Invest in Alberta 2018

VALUE ADD: Innovative projects diversify Alberta’s forestry sector

ECONOMIC RESILIENCE: Taking a proactive approach to disaster recovery planning

LONG GAME: Grande Prairie plans to turn a boom into long-term viability

PM#40030911

Alberta’s economy is back on top and getting a boost from all corners and industries in the province

I N V E S T I N A L B E R TA 2 0 1 8 | B U S I N E S S A N D I N V E S T M E N T A C R O S S A L B E R TA

WHERE BUSINESSES

THRIVE

GRoW IN REd dEER CoUNTy Red Deer County offers prime land opportunities and is strategically situated along the QE2 - Calgary to Edmonton corridor.

Sandra Badry

|

Economic Development Officer

|

www.rdcounty.ca

sbadry@rdcounty.ca

|

403.357.2395

CONTENTS

2018 18

DEPARTMENTS 7

Alberta's Economic Regions

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Messages

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12 Alberta, By the Numbers 123 Member Directory

FEATURES 7

45

18 Grande Prairie Goes Boom A trio of northwestern Alberta municipalities are teaming up to turn booming oil and gas activity into long-term, diversified economic sustainability

30 Re-Opening for Business After two major natural disasters in the past 5 years, Alberta’s economic developers are taking action to help communities develop economic resilience

CITY PROFILES

51

39 Calgary: Arrivals and Departures Calgary’s new international terminal is bringing increased economic opportunity to the region through both people and cargo

45 Edmonton: Curb Appeal Downtown Edmonton is in the midst of an estimated $5-billion revitalization that is building economic opportunity in Alberta’s capital city

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51 Lethbridge: It Takes a County The City of ON THE COVER: The ICE District in Edmonton is at the heart of a $5-billion downtown makeover.

Photo: Darryl Propp

Lethbridge and the County of Lethbridge take a collaborative approach to economic development

58 Red Deer: Manufacturing Innovation Red Deer College is finding success in partnering with businesses on innovative manufacturing projects Diverse Determined Driven

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70

SECTORS

100

63 ENERGY 64 Wind of Change With a long history of wind energy production,

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southern Alberta is drawing interest amid an increased global appetite for renewable energy projects

66 Driving Efficiency Technology advances and improved operations are helping oil and gas producers get back to profitability 70 A Billion Dollar Bright Idea A power line in north central Alberta is being developed on the strength of one of the largest public-private partnership investments in Canadian history

75 AGRICULTURE

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76 Home Grown With a mix of big brands and niche products, food processing is big business in Alberta

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80 Harvesting Technology A new generation of Alberta farmers are embracing the digital era and reaping improved results

84 Home on the Range Alberta’s newest provincial parks peacefully co-exist with ranch country in the province’s southwestern region

87 FORESTRY

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88 Value Add A look at three projects that highlight how Alberta’s forestry sector is finding new uses (and economic opportunity) for one of the province’s most abundant natural resources

102

93 ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH 94 Alberta 2.0 Alberta's technology sector is at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation and unique partnerships are helping set up the province for future advances 99 ARTS & TOURISM 100 Drinks, Dinner and a Movie Alberta’s beverage, food, and film and television industries are tapping into the province’s rich heritage to offer vibrant experiences and exciting investment opportunities

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107 TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS

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108 By Any Mode Necessary A combination of pipelines and trucks deliver economic activity to an east-central Alberta hub

112 Right Side of the Tracks Development of a new rail yard and logistics park is aiming to put a small southern Alberta community on the fast track to becoming a transportation hub

114 Training Day A state-of-the-art commercial driver training facility touches down at Edmonton International Airport 118 Northern Connection Improving transportation routes in northern

96 4

Alberta will provide a significant economic boost to the region

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118

Ready to talk growth?

We’ve heard enough negative press about Alberta.

Now is the time to plan for the future and invest.

Cultivate your company’s success in Rocky View County.

Talk to our corporate real estate partners about bringing new developments to Balzac, Conrich or Indus.

When times are tough, the bold take action.

David Wallach (403) 290-0178 dwallach@barclaystreet.com Todd Throndson (403) 262-3082 todd.throndson@avisonyoung.com

Iain Ferguson (403) 750-0803 iain.ferguson@cbre.com

Joe Binfet (403) 298-0402 joe.binfet@colliers.com

Mike Warner (403) 261-1165 mike.warner@ca.cushwake.com

Marshall Toner (403) 456-2214 marshall.toner@am.jll.com

Garry Bobke (403) 984-9804 gbobke@naiadvent.com

Steve Grande (403) 650-6474 steve@commercial.plus

Ralph Gibson (403) 301-7727 ralph@target-realty.com

From power production to seniors housing and daycares to grocery stores, the co-operative model performs well where other business models and government don’t. It’s a different – and sometimes better – way to do business.

Learn more at CooperativesFirst.com.

ALBERTA'S ECONOMIC REGIONS 2018

Suite 127 #406, 917-85 Street SW Calgary, Alberta Canada T3H 5Z9 Toll Free: 1-866-671-8182 www.edaalberta.ca

Battle River Calgary Capital Central Mackenzie

North Central Northeast Palliser Peace Country Slave Lake

South Central Southwest West Yellowhead Wood Buffalo

This map highlights the exciting stories of economic innovation contained in this edition of Invest in Alberta magazine and where they are taking place, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity taking place in any specific region of the province or in Alberta as a whole.

PRESIDENT: Bev Thornton CEO: Leann Hackman-Carty MARKETING & COMMUNICATIONS: Nancy Toombs ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT: Jodi Larmour

WOOD BUFFALO

MACKENZIE

PUBLISHED BY: RedPoint Media & Marketing Solutions #100, 1900-11 Street SE Calgary, Alberta Canada T2G 3G2 Phone: 403-240-9055 www.redpointmedia.ca

■ High Level

PRESIDENT AND CEO: Pete Graves GROUP PUBLISHER: Joyce Byrne PUBLISHER: Pritha Kalar EDITOR: Steve Macleod ART DIRECTOR: Charles Burke PRODUCTION MANAGER: Mike Matovich PRODUCTION DESIGNER: Rebecca Middlebrook ADVERTISING SALES AND BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIST: Anita McGillis SALES RESOURCES: Robin Cook, Katherine Jacob Pickering CLIENT RELATIONS: Sandra Jenks AUDIENCE DEVELOPMENT: Rob Kelly EDITORIAL CONSULTANT: Michael Ganley

