THE CALGARY

DREAM

How Calgary's youth are redefining traditional life milestones
in the face of a shifting economy

Photo by Bernard Spragg, Flickr

By Heather Johnston, Ace Jakeman, Jayden Steidl

In Calgary, younger generations are adapting to rapidly shifting economic times.

With the rise of the digital economy,
soaring housing prices, and relentless inflation,
this generation is forced to redefine the white
picket fence dream.

Looping video of Calgary's C-Train. Video by: Heather Johnston

So how are young adults adapting to the shifting economic climate in Calgary, and what are their hopes for the future?

PRECARIOUS WORK

A shift from
oil and gas to
the digital age

Looping video of Calgary's downtown buildings. Video by: Heather Johnston

Historically, Calgary has been known as a hotspot for Alberta’s lucrative oil and gas industry. The first major oilfield was found just outside of the city in Turner Valley, Alta. in 1914, which led to successful exploration efforts throughout the province that would fuel Alberta and Canada’s economy for nearly a century.

However, as the oil wells start to run dry, a new industry is emerging – the digital economy.

In fact, tech-related jobs in Calgary have increased by 157 per cent since 2012, reflecting a huge shift in the city’s economic landscape, away from oil and towards a more tech-integrated municipality.

Still, a lot of these jobs are not your typical nine to fives, many are short-term contract gig jobs which is a whole new playing field in the economy.

Gig work consists of short-term tasks or jobs facilitated through digital platforms, apps, or traditional methods. According to a recent report by StatsCan, in 2022, 871,000 Canadians did gig work as their main job and 1.5 million reported having done freelancing, paid gigs, or short-term jobs and tasks at some point during the last 12 months.

A recent article from CBC reports that in 2022, Alberta had the highest number of full-time gig workers in Canada, representing five per cent of the province's workforce.

Janelle's story:
Navigating through unprecedented times

Janelle Wright discussing the challenges she's been met with after graduation. Video by: Heather Johnston

“I was told my future career
would be all about finding
my purpose in life.”

Janelle Wright
-Freelancer-

Photo by Jamin Heller

Janelle's story:
Navigating through unprecedented times

From a young age, Calgarian Janelle Wright imagined what her life would look like when she grew up. She pictured graduating from school, securing a good job with a stable income, getting married and starting a family. All of the typical milestones we are all told that we need to hit in order to have a stable and fulfilling life.

“I was told my future career would be all about finding my purpose in life,” says Wright. “That I needed to discover what I was passionate about– something that makes me feel alive while aligning with my values.”

However, Wright had no idea what world she would be walking into when she graduated from university in 2019.

When she first went to school, the once thriving oil and gas industry that had driven the province’s economy for nearly a century was already dwindling due to shifting global energy policies. This caused mass job loss for Albertans, an extremely competitive labour market, and led to the rise of tech, digital work, and short-term gig jobs.

Then, in early 2020, a mysterious virus would shut the world down, causing provincial unemployment rates to skyrocket to the highest recorded in modern history at 15 per cent, and Wright’s dreams for a career would be put on pause for an indeterminate period of time.

Struggling to find adequate work during the pandemic lockdowns, and with the clock ticking down to start paying back her student loans, Wright was faced with no other option but to further her education to put her loans on pause.

The following September, she moved to Victoria, B.C. to pursue a bachelor of arts in professional communication at Royal Roads University, hoping things would go back to normal after she got out of school. Unbeknownst to her though, Wright’s struggles were just beginning.

While Wright was in school, the job market was becoming increasingly unstable throughout the country.

“The mandated shutdown in the economy to protect the public’s health and well-being caused a precipitous employment crisis in the spring of 2020,” says Katherine Scott, senior researcher at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

“While many white-collar jobs remained unscathed, tons of students and many young people lost their jobs or many hours of their employment.”

Scott explains that though employment numbers began to climb again through 2021 and 2022, inflation started to rise at alarming rates, resulting in economic instability yet again.

“It was a recovery that scooped up many, many people, but it has weakened, of course, since then, and this past year has been really difficult,” says Scott.

Long-term implications on the economy

Jason Foster, Parkland Institute director and author of Gigs, Hustles, & Temps says precarious employment working conditions are not a new phenomenon, but rather a breaking down of economic systems formed post-World War ll.

