Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown believes that 2022 was a year that highlighted how Airdrie, much like the rest of the world began to return to normal after several years of pandemic restrictions and interruptions due to COVID-19 and while 2023 has just begun, the mayor and city council is looking at some of the most important highlights that will be coming to fruition this year.
Infrastructure in Airdrie has become one of the biggest talking points for its residents, considering the city is growing and expanding at some of the highest rates in the province. So it would seem only natural that the city's Mayor believes two of the largest infrastructure projects in the city, the new multi-use library and facility as well as the completion of the 40th Avenue Overpass come October 2023 are success stories to look forward to in the new year.
"Having 40th Avenue Overpass, come in on budget with all the huge inflationary pressures on concrete and steel, that we were able to bring that in on budget you in 2022, and getting ready to be opened in 2023 is a huge one for me," Mayor Brown said.
Mayor Brown also addressed some Airdrie residents' concerns that the library, due to the much larger budget than was initially proposed and agreed upon, may not have been the most prudent way to spend the municipality's money. The Mayor underlined that the library isn't just a library, but a meeting place for the community.
"To have a place where people can go have meetings, there's a small box theatre, there's [an] integrated space for community events," he said. "I think people have to draw a bigger perspective with what this multi-library/multipurpose space will look like. It is definitely needed in our community."
Mayor Brown was also asked about the political landscape of the province, especially since Premier Smith has vowed to honour the May 29 provincial election date, despite only being premier for a few months. Mayor Brown said that when it comes to inter-governmental relationships, there is always room for improvement, though he has been quite satisfied thus far with the province. Though he believes for many years Airdrie was overlooked by the province, especially when compared to similar-sized cities or towns within the province.
"I think that's changing and we're getting a really good sense of with Premier Smith and her new team; Airdrie is going to be looked after. They recognize that we have some enormous expenses coming up, and we can't do it alone," Brown said.
When asked whether he believes there may be a change of government in the coming months, Mayor Brown said that regardless of who stays and who goes, the challenges will remain the same for the municipality.
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