Fort McMurray ■■

PEACE COUNTRY

■■ Peace River

SLAVE LAKE ■ Grande Prairie

Cold Lake ■■

NORTH CENTRAL

NORTHEAST

■ Edmonton

Lloydminster ■■

CAPITAL WEST YELLOWHEAD ■ Jasper

BATTLE RIVER CENTRAL

CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Jessica Barratt, Justin Bell, Robin Brunet, Joseph Caouette, Ian Doig, Jennifer Dorozio, Lewis Kelly, Dale Lunan, Tricia Radison, Dawn Smith, Kelley Stark, R.P. Stastny, Theresa Tayler

■ Banff

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS AND ILLUSTRATORS Brent Barbero, Maegan Chostner, Gabriel Hall, Darryl Propp, Heff O'Reilly, John Ulan, Jaime Vedres

■■ Red Deer

PALLISER

■ Calgary

CALGARY SOUTH CENTRAL

■ Medicine Hat ■

SOUTHWEST ■ Lethbridge ■

CPMPA # 40030911 Copyright © 2018.

Invest in Alberta is printed on Forest Stewardship Council® certified paper

Energy | p.63

Forestry | p.87

Arts & Tourism | p.99

Agriculture | p.75

Advanced Technology & Research | p.93

Transportation & Logistics | p.107

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MESSAGE from the PREMIER

Welcome ON BEHALF OF THE GOVERNMENT OF Alberta, it is my pleasure to send greetings to the readers of Invest in Alberta magazine.

The Government of Alberta has an important role to play in making sure this province remains one of the best places for job creators, entrepreneurs, visionaries and investors.

Despite the prolonged drop in world oil prices, Alberta is still one of the best places in the world to invest, as we have maintained one of the highest levels of private sector investment in Canada. In fact, per capita investment in Alberta is more than double the national average, and we are on track to hit record levels of investment in a variety of sectors. The jobs and economic diversification these investments contribute to in the short term also mean healthy long-term returns that benefit all Albertans.

Through our Alberta Jobs Plan, we are focused on creating jobs in a diverse economy while continuing to protect the core public services Albertans rely on. Our plan includes the biggest infrastructure build in Alberta’s history, with investments in the schools, hospitals, roads and other facilities our growing population needs.

Our investments are also supporting job creation and innovation in the renewable energy and natural gas sectors, as well as demonstrating that Alberta is one of the best places to do business.

Alberta is home to strong communities, first-rate universities, and thriving health care and innovation sectors. By holding the line on spending, investing in core services and expanding our economy, all investors can be assured of more prosperous times to come.

The Honourable Rachel Notley Premier of Alberta 2018

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MESSAGE from the MINISTER

Welcome I AM PROUD OF THE CONTINUED EFFORTS of Economic Developers Alberta and its members to enhance economic sustainability, diversification, investment and job creation in Alberta’s diverse regions and communities.

We know that Alberta is the best place to invest and do business – and others are taking notice. Alberta has the lowest overall taxes in Canada and amongst the lowest corporate taxes in North America. We also have the youngest, best-educated and most productive workforce in the country. We have world-class infrastructure, and we offer the support and assistance businesses need to set up and succeed. From entrepreneurial ventures, to small and medium-sized enterprises, to big business, Alberta is home to some of the boldest and most innovative minds.

This year’s theme of “Diverse. Determined.

Driven.” truly highlights the way Alberta businesses continue to drive our economy. It is thanks to these hard-working Albertans that our economy is looking up. More Albertans are working and job opportunities are growing. While not every Albertan is feeling it, and there is more work to do, our province’s econ-

omy is growing faster than expected. So fast, in fact, that independent analysts say Alberta will lead Canada in economic growth this year.

The Government of Alberta is proud to work with partners such as Economic Developers Alberta to help Alberta businesses succeed both at home and abroad, and to attract new business and jobs to our great province.

The Honourable Deron Bilous Minister of Economic Development and Trade 2018

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MESSAGE from the PRESIDENT

Alberta − A diverse, determined and driven province WELCOME TO THE 2018 EDITION OF Invest in Alberta where you can catch a valuable glimpse of each region in the province, learn worthwhile information and examine compelling stories that demonstrate the tremendous opportunity and untapped potential of doing business and investing in Alberta.

Alberta is diverse and continues to be one of the strongest economies in Canada. Despite the 2016 recession, Alberta has led Canada in economic growth for the past 20 years. By capitalizing on innovation, creativity and perseverance, our diversity provides broad-based enterprise that is key to ongoing, long-term economic growth.

Alberta is determined to maintain a highly competitive business climate. Supported by one of the best business tax environments in North America, low personal income taxes, world-class infrastructure, and a commitment to free enterprise, Alberta has attracted some of the world’s largest and most successful corporations.

Alberta is driven, and known for its energetic and enterprising work ethic. The province is home to over 4 million people and a highly skilled workforce. Alberta has the youngest population of all Canadian provinces, with a median age of 36 years. And, more than 68 per cent of the labour force aged 25 years and older has post secondary education. I am certain that the information in this edition of Invest in Alberta will be valuable as you consider the rewards of investing in this province.

For over 40 years Economic Developers Alberta has

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supported the leadership role that economic developers offer to their communities. I am proud to serve as President of this organization and express my admiration for the diverse, determined and driven economic development professionals who are making a positive and impactful difference in their local economies.

Enjoy the magazine, explore the opportunities and feel welcome to contact the featured communities, people and businesses. Alberta offers some of the best investment opportunities in the world and we invite you to join in.

Bev Thornton President, Economic Developers Alberta

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

MESSAGE from the CEO

Welcome to Invest in Alberta I AM PLEASED TO PRESENT THE FOURTH edition of Invest in Alberta, the official publication of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA). Inside this publication is a glimpse of some of the diverse industries and amazing investment opportunities Alberta has to offer.

EDA is delighted to partner with RedPoint Media to produce this excellent publication and we are very pleased with the outcome of this fourth edition. We are thrilled about an exciting new development for the 2018 edition: the Invest in Alberta microsite. This microsite is essentially the magazine in a website format complete with its own URL (www.investalbertamag.ca). With a click of your mouse or a tap on your screen you will have access to all the information contained in the magazine. The microsite is secure, searchable, modern and mobile friendly. Since it is web-based its reach is limitless.

