Airdrie city council has adjourned a special meeting that was scheduled for Tuesday to review an enforcement order issued against land owned by Strategic Group at 196 Edwards Way SW.
According to a June 9 notice from the City, the June 10 meeting has been adjourned to a future council meeting, with the new date still to be determined.
Before the adjournment notice, Airdrie city council was set to decide on Tuesday whether to uphold or amend an enforcement order issued against land owned by Strategic Group at 196 Edwards Way SW, following allegations by the City of unauthorized interference and damage to streets and a watermain.
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Strategic Group is seeking to have the order amended or overturned, but none of its May 9 filings identify what kind of structure is under construction. The city’s June 4 submission references Development Permit PL2300906, issued Aug. 7, 2024, but the permit itself was not included. Several filings refer only to "the building," "the foundation," or "the adjacent structure."
In its June 4 filing signed by Roads and Parks Operations manager Kyle Wilkin, the City stated the order was issued in response to "unauthorized interference and damage to City watermain and streets (Edwards Way SW)," and identified Strategic Group as the registered landowner.
The enforcement order was issued April 25 by Airdrie Municipal Enforcement. The May 27 council notice confirms that a public review meeting will be held on Tuesday, June 10, at 11 a.m. in Council Chambers at City Hall.
In a written submission dated June 4, Strategic Group stated: "As of the date of these submissions, the space between the foundation of the building on the Lands and Edwards Way has been backfilled… any risk to the Edwards Way right-of-way that ever existed has been resolved by that backfill work completed by Ellis Don on May 22."
The company requested that directive 3 of the order be amended to allow either a schedule and procedure for properly backfilling and compacting the excavation adjacent Edwards Way, or a geotechnical design for a shoring system. Strategic Group also objected to directive 5 applying to the landowner.
Strategic Group stated, "The most efficient and comprehensive way of protecting the watermain and Edwards Way right-of-way was to properly backfill the excavation on the east side of the Lands."
In its June 4 filing, the City stated, "This instability is likely to be accelerated by large rainfall events and by the poor application of a shotcrete product on 1st Avenue NW that was adding weight to the slope and holding back water."
The same document reported that on April 24, "a 10-metre-long section of the sidewalk portion of the road right-of-way had collapsed at the location of the City’s watermain isolation valve resulting in movement and inability to access the valve stem." It further stated that City staff identified "a 100mm deep void between the asphalt and granular base course of the roadway extending 1.5 metres into the roadway throughout the length of the excavation collapse."
In its May 9 review request, Strategic Group stated, "Strategic Group does not dispute the appropriateness of issuing the Enforcement Order to UK One Construction Ltd. However, Strategic Group does take issue with the Enforcement Order being issued to the owner of the Lands..."
The requested revision stated:
"a. Prepare a schedule and procedure for properly backfilling and compacting the excavation adjacent Edwards Way; or
b. direct your Geotechnical and Civil Engineer to prepare an engineered design for a sheet pile wall or equivalent alternative shoring system, designed to support loading of the adjacent roadway..."
The City’s June 4 filing stated that backfilling may be used if specific engineering and procedural requirements are met by June 30. These include confirmation from a qualified engineer that "the City’s watermain is adequately protected and the slope is stable enough to support such equipment," submission of a "comprehensive excavation and backfill plan, including a detailed timeline," and a "structural assessment of foundations constructed to date."
On May 8, Strategic Group also filed an appeal to the Subdivision and Development Appeal Board regarding a stop order issued under Development Permit PL2300906.
In a letter dated June 3, 2025, the City’s legal counsel, Brownlee LLP, wrote: "SDAB has no jurisdiction to rescind or amend a Section 545 Order. The proper forum for this request is the Section 545 Review scheduled before Council on June 10, 2025."
In a June 4 filing, Strategic Group stated that Ellis Don completed the backfill on May 22. The SDAB hearing was held the following day.
The SDAB appeal and the Council process are separate. The SDAB hearing concerned the stop order linked to the development permit, while Council is reviewing the enforcement order issued under section 545 of the Municipal Government Act.
The letter also stated that the City was prepared to amend the timelines in the April 25 order if Strategic Group satisfied the conditions set out in the June 4 filing.
"The City is prepared to amend the timelines of the Enforcement Order should Strategic Group decide to complete the work and satisfy all of the requirements of the order," the letter stated.
Brownlee also stated that the emergency order issued under section 551 of the MGA was being withdrawn.
"The Emergency Order issued under Section 551 of the MGA on May 3, 2025, is withdrawn effective immediately," the letter stated.
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