A finalized report on the Drumheller Housing Strategy was presented to Drumheller Town council by Economic Development manager Reg Johnston during the regular Monday, April 3 council meeting.
Along with outlining the Town’s projected population growth by 2031 and current housing market availability and challenges, the finalized report also identifies seven high priority actionable items which are intended for completion by 2025.
The strategy projects the population of Drumheller will increase to between 8,846 to 9,032 people by 2031, an increase of about 1,000 people.
It also projects the total housing demand will increase by about 367 to 426 homes; an estimated 191 to 222 new units will be needed by 2026 to meet projected housing demands.
One of the actionable items listed as part of the strategy was to encourage a diverse housing stock.
Many of the homes currently available on the market, while significantly lower in price than similar homes in larger city centres, are often 30 years or older and some require extensive renovations or repairs, making them not feasible for some prospective homebuyers.
Diversification could also help to attract potential new residents to the community and target some challenges faced by current residents.
Mr. Johnston explains the Town’s Land Use Bylaw (LUB) and Municipal Development Plan (MDP) allows and encourages secondary suites, and there are currently some incentive programs available to developers. This also includes incentives for site demolition for redevelopment purposes, and he says there are some Town owned sites where potential residential development could take place, including in the Elgin Hill and Hillsview Estates areas; there is also redevelopment potential at the old hospital and consortium, along with the former Nacmine Hotel, all of which were recently demolished in 2022.
The strategy identified that about one in four households do not have acceptable housing which meets their unique housing needs, and about one in five households struggle with affordability. This issue is further compounded due to low rental vacancies, which limit choice for residents to find suitable housing for their needs.
Seniors also face challenges finding affordable and acceptable housing as they look to downsize, but still remain living independently. While seniors may be able to access housing through the Drumheller and District Seniors Foundation, such as units at Manors I and II, vacancy can be a challenge. It is estimated there will be a need of about 165 homes for senior-led households by 2026.
Compounding vacancy and affordability issues are the addition of short term and vacation rentals in the community. While these units are beneficial for the tourism sector, by offering alternative lodging options aside from hotels and campgrounds, it also places additional pressure on the existing housing market as it removes potential long-term rental units from the market.
To help regulate these types of units, Mr. Johnston presented council with a briefing note in February 2023 proposing to implement a Short Term Rental bylaw.
As of October 2022 there were a total of 98 short term rental units listed in Drumheller.
Another issue the Town is working to resolve is accommodations for seasonal and temporary employees. Existing short term rental units are not necessarily geared towards people temporarily working and living in the community, and long-term rental units also do not necessarily fit this niche, either, as some require lengthy leases exceeding the employee’s contract.
Mr. Johnston shares the Town is currently working with its partners regarding the possibility of a home share solution, similar to companion housing company Happipad which helps connect hosts with people looking for a short term living space.
Regulating short term vacation rentals and securing housing for seasonal employees are both anticipated to be complete by the third quarter of 2023.

Volunteerism is a great way to connect to the community, meet people and share your interest.
Linda Traquair has made a second career in volunteering and has been involved with many organizations, sharing her time and skills to make the community a better place. She says, for her, volunteerism started at home.
“My father volunteered for anything, particularly if any of the kids were involved in it. When I look at my brother, he volunteers a lot and his kids volunteer a lot. It is what you see at home. There are some interesting trends in it,” she said.
She retired after she moved to Drumheller in 2000. She was in a new community and not surrounded by coworkers.
“During the last few years I was working I travelled a lot. So, although I was living in Drumheller, I wasn’t here a lot. It was difficult to meet people when you were gone several days a week, but also I didn’t have that sense I was contributing,” she said.
She has always been an avid library user and one day spoke to former head librarian Linde Turner about volunteering.
“Linde Turner really gave me that first opportunity. I think I said ‘Do you have volunteers?’ I was thinking that maybe I could shelve books or something. Immediately she said they needed board members.”
Traquair became involved in the Library Board and served for 12 years, 10 of which were as president.
She is also a member of the Library Society, which supports the Library through fundraising initiatives, and she is still a member today.
“It is a challenge. We are a small town, and we have just about everything that a big city has, but we have fewer people to take on the various roles. Just about every board I am on is facing succession planning. So you try to find people who are really interested in the area. It is nice to see the library board has younger people on it now.”
The library was not the only organization she was involved in. She has always been an athlete and enjoys playing sports, and she planned to get more involved in that aspect of her life when she retired. This led to her getting involved with Alberta 55-plus Games. She was involved with helping to organize locally and then got involved with the zone.
“Before you know it, I was with them for 10 years and then ended up on the provincial board,” said Traquair. “I think it was because I really enjoyed the variety of sports but also the variety of people you meet. They really come from all walks of life and they have different interests and all. But whatever ever the case, we have that in common, and you reach out more.”
She was also involved in the golf course, and on its board for a number of years. Another group she volunteers with is the Alberta Association of Gerontological Nursing.
“Having gone through my education in nursing, we never teach people what it is like to be old. It is kind of something that just happens to you. We are really interested in having people starting to think about aging earlier,” she said. “People don’t think that my sore finger is the beginning of arthritis because nobody teaches you to think about that, and to interact early, and there are things that can be done.”
She is also on the board of the Drumheller Area Health Foundation and volunteered with the Tree of Hope at the Drumheller Health Centre.
“Those volunteers who help out with feeding and continuing care and visiting. It is really delightful to see how invested they get and with families being so spread out, often some of the people don’t have a lot of other visitors. I think that has to be a really satisfying volunteer opportunity,” said Traquair.
She says there is something for everyone when it comes to volunteerism, and is rewarding. It builds community.
“I would find something you are passionate about, that you are really interested in knowing more about. And I think it is important for boards to be willing to educate people for whatever they are volunteering with, you have to help them too,” said Traquair.