Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown appeared in a Facebook Live broadcast on Friday afternoon, marking his first public remarks since an article by the Investigative Journalism Foundation was published on June 11.
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The article states that its reporting is based on, and quotes from, documents the organization (IJF) obtained through Alberta’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP). DiscoverAirdrie has not viewed or independently verified these documents.
According to the IJF, "Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown provided extensive behind-the-scenes help to a controversial private health care centre."
The report alleges that Brown and a small group of City staff helped "craft and pitch plans" for a publicly funded, privately delivered — a characterization Brown disputes — health-care complex proposed by One Health Associate Medical and Qualico Communities.
One Health Associate Medical is an Airdrie-based clinic that lists its services as "full-service medical clinic offering timely access to urgent and ongoing health concerns," while Qualico Communities is a Calgary-based land developer with an Airdrie housing development in the city's southwest known as Vantage Rise.
The article also states that, despite public messaging by the City asserting it "did not help develop the proposal," the report states that internal communications appeared to show Brown and staff were actively involved in its preparation and promotion.
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Among other claims in the article, "The emails also show Brown shared early proposal drafts with a contact in the premier’s office and took steps to conceal his role in the project from the public and members of Airdrie city council."
Brown defends staff, disputes reporting
In his Facebook Live video, Brown defended city staff and disputed the article’s portrayal of their involvement, citing examples where he and others from the city had previously advocated for various projects.
"Back in 2010 when I got elected, within a month, I'll say within a week, I was on television advocating for new schools...There were no articles written about some subversive behaviour by the mayor's office or people who work here," he said. "Our staff are supportive. If a business comes here and wants to open a large facility that may require water, the first point of contact is me. They call the mayor's office."
"There's nothing untoward about what we're trying to do," he added. "We're all trying to get the most we can for our municipalities."
Brown also referenced a DiscoverAirdrie article published on Jan. 30, 2024, which first reported that renovations to Airdrie’s Urgent Care Centre had been paused. The initial report revealed that the pause was due to the province's consideration of the One Health initiative.
"I have another article here that there was a position that the City of Airdrie directed the government to... Any municipal leader would know this: if I had the power to tell Alberta Health how to spend its money and organize its affairs. Do you think that I would?" he said. "I'm not a health expert — they make decisions without municipalities on that front."
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However, in DiscoverAirdrie's initial reporting, a spokesperson for Alberta Health had sent DiscoverAirdrie this statement:
"After receiving a new proposal from the City of Airdrie, Alberta Health decided to pause the Airdrie Urgent Care Centre in support of the City of Airdrie's proposal and explore innovative project delivery..."
The City of Airdrie also offered its own statement to DiscoverAirdrie at the time:
"The City was not part of creating the proposal; however, the City facilitated meetings between the group that created it and the Minister of Health," the statement read. "This is a typical role the City takes to connect our community to other levels of government to advance key initiatives in our City. We appreciate the Minister of Health considering all avenues to address health care challenges in Airdrie in a timely manner."
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DiscoverAirdrie amended that January 2024 article to reflect both statements, adding a clarification that the Ministry of Health also issued a clarification:
"Alberta’s government is committed to improving health outcomes for the residents of Airdrie. After receiving a new joint proposal from One Health and Qualico Communities, Alberta Health decided to pause the Airdrie Urgent Care Centre to thoroughly review this proposal and its innovative project delivery. We are working to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients and residents and will share more information as soon as possible."
Brown also addressed the IJF’s description of the proposed facility as a form of privatized healthcare.
"For decades, if you went to your family doctor, anywhere in Airdrie or Calgary, you did not pay a nickel to go in and have an appointment, but it’s a private business," he said. "Doctors run their businesses. You're not paying. Alberta Health is paying. It's not a private business."
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Brown continued by saying:
"We need more health stuff going in[to] Airdrie; to suggest we don't and to label it as private -and all of these people are undercover doing whatever is ridiculous. I can be transparent on every single thing I've done, except if it's in closed session, and that's land, legal and labour," he added. "There are some things I can't talk about in public. My councillors know that; any public official knows that 100 per cent - but don't come after people in our organization."
Model raises privatization concerns, minister confirms competitive process
Since DiscoverAirdrie first reported on the One Health proposal in 2024, the concept of the new integrated primary and urgent care facility has sparked concern among residents and sharp criticism from healthcare advocacy groups.
Doug Smith, who previously identified himself as a volunteer working with One Health, has consistently rejected claims that the initiative constitutes private healthcare. In prior interviews with DiscoverAirdrie, Smith said the proposed model — developed by One Health and Dr. Julian Kyne — would not involve access fees or membership charges for either the primary care or urgent care components.
"Those who can use this new approach will be current One Health patients, and approximately 20,000 people in the Airdrie area who don't have a family physician today," Smith said.
He also confirmed that the primary care floor of the facility is initially intended for patients already rostered with One Health, with plans to expand access over time.
While One Health has been confirmed as the operator for the primary care side, Health Minister Adriana LaGrange stated during a spring 2025 visit to Airdrie that urgent care services would be "publicly funded and operated by a provider selected through a competitive process."
In a separate September 2024 response to a DiscoverAirdrie inquiry, the Office of the Health Minister wrote that the facility would follow a joint leadership model, "in which One Health Airdrie is the primary care operator, operating within Alberta’s approved physician compensation parameters."
