Airdrie • Community Guide
The Canals
Southwest Airdrie, built around the water that gave it its name. Homes backing onto the canals and the pathways beside them, a short walk from downtown, and a neighbour to Bayside that is often mistaken for it.
Why People Choose It
Water, Pathways, And A Short Walk To Downtown.
The Canals sits in southwest Airdrie, west of 8 Street SW, with Woodside to the north, Sagewood to the west and Bayside to the south. That puts it closer to Airdrie’s downtown and Main Street than most of the newer southwest communities.
Genesis Land Development brought the outline plan to the City, and it was approved in July 2001. The plan laid out roughly 800 single family lots and more than 400 multi family homes around a system of linear waterways, with parks, pathways and a school site woven through it. The Canals is one of five communities in the City’s West Airdrie plan, alongside Sagewood, Bayside, Bayview and Baysprings.
The Housing Mix
Mostly detached homes, many backing directly onto the water or a pathway, plus semi detached homes, townhomes and condominiums on the multi family sites. Only some homes back directly onto the water, so it is worth asking which side of the street a listing is on.
The Water
A network of canals and walking paths shared with Bayview and Bayside. The canals are part of the City’s stormwater system as well as the view, which matters for what you can do on them. More on that below.
Schools
Rocky View Schools designates Ralph McCall for kindergarten to grade 5, C.W. Perry for grades 6 to 9 and Bert Church for grades 10 to 12. Catholic students are served by Our Lady Queen of Peace through the Calgary Catholic School District.
Getting Around
Airdrie Transit runs local routes through the city and commuter routes to CrossIron Mills and Calgary. Check the current route map for the stop nearest a specific home. The QEII is a short drive east.
On The Market
The Canals Homes For Sale.
Live MLS® listings, updated throughout the day. Nothing here asks for your email.
Worth Knowing
The Canals Are Beautiful. They Are Also Stormwater.
When The Canals was planned in 2001, the idea was a recreational waterway you could canoe in summer and skate on in winter. That is not how the City treats them today, and a buyer should hear it before they picture the kayak.
The City of Airdrie says stormwater ponds, naming East Lake and the Canals, are not intended for recreational use such as swimming, fishing or kayaking, and that skating is not permitted. The reasons it gives are practical: water levels can change suddenly, water quality cannot be guaranteed, and there are electric pumps in the system.
Buy it for the view, the pathways and the light on the water. Not for the paddleboard.
On enforcement, as of April 2026: a proposed bylaw that would have fined swimming, skating, fishing and boating in stormwater ponds and canals was rejected at committee, so there is no fine for those. Jumping or diving from bridges into the water is a different matter. That has been banned under Airdrie’s streets bylaw since June 2025, with a $500 fine.
The brown tint some people notice in the water comes from natural tannins, which the developer has said do not cause health concerns, and the City circulates the water to add oxygen.
Next Door
The Canals Or Bayside?
They share the same waterway and a lot of people use the names interchangeably, but the City of Airdrie treats them as separate communities. The Canals is the northern part, closer to downtown. Bayside runs south of it toward Yankee Valley Boulevard, and Bayview and Baysprings sit further along the same system.
If you are looking at both, the useful comparison is usually age of home and distance to what you use every day, not the water itself. Our Bayside guide covers the southern side.
Our Track Record
Homes We’ve Sold In The Canals.
We have sold homes in The Canals since 2018. The median took 40 days, and the range runs from 12 days to 162, which tells you more than the median does: a canal backing, a bungalow or an unfinished basement can each change the timeline. Our most recent sales here have taken longer than our earlier ones, and we would rather show you that than hide it. Linked homes have their own page, including 69 Canals Circle SW, the bungalow that took fifty four days and why the sellers did not cut the price.
See Every Home We Have Sold In The Canals
Every address below opens the page for that sale.
- 69 Canals Circle SW
- 222 Canals Close SW
- 21 Canals Cove SW
- 158 Canoe Crescent SW
- 162 Canoe Crescent SW
- 111 Canoe Drive SW
- 1069 Channelside Drive SW
- 1046 Channelside Way SW
Homes we helped buyers purchase here:
The full map of what we have sold lives here. The rest of the city is in our Airdrie guide, and every community we have written about is on the Gorgeous Communities page.
The Numbers
How Long Homes Take To Sell In The Canals.
| Median days on market | 40 |
| Range | 12 to 162 days |
| Years covered | 2018 to 2026 |
Our own closed sales in The Canals, counted as days on market on the MLS® listing and grouped by the year the sale closed. At 40 days this is one of our slower Airdrie communities, which fits a place where a canal backing, a bungalow or an unfinished basement each change the buyer pool. We publish a community median only where we have closed ten or more homes. Data current to 2 October 2026, page last reviewed 7 October 2026. Individual sale prices are not published. See how this compares across Airdrie.
Home Values In The Canals
What Is My Home In The Canals Worth?
A home in The Canals is worth what a buyer will pay for it against the homes it is competing with this month. Tara Molina Real Estate Group, brokered by Royal LePage Benchmark, prepares a comparative market analysis (CMA) for any address in The Canals in Airdrie, at no cost and with no obligation to sell.
