Impact of Airbnb on Maple Creek businesses

Posted on October 6, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

Maple Creek

What impact do Airbnbs have on Maple Creek’s long-term rental market?

The question generated lengthy discussion on Town Council when it considered a request of discretionary use to offer an Airbnb property.

Councillor Tina Cresswell was worried about people buying properties in town, not to live in them, but to turn them into bed-and-breakfast accommodations.

“That is my major concern … because we need long-term rentals. We have people looking for long-term rentals.”

Councillor Betty Abbott said a balance between short-term and long-term rentals was healthy.

Although there was a place for short-term rentals, she said, there should perhaps be a discussion about a cap on numbers.

Councillor Corrine Collura, who has experience of the Airbnb market, said she was in favour of people deciding what they want to do with their properties.

She pointed out she had sold The Nest, which meant there was one less Airbnb in town.

One matter that should be looked at, she added, was updating records of properties with discretionary use for Airbnbs.

It would be helpful if such information was provided to Council.

At its September 10 meeting, Town Council approved the request of a discretionary use as an Airbnb-short-term rental at 108 Marsh Street, the property legally described as Lot 16 Block 36 Plan G4060.

Gillian LaBoucane, economic development officer, had recommended approval in a September 4 report.

LaBoucane said the property owner was proposing to offer the residence as a bed and breakfast listed on Airbnb. The application, she said, would bring the proposed bed and breakfast into compliance with the Zoning Bylaw.

She added that adjacent properties had been contacted, but no written objections received.

Councillor Cresswell said: “It seems to me that a year and a half or two years ago, we were talking about Airbnbs and about the deplorable lack of rental, long-term rental accommodation in town and saying we wanted to very careful in considering Airbnbs because it reduces the inventory of long-term rentals.”