Business Advantages
Here are 10 reasons why Airdrie is the smart choice for your business.
Location, Location, Location
Businesses know location is everything. Airdrie is well-positioned in one of North America's strongest economic regions.
- On the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and CANAMEX Highway, and minutes from the Trans-Canada Highway.
- 15 minutes to Calgary International Airport and 30 minutes to downtown Calgary.
- Within 24-hour delivery time to major world markets
- One hour to the majestic Canadian Rocky Mountains
More About the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor
Transportation Connections
Whether by air, road or rail, Airdrie offers quick and convenient shipping, receiving and passenger connections. Airdrie is within 24-hour delivery time access to a market of 50 million people in Canada and the US Pacific Northwest!
More...
Major Tax Advantage
The City of Airdrie does not charge a business tax, resulting in a direct savings for your business' bottom line. This, coupled with Alberta's favourable tax environment, makes our city an affordable option.
Municipal Tax Advantages
- Airdrie does not collect a business tax.
- Airdrie's non-residential 2008 property tax rate is 10.0419, compared to 11.309 in Calgary.
- Business licensing fees are among the lowest in the region, ranging from $100 to $200 per year.
- Airdrie has one of the lowest residential property tax rates in Alberta. More...
See how Airdrie's non-residential taxes compare to Calgary.
Provincial Tax Advantages
- The lowest overall taxes in Canada.
- No provincial sales tax.
- No provincial capital taxes or payroll taxes.
- No provincial machinery & equipment tax.
Available Land Supply & Construction Growth
Looking for land? We've got it. Our three new business parks are fully-serviced and ready for development, with several properties offering QEII highway exposure. Numerous commercial opportunities exist in our emerging downtown.
Construction growth continues to be through the roof with commercial and industrial properties under development across the city.
More on Business Parks...
More on Construction Growth...
Growing & Young Population
Airdrie is one of the fastest-growing cities in Canada with a current population of 38,091. Over the past five years, we've experienced 8.3% average annual growth. We are a young city with 20% of residents between the ages 30-39, and almost 80% under age 50.
More...
People & Talent
With our youthful population, Airdrie is well-positioned to attract and maintain its labour force and resident community. Plus, with a number of residents commuting outside Airdrie, there's a highly-skilled labour force waiting to work closer to home.
More...
Business Opportunities Abound
Alberta is known for its entrepreneurial spirit and Airdrie is no exception. Almost 2/3 of our businesses are classified as self-employed, and a further 700 residents run home-based businesses. The competitive economic environment and Airdrie's superb quality of life has resulted in a 12% annual increase in business licenses.
More...
Thriving Regional Hub
With a regional market of more than one million people and a local trade area of 43,000, Airdrie is an important hub for commercial and service operations, and is closely tied to the Calgary Region marketplace. The Brick, Wal-Mart, The Home Depot, Canadian Tire, and the Real Canadian Superstore are just a sample of key retailers in Airdrie. In addition, more than 50,000 vehicles daily pass by Airdrie on the QEII highway.
More...
Superior Quality of Life
In the last citizen's survey, 97% of residents said Airdrie offers a high quality of life. With nearby mountain vistas, safe and friendly neighbourhoods, and quick access to Calgary's world-class amenities, what's not to love?
More...
Strong Municipal Leadership
The City of Airdrie is proactively planning and building our city to ensure the success and sustainability of our community during continued population growth and business sector expansion. We're investing millions in infrastructure and amenities to support growth
We're building our future now!
Leading Environmental Sustainability
We believe in building a sustainable Airdrie. We're developing a Sustainability Plan to reduce our ecological footprint and take a proactive approach to the social, cultural, economic and governance pillars of sustainability. More...
We take our environment seriously. Airdrie is:
- One of the first communities in Alberta to implement a household garbage limit.
- Home to Alberta's first pilot project to recycle construction waste.
- Taking a lead in the Nose Creek Watershed Partnership to ensure a healthy creek ecosystem by actively improving water quality.
- More...
Land Development Opportunities
From industrial parks to a vibrant downtown, there is room to grow in Airdrie. We recently annexed nearly 3,000 acres to support future community growth, with half designated industrial or commercial use. More...
Sound Financial Management
We strive to meet the highest principles of governmental budgeting. Our financial excellence was demonstrated when the City of Airdrie received the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada Distinguished Budget Award in 2007.
Investing in Infrastructure & Amenities
Recreation & Wellness
Genesis Place, our flagship recreation and wellness centre, is undergoing a $28 million expansion. New amenities will include a multipurpose indoor field, running track, gymnastics centre, and twin arenas in phase three. The facility will allow Airdrie to host major recreation and community events including trade shows, conferences and sporting events.
Infrastructure
From roads to fire halls to building upgrades, we're investing in our future growth. Major construction is underway to upgrade our south interchange, providing a better traffic flow within the city and onto the QEII highway. Other examples include:
- $17 million committed to engineering (roads, water/sewer, etc.) projects in 2009 alone.
- Land has been acquired for three new fire halls.
- RCMP facility upgrade planned for 2010.
Download the 2009 Budget at a Glance
Transportation
We're committed to expanding transit options for our residents and businesses, and to reducing overall vehicle dependency. We are the only municipality in the region (aside from Calgary) to operate a bus service. Plus, we're taking a lead role in the Calgary Regional Partnership's transportation project that aims to provide greater regional transportation linkages, enhancing commuter transit and reducing environmental impacts.
Expanding Our Housing Horizons
The new home construction boom is alive and well in Airdrie, bringing the total number of dwellings to over 13,000. Three brand-new subdivisions are under construction, with more on the way. Several new mixed-use and multi-family projects have added diversity to the housing mix. More...
To expand housing options for our residents, the City of Airdrie has established the non-profit corporation, Airdrie Housing Ltd., to create and oversee affordable housing strategies.
Leading Regional Collaboration
Calgary Regional Partnership, a collaboration of 17 municipalities and one First Nation. The organization takes a proactive approach to solving the region's growth, economic development and planning issues through inter-municipal cooperation.