Here the details set both the price and the pace. Only some homes back directly onto the water, and in our own sales a canal backing, a bungalow or an unfinished basement each changed the buyer pool and the timeline. The Canals and Bayside share a waterway but the City treats them as separate communities, so a Bayside sale is not automatically a comparable for a home here. Our most recent sales in The Canals have taken longer than our earlier ones, and a current valuation has to reflect that.
Thinking Of Selling
Ask for the CMA before you renovate or pick a date. It tells you what the home would sell for as it sits, and how long homes like it have been taking.
Thinking Of Buying
A list price is the seller’s opinion. Only some homes here back onto the water, so ask us which side of the street a listing is on and what it is competing with before you write an offer.
Just Curious
You do not need to be moving to ask. Plenty of owners want a number for their own planning, and we would rather you had an accurate one.
CMA Or Appraisal?
A CMA is a REALTOR®’s opinion of market value, built for buying and selling decisions. A lender, a court or an estate will usually want a certified appraisal. Tell us the reason and we will point you to the right one.
How We Arrive At The Number
1. Comparable sales. Recent sales inside The Canals of homes like yours, matched on backing and style, with Bayside sales used only where they are a fair match.
2. Active listings. The homes a buyer would walk through the same weekend as yours.
3. Listings that did not sell. The prices this market has already said no to.
4. The home itself. The backing, the style of home, the basement and the condition, seen in person.
Good To Know
The Canals Questions.
How do I find out what my home in The Canals is worth?
Ask a REALTOR® who has sold in the community for a comparative market analysis. Tara Molina Real Estate Group, brokered by Royal LePage Benchmark, prepares one for any address in The Canals, using recent comparable sales, the active listings you would compete with, and the listings that did not sell.
Does a home evaluation in The Canals cost anything, and do I have to sell?
No, and no. A home evaluation from our team is at no cost and carries no obligation to list. Many owners in The Canals ask simply to know where they stand.
How accurate are online home value estimates for The Canals?
They are a starting point. An automated estimate works from public data and averages, so it cannot see condition, upgrades or whether a home backs onto the water, and it may mix in Bayside sales that are not a fair match. Treat it as a rough range, then have the number checked against the homes yours would compete with.
Is my City of Airdrie property assessment the same as market value?
No. Alberta property assessments estimate value as of July 1 of the year before the tax year, so the figure on your notice is already dated when it arrives, and it comes from mass appraisal without anyone walking through your home. It is for calculating property tax. It is not a selling price.
What is the difference between a CMA and an appraisal?
A comparative market analysis is a REALTOR®’s opinion of what a home would sell for, used to set a list price or judge an offer. An appraisal is a formal valuation by a designated appraiser, usually required by lenders, courts and estates, and it comes with a fee. For a decision about selling or offering in The Canals, a CMA is the tool. If a bank or lawyer has asked for a value, you likely need an appraisal.
Can I use Bayside sales to price a home in The Canals?
Not automatically. The two share the same waterway, but the City of Airdrie treats them as separate communities. The Canals is the northern portion, closer to downtown, and the useful comparison is usually age of home and location, not the water itself. We start with sales inside The Canals and widen only where the match is fair.
Can you tell me what a home on my street in The Canals sold for?
We do not publish individual sale prices on this site. As part of a valuation we walk you through the recent sales on your street and around it, and what each one means for your home.
Should I renovate before selling my home in The Canals?
Get the valuation first. In our own sales here an unfinished basement changed the buyer pool and the timeline, so it is worth knowing what the home would sell for as it sits before you spend. We will tell you what to do and what to leave.
I am buying in The Canals. How do I know if a home is priced fairly?
Compare it to recent sales inside The Canals of the same style and backing, and to what else is for sale that week. Ask which side of the street it is on, since only some homes back onto the water. We run that comparison for buyers before an offer is written.
Where is The Canals in Airdrie?
Southwest Airdrie, west of 8 Street SW, with Woodside to the north, Sagewood to the west and Bayside to the south. It is one of the closest southwest communities to Airdrie’s downtown.
Can you kayak or skate on the Airdrie canals?
The City of Airdrie says the canals are stormwater infrastructure and are not intended for recreational use such as swimming, fishing or kayaking, and that skating is not permitted, because water levels change suddenly, water quality cannot be guaranteed and there are pumps in the system. As of April 2026 there is no fine for those activities, but jumping or diving from bridges into the water carries a $500 fine.
Is The Canals the same as Bayside?
No. They share the same waterway, but the City of Airdrie treats them as separate communities. The Canals is the northern, older portion. Bayside, Bayview and Baysprings sit to the south and southwest.
What schools serve The Canals?
For the public system, Rocky View Schools designates Ralph McCall School for kindergarten to grade 5, C.W. Perry School for grades 6 to 9 and Bert Church High School for grades 10 to 12. Catholic students attend Our Lady Queen of Peace through the Calgary Catholic School District. Designations can change, so confirm your address with the Rocky View Schools locator.
Who developed The Canals?
Genesis Land Development Corp. The City approved the outline plan in July 2001, laying out single family lots, multi family sites, parks, pathways and the canal system.
Thinking About The Canals?
Tell us whether you want the water, the pathway or just the location, and we will tell you which streets fit and what they are actually doing.
Tara Molina Real Estate Group | Royal LePage Benchmark