PROTEIN & AGRICULTURE TECHNOLOGIES
About the M.D. of Bonnyville
One significant task from the Municipal District of Bonnyville’s Business and Industry Growth Strategy was to create a community profile to help attract new people and businesses to our area.
What is a community profile? It is a snapshot of information, resources, and trends within the community that establishes the context for decision making specific to personal re-location or business retention, expansion, and attraction.
The M.D. is rooted in farming and ranching. Agriculture is an important component of the economy and culture. A significant portion of the M.D. landmass is dedicated to the agricultural sector. Many local businesses are both directly and indirectly associated with farming and ranching.
Workforce
The M.D.’s workforce of those over the age of 15 is approximately 10,000 with a participation rate of 68 per cent.
Education Levels
Close to eight per cent of M.D. residents have a university certificate, diploma, or degree. Approximately 18 per cent of residents have a college or non-university certificate or diploma, and over 14 per cent have apprenticeship trade certificates or diplomas.
The M.D. of Bonnyville trade area exceeds 67,000 people. The region is predicted to grow over the next decade.
The average household income in the region is among the highest in the province, supported by natural resources.
Population
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census
M.D. of Bonnyville --------City of Cold Lake ----------------------------
La Biche County
Municipal Taxation*
14.34374 Machinery and Equipment Tax Rate
2.86875 Residential Tax Rate
14.34375 Non-Residential Tax Rate
11.47500 Non-Residential Small Business Tax Rate
5.00000 Farmland Tax Rate
* Municipal District of Bonnyville 2023 Mill Rates Labour Force
Occupation
M.D. of Bonnyville Value Proposition
The M.D. of Bonnyville is an investment-oriented development enabler with favourable industrial and residential land costs. The region has a skilled labour force, with industry receptive post-secondary training institutions offering micro credentials. The M.D. of Bonnyville has undertaken an asset management program that is committed to infrastructure investment. The M.D. of Bonnyville has business friendly zoning, access to an industrial land inventory, competitive permitting costs and approval times, and a unique rural-urban lifestyle.
Agriculture is fundamental to the rural lifestyle in the M.D. The region produces a variety of cereal, oil seed, and pulse crops. The area is also host to multiple livestock and poultry farms including 3,400 head of bison. Gross farm receipts were close to $112 million in 2021. The agriculture industry is operated by both family businesses and larger ventures
The M.D. of Bonnyville has a well-established network of primary highways (372 km). One of Alberta’s major east-west highways traversing central Alberta, Hwy. 28, runs directly through the district as a high-load corridor between Edmonton and Cold Lake. Hwy. 41 is a high-load industrial route that runs north-south to the U.S. border. Hwy. 55 provides direct access to the South Athabasca Oil Sands, connecting to numerous communities and industrial sites in the region.
The area has two regional airports offering both passenger and cargo service. The M.D.-owned and operated airport, with a runway of 4,434 feet, is six kilometres north of the Town of Bonnyville on Hwy. 41 and offers direct flights to the Calgary International Airport. The Cold Lake Regional Airport is located four kilometres west of the City of Cold Lake with a runway length of 3,005 feet.
The M.D. of Bonnyville is approximately 300 km northeast of Edmonton International Airport (EIA). EIA is a major hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada for passenger and cargo activity. It is Canada’s largest major airport by total land area.
The region is serviced by Canadian National Railway (CNR) at Vermilion, south of the M.D. on Hwy. 41. It is a terminal point for CNR, on a secondary main line connecting Edmonton to the west and Saskatoon to the east. The distance to the Town of Bonnyville is 112 km, while Cold Lake to Vermilion is 165 km.
The M.D. of Bonnyville employs a concierge-level service with Planning and Development and Economic Development allowing for a streamlined and transparent development process. The M.D. is very competitive with its associated fees and averages approval times. Find out more at bit.ly/MDBvillePermits
The M.D. of Bonnyville is fortunate to be home to a number of existing industrial subdivisions. Please contact Economic Development Specialist, Scott Kovatch, for complete details at skovatch@md.bonnyville.ab.ca or 780-826-3171.
The M.D.‘s quality of life is supported by a post-secondary institution, the healthcare sector, and an abundance of outdoor recreation choices including 12 M.D.-owned campgrounds, hiking and snowmobile trails, sports facilities, a ski hill, and aerial adventure park at Kinosoo Ridge Resort.
SCOTT KOVATCH ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SPECIALIST
Email: skovatch@md.bonnyville.ab.ca
Website: md.bonnyville.ab.ca
Phone: 780-826-3171
Agriculture Production
In 2021, Alberta’s total agri-food exports set a consecutive record at $14.1 billion up 8.5% from 2020.
• In 2021, value-added exports grew for the eighth consecutive year to $8.2 billion, up 23% from 2020.
• The U.S. remains Alberta’s largest export market at $6.1 billion, accounting for 43% of the total agri-food exports.
In 2021 Alberta accounted for 22.6% of total Canadian farm cash receipts from primary agriculture, ranked second in Canada.
• In 2021, crop and livestock receipts in Alberta totalled $16.6 billion with cattle and calves accounting for 34.4% of the provincial total.
Alberta livestock market receipts set a new industry record high at $7.7 billion in 2021 ranking number one in Canada. In 2021, Agri-food capital investment expenditures in Alberta were estimated at $1.6 billion, with $316.5 million in food and beverage manufacturing.
M.D. of Bonnyville gross farm receipts in 2021 were $112,306.467, a 10 per cent increase since 2016
The value of agricultural land in the M.D. of Bonnyville in 2021 was $2,261/acre.
Source: Government of Canada
658 Farms | 226,405 crop acres | 232,829 pasture acres
Crops
Canola -------------------
Wheat -------------------
Barley --------------------
Oats ----------------------
Alfalfa --------------------
Tame Hay ---------------
Dry Field Peas ---------
Source: Statistics Canada 2021 Census
As the M.D. of Bonnyville increases its share of the protein and agriculture technology activities, its agri-businesses will be positioned for growth. With that comes an increase of value-added agriculture opportunities for processing, packaging, and distribution.
