Calgary: From Outsider to Advocate

The below blog post is written by Calgary Chamber Member Avaya.

Why investors should not overlook or underestimate Calgary’s potential for reinvention and future growth

My journey to settling in Calgary started accidentally. I’m from Southern Ontario, where Toronto is considered to be the center of the Universe. We’re generally familiar with Montreal and Vancouver, but we know very little of the cities in between. I had flown through the Calgary airport, but that’s akin to saying you’ve seen Toronto if you’ve landed at Pearson.

If it weren’t for a work-related event that brought me into the downtown, Calgary would have escaped my radar. I was blown away by its size and the height of the buildings. Friends that have visited have had similar reactions. In our minds, we picture Calgary as the size of Hamilton or Buffalo. A city, but far from a major one. In flat, cold, and boring terrain, because that’s all we ever learned about the prairie provinces in school. I was astounded when I saw how close it was to the mountains and the snow crusted peaks you can see right from downtown.

Facing the inevitably high living costs if I were to take a job in the Toronto area, and bemoaning the outdoor hobbies I would have to sacrifice for a downtown lifestyle, I did something bold. Not knowing a single person, I accepted a job offer and moved myself across the country to settle in Calgary. It was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.

A Best Kept Secret

It could be said that Calgary suffers from low brand awareness. We’re well-known for a few things that we love to boast about – hosting the ’88 Olympics, Stampede, the Oil and Gas industry – but this only scratches the surface of what the city can offer. Those from farther away know very little about Calgary’s potential or how much the city has grown in the last two decades (a population of 1.3 million+). Calgary has a young, highly educated workforce. It’s continually voted as one of the most livable cities worldwide. World class skiing and Banff national park are within an hour drive. And Calgary has something that you won’t in other Canadian metropolitan regions – affordability.

As consumer and corporate rents reach suffocating levels in Toronto and Vancouver, Calgary is in the perfect position to absorb new companies looking to expand their footprint. The best part about Calgary that it’s move-in ready. Forget shelling out massive amounts of money to build an expensive new headquarters. When the oil and gas industry was at its peak, money flowed freely and industry giants splurged on building beautiful downtown skyscrapers. With the crash of the energy sector in 2016, many of those companies have fled or downsized and Calgary has a surplus of pristine and modern buildings – many of which are leasing at incredibly low rates.

The same can be said about the rental and housing markets. Your employees won’t have to shell out $2000 a month for a cramped bachelor, rent is affordable and the millennial demographic can get into the housing market. A huge factor, given that many in this cohort are entering the prime years to be thinking about marriage or starting a family, but have had to delay on this due to unaffordability.

And this goes without mentioning that Calgary still has a vibrant downtown scene for those that desire an urban lifestyle. With trendy neighbourhoods like Inglewood, Kensington, and Mission, there’s ample restaurants, boutiques, breweries, and nightclubs. There’s museums, art shows, festivals, and concerts. You can catch an NHL game for the price of a meal out. The big difference about living in Calgary is that you will actually have enough money leftover after living expenses to enjoy the surrounding city and landscapes!

A City Ripe for Reinvention

Reinvention is necessary for Calgary’s survival.

Many of us are hoping the energy industry makes a full recovery. It may not. It’s been dealt several hard blows and the hemorrhaging continues to happen. Many have lost their jobs, and companies have packed up all together to leave for more friendly markets. This is a national problem Canada needs to address, but short of a complete policy overhaul, it will likely be too little too late. We can still put some eggs in the energy industry basket and hope for resurgence, but we need to explore other avenues of growth. From what I’ve seen, Calgary is a city full of resilient and hardworking people. It’s a great place to live and work. We just need to tell our story to new audiences and let the innovation sparks fly.