Onward Currie

On April 1, 2022, the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) announced that the federal government provided funding to enable Onward (formerly Horizon Housing) to purchase two vacant lots located in the Currie neighborhood of Calgary. This was made possible through the Federal Lands Initiative, a government program that designates surplus lands to be used for affordable housing.

Onward is honoured to have been chosen in this competitive process due to our 45-year history of developing and owning mixed-market affordable housing throughout Calgary, and we are excited to contribute to the vibrancy of the growing Currie community envisioned by Canada Lands Company.

The following introduces the project, next steps in the development process, and how to contact Onward with any questions. We are committed to community engagement and communication and will update this site as a central resource as the project progresses.

Letter to Currie Community Neighbours, Summer 2022

The Site

The site is comprised of two vacant lots located at 203 and 208 Calais Drive SW.

The south half of one of the lots is currently being used as the ‘Barking Lot’ for the nearby dog park. We are delighted to share that we have arranged for this community use to continue until we break ground on our development.

The Project

Onward’s proposal for the site is a four-storey multi-family apartment building on the north lot and a multi-unit townhouse complex on the south lot totaling 72 new units.

Detailed plans are being created that will adhere to the Design Guidelines established by Canada Lands Company to ensure their vision for the Currie community is achieved. This includes approval of building materials and finishes on the exterior of the building.

Rents for these units will be a mix of market and below-market, with identical finishing and quality of the units offered at higher or lower rents.

The Process

Development Phase

Spring 2022

• Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation announced April 1, 2022 that Onward was chosen to purchase and develop land dedicated for affordable housing in Currie.

• Onward is currently working with our architect, Arcadis Architects, on detailed development plans for the lots.

• Canada Lands Company and their architect, Hindle Architect, will review the development plans to ensure that they adhere to the established Currie Design Guidelines.

Fall 2023

• Community Open House, October 12, 2023 – Onward and Arcadis (formerly IBI Group) shared the draft development plans. Community members learned about the project, asked questions and shared thoughts.

• After collecting community feedback, Onward is advancing work with The City of Calgary on the permitting process.

Spring 2024

After careful consideration, Onward has made a number of enhancements to both projects, including the following:

• Recognizing the importance of sustainability, Onward has enlisted the expertise of an energy consultant to optimize the efficiency of both buildings. We are excited to report that our revised plans for both sites now exceed the National Energy Code by 26%.  This change reflects our dedication to building a more environmentally responsible community.

• We have reduced the footprint of both the townhouse and apartment buildings, which has allowed us to provide additional landscaped areas on both sites.  

• We have reduced the height of the majority of the townhomes, eliminating one storey from 8 of the 10 units.  These townhomes are now two stories instead of three. 

• The Canada Lands’ elevated architectural standards set for the Currie community are fully reflected in the Onward buildings, site design and aesthetic, integrating seamlessly into the community.

• Submission of the townhouse and apartment building Development Permits to the City in April 2024.

Future Phases

Updates for future phases, including the start date for construction, will be informed by the development process, with further information added as it is available.

About Onward

Onward is an experienced non-profit developer and operator of affordable housing. In late 2022, Horizon Housing merged with Forward Housing, another strong Calgary non-profit. Collectively, we own and manage approximately 1,700 units across 31 properties, housing more than 3,000 residents.

Please feel free to reach out to us with any questions or thoughts at planning@onwardhomes.ca.

Proposed renderings subject to change