“The nature of work today looks a lot like what it used to if we look at the late 1800s and early 20th century,” says Foster. “Work was always contingent, it was always precarious, it was always poorly paid… there was very little government protection for workers.”

From the end of the war to the 1990s, workers were promised stability through full-time careers with benefits in exchange for corporations to operate with minimal restrictions, allowing families to go after what has been commonly coined as the white picket fence dream.

That said, Alberta’s Employment Standards were designed in the 1970s and 80s for traditional employment, making a younger workforce vulnerable to a newly forming digital economy.

“Current laws are leaving workers exposed to mistreatment and misuses, with employers taking advantage of the legal vacuum that exists,” says Foster.

Foster says this shift makes it difficult for many workers to buy homes or start families, and the strain is especially difficult on marginalized groups like women, racialized workers, and migrants.

The rise of gig work and layoffs in key industries like the energy sector in Alberta has also left many without access to Employment Insurance (EI), with only one in three unemployed workers eligible for EI today.

“We’re making a conscious decision to basically throw a generation of workers to the wolves with all of the negative consequences that come with it,” says Foster.

The Parkland Institute director says stronger reform for gig workers in Alberta is needed including, an expansion of employment standards, occupational health and safety coverage, and laws that protect workers’ rights to unionize without the risk of companies withdrawing operations in retaliation.

“We’re making a conscious decision to basically throw a generation of workers to the wolves with all of the negative consequences that come with it.”

Jason Foster
- Parkland Institute director -

LOCKED OUT

Housing: Locked out of the market

The contributing factors that made Calgary’s housing market what it is today.

Calgary has been known by many to be one of the most affordable cities in Canada. It's a city that has been called home by individuals coming from all different backgrounds and walks of life.

However, over the past decade, as the population grew so has the cost of owning a first home.

The housing inflation that Calgary faces has been steadily increasing. Main surges from the housing inflation started around the end of the COVID-19 pandemic (2022-2023) and have continued to rise since then.

As of 2023, there has been a 4.4 per cent increase in the province's population. In response to the population increase, the province saw a 32 per cent increase in housing starts.

With the average selling price of a home listed at $573,100, this is a 3.9 per cent increase year-over-year.

With a one-year fixed rate mortgage at 4.69 per cent, this has meant individuals like Amanda Hoerle, a mortgage specialist, have seen an increase in mortgage cases.

Hoerle’s insight to the mortgage world

Hoerle has been involved in the mortgage world for 13 years and currently sees the mortgage market rates at an all time high. This impacts many individuals looking to own a home from a single individual looking to own a condo or a full family looking to move into a home.

“Affordability is still a little bit of an issue as the house prices in Calgary have become more expensive over the last couple of years. And they're still predicting that the average house prices will go up by three per cent plus this year regardless,” Hoerle said.

Hoerle believes that a large contributing factor is the rise of demand for homes with little supply. Furthermore, as the population starts to rise, so does the competition.

“Really strong demand versus the supply that was available, which drove a lot of competition, which drove up prices and we had an influx of inter-provincial migration as well, which fueled that,” Hoerle said.

As owning a home is most likely the most significant purchase that many people will make in their lifetime, the idea of owning has become the main goal of many young adults in the current housing market.

“I actually still find that young people are still trying to get into the housing market. It's a very strong investment for young people. Still, because getting into a house with the increased cost of rent over the years, just the inflationary component, the sooner you get in the better,” Hoerle said.

“The longer you wait, you miss that window of developing your own equity and you miss that window of being ahead of housing increases.”

According to CREB, there was a 3.2 per cent increase in house prices in December 2024 compared to December 2023. As the home prices increased at the end of 2024, there was a 2.9 per cent decline in sales at only 1,322 homes sold when compared to 2023.

“A lot of young people don't have a choice. Get into a house that may stretch their budget a little bit because that's just the circumstances we're in in regards to house prices,” Hoerle said.

Lana Angerman has recently just moved into her first home. Although she is not the owner and is currently renting with her boyfriend, she finds it challenging to save for a house in the city’s current economy.

Angerman shares that she has always worked towards home ownership and has tried her best to make decisions that best support that goal.

