Welcome to UDI - Calgary

The Urban Development Institute – Calgary is the voice of the development community in Calgary fostering important conversations about how our communities grow. UDI – Calgary members represent the vast majority of residential developers working throughout the City from reinvigorating Calgary’s established neighborhoods through infill development or creating sustainable new communities to meet the needs of our growing population.

UDI – Calgary and its members take very seriously our role in working to build a better Calgary. We work collaboratively with our strategic partners, The City of Calgary and most importantly Calgarians to build innovative, efficient and productive communities that are designed to meet the need of real Calgarians.

Our membership is diverse both in the communities they build and the roles they each play in the process. Our members employ thousands of employees that work as planners, engineers, architects, consultants, financial lenders, and real estate professionals as well as government and public agencies.

Recent News

New CEO for UDI Calgary 6/5/2013
Calgary, AB – Guy Huntingford, whose business career includes three decades with both SunMedia Corporation and Postmedia Network Inc., has been named chief executive officer of UDI-Calgary, the association’s Board of Directors announced Tuesday.

Huntingford brings a diverse skillset to UDI – Calgary, having worked previously as publisher of the Calgary Herald; publisher and CEO of the Calgary Sun and senior group publisher southern Alberta for Sun Media; and president and CEO, WinSport Canada. Supplementing his wealth of knowledge and relationships from his multi-decade career in media, is Huntingford’s early working stints in systems analysis and IT.

“UDI – Calgary is moving to a new level with a new strategy that will enable us to further meet our members’ needs,” said Karin Finley, chair of UDI-Calgary’s Board of Directors. “We were impressed with Guy’s extensive media background, other business ventures and his commitment to and integration into the community of Calgary.”

Also impressed with Huntingford’s expertise and experience is Mike Flynn, current executive director with UDI – Calgary, who retains his current role with the organization. “Guy is exactly suited to helping UDI – Calgary consolidate the exciting new strategic direction it embarked upon a couple of years ago to address the changing development landscape.”

Huntingford, who will step into the role immediately, said, “I am really looking forward to helping the team at UDI - Calgary continue to build a new direction and value proposition for our members. This is a position where I believe I can add value and meet my personal goal of helping to build a better Calgary”

Spoonsorship Opportunities: 28th Annual UDI – Calgary Golf Tournament 6/14/2013
There are hole sponsorship and golf prize sponsorship opportunities available, please use the attached forms or contact UDI - Calgary for more information. Our sponsors have the opportunity to register their players early! See the sponsorship form

General registration for the 2013 UDI - Calgary Golf Tournament will begin Wednesday, June 26thon a first come first served basis. The tournament is open to UDI - Calgary members only. There will be an initial maximum of 4 golfers per company allowed. The tournament sells out quickly so we strongly recommend registering early. Due to the popularity of this event and the first come first served registration format UDI can only offer registration via email or fax.

As an alternative to playing in the tournament, the Golf Tournament Academy at Heritage Point gives you the opportunity to be part of the event in a Relaxed and Fun learning environment. The academy is tailored to accommodate all skill levels from beginner to advanced. After the academy, players rejoin the group for the reception, banquet, program and prizes. The instruction facilities include the driving range, a 13,000 square foot short game area with a practice green, bunkers and a full-scale 3 hole course called The Loop. For those who are just learning to golf, or those who would like a relaxing day improving their game, we hope you'll take advantage of this unique opportunity!

Each year, UDI - Calgary encourages Golf Tournament participants to bring a new or used tool for the annual Tool Drive for our charity, Habitat for Humanity Calgary. Additionally we would like to encourage any Tournament Registrants willing, to collect tools from coworkers not participating in the tournament to add to the donation. All tool donations collected will be used on Habitat's job sites by volunteers.

Once again, we would like to encourage you to invite your favorite City of Calgary, City of Airdrie, Rocky View County Councillors and/or Administrative staff as your company's guest. Any guests should be included as part of your initial registration. If you are inviting a Municipal guest, you will be teamed with them at no additional charge.

We'd like to give a big thank you to our Major Sponsors, without which our events could never take place!

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UDI Canada Post - Legal Opinion 3/19/2013
UDI Alberta and CHBA Alberta jointly solicited a legal opinion from Ogilvie LLP with regard to the issue of Canada Post imposing a $200 per address fee in new developments for community mailbox service, as this was fast becoming a major concern for our members. The following is an excerpt of their legal opinion:

"In light of the foregoing, we are of the opinion that the imposition of the $200.00 Community Mail Box Set-Up Fee sought to be imposed by Canada Post against developers is unlawful in its present form. At a minimum, the corporation would need to enact Regulations establishing the charge and, even then, it would remain open for the development community to challenge the same.

Second, it is our opinion that the Canada Post cannot force Alberta municipalities to include CMB-friendly provisions in Development or Servicing Agreements. (From the tenor of its materials issued to date, it would appear that the corporation concedes this point in any event). Third, it is our opinion that any attempt by an Alberta municipality to force a developer into a CMB Set-Up Fee Agreement with Canada Post would be unlawful. This is not to say a developer could not voluntarily assume this burden."

Click here for the full legal opinion. Please contact UDI Alberta's Executive Director Nicole Martel if you have any questions.

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Volunteer Survey underway 3/18/2013
As the UDI Calgary re-organization continues, we are looking for volunteers to fill a variety of positions. A copy of the current organizational chart is attached indicating the many new committees and the chairpersons charged with creating Mandates and operational parameters for those committees. To fill the various positions needed now and in the future, we will be creating a UDI Calgary Volunteer data base through our Volunteer Survey (link below), a brief ‘check the box’ questionnaire.

At this time, the more URGENT positions to be filled are those of the Core Committee Members, the 3-5 individuals required to assist the Committee Chairpersons in the oversight and management of the Committee’s activities. If you are interested in one of these key roles, please submit your Volunteer Survey by next Friday, March 22 nd.

Task Forces will be established by Committees on an ‘as-needed’ basis for specific purposes and for shorter periods of time. A wide range of skills and expertise will be required so we greatly appreciate your time and attention in submitting your Survey as soon as possible.

UDI Calgary’s new strategic plan emphasizes communications, strategic relationships and research, resulting in a variety of new volunteer opportunities for people who may not have previously volunteered with UDI-Calgary. Accordingly, we encourage you to invite all interested members of your organization to complete and submit a Volunteer Survey.

Volunteer Survey

Please let us know if you have any questions or require assistance with the Survey.

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Transforming Planning public workshops 3/14/2013
Transforming Planning public workshops will be held across the City to gather diverse perspectives to transform planning system. Workshops are free but registered (first come first serve). Event summary: March 18 (6-8:30 p.m.) in Falconridge; March 20 (9 to 11:30 a.m.) in Hillhurst- Sunnyside, March 25 (6 to 8:30 p.m.) at Eastlake Depot; and March 27 (1 to 3:30 pm) at the Municipal Building.

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Calgary Herald: Pringle: Is a suburban Development Freeze coming in 5 years? 3/14/2013
Thank you to Charron Ungar, the Calgary head of the Canadian Homebuilders Association, for bringing the discussion regarding suburban development into the public forum. There was also valuable comment by many industry representatives in the Saturday Herald. When any industry sees policies that they believe will have a negative impact they need to speak out.

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