Municipal construction continues to cause significant losses and frustrations for Stony Plain Road businesses

Calgary, July 29, 2024 – The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and the Stony Plain Road Business Association (SPRBA) issued a joint letter to Edmonton Mayor and Council ahead of the next Executive Committee meeting on August 14. The letter highlights the need for the City to address the significant losses and frustrations for Edmonton businesses impacted by projects that are disruptive to their operations. The full statement is copied below.

Alberta's small business owners can join our fight by signing our construction mitigation petition.

July 29, 2024

Mayor Sohi and Edmonton City Council
City Hall
1 Sir Winston Churchill Square
  Edmonton, AB T5J 2R7

Re: Municipal construction continues to cause significant losses and frustrations for Stony Plain Road businesses

Dear Mayor Sohi and Council members:

On behalf of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) and the Stony Plain Road Business Association (SPRBA), we are writing to express our deep concerns regarding the negative impacts of municipal construction on local businesses and apparent lack of support from the City of Edmonton.

The Executive Committee’s recent decision to postpone voting on the draft policy addressing financial losses during major construction projects by two months was a severe disappointment to businesses in the area. These businesses have endured the ongoing LRT construction for over three years, which has consisted of construction stagnation and weak actions from the City of Edmonton. Over the past three years, 25 businesses in this area have been forced to close due to impacts from the construction, permanently harming the economic wellbeing of the community and the City as a whole. Numerous businesses continue to face operational disruptions, challenges with accessibility and delivery logistics, and significant decreases in sales and revenue.

All taxpayers expect a return on investment when paying taxes; ensuring businesses in this area remain a viable part of the local economy is a beneficial use of funds for both these taxpayers and the City. As you know, property taxes are profit insensitive – and businesses must pay them regardless of their profits. Edmonton businesses incurred a whopping 8.9% average property tax increase this year. Small businesses along Stony Plain Road are facing these significant increases despite the overwhelming construction disruptions.

Given the already fragile wellbeing of businesses in this area post pandemic means the ongoing financial impacts of construction may push many more to closure. Assuming the draft policy on construction mitigation is approved by the Executive Committee in mid-August and is subsequently passed by council, the lengthy coordination and implementation process may mean help arrives too late to small businesses that are in desperate need now.

We urge the Executive Committee and Edmonton City Council to prioritize financial support for businesses negatively impacted by major municipal infrastructure construction disruptions. Additionally, we request that Council and City Administration ensure any construction mitigation support program applies to all Edmonton businesses impacted by municipal construction projects, the application process for relief be straightforward, and that support be delivered in a timely manner.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss this further, please contact Keyli Loeppky at keyloe@cfib.ca or Todd Janes at director@stonyplainroad.com.

Sincerely,

Keyli Loeppky
Director, Alberta & Interprovincial Affairs

Todd Janes
Director, Stony Plain Road Business Association