Whether you are turning the pages of the printed edition or scrolling through the magazine on your tablet, you will read a sampling of the many advantages the province has to offer. Read about the diversification and improved technology in the energy industry; how Alberta is leading the way in technology and research, as well as interesting developments in Alberta’s forestry industry. There is also an in-depth story that highlights our organization’s resources and best practice information on how businesses and economies can prepare for, respond to, and recover from unanticipated disruptions, such as natural disasters or man-made crises. You’ll learn how EDA and our international counterpart, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) have customized a program for Canadian communities called “Economic Resilience Training for Community and Regional Leaders.” This training course equips community leaders with a solid foundation for economic resilience planning in communities and to accelerate economic recovery following disasters.

Diverse Determined Driven

My goal as CEO of Economic Developers Alberta is to ensure our members have the tools they need to enhance their economic development practice. EDA is Alberta’s only professional organization for economic developers dedicated to advancing the economic development profession by providing our members with resources, professional development and networking opportunities. EDA serves a varied membership of over 350 from across the province. By equipping our members with the latest economic development resources, they in turn create vibrant communities.

EDA is ready and equipped to serve its members, advance economic development as a profession, and support Alberta communities in fostering sustainable economic prosperity. Albertans are diverse, determined and driven and it is a privilege to be part of their success. We invite you to join us.

Leann Hackman-Carty CEO, Economic Developers Alberta

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By the NUMBERS Coal and 1.4% Sulphur

Alberta’s small business corporate income tax is 2 per cent, and the small business income threshold is $500,000.

13.3% Conventional

Crude Oil

Natural Gas 21.8% and Liquids

$51.1 billion

ENERGY EXPORTS 2016

Natural Gas 14.5% and Liquids Coal and 0.8% Sulphur

ENERGY REVENUES 2016

$56.8 billion

63.5% Oil Sands

In 2016, Alberta produced about 80 per cent of Canada’s crude oil and 67 per cent of its natural gas.

$314.9 billion

86.1% Crude Oil

ECONOMIC DIVERSITY Percentage distribution of GDP in 2016

Construction 10.7%

17.0% Oil, Gas and Mining

Agriculture 1.6% Health 6.2%

6.3%

Education 4.1% Public 5.4% Administration

6.2%

Manufacturing

Transportation and Utilities

Retail 9.0% and Wholesale Tourism and 5.0% Consumer Services

11.7% Business and

Commercial Services

Finance and 16.7% Real Estate

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• Between 1986 and 2016, several non-­ energy sectors of the Alberta economy have grown significantly, including: Construction – 7.0% of GDP to 10.7% Finance and real estate – 13.5% of GDP to 16.7% Business and commercial services – 6.6% of GDP to 11.7% • Between 2006 and 2016, Alberta accounted for 22 per cent of Canada’s population growth. In fact, Alberta’s population increase of 24 per cent over that period was the largest increase of any province or state in North America.

• In 2016, almost 2.3 million Albertans were employed, international merchandise exports were $79 billion, per capita investment in Alberta was $14,606 (more than twice the national average of $6,579), and investment totaled $62 billion.

• Although the oil and gas sector remains Alberta’s largest industry, accounting for 17 per cent of its GDP, the province’s GDP shares of other sectors, such as construction, real estate, finance and insurance, and business and commercial services grew significantly between 1986 and 2016.

GROWTH IN SELECTED INDICATORS

SMALL BUSINESS GROWTH

Percentage Change in Employment in Small Business Establishments (Less Than 50 Employees), 2011-2016

Percent change, 2006-2016

Ontario

Population

British Columbia Alberta

Employment

Saskatchewan Manitoba

GDP

Canada Newfoundland & Labrador

Merchandise Exports Alberta

Quebec Prince Edward Island New Brunswick

Investment*

Nova Scotia

Canada 0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

PER CAPITA INVESTMENT

-2% 0%

Saskatchewan

Alberta

Alberta

Saskatchewan

Manitoba

Manitoba

British Columbia

Canada

Canada

British Columbia

Ontario

Ontario

Quebec

Quebec

Nova Scotia

New Brunswick

New Brunswick

Nova Scotia

Prince Edward Island

Prince Edward Island

Newfoundland & Labrador $10000

6%

8%

10%

12%

2010-2015 (average) and 2016

Newfoundland & Labrador

$5000

4%

UNEMPLOYMENT RATE BY PROVINCE

2016

$0

2%

$15000

$20000

0% 20102015

*Investment in new housing is not included in these estimates.

3%

6%

9%

12%

15%

2016

Sources: Statistics Canada, Alberta Treasury Board and Finance, Alberta Economic Development and Trade

#EDA2018 @edaalberta www.edaalberta.ca

2018 ANNUAL PROFESSIONAL CONFERENCE & AGM Diverse. Determined. Driven.

March 21-23, 2018 The Banff Centre; Banff, Alberta

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MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF GREENVIEW

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

EXPAND YOUR VISION ger, cargo and medical flights fly in and out of the Grande Prairie Airport – Alberta’s fourth largest airport – connecting to destinations within Alberta’s borders and beyond. Rail connects business and industry in Greenview to ports in British Columbia, in both Prince Rupert and Vancouver.

PHOTO: GARY JOACHIM

DIVERSE COMMUNITIES ARE OUR FOUNDATION

LOCATED IN ALBERTA’S NORTHWEST,

Greenview is poised to become Alberta’s centre of energy diversification for the future.

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Greenview is a vast and diverse area rich in oil and gas, fertile farmland, winding rivers, mixed wood forests, and spectacular peaks of the Rockies.

As the third-largest rural municipality of the province, the M.D. of Greenview boasts a spectacular diversity in economic activities and an extraordinary range of landscape, making it very unique. Oil and gas, agriculture, forestry, and tourism form the economic foundation of a geographic area that spans more than 32,000 square kilometres. Greenview’s economy is strengthened by its diversity and our vast endowment of natural resources, which have transformed into world-class industries. The opportunities for supporting businesses in transportation, information technology, communications, engineering, business, and manufacturing are tremendous.

HOME OF THE TRI MUNICIPAL INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIP Greenview’s Gold Creek region, 45 km south of Grande Prairie, has potential for world class development. Through regional cooperation, Greenview has partnered with the City of Grande Prairie and the County of Grande Prairie to create an area for well-planned, value-added industrial facilities. This exciting project will advance Alberta’s economic success and increase the diversity of opportunities within the three partner municipalities.

Situated in the heart of the Deep Basin, Greenview is poised to become Alberta’s centre of energy diversification for the future. The Montney Shale Formation is a major natural gas and liquids hydrocarbon resource, and the Duvernay field has incredible reserves of light shale oil and condensate. In addition, thousands of miles of pipeline already transport refined oil and gas, as well as raw product to larger distribution points in Alberta and the United States.

