Optimism and quality of life increases in Calgary, survey finds

The results of the City of Calgary's spring satisfaction survey are out, and it seems trust and optimism are on the rise.

Calgarians are more optimistic about the city’s future and are happier with their quality of life, a new survey, released on Thursday, found.

The City of Calgary’s Spring Research Results suggest residents are also happy with how the city operates.

“I am pleased that the trending is upwards; there is greater trust and greater positivity around the future of our city. We’re not done yet. There’s much more work to be done,” said Mayor Jyoti Gondek during a media availability on Thursday morning.

The survey also found 52 per cent of Calgarians responded that they trust the City of Calgary; the same question a year ago yielded only 38 per cent who agreed.

Additionally, three in four Calgarians trust the information distributed by city officials, and distrust has dropped to 22 per cent from 30 per cent in fall 2024.

Gondek said the water infrastructure emergency challenged the city, but instead of the event sinking public opinion, she says city officials stepped up communication with citizens during the crisis.

“We learned important lessons, we took action and it shows,” she said.

Ryan Potter, an East Village resident, said he isn’t satisfied with city hall.

“I wouldn’t say it’s improved at all. I’m looking forward to a change in leadership eventually,” he said from Macleod Trail outside the city hall LRT station.

“Property taxes keep going up. Assessments keep going up. I don’t see much improvement around here.”

Infrastructure, homelessness and crime remain the top priorities for Calgarians, with traffic and roads “the most frequently mentioned issue” among respondents.

Other priorities included growth and planning, transit and recreation.

Other Calgarians who spoke with CTV News on Thursday agree with the city’s optimistic outlook.

“I’m satisfied because I feel like it does take time for improvements to happen because there’s multiple steps involved,” said Eisham Ghuman.

Adam Seely said the increased security and police presence on transit is noticeable.

“There’s been a real improvement, a concerted effort to improve, and it is better than it used to be,” he said.

When it comes to spending, 63 per cent of Calgarians are satisfied with how the city spends tax revenue, up from 53 per cent in fall 2024.

“As one of the only cities in Canada to conduct biannual surveys on government performance and public sentiment, the city’s public research results also help provide ongoing accountability and transparency to Calgarians, while identifying strengths and opportunities for improvement,” officials said.

The survey was conducted by Ipsos Public Affairs between Feb. 27 and March 25.

The telephone survey included responses from 2,500 Calgarians to obtain a random and statistically representative sample of Calgarians with a margin of error of +/- two percentage points 19 times out of 20.