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Coun. Landon Johnston is suggesting a program that subsidizes some services for low-income earners should only be available to Canadian citizens.
But the idea is facing pushback, including from a group that supports immigrants, who says doing so would be unfair.
“For me, Fair Entry is one of those social services that should be protected and only used by Canadians,” said Johnston. He added permanent residents should also potentially be eligible.
The Fair Entry program gives discounts for transit passes, leisure centres, rec facilities and tickets to attractions like the Calgary Zoo and Heritage Park. It also provides snow shovelling and grass cutting services for seniors over 65.
The city confirmed it approved 113,000 applicants for Fair Entry in 2023. That rose to 134,000 in 2024, and 138,000 last year.
The increased demand is perhaps not a surprise as people face the cost of living crunch. Johnston says it’s an indicator that the affordability crisis is “bursting at the seams.”
Coun. Landon Johnston wants a review of who is utilizing the city’s Fair Entry program, and says access should potentially be restricted to only Canadian citizens and permanent residents. (Brendan Coulter/CBC)
And he says that could drive up the costs associated with the program. He’s calling for a review to determine who is using Fair Entry, and possibly limit who can access it, or for how long.
This fall’s referendum will ask Albertans if they think social services should be restricted to Canadian citizens and permanent residents only, or if people with non-permanent legal immigration status should live in the province for a year before they qualify for those services.
Johnston says the results could give more clarity on how people might feel about changes to the Fair Entry program.
‘Not fair’ to restrict Fair Entry
The president and CEO of Calgary’s Immigration Education Society says many new immigrants rely on services like the low-income transit pass as they adjust to their new surroundings.
“We have welcomed these newcomers into our city. It is not fair to not give them access to amenities everyone else is accessing,” said Sally Zhao.
She says it could also have a negative impact on the city’s economy. Those that feel welcomed are more likely to give back in ways like volunteering, or starting a business, Zhao says. Those that don’t may end up leaving the city.
The head of the Immigrant Education Society says newcomers to Calgary should not be excluded from services that others are receiving. (CBC News)
Coun. Nathaniel Schmidt says he would not want to see non-citizens excluded from the program. He’d rather see the program expanded.
“To me, I see the program being extremely valuable. So the change I would like to see is that there’s more opportunities for more people to have access to those basic things,” he said.
Schmidt sees an opportunity to bring on more private partners to provide additional discounts. Already, the program partners with Rogers to offer cheaper phone and internet plans.