Airdrie’s Post Office has sat vacant for well over a decade but the federal government could soon breathe new life into it.
This spring's federal budget included the possibility of turning Canada Post properties across Canada into housing, and Airdrie was one of the communities mentioned as a sample location for the project.
“We've been working with the government to try and figure out how [the post office] can be sold or evaluated, or made into something,” said Airdrie Mayor Peter Brown. “So far we haven't had much luck.”
That luck could be turning around with this new plan. Airdrie city officials found out about the possibility of turning the facility into housing along with others who read the Building Homes on Canada Post Properties section of the budget. That section states many of the 1,700 post offices across the country could be leveraged to build new homes.
“Many of these sites often house one-storey Canada Post buildings, which could be leveraged to build new homes across the country, while maintaining Canada Post services,” the document reads.
While conversations have occurred about what to do with the old post office property in Airdrie, there was no specific conversation regarding turning it into housing, Brown said. Despite that, the City is excited about the possibility.
“That’s something we've been pushing for, for over a decade, so we're happy to see that,” Brown said. “We're looking forward to working with the powers that be to figure out the best use for that site.”
The one-storey brick building off Main Street has sat abandoned since 2010, and ever since then the City has been trying to find a solution.
“I think it's an issue that the federal government was looking at across the country at their vacant sites because a number of them have been identified in Alberta and other parts of Canada,” Brown said.
Brown said Airdrie is short roughly between 1,200 to 1,500 affordable housing units. That demand continues to grow as Airdrie’s population just surpassed 85,000.
Three other Alberta communities were mentioned in the report as possible locations to turn post offices into housing, including Crossfield, Carstairs, and Didsbury.
Unlike Airdrie’s post office, the one in Crossfield is still operational and has been since 1890.
“Crossfield's Town office is a hub for residents to not only receive their mail, but to meet their neighbours and stay connected,” said Crossfield Mayor Kim Harris. “Our post office is valued.”
Harris noted there may be a better way to assist rapidly growing municipalities. With a population of 4,211 as of 2024, Crossfield is growing at a rate of just over seven per cent.
“If the Federal Government really wants to help, they can provide infrastructure money to municipalities to help with housing and assist with municipal sustainability,” Harris said.
The federal government has not provided any further information to the Town of Crossfield.
Canada Post stated it will continue to be a "service first" organization focused on delivering the mail, while also being leveraged to contribute to housing supply.
Canada Post has a mandate to serve all Canadians, stated Lisa Liu from Canada Post’s media relations team.
“In collaboration with Canada Lands Company, we have agreed to undertake an assessment of our properties to explore their viability for alternate use, including as residential properties,” Liu stated. “Those discussions are ongoing. The six specific properties referenced in the federal budget had previously been identified as surplus to our operations, and the process of disbursement had already begun.”
The government plans to launch a new Canada Post Housing Program to support affordable housing providers to build on disposed or leased Canada Post properties.
Details are expected to be provided later this year.