The area is serviced by the CANAMEX Trade Corridor, a provincial highway network that runs through Greenview and links local businesses to markets in the United States and Mexico. Passen-

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The M.D. of Greenview encompasses the Towns of Fox Creek, Grande Cache, and Valleyview, and has four hamlets, including Little Smoky, Ridgevalley, DeBolt, and Grovedale. The Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation, Aseniwuche Winewak Nation, and Mountain Metis are also within the M.D. All our communities are important to Greenview’s growth and development.

Fox Creek offers a pro-business climate that supports innovation and development. Serving some of the biggest global players in the resource industry, the area is home to a thriving oil and gas industry, forestry and lumber industry, tourism industry, as well as a strong service sector.

The Town of Valleyview is the access point to two major highways leading to Alberta’s Peace Region, to Northern Canada and to the State of Alaska in the U.S. Agriculture and processing are an important aspect of the economic profile in the Valleyview area.

Surrounded by the beauty and nature of the Rocky Mountains, Grande Cache is nestled on a mountain plateau and surrounded by panoramic views of 21 mountain peaks and 2 river valleys. Located along Highway 40, the shortest and most scenic route to Alaska from the United States, and bordering the Willmore Wilderness Park, tourism is a significant contributor to the local economy.

There are opportunities for growth in tourism, recreation, forestry, oil and gas, and the service sector.

Greenview has the space to grow and a business-friendly environment. Not only do we offer incredible investment opportunities, we also take pride in our communities as a great place to live and play. With one of the lowest commercial and industrial tax rates in Alberta, Greenview has a definite competitive edge. Now is the time to capitalize on our opportunities and expand your vision.

For more information contact: Kevin Keller, Manager, Economic Development 780-524-7623 invest@mdgreenview.ab.ca www.Expandyourvision.ca | www.mdgreenview.ab.ca

Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

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Grande Prairie

MD of

GREENVIEW Edmonton

Part of the CANAMEX / North-SouthTrade Corridor, Greenview sits above Alberta’s liquid-rich Deep Basin play.

Situated on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, our diverse landscape makes us very unique, providing endless opportunities in oil & gas, agriculture, forestry, and tourism.

ExpandYourVision.ca

Calgary

CITY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

PASSION AND AMBITION Optimism is tangible throughout the region

RECOGNIZED AS A BRIGHT SPOT IN

Grande Prairie’s business-savvy community has been consistently recognized as one of the most entrepreneurial communities in Canada.

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Alberta, Grande Prairie’s economic indicators are showing signs of a strong 2018.

The past year has been a strong period of economic growth in Grande Prairie. The sense of optimism is tangible throughout the region as the roads hum with activity. The city has seen record setting numbers of over-dimensional vehicles come through the city, a sign of major equipment heading out to the surrounding energy operations. The city is well positioned as the major service centre supporting the Duvernay and Montney, two of the largest oil and gas plays in North America. Their importance is demonstrated by a 158% increase in capital spending by the major Montney focused producers in the area. Similarly, drilling licenses, an indicator for future economic activity, are up 54% from 2016 as of December with drilling completions up 97%. The Montney has doubled its output since 2012 and is expected to make up more than half the country’s natural gas production by 2040, while recent studies show that the Duvernay holds Canada’s biggest shale oil reserves.

Named Canada’s Best Place for Business by Canadian Business and PROFIT in 2016, Grande Prairie is best known for its oil and gas activity. However, it is home to a wide range of industries. Grande Prairie’s business-savvy community has been consistently recognized as one of the most entrepreneurial communities in Canada, an ambition that can be felt across all of the city’s major industries.

2018

Grande Prairie’s forest products industry is one of the most important engines in the region. Over 1,100 people are directly employed, with an additional 2,200 people employed indirectly, at the region’s four large operators Weyerhaeuser, Canfor, Norbord and International Paper.

Agriculture remains an important part of the city’s economy.

With 16% of the province’s cropland, the Grande Prairie region is Alberta’s second largest producer of crops like wheat, barley, hay, canola and alfalfa. Grande Prairie’s world-renowned creeping red fescue helps keep lawns, parks and golf courses green across North America.

Tourism has become an important industry for the area with attractions like the Eastlink Centre and the Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum adding to the draw of the region’s natural beauty.

Thanks to Grande Prairie’s position on the route to the Alaska Highway as well as the many shopping and recreational opportunities that the city has to offer, Grande Prairie has become a hub for shoppers and tourists alike.

As the major urban centre for northwestern Alberta and Northeastern British Columbia, Grande Prairie is home to the region’s shopping, government and health services. Demonstrating its regional importance, the Province has invested $730 million into the construction of a new regional hospital and cancer centre set to open in 2019.

The city is located at the centre of an affluent region consisting of a trading area of 281,000 people representing $3.7 billion in retail spending. Grande Prairie has established itself as a lucrative market for local and multi-national retailers, including major retailers such as Costco, Best Buy and HomeSense. As the population continues to grow, retail spending and demand for new stores continue to be supported by the young, fast growing city.

With a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship, Grande Prairie is a great place to invest, raise a family, and realize your dreams.

For more information, contact: Brian Glavin, Manager, Economic Development & Land City of Grande Prairie bglavin@cityofgp.com | 780.538.0475 cityofgp.com/eda

Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

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A trio of northwestern Alberta municipalities are teaming up to turn booming oil and gas activity into long-term, diversified economic sustainability

BY R.P. STASTNY

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PHOTO COURTESY: SEVEN GENERATIONS ENERGY

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RANDE PRAIRIE ISN’T YOUR typical oil and gas boom town.

Yes, the northwestern Alberta city sits atop some of the most sought after and productive oil and gas formations in North America. And yes, located right in the heart of Peace Country – Alberta’s top producing region of conventional oil and natural gas – has naturally made Grande Prairie a hub of energy industry activity for the area.

There is even the population growth that typically accompanies an oil and gas boom. Grande Prairie has nearly doubled its population in the past 20 years to 63,166 people and by adding to its population by 13.5 per cent between 2011 and 2015, the city grew at a faster clip than both the provincial and national averages during that time, 11.6 per cent and 5 per cent, respectively.

The population of Alberta’s seventh largest city is both young, with a median age of 30.3 years, as well as a pool of highly skilled and educated workers.

But Grande Prairie is different.