“I think it's always kind of stayed the same. I still would like to own a house, especially when I have a family, but I want to make sure that when I do own a house, that it's smart financially and I'm still able to afford the lifestyle that I want,” Angerman said.

Angerman explains how at her current age of 27, she only has four friends who own a house. A large reason for this was either an inheritance or money put aside for them by relatives to help purchase their own home.

For the upcoming generation, there is a large inheritance from the previous generation that could greatly help the younger generation purchase their first home.

A forecasted $1 trillion wave of wealth transfer is expected to be inherited by the current generation thanks to the past generation's rise of property values over decades. Furthermore, with the transfer of this tsunami of wealth, it is reported that 31 per cent of first-time homebuyers in Canada received financial aid from their family.

“I think now more than ever, it's really important to make sure that people are also saving putting money away because it is so much more expensive,” Angeman said.

“I think there's so many people my age who still have no idea about investment accounts or even the first home savings account or these different types of investments that can really help save money up, like I've been saving for a house for a while.”

As Calgary continues to increase in population, so do the house prices. Hoerle shares some advice she thinks could help first-time home buyers.

“My advice is always get into homeownership because despite where we are economically, it's a long term investment.”

Quality of Life

How do Calgarians
perceive their
current standard
of living?

The Calgary Central Library stands as a modern architectural landmark in the city’s downtown core. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

When people have trouble paying their bills, they become angry. And as costs of living have risen, many Canadians have rapidly lost their sense of trust in society.

Clearly, something has changed on a country-wide level. But, when it comes to the formerly affordable city of Calgary, has the standard of living actually declined, or have Calgarians perceptions merely soured in recent years?

Video footage of the Calgary LRT that runs along 7th Avenue South. Video by Jayden Steidl.

The overall data seems to suggest that when adding up housing, utilities, and essential living costs, the cost of living relative to wages has gone up.

However, the answer may be more complicated than it first seems. According to Alex Bierman, sociologist professor at the Univeristy of Calgary. Canadians in general are perceiving a worsened sense of wellbeing.

“So from 2020 to around 2024, reports have highlighted a 14 per cent decline in the number of Canadian residents rating their quality of life as good or excellent, influenced by factors like employment challenges, housing affordability, and financial stress."

He explains how a societal-wide inability to pay bills can create a angrier and less trusting populace. But why do Calgarians specifically feel their bills have become unaffordable?

Data Provided via. Numbeo

On the one hand, Calgary grocery prices have been rising rapidly in recent years. According to Numbeo the cost of a 1 litre of milk was $2.10 back in 2010, but now costs $2.76.

However, in 2010, a liter of milk cost 23.86 per cent of an hour's minimum wage, but by 2024, that figure had dropped to 18.4 per cent. The cost of a loaf of bread followed a similar trend, falling from 32.61 per cent to 24.8 per cent. While grocery prices have risen overall, many essential items have actually become more affordable when adjusted for minimum wage increases.

A student studies in a quiet corner of the Calgary Central Library, one of the city's most popular public spaces for learning and reflection. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Downtown Calgary traffic flows beneath the Bow Parkade, offering a glimpse into the city’s weekday bustle from above. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Natural light pours through the intricately patterned ceiling of the Calgary Central Library, showcasing the building’s award-winning architectural design. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Visitors make their way through the Calgary Central Library, where open spaces and striking design invite exploration and community engagement. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Despite what the data may show, many Calgarians, like Margaret McLaren-Soult, feel as though life in Calgary is less affordable than it used to be. McLaren-Soult has lived in Calgary since the early 1970s. She's had the unique experience of witnessing how kids and their family situations have changed throughout her career as a special education assistant.

“ Kids are struggling. Over the years the schools have changed so much and the kids have come to school oftentimes hungry," McLaren-Soult says, "Or the schools end up feeding the kids because the parents don't have the money to feed them. And it never used to be like that.”

McLaren-Soult's perspective echoes what many other Calgarians are feeling in terms of quality of life decline. But if things like grocery prices have actually gone down relative to wages, why do so many working Calgarians still perceive a worsened standard of living?

Bierman offers an interesting possibility when asked if the way individuals perceive themselves relative to others may have changed due to the ever-evolving social media driven landscape.

