Edmonton is in the midst of a remarkable period of growth.
Our population is expanding at one of the fastest rates in Canada. New businesses are opening. Major investments are being announced. Our technology sector continues to gain international recognition. We remain one of the most affordable major cities on the continent to live, work and do business.
The City of Edmonton’s newly released economic development strategy recognizes many of these strengths. It outlines a vision for attracting investment, supporting business growth, increasing downtown vibrancy, and positioning Edmonton as a destination for talent and opportunity. The strategy is ambitious. But it is also incomplete.
There is one issue that sits underneath every economic objective outlined in the strategy.
Safety. Not as a social issue. Not as a policing issue. Not as a political issue.
As an economic issue. Every economic strategy ultimately depends on people making choices. A family chooses where to live. An entrepreneur chooses where to start a business. A company chooses where to invest. An employee chooses whether to come downtown. A visitor chooses whether to return. Every one of those decisions is influenced by a simple question:
“Do I feel safe here?”
For years, Edmonton’s business community has been sounding the alarm about deteriorating perceptions of safety in key areas of our city. Business owners have watched customers alter their behaviour. Employers have invested millions into safe experiences for employees coming to and from work. Event organizers, retailers, restaurants and property owners have all experienced the impacts firsthand.
Safety and the perception of safety directly influence economic behaviour.
When people avoid transit, businesses lose customers. When workers stay home, downtown foot traffic declines. When conferences question whether delegates will feel comfortable walking between venues, future bookings become harder to secure. When investors see visible disorder in commercial districts, confidence erodes.
None of these impacts show up neatly in a crime statistic, they show up in investment decisions, occupancy rates, consumer spending and, they show up in whether businesses choose to grow here or somewhere else.
This is why safety cannot be treated as a side conversation to economic development. It is economic development.
The business community understands that safety is a complex challenge. It intersects with addiction, mental health, housing, poverty, policing, justice reform and social services. There are no simple solutions. But complexity cannot become an excuse for inaction.
Cities across North America are competing aggressively for talent, investment and visitors. Edmonton is competing, too. We cannot afford to ignore a factor that influences every aspect of our competitiveness. The reality is simple: People invest where they feel confident.
If Edmonton’s economic strategy is going to succeed, safety cannot remain an afterthought or a supporting consideration. It must be recognized as foundational infrastructure every bit as important as roads, transit, utilities, housing and permitting.
The city has identified three pillars for economic growth: enabling a strong business environment, marketing the Edmonton advantage, and driving investment.
We would argue there is a fourth: Creating a city where people feel safe.
This must be named explicitly — as a fourth pillar in Edmonton’s economic action plan, with the same level of strategic focus and resource commitment as
business environment, marketing, and investment.
That means measurable targets, dedicated accountability, and explicit budget allocation. It means commissioning quarterly safety-perception reporting tied to economic indicators. It means making perceptions of safety a core negotiating point in every economic development recruitment conversation.
And when these things happen, economic goals become easier to achieve. Edmonton has every ingredient necessary to become one of Canada’s most competitive and prosperous cities. But prosperity does not happen by accident. It happens when people have confidence in the place they call home.
Safety is where that confidence begins.
Doug Griffiths is president and CEO of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce.
Cheryll Watson is chair of the Downtown Revitalization Coalition.
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