Calgary a great place to live, work: survey

The majority of Calgarians say the city is a good place to live and work, according to new survey data from the city.

Three-in-four residents say the quality of life in Calgary is good, higher than the national average by almost 10 per cent, according to the city.

Seven in ten Calgarians say the city is a great place to make a living, the city adds.

Pride in one’s community is high, according to the city, as 81 per cent of Calgarians say they are proud to live in their respective neighbourhood.

According to the survey, 76 per cent of people say they feel safe walking around their neighbourhood at night.

Satisfaction with services and programs provided by the city came in at 69 per cent, the city says.

“We know Calgarians have an immense sense of pride in our city and we work hard to keep that quality of life and satisfaction in City services high,” City of Calgary chief administrative officer David Duckworth said in a statement. “We know Calgarians are concerned about affordability, housing and addressing safety concerns, and we will continue our work to make progress on these important issues to ensure Calgary is a vibrant and inclusive city.”

As anticipated, the top issues among Calgarians are homelessness, poverty and affordable housing, infrastructure, traffic and roads, along with crime, safety, and policing, according to the city.

The majority of residents believe Calgary’s future is bright — with 70 per cent of residents saying the city is on the right path to be better 10 years from now.

More than half (56 per cent) of respondents said they feel Calgary is safe, which the city said is on par with other major Canadian cities.

However, 90 per cent of respondents would like to see more investment in transit safety, and 94 per cent believe the city should be doing more to address downtown safety issues.

While satisfaction with city services is high, overall trust in the city is low.

Just half of respondents said their trust in The City of Calgary is high.

Also not surprising is the large majority of respondents saying housing is too expensive in the city.

This comes after months of conversations on affordability and Calgary’s red-hot rental market.

Results say a large majority of Calgarians are in favour of exploring affordable home ownership options and increased investment in affordable housing that prioritizes low-income residents and Indigenous people.

Only 30 per cent of residents believe “all Calgarians have access to adequate housing,” according to the city.

The city says 2,500 Calgarians participated in the Ipsos telephone survey conducted from Aug. 2 to Sept. 4.