts to construct second-floor worker housing in a lightweight industrial space at 100 Alpine Meadows.
“There’s no consistency with the approval process. I was really hoping that it would be a no-brainer given what we’re going through as an organization and I know so many businesses are going through with the struggle,” McLean stated.
Eleanaor Miclette, the city’s financial growth supervisor, is conscious there are inconsistencies within the present insurance policies associated to worker housing in industrial areas, which weren’t designed for residential use.
“Sitting in an industrial park and having big trucks and the noise and the smell is not always the best mix of housing and industrial. Going home is not necessarily relaxing then.”
Residential areas have bylaws to guard residents, however those self same controls don’t exist in industrial areas and there’s the query of how everlasting the housing is.
“What happens if you lose your job?” questioned Miclette. “What happens if you want to leave your job? Does that mean you lose your housing? And often it does.”
Canmore’s mayor says the city is going through a housing disaster and worries the city might turn into turf of the rich with the workforce being squeezed out.
“You lose a fully functioning community. You often lose your school and your professional sector. They will move to another centre and what you’ll have is a shadow of its former self,” stated Canmore mayor Sean Krausert.
“We need to do everything we possibly can. We are looking at tax and land-use policy that encourages purpose built rentals and also encourages long-term residency use of residential units as opposed to short term rentals. We are looking at creative ways, whether that be allowing employee housing in industrial zones or gentle densification of our town centre or other parts of our community.”
On July 4, city council voted to postpone a choice till its Sept. 5 assembly when all seven council members can be found.
“It shouldn’t even have been a question. It should’ve been yes anywhere we can get safe and affordable housing – brand new and built to code – all of that stuff should be a slam dunk. It was really heartbreaking that it’s been postponed, but at least it’s not a no,” McLean stated.
The Town of Canmore can also be a brand new housing plan that features a number of initiatives to battle its ongoing housing disaster — together with phasing out vacationer properties to open up emptiness for everlasting and long-term residents.
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