At Calgary害羞草研究所檚 Centre for Newcomers, where Kelly Ernst is chief program officer, staff have been 害羞草研究所� in Ernst害羞草研究所檚 words 害羞草研究所� 害羞草研究所渞un off their feet.害羞草研究所�

The non-profit organization, which offers services and language training to immigrants and refugees in Alberta害羞草研究所檚 largest city, served an eye-popping 50,000 clients last year. It was a dramatic increase from the prior year,and also a huge uptick from pre-pandemic times.

害羞草研究所淭hese numbers are more than 100 per cent greater than the previous year, and triple five years ago,害羞草研究所� Ernst said.

害羞草研究所淔or some services, the numbers are up over 400 per cent over two years.害羞草研究所�

The surge in demand for newcomer services in Calgary is a reflection of Alberta害羞草研究所檚 record-breaking population growth, which has come with both pros and cons.

In 2023, the western province saw its population surge by 202,324 residents to 4.8 million, according to Statistics Canada.

That害羞草研究所檚 the largest annual increase in Alberta害羞草研究所檚 history, the equivalent of 550 people moving to the province every day. While the bulk of the growth came from international migration, reflecting a Canada-wide trend, Alberta also shattered a national record in 2023 for interprovincial migration with a net gain of 55,107 people, the highest ever recorded by any province.

Most of these interprovincial migrants came from Ontario and British Columbia. Statistics Canada estimates that 38,236 Ontarians moved to Alberta last year, for example, versus just 14,860 Albertans who moved to Ontario.

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Alberta has always been a place with periods of sudden, dramatic population growth. The province害羞草研究所檚 oil and gas-based economy has attracted waves of job-seekers during historical times of high commodity prices and busy oilpatch activity.

But what is happening right now in Alberta is different than in the past, said Mark Parsons, chief economist for ATB Financial.

害羞草研究所淎lberta害羞草研究所檚 is a relatively strong economy, so the fast rate of job growth is contributing to the influx of people coming into the province, no question,害羞草研究所� Parsons said.

害羞草研究所淲hat害羞草研究所檚 different this time is that affordability is playing an important role 害羞草研究所� particularly housing affordability.害羞草研究所�

Experts say Canada害羞草研究所檚 housing crisis, and the affordability of the Alberta real estate market compared with places like Toronto and Vancouver, is one of the reasons the province has been the destination for so many U-Hauls and moving trucks.

In fact, housing affordability was one of the carrots the Alberta government dangled with its 害羞草研究所淎lberta is Calling害羞草研究所� ad campaign, which ran in the spring of 2023 in southern Ontario and Atlantic Canada. The campaign urged Canadians who can害羞草研究所檛 afford a home where they live to consider moving to Alberta, with its comparatively high salaries and lower real estate prices.

While the campaign was a smashing success from a marketing perspective, Alberta害羞草研究所檚 population boom has downsides. The sharp uptick in residents has helped drive economic growth, supporting retail and restaurant sales in the province and leading to a flurry of construction activity, but it has also made Alberta害羞草研究所檚 famously affordable real estate less affordable.

害羞草研究所淚n 2022, it felt like everyone was saying, 害羞草研究所楢lberta害羞草研究所檚 on sale, this is great, this is amazing,害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟 said Calgary real estate agent Dawn Herron Maser.

害羞草研究所淏ut now people who are from here are starting to feel like, 害羞草研究所業s it really that much on sale anymore? Because we害羞草研究所檙e here in Alberta and we害羞草研究所檙e struggling. We害羞草研究所檙e struggling to buy our homes here.害羞草研究所櫤π卟菅芯克鶟

In Calgary, the benchmark home price in March was $597,600, nearly 11 per cent higher than the previous year, according to the Calgary Real Estate Board. Anecdotes abound of wild bidding wars between buyers willing to waive all conditions and offer tens of thousands more than the asking price, a phenomenon that has become prevalent in hot markets like Toronto and Vancouver.

Calgary and Edmonton also saw the sharpest acceleration in rent prices among major Canadian cities in 2023. In Calgary specifically, the average rent for a two-bedroom apartment in 2023 jumped 14.3 per cent, the highest year-over-year growth in the country and the sharpest single-year rise in rent growth the city has seen since 2007, data from CMHC shows.

Adam Legge, president of the Business Council of Alberta, said new homes are simply not being built fast enough to keep up with the province害羞草研究所檚 growth. And there are other signs of strain showing as well. New arrivals to Alberta are struggling to find family doctors, and unprecedented school enrolment growth has led to overcrowded classrooms.

There is also a shortage of construction workers, welders and all of the other skilled tradespeople needed to build everything from houses to schools to roads as quickly as possible.

害羞草研究所淲e just aren害羞草研究所檛 seeing a sufficient inflow of new Albertans, either interprovincially or internationally coming with those kinds of skills and credentials,害羞草研究所� Legge said.

While the pace of population growth in Alberta is expected to moderate this year and in 2025, ATB Financial predicts it will still be strong compared to most other parts of Canada and developed economies around the world.

In the long term, sustained growth is likely. The province害羞草研究所檚 economy is diversifying, creating opportunities for workers in non-oil and gas-related fields such as technology and aviation, and the proximity of the Rocky Mountains and some of Canada害羞草研究所檚 best-loved national parks continue to be a draw for tourists.

The Alberta government害羞草研究所檚 own projections call for the province害羞草研究所檚 population to hit six million people as early as 2039.

害羞草研究所淲e really need to start looking at Alberta, and the West in general, in a different way,害羞草研究所� said Ernst, with the Centre for Newcomers, adding both provincial and federal governments need to prepare for the growth that is coming by investing in housing, infrastructure, programs and education.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e got to really think critically about the allocation of resources in this country 害羞草研究所� really understanding where people are moving, where people are setting up, where some of the population pressures are.害羞草研究所�

Legge agreed, adding it害羞草研究所檚 vital Alberta prepare for its future by addressing areas that are already under strain due to the province害羞草研究所檚 rapid growth.

害羞草研究所淭he message 害羞草研究所楢lberta is Calling害羞草研究所� is clearly working, which is a great thing in the sense of growth for the province and the people who are bringing their skills and talents and passions and entrepreneurship here,害羞草研究所� he said.

害羞草研究所淲e害羞草研究所檝e just got to make sure that we don害羞草研究所檛 become victims of our own success, and tackle some of the challenges that are already putting strain on our quality of life.害羞草研究所�

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Amanda Stephenson, The Canadian Press