Qualico Communities Calgary Invests in Minds of the Future with Five-Year Sponsorship of Airdrie Public Library

Airdrie, AB – Qualico is committed to investing in the communities it builds in. Qualico Communities Calgary is building on that commitment by entering a five-year naming sponsorship with the Airdrie Public Library (APL) to support their new library building, projected to open in winter 2025.

The sponsorship will give Qualico Communities Calgary naming rights to the library’s STEAM Makerspace Learning Lab for children at the new library. The opening of the new library will closely coincide with the launch of Qualico Communities Calgary’s Vantage Rise community in Airdrie.

According to Thilo Kaufmann, Vice-President, Qualico Communities Calgary, the APL’s mission and values align well with Qualico’s impact areas and the sponsorship supports Qualico’s corporate responsibility goals towards encouraging lifelong education and celebrating healthy lives.

“The Airdrie Public Library is a strong fit for our impact giving, as the needs far outweigh its current capacity, with a small library facility built in the 1970s,” he said. “Through youth and children’s programs and new resource rooms, such as the Qualico Children’s Makerspace, the library is a way for Qualico to enrich the future generations of Airdrie and continue its legacy of building and supporting strong communities.”

Makerspaces allow people to learn through direct experimentation and from one another, and give people access to technology and activities they may not otherwise be able to afford or access. Users can experiment freely and build on their knowledge through trial, error, play, and scientific evidence.

_{Airdrie Public Library and a rendering of where the Qualico Children’s Makerspace will be located}

Deborah Cryderman, Director, Airdrie Public Library, shared the importance of Qualico’s support for the library, noting that the sponsorship will allow young people to experience technologies and potential career paths they might not otherwise encounter, as well as build community by finding like-minded young people with similar interests.

“Qualico was one of the first investors in the new library and that established them in our minds and hearts as one of the greatest partners we could have,” she said. “Having someone believe in us and what we could contribute to the community is so important.”

_{Facility site tour of the new library building} 

The sponsorship will also help the APL develop its reputation as a provider of information in a variety of forms, including many that are not books.

According to Deborah, Qualico will benefit from the sponsorship by influencing makers of the future, further fostering its already positive reputation in the community, and having parents and caregivers associate Qualico’s name with the fun and learning the kids are participating in.

“Qualico is giving kids the opportunity to develop the skills associated with the building industry at a very early age,” she said. “It is sparking the light that will make future electricians, framing the mindset of future builders, whetting the imagination of future plumbers, and orchestrating the creativity of future architects. Qualico is building the future.”

Qualico Communities Calgary also recently did a small-scale sponsorship with the library to support 20 play-and-learn backpacks (ten for ages 3-5 and ten for ages 6-12). Janice Chiu, Marketing Specialist, Qualico Communities Calgary, said the team chose themes for the backpacks that represented what they do as ‘Communities’. These included things like land exploration, problem solving, construction, and electricity, to name a few. In the spirit of friendly competition, the library chose their favourite as the winner.

_{Qualico Communities Calgary team participating in the play-and-learn backpacks initiative} 

“This joint engagement enabled a valuable opportunity to share the impact of our community giving,” said Janice. “The library is a key partner, as its services touch all residents of Airdrie regardless of age, gender, culture, or income. It acts as the central hub where inquisitive minds can flourish and serves as a keystone of community support by offering rich programming to residents.”

Once completed, the new library will be built with connectivity to a City of Airdrie multi-use facility, providing all residents with indoor and outdoor spaces to enjoy, learn, and connect. This is important, as Airdrie’s population has grown from over 31,152 in 2007 to over 80,000 people today. Qualico Communities Calgary has played a large role in that growth in the past with the community of Ravenswood in SW Airdrie and continues to do so today, according to Thilo.

“Our newest project, Vantage Rise, situated on a 350-acre parcel in the southwest quadrant of Airdrie, will offer homes to close to 7,000 residents and will feature a strong sense of connectedness and convenience with parks, a pond, multiple school sites, and a 12.25-acre commercial development, while retaining Airdrie’s neighbourly feel,” he said.

With the five-year sponsorship of APL’s new library facility, Qualico Communities Calgary is ensuring the residents it attracts to the area have a place to access important programs and resources, and that the APL can continue to foster literacy, knowledge, and cultural connections.