Canada’s Fastest Growing Cities 2017

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It is possible to have too much of a good thing? You wouldn’t think population growth would ever be counted as one of those problems, but when you grow as fast as Airdrie, Alta. there have been a few strains.

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Cities don’t cope well when their population surges. Grow too much, too fast and city infrastructures start to buckle. Airdrie, the fastest growing city in Canada is feeling some of the pressure. The population in this manufacturing town, just 20 due north of Calgary, has jumped by 20% in five years. That’s an annual growth rate of almost 4%.

The rapid growth occasionally sparks the ire of residents. An angry letter to the editor of the Airdrie Echo outlines how this unchecked growth is affecting the city. The list of issues is endless: No hospitals, not enough highway exits, crowded schools, no transit and congested roads. “Who is in charge of this uncontrolled crazy expansion?” begged the Airdrie resident.

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Still, people don’t flock to a place without a reason. Growth signals that a city is in demand, that it is creating jobs and new opportunities for residents. Keep that in mind as you scroll through this list. In our view healthy growth in a city should be slightly above the national average. Our target is about 7.7% over five years, or about 1.1% a year.