Too Many Calgarians????
June 4, 2007
Critical mass
Calgarians say their city too big for its own good
By TODD SAELHOF AND PABLO FERNANDEZ, SUN MEDIA
There are too many Calgarians and the quality of life in the city is suffering, says a survey released today.
And those poll results can be blamed on a lack of funding from the province, says the city's mayor.
Dave Bronconnier said yesterday that traffic tie-ups, lack of schools, rising unemployment and a shortage of housing are the reason the Canada West Foundation reports the majority of Calgarians say there are too many citizens, and many think the quality of life has deteriorated in the last five years.
"It's no surprise to me the frustration Calgarians find themselves in -- I feel it as a commuter, as a motorist, as a parent and as a person who lives here," Bronconnier said.
"This is why we've been pressuring the provincial government to keep its commitment to reinvest back in infrastructure."
The survey, which polled people in Vancouver, Edmonton, Regina, Saskatoon, Winnipeg and Toronto, reports 51.1% of Calgarians think there are too many people here.
Calgarians also think their quality of life is worse now than in 2002 and don't expect it to improve anytime soon.
The survey found 45.3% of Calgarians believe there has been a downturn in the quality of life, while 36.1% think things will only get worse -- the highest rate of dissatisfaction in the country.
And although 51.1% of Calgarians also say local government is doing a good job in dealing with the growth, that was the lowest level of satisfaction among all the cities in the Looking West 2007 survey.
Residents happiest with how their local government is dealing with growth live in Regina, where the level of satisfaction was 75.2%.
Although 86.1% of Calgarians rate their quality of life as good or very good, that is the second lowest rating, with Toronto ranking lowest, at 81.1% and Saskatoon ranking highest at 89.2%.
"Whether it's this survey or many other surveys that have come forward in the last little while, Calgarians are saying 'Get after the infrastructure, don't let up, reinvest back to make sure my quality of life and that of my family is not deteriorating," Bronconnier said. "I've heard the message loud and clear -- I just hope the politicians in Edmonton hear the same message."
Ward 9 Ald. Joe Ceci said the numbers come as no surprise.
"We are swelling in population, and it's not necessarily newcomers alone, though, who are driving the need for some projects, for example, new commercial towers," Ceci said.
"Certainly you don't have to go very far down any road in this city to see another project going in the ground.
"All of that has a big impact on ease of travel around the city, but I don't know of any effective measure of putting the unwelcome mat out for people -- it's not practical and it's not neighbourly."
TOPS IN MISERY
Percentage of population who feel local government does a good job of managing growth:
1. Regina -- 75.2 %
2. Saskatoon -- 73.5 %
3. Winnipeg -- 55.2 %
4. Edmonton -- 54 %
5. Toronto -- 52.8 %
6. Vancouver -- 51.6 %
7. Calgary -- 51.1 %
Percentage who agree there are too many people living in the city:
1. Calgary -- 51.1%
2. Toronto -- 46.2%
3. Vancouver -- 43.8%
4. Edmonton -- 38%
5. Saskatoon -- 12.8 %
6. Winnipeg -- 10.6 %
7. Regina -- 7.2 %
Percentage who feel quality of life has deteriorated in the last five years:
1. Calgary -- 45.3 %
2. (tie) Vancouver, Toronto -- 36 %
4. Edmonton -- 28 %
5. Winnipeg -- 19 %
6. Saskatoon -- 14.6 %
7. Regina -- 11.2 %
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Sweet.
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