HILL, THOMPSON: Governments in Alberta must spur home-building amid population explosion

HILL, THOMPSON: Governments in Alberta must spur home-building amid population explosion

Alberta has long been viewed as an oasis in Canada’s overheated housing market — a refuge for Canadians priced out of high-cost centres such as Vancouver and Toronto. But the oasis is starting to dry up. House prices and rents in the province have spiked by about one-third since the start of the pandemic. According to a recent Maru poll, more than 70% of Calgarians and Edmontonians doubt they will ever be able to afford a home in their city. Whi…