Located about 450-kilometres northwest of Edmonton, Grande Prairie is also supported by other provincial stalwart resource industries, such as forestry and agriculture. New development and construction totals are estimated by the municipal government to total more than $3 billion, including projects for power generation, hospitals, schools, sports and entertainment, and infrastructure. The city estimates its total trading area population to be more than 281,000 people, and Profit magazine anointed Grande Prairie as Canada’s Best Place for Business in 2016.

“There’s a slow-burn growth happening with lots of positives,” says Lionel Robins, who is a partner in a Grande Prairie ownership group that holds seven car dealerships, 11 national car rental franchises, an oilfield trucking company and four regional hotels.

“In our fluid-hauling company, we’re in full-hiring mode right now. Our automotive group is currently about 15 positions short of what we need. Our vehicle rental operation is a couple people short. Our hotel business is a lot busier this winter than last winter—our occupancy rates are up 40 to 50 per cent. So everything seems to be trending,” he says.

“Slow-burn growth” is an ideal scenario for Grande Prairie. Booming oil and gas activity in other parts of Alberta often came with social, housing and infrastructure pressures, but

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“This coordinated approach to investment attraction and infrastructure development will help us be competitive on a global stage.”

– Leanne Beaupre, Reeve of the County of Grande Prairie Grande Prairie and its surrounding municipalities are determined to avoid those pitfalls through proactive community outreach and rigorous planning. The Tri-Municipal Industrial Development Partnership is an integral part of that work.

In 2016, the Municipal District of Greenview started a conversation with the City of Grande Prairie and County of Grande Prairie, and a new Tri-Municipal Industrial Development Partnership was formed to explore the development of a world-class heavy industrial park in the MD of Greenview, about 40 kilometres south of Grande Prairie.

In considering how to better manage industrial development, the MD of Greenview arrived at the concept of an industrial park,

conducted a viability study and got the ball rolling.

“Rather than speaking with 5,500 voices, which is our MD’s census population, working with our close neighbours allows us to speak with 110,000 voices,” says Kevin Keller, economic development officer for the MD of Greenview.

In June 2017, the partnership funded the initial stages of the agreement with $210,000 to actively encourage development, prepare and execute agreements, hire a project manager to define and initiate the project, and cover other start-up costs.

Taking a cue from Alberta’s Industrial Heartland – an area just northeast of Edmonton created to attract chemical, petrochemical, power

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

PHOTO COURTESY: SEVEN GENERATIONS ENERGY

PHOTO COURTESY: INTEGRATED SUSTAINABILITY

THE FULL MONTNEY: The National Energy Board estimates Montney production of natural gas will be 7 bcf/d and make up almost 40 per cent of Western Canada’s production.

and hydrocarbon processing – which went from concept to first shovel in six years, Keller expects the Tri-Municipal Industrial Park to be shovel ready within four years. The advantage to industrial proponents building in the park is a two-year leg up on permitting, compared to building outside the industrial zone.

“We’ll have done a lot of that work for them. So, the companies then just have to do the specific permits for their specific plants,” Keller says.

While the partnership is hoping to take advantage of its unique proximity to oil and gas development, it also envisions a unique industrial park.

To attract global investment, the Tri-Municipal Industrial Development Partnership fore-

sees an area with pipelines, roads and railroads that covers 355 square kilometres – an area that could fit more than 200 professional-sized hockey rinks. While the size alone makes it a little unconventional by industrial park standards, MD of Greenview Reeve Dale Gervais says the density of the proposed development will also be unique.

“What we envision is pristine areas interspersed with development. We’ll have wetlands, muskeg or other sensitive areas next to industrial facilities built on higher land, all connected by a utility corridor,” Gervais says.

In other words, the landscape will not be smoke stack after smoke stack, cordoned off behind chain-link fences. By putting the “park” back into industrial park, the development

Diverse Determined Driven

hopes to strike a balance between the natural and agrarian appeal the region prides itself on, and the benefits of industrial development while still clustering industry. Both the MD of Greenview and the County of Grande Prairie are seeing growing industrial activity, so rather than allowing it to scatter throughout the region, this initiative aims to reduce the overall impact on the land.

The Peace Country region has already attracted global attention from industrial proponents that see opportunity in locating close to a natural resource. The Montney formation in particular – a 700-kilometre long formation that stretches across the Alberta-British Columbia border and is estimated to contain 449 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, 14.5 billion bar2018

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PHOTO COURTESY: SEVEN GENERATIONS ENERGY

rels of natural gas liquids and 1.1 billion barrels of oil – rivals the most prolific shale gas plays in North America. Production from the formation grew from 1 billion cubic feet per day (bcf/d) of natural gas production in 2010 to 5 bcf/d in 2017. By 2019, the National Energy Board estimates Montney production will be 7 bcf/d and will make up almost 40 per cent of Western Canada’s production.

It’s not only typical natural gas either. The Montney formation also holds liquids-rich natural gas, which is an oily condensate Alberta’s oil sands industry needs to mix with bitumen, so the heavier and thicker oil can be shipped by pipeline. It’s this demand that helps make the Montney formation economic even when natural gas prices are low. It’s also a versatile hydrocarbon that the petrochemical industry uses as feedstock for the production of plastics, fertilizers, chemicals, fuels and other products.

Producers of those products could find a new home in Peace Country, and based on past inter-

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est the Tri-Municipal Industrial Development Partnership anticipates attracting fertilizer plants or plants for refining petroleum products, such as natural gas or diesel. Synergies between industrial proponents could also lead to other opportunities, such as power generation or large-scale livestock yards.

“We’ve had a number of large multinational companies come here and look at opportunities,” says Keller. “But we weren’t necessarily ready to entertain them at the time.”

The industrial park project will require new infrastructure in the region, but some of that is already on the way with the Alberta government’s previous announcement of its intention to twin Highway 40 south of Grande Prairie.

“They just announced $289 million of improvements so most of the infrastructure is already there—or we can put in the local stuff quite quickly,” Gervais says. “They are in the design stage to putting another bridge on the Wapiti River just south of Grande Prairie on High-

way 40 and then 10 kilometres of twinning. But we’ll need about 35 kilometres, at a minimum, after that to get our [proposed industrial] area.”

County of Grande Prairie Reeve Leanne Beaupre is also happy with how the partnership has taken shape and what it means for her county.

“This coordinated approach to investment attraction and infrastructure development will help us be competitive on a global stage,” she says.