“One idea that we can apply to this question is the idea of relative deprivation. As people learn what others have achieved in life, even if an individual has achieved a certain standard of living, if they discover that someone with a similar background to them has achieved a greater standard of living, they may yet feel distressed from that or just deprived.”
Bierman

However, these statistics on groceries and the concept of relative deprivation don't tell the entire story. Calgarians' perceived increase in cost of living is absolutely not unbased.

When looking at the same data from 2010, the cost of housing has significantly increased, as well as the cost of utilities. The cost of housing alone has increased so much that it has single handedly made Calgary a more unaffordable city relative to wages in 2024, despite many other essential items becoming more affordable in that same time frame.

In 2010, the average rent for a one-bedroom apartment in downtown Calgary was $1,100, which accounted for 12,500 per cent of an hour’s minimum wage at the time. By 2024, the same apartment costs $2,006.20, now requiring 13,374 per cent of an hour’s minimum wage to afford. This marks an increase of nearly 875% in wage percentage terms, highlighting how rent has risen much faster than wages, making housing significantly less affordable.

According to economist Ron Kneebone, the sharp increase in rent prices has to do with a simple lack of availability, and a very high demand.

“Since 2008 Calgary’s population has increased by 70 per cent, that's an enormous rate of growth. And when people are just pouring into the city, it’s really challenging to build enough housing to accommodate that many people that quickly,”
Kneebone

Passersby stroll beneath the sweeping curved roof of the Calgary Central Library, a striking architectural feature that blends form and function in the heart of downtown. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Clearly, the citizens complaining about rising costs of housing aren't wrong at all. And tangentially, Bierman noted that their research discovered a very clear causal effect of experiencing increasing cost of living on loss of social trust. The housing merely adds to the growing strain Calgarians are feeling.

On top of increasing house prices, Alex also noted that their research discovered weakened social cohesion the year following the COVID-19 pandemic.

“So what this suggests is that long term, what we're seeing here is people becoming less trusting in Canada and that's absolutely critical because trust underlies social cohesion in a number of different ways,”
Bierman says.

Sociological evidence suggests that the pandemic, followed by inflation and soaring housing costs, has eroded Calgarians' ability to trust—contributing to a broader decline in Canadian social cohesion and overall satisfaction with quality of life, which, according to Bierman, is to be expected.

So, has Calgary’s standard of living actually declined, or have Calgarian perceptions merely been soured in recent years? The answer is both.

Despite some services becoming more affordable over the past 15 years, the rising cost of housing has outpaced these gains, and when combined with the lasting social and economic impacts of the pandemic, an undeniable decline in standard of living has occurred for many, alongside a degrading sense of trust and social cohesion amongst Calgarians.

A C-Train glides past the Calgary Central Library, visible through its large windows overlooking 3 Street SE. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

Two of the three towering “drinking birds” from the public art installation TRIO by Los Angeles artist Christian Moeller stand outside the Calgary Central Library, blending whimsy with futuristic design. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

“What our research shows is that when people experience trouble paying their bills, or trouble obtaining necessities, that can include housing, they tend to experience a great amount of anxiety, but not just anxiety, anger as well.”
Bierman

"Education is the New Buffalo," a striking sculpture by Indigenous artist Lionel Peyachew, stands inside the Calgary Central Library, symbolizing the shift from traditional survival to knowledge as a vital resource. Photo by Jayden Steidl.

About the Authors

Heather Johnston

A writer at heart, Heather is passionate about covering topics surrounding innovation and changemaking.

In her first year of university, Heather discovered design was also deeply rooted in her DNA, assisting in the redesign process for a diamond mine in her first internship.

In her free time, Heather can be found reading in the park, doing yoga with her cat, or spiraling down a rabbit hole in search of her next story.

Jayden Steidl

Is a passionate storyteller with a proclivity towards creative expression.

Last summer, Jayden worked as a journalist for both the Okotoks Western Wheel and the Cochrane Eagle.

In his free time, Jayden enjoys painting, exercise, music, and time with loved ones.

Ace Jakeman

Is a proud journalist/writer and enjoys the art of expressing a narrative in an engaging and understanding way.

Ace has produced multiple stories for the Calgary Journal ran through Mount Royal University and worked as a journalist for LiveWire Calgary.

In his spare time, Ace enjoys spending time with friends and family and has a strong passion for anything automotive, real estate, and wristwatch-related.