"Urgent care services will be provided by a proponent chosen through a competitive process to ensure they align with the refocused health care system," the statement read.
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The advocacy group Friends of Medicare has been critical of the proposal since its emergence.
Chris Gallaway, executive director of the group, told DiscoverAirdrie in March that the process lacked transparency and raised broader concerns about what he termed private delivery of public care.
"One Health spokespeople keep claiming this isn’t privatization, but Albertans haven’t been offered anything to suggest otherwise," Gallaway said. "What is this ‘competitive process’ that will be used to determine who will deliver urgent care services in this new facility? What is the funding model? Albertans deserve to know."
DiscoverAirdrie asks city for comment
Discover Airdrie also submitted a formal request for comment to the City of Airdrie on June 11, inquiring whether Mayor Peter Brown and senior staff had misrepresented their role in the One Health proposal.
The City has publicly re-stated that it "was not part of creating the proposal." In a written email response, the City of Airdrie stated:
"The One Health briefing note and proposal was developed outside of the City. Relevant data and information was provided by the City. This is no different than the level of support provided to any potential investment that aims to benefit our community."
Asked why Brown’s office declined a Jan. 30, 2024, interview request from DiscoverAirdrie, the City responded:
"The delivery of health care services is ultimately a provincial responsibility. The province is the ultimate decision maker of health care delivery and funding, therefore not a municipal area of accountability."
DiscoverAirdrie also asked what policy governed the forwarding of a reporter’s questions to private stakeholders, including One Health and Qualico. The City replied:
"The City does not have a policy that governs the sharing of external media inquiries. No media inquiry received by the City from a local journalist was marked confidential."
On why the council was not formally briefed until February 2024 — despite the IJF report saying that emails showed staff involvement as early as August 2023, the City stated:
"When any group is looking to invest in our community, Council (usually the Mayor) and Administration are typically the first points of contact. Items such as this will come to Council, once a proposal or initiative has been deemed to be feasible and of benefit to our community for further discussion and evaluation."
Asked whether any internal review had been conducted regarding the City’s communications handling, transparency practices, or council engagement on the file, the City said:
"The City has followed standard operating practices in working with potential investors and investment opportunities."
Timeline
January 2024 — DiscoverAirdrie confirms renovation pause
On Jan. 30, 2024, DiscoverAirdrie was the first to report that multi-million dollar renovations at the Airdrie Community Health Centre had been paused until further notice.
The report quoted Airdrie Health Foundation Executive Director Michelle Bates, who confirmed that the province notified the foundation on Jan. 11 that "the renovations were on pause as the government is looking into other opportunities for our community."
"This other opportunity, we are told, will be privately delivered and publicly funded," Bates had previously said.
The $8.4 million renovations were scheduled to begin that month.
February 2024
In an early February 2024 article, Mayor Brown stated that he was aware that as part of a joint proposal to Alberta Health by One Health and Qualico Communities, there could be a pause to the renovation of the city's community health centre.
In an additional written statement provided to DiscoverAirdrie, Brown wrote that he was also aware that, as part of the proposal, the request was to reroute funds from the AUC renovations to the new project.
At the time, DiscoverAirdrie had requested further comment from Alberta Health on the status of the previously allocated funds for the health centre's renovations.
By the end of February, Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for Airdrie-East, Angela Pitt, had informed DiscoverAirdrie that the previously paused renovations at the city's Community Health Centre would resume shortly.
April 2024
In April, Alberta Health confirmed to DiscoverAirdrie it was providing $85,000 to One Health Airdrie through a government grant to co-develop a detailed business plan for a new facility combining primary and urgent care.
"The development of the business plan is ongoing," a provincial spokesperson stated in March. "We are unable to provide details at this time."
Health Minister Adriana LaGrange later confirmed in the legislature that the province had entered into a grant agreement with One Health Associate Medical Airdrie Inc. to support its proposal. She said the province would also provide contracted resources to assist with stakeholder engagement and proposal writing. A request for proposals to support this work was underway, with a contract expected to be awarded in April.
Last summer, One Health held engagement sessions with residents to outline the project and gather feedback. At the time, concerns from residents, local advocates, and non-profit groups centred on cost, access, staffing, and whether the facility could undermine future hospital plans.
September 2024
By the fall of 2024, Alberta Health had confirmed it had formally approved the proposal and that funding would be considered in the 2025 budget deliberations.
2025 onwards
By late February 2025, Alberta Budget documents confirmed $2 million in planning funds for One Health Airdrie’s proposed integrated primary and urgent care facility.
The funding was reaffirmed by Health Minister Adriana LaGrange during a March 2025 visit to Airdrie, but no construction date for the facility has been announced.
"It all depends on how quickly the planning can get done," LaGrange said. "If the planning can be done quickly, then we’ll be able to adjust the dollars accordingly."
During her visit, she also confirmed that renovations to the Airdrie Community Health Centre, previously funded with $8.4 million, are now expected to continue into fall 2025. The upgrades will expand treatment space, consolidate services, and add a trauma room.
Brown ended his live stream, defiantly and emotionally saying that, "At the end of the day, we do our best. We operate with integrity and honesty, and we strive to support the community we love. If there's something wrong with that... I apologize. Shouldn't get emotional."
Currently, Airdrie has over 85 thousand residents. It has been reported previously that it is the largest municipality without a hospital.
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