“It’s a collaborative approach that will also reduce competition and provide a framework for cost-and-revenue sharing, so it’s beneficial for all of the parties involved.”

UNIQUE COST-ANDREVENUE SHARING DEVELOPMENT MODEL Another difference in the creation of the Tri-Municipal Industrial Development Partnership is how it is structured.

The upfront development costs of the proposed park—such as the environmental, regulatory and Indigenous consulting work—is being shared by the three municipalities. The hosting municipality of Greenview is contributing 50 per cent of the costs, while the County of Grande Prairie and the City of Grande Prairie are each contributing 25 per cent.

Those same ratios will be used to distribute revenue among the municipalities from prospective industrial development. This economic development model of cost-and-revenue sharing is uncommon. Typically, even when municipalities work together to promote their region, they end up competing for projects to be built within their municipal boundaries and do not share revenue.

The challenge this poses is that sparsely populated rural areas end up collecting high-value property tax while neighbouring municipalities or cities provide essential services such as health care, education and housing without the benefit of tax revenues coming from industrial buildup.

“I think it was a really forward-looking and generous offer from the MD of Greenview to say, ‘We acknowledge that this is a challenge and we want to be sure that everybody can be on board with any new development in this area,’” says Grande Prairie Mayor Bill Given.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

TOWN OF HIGH LEVEL

YOUNG AND OPEN FOR BUSINESS

High Level is the dominant retail and profession service centre for the Northern Peace Region HIGH LEVEL IS ALBERTA’S MOST northerly town and is located along the Mackenzie Highway; it is the halfway point between Yellowknife and Edmonton. We are the retail and service hub for the Mackenzie region and one of Alberta’s most promising regions for growth.

Although High Level is a young community, which celebrated 50 years in 2015, the region has developed both renewable and non-renewable resources ranging from agriculture and forestry to oil and gas.

As the transportation and service centre for Northern Alberta, High Level serves a large area in excess of 22,000 people within a 200-kilometre radius. This means that High Level is in an excellent and strategic location to start and grow businesses that meet the needs of the local and regional customers.

High Level provides an extensive range of community services including government service branch offices, retail shopping, industry services, schools and a college, a new hospital, an indoor swimming pool, an ice arena, a curling rink and many other facilities. In addition, there is a long list of active community and service groups that fulfill a number of important roles within the community.

The Town of High Level is open for new business and fosters an environment of business development.

We do this by maintaining and upholding land-use bylaws that direct new businesses to agglomerate in the downtown core and in specific industrial areas within town limits. Town staff members are always open and available to assist with any new development proposals.

For more information please contact: Town of High Level 10511 103 Street High Level, AB T0H 1Z0 780-926-2201 www.highlevel.com

OPPORT NITY U O Y

Putting “YOU” in the middle of Opportunity in High Level AB www.highlevel.ca Diverse Determined Embracing Change Creating Driven Opportunity

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COUNTY OF GRANDE PRAIRIE

RAMPING UP

County of Grande Prairie is making its mark on the global stage involves listening and learning directly from the businesses, developers and stakeholders who will be impacted,” says King.

RESPONSIBLE BUILDING FROM THE GROUND UP

Plenty of outdoor space!

Long-term collaborative engagement between the County, local residents and industry is behind the innovative Master Plan f or the proposed Clairmont Heights, a new greenfield town development in the County – currently the only one underway within North America.

Situated along the shores of Clairmont Lake, Clairmont Heights is envisioned as a mixed use, sustainable and livable lakeshore community of approximately 17,000 residents. The community will offer a range of housing choices, retail shops and amenities. Construction on wastewater servicing is planned to commence in spring, and will be complete in 2019.

WITH ITS STRONG ECONOMIC

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ALLIANCES FOSTERING INNOVATION AND SUCCESS It’s this spirit of innovation and collaboration that is fueling the tremendous strength and potential within the region. In late 2016, the County of Grande Prairie signed a Tri-Municipal Partnership with its neighbours, the City of Grande Prairie and the MD of Greenview, creating an alliance to explore opportunities to develop a world-class heavy industrial park in Greenview.

The development, located on Highway 40 to the south of the County, will cover 335 square kilometres and will benefit not only the region, but all of Alberta. The area will be shovel ready for international investors, minimizing approval time so industry can focus on capital investment and industrial operations.

And while an economic roadmap is a key tool for laying the groundwork for a sustainable business environment in the County, it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see the untapped economic potential just below the surface. Two natural gas formations – the Montney and the Duvernay – are creating a buzz internationally.

Summertime swim at Redwillow Falls

... it doesn’t take a crystal ball to see the untapped economic potential just below the surface.

generators, a reputation for entrepreneurial excellence and a business-friendly environment, it comes as no surprise that investors and businesses across the globe have their eye on the County of Grande Prairie. Year after year, the County has stood out for its strength in the economic landscape, and busy roads and bustling communities are all signs of an economy that is only just ramping up.

What sets the County apart is its vast open spaces with plenty of room for development, a ready supply of infrastructure, and a robust, diverse economy that has been a stabilizing factor in shaping economic resiliency, even during times of economic uncertainty.

An area abundant with natural resources, the County of Grande Prairie serves as a home to thriving energy, forestry, agriculture, manufacturing, transportation and tourism industries.

Additionally, the County has long been recognised as the service hub for the energy industry within the entire Peace Region. With a trade area of over 280,000 people within a 200 kilometre drive, and an average after-tax household income of $127,846, many large retailers have established themselves in the region.

The anchor is a pro-business municipal government that fosters a climate of innovation and success. County Economic Development Manager Chris King says that it’s the County’s proactive approach to planning that takes front stage in creating a sustainable, socially responsible and diversified economy.

Over the past year, the County has been in high gear conducting an extensive consultation process with business, investors and key stakeholders. The end goal is a Growth and Economic Development Strategy, a “roadmap” to guide the County through the next 50 years.

“We maintain that a key element in any smart growth strategy

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

The Montney formation is a major shale gas and shale oil resource covering around 130,000 square kilometers and spanning about 700 kilometers from northeastern British Columbia to northwestern Alberta. It is one of the most active resource formations being developed in Canada, and by 2040, is projected to produce over half of Canada’s natural gas.

The Duvernay shale formation stretches 100,000 square kilometers, just east of the Rocky Mountains. It too, is showing tremendous possibilities, and drilling activity in the area is strong.

But that’s not all that’s heating up below-ground. Results of a multi-jurisdictional University of Alberta study released last year identified significant geothermal potential in the County. The County continues to explore the viability of this source of renewable energy.

Entertainment at the Grande Prairie Street Performers Festival

Activities for all ages

Rendering of the proposed Clairmont Heights

Trade Corridor, the County also has excellent highway, air and rail transportation links to markets across Canada and North America.

LARGE, YOUNG AND DYNAMIC WORKFORCE As the County of Grande Prairie’s economy heats up, statistics from the last federal census show that its population, too, is on the rise – now 22,303 – and is growing faster than both the provincial and national rates. The region’s young demographics support the availability of a young, educated workforce, and that, says King, gives the County a competitive edge.

“Businesses not only have access to a large workforce that is young and ready to work,” says King, “but we’ve got the post-secondary education opportunities available locally to provide training and expertise.”

The Grande Prairie Regional College provides a number of university transfer, diploma and certificate programs, as well as apprenticeship trades. Eight new health services programs (one launched last year) will support the new $647.5 Grande Prairie Regional Hospital and Cancer Centre, scheduled to open in 2019 From its strategic location along the CANAMEX

Diverse Determined Driven

STRONG SENSE OF COMMUNITY WITH AN URBAN-RURAL FEEL It’s the strong sense of community and the range of activities and events that inspire people to set roots and call the County home. Rolling hills, forests, lakes, rivers, and a Rocky Mountain backdrop provide plenty of outdoor recreation choices, whether it’s skiing, snowshoeing or snowmobiling in the winter to hiking, ATVing, fishing, golfing and watersports in warmer temperatures.

There’s lots happening indoors as well. Regional facilities offer access to two aquatic centres, world-class soccer facilities and, in true Canadian spirit, numerous rinks. Hockey registrations are on the rise. Local soccer leagues report well over 100 teams playing in youth and adult leagues, with indoor and outdoor fields available.

The arts and cultural scene offers everything from the prehistoric to the innovative and contemporary.

The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, located in the County, is home to Canada’s only National Geographic designated theatre. At the nearby bonebed, paleontologists are continually excavating prehistoric discoveries.

The region’s large concert venues in Grande Prairie and nearby Dawson Creek have recently featured performers like Hedley, Tom Cochrane and Bob Dylan. Smaller venues also showcase an impressive crop of local music talent.

The County of Grande Prairie has proven itself as a dynamic hub with a friendly vibe. It’s here where innovation, community values and opportunity converge, growing the County into a successful Canadian and international player.

For more information contact: Christopher King Economic Development Manager 780-513-3956 cking@countygp.ab.ca middleofeverywhere.ca

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TOWN OF WHITECOURT

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

INDUSTRY RICH. COMMUNITY FOCUSED.

HOME OF THE DUVERNAY - WHITECOURT

Whitecourt values relationships, works cooperatively with industry and regional partners, and is not afraid of hard work!

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is READY! With 270 hectares of serviced industrial land available and an additional 450 hectares of raw land identified for industrial use, this area is an industrial heartland. Whitecourt is strategically located and serves as the largest commercial hub in the Duvernay Play with a trading area of over 50,000 people and direct access to rail, major highways, and air transportation. Industrial development has been an integral part of planning for Whitecourt and with the existing available land, and raw land identified, this provides for growth of 300%; enough industrial land to support triple the current population.

Whitecourt values relationships, works cooperatively with industry and regional partners, and is not afraid of hard work!

Defined by its broad vision for a sustainable future and gaining the reputation as THE PLACE TO DO BUSINESS in northern Alberta, Whitecourt is investment ready. Chevron recently opened a new head office in Whitecourt to administer operations for its Duvernay Shale Play projects and were extremely grateful for the outreach from the Town and Economic Development Department.

It was indicated how welcoming the community was and how impressed Chevron was with long term planning that Whitecourt had established.

Through strong collaborative efforts the community is able to offer a blend of rural and urban living, a pro-business climate, and exceptional lifestyle opportunities. A high quality of life for residents is made possible through numerous recreation and cultural opportunities that enhance business and family lifestyles. The recreational facilities and leisure opportunities exceed those offered in larger urban centres, making it the ideal place to call home.

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Whitecourt offers a solid foundation for established, developing, and expanding businesses with a young well trained workforce. The Whitecourt Airport, owned and maintained by Woodlands County, is a 24 hour, full air-service airport offering scheduled and chartered flights. With low tax rates, modern infrastructure, available land, and an extensive transportation system with air, road, and rail links across North America, the region is perfect for entrepreneurs looking to begin a new venture as well as established businesses looking to relocate or expand their economic reach. “It’s astounding what you are able to achieve here in such a short amount of time because the climate here is so favorable, you can just launch. The communities cater to people who want a balanced lifestyle,” said Dr. Anthony D. Train.

New business development, partnerships, and expansion opportunities continue to grow with strong support from Whitecourt in collaboration with neighbouring Woodlands County. Both Millar Western Forest Products and Alberta Newsprint Company (ANC) have launched initiatives designed for green power generation. ANC is currently offering excess process utilities and established infrastructure for new projects that will benefit from low tax rates and access to export markets by rail, road, and pipeline. This site is environmentally permitted with serviced land for development and offers excess capacity in steam and water systems for third party use; existing electrical grid tie in and power plant at site; trans-loading facility; access to skilled trades workforce; and regulatory permits in place to allow for expansion. In addition, the emerging bio-industry has sparked investigation into further diversification options through biomass research including a Biomass Market Study and Mapping Project to identify new business opportunities.

With project ready land, available infrastructure, and cost saving resources Whitecourt is HOME of the DUVERNAY and READY to do business!

For more information, contact: Rhonda Hough, Economic Development Officer Town of Whitecourt | 780-778-2273 rhondahough@whitecourt.ca www.whitecourt.ca

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RE-OPENING FOR

BUSINESS

After two major natural disasters in the past 5 years, Alberta’s economic developers are taking action to help communities develop economic resilience

BY TRICIA RADISON

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edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

PHOTO: KEITH LEVIT, CP IMAGES

Diverse Determined Driven

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HEN A NATURAL DISASTER hits a community, the first priority is getting everyone out safely. But as Leann Hackman-Carty watched the flood waters rise in parts of Alberta in 2013, she realized that helping businesses survive was a close second. The chief executive officer of Economic Developers Alberta (EDA) sprang into action and created an Economic Disaster Recovery Program that continues to evolve and is bringing economic development and emergency management into closer alignment.

Hackman-Carty began by contacting the Washington D.C.-based International Economic Development Council (IEDC). They pointed her to resources and offered to provide technical team volunteers to go into communities and assess needs. The teams were made up of people who had been through a disaster and had specialized skills in business or economic recovery.

Hackman-Carty also reached out to the British Columbia Economic Development Association, a group that had put together a technical team after a factory burned down in one of their communities.

EDA pulled together enough funding to take technical teams into 11 Alberta communities in 2013. Having the support was an enormous benefit for economic developers who were basically going it alone.

“When a disaster hits, depending on the level of preparation a community or its economic development practitioners have, it’s pretty stressful,” says Hackman-Carty. “You may have a situation where you have a lone ranger economic developer working in a remote community. They feel very alone and overwhelmed.

“Then you offer to bring in a team that has been through a disaster, who is there to support you, and who is prepared to consult with your community stakeholders in order to give practical, proven ideas and recommendations about ways to help accelerate business and economic recovery efforts. It gives them confidence in the decisions they need to make today, and quite frankly, hope for tomorrow.”

Three years later, when wildfires caused the northeastern community of Fort McMurray to evacuate, EDA stepped up again to support the city’s business community and economic recovery.

“EDA really supported us initially. They reached out and assisted us in developing the

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Business and Economic Recovery Plan that was passed by council in May 2016,” says Lisa Slade, acting manager of economic development with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB).

The economic recovery has been ongoing and in January 2017, the RMWB contracted with EDA to have them send a technical team to the region to do an economic opportunity assessment. “It gave us a better understanding of our business community needs and helped solidify that we were on the right track, doing what the community needed,” says Slade.

The municipality is now collaborating with Community Futures – a federal government funded agency – to deliver the Wood Buffalo Recovery Business Loan Program that’s supporting businesses with both loans and coaching.

RMWB Economic Development worked closely with the Canadian Red Cross in delivering its Support to Small Business program and the RMWB’s Workforce Support Program. This type of collaboration made it easier for the business community to access the available support and rebound quicker.

“We acted quickly,” says Slade, of the municipality’s efforts to help the business community

“We see emergency preparation and resilience as a business advantage. If we have resilient communities and strong, well-coordinated chambers of commerce working in partnership with us on these plans and strategies, that’s a major opportunity for investment attraction because companies have that level of comfort.”

– David Kalinchuk, economic development manager with Rocky View County

after the fire. “However, if we had the plan in place prior to the fire, things would have happened even faster.”

Hackman-Carty has been looking for ways to bring the Economic Disaster Recovery Program to more Alberta communities, and in the fall of 2016, she learned that IEDC had developed a training program to help communities develop economic resiliency. “Being the person I am, I asked if I could have access to it,” she remembers.

“But I knew I needed to Canadianize the content if it was going to be relevant to our communities.”

IEDC signed a memorandum of understand-

ing with EDA to pilot its Economic Resilience Training for Community and Regional Leaders in Canada. In 2017, the training was piloted in four Alberta communities: Whitecourt, Parkland County, Vegreville and Rocky View County.

The two-day course covered a number of topics related to disaster preparation, building economic resilience in communities, building capacity for recovery and helping the business community recover after a disaster.

“It was an eye opener in some ways for us,” says Whitecourt Mayor Maryann Chichak. “We have a director of emergency services, and we

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have extensively, we thought at the time, prepared for emergency management. We had all the systems in place, so we could start enacting things like an emergency operations centre, our partners were in place, we had done a few tabletop sessions. From that perspective, we thought we were prepared.”

What Chichak and other participants hadn’t realized was that they didn’t necessarily have everything in place to help after initial emergency management. Emergency management professionals are highly trained to handle the response phase of a disaster, but recovery is not usually in their job description.

“The response phase is tightly controlled and very logical,” says Hackman-Carty. “But recovery is not like that; it’s all over the place. The emergency managers do what they are supposed to do, and they are very good at it, but when they’re done they leave. By having them participate in this training, we are hearing them say ‘wow, I never thought about business and how the decisions we make upfront can enable businesses to recover faster or inhibit them.’”

An example of a decision made by emergency management that can drastically affect the business community is the decision of who gets back into evacuated areas and when. During and immediately after a disaster, most business owners can’t get into the community for their own safety. But for some, critical action needs to be taken.

Hackman-Carty remembers a meat processing plant in one flood-impacted community that lost thousands in inventory in 2013 because the owner couldn’t go in and turn on the generator.

That could have been avoided if the emergency management team was aware of the situation ahead of time, and had included turning on the generator as part of its response plan.

In the pilot training program, participants learned how New Orleans and other communities in the United States handle business re-entry through a tiered program. Businesses are qualified ahead of time and placed in one of three tiers.

Those in tier one are allowed back in first to support the response team with critical products and services. Those in other tiers have a better idea of

Diverse Determined Driven

when they’ll be allowed to start rebuilding.

Whitecourt wanted to take part in the pilot because it faces numerous potential disasters.

The town of about 10,000 people is situated 180 kilometres west of Edmonton. Two rivers, a railway and a busy highway run through the community, which is surrounded by forest and oil and gas operations.

“In light of the disasters that have taken place in Alberta, we felt it was important to be proactive and learn from individuals and organizations that have been through past disasters. How they have been managed, how these communities could have looked at things a bit differently, what worked and what didn’t,” says Chichak. “As elected officials and administrators, you have to make sure you are doing your due diligence and looking into the future so you’re prepared.”

The Town of Whitecourt included other organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the provincial government and Community Futures Yellowhead East in the training.

“This course gave us a lot of good ideas to move forward and for how we can move forward 2018

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PHOTO COURTESY: ROCKY VIEW COUNTY

RESPONSE PLAN: Rocky View County is incorporating the Economic Resilience Training for Community and Regional Leaders into its Regional Emergency Management Program.

PHOTO COURTESY: ROCKY VIEW COUNTY

collaboratively. We’ve always believed in partnership and it reinforced why you need good partners.

It takes great partnerships to build a viable, sustainable and growing community,” says Chichak.

Rocky View County is in the process of developing a Regional Emergency Management Program to build capacity within its numerous small municipalities and the county, which covers the areas around Calgary in a horseshoe shape along the city’s west, north and east borders. The program will help ensure that the various emergency management teams are using the same systems, processes, documents and language so they can better prepare for and respond to disasters. The EDA training program provided ideas that will be used to develop the plan.

“The training program has been part of a greater evolution of economic development responding to emergencies,” says David Kalinchuk, economic

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development manager with Rocky View County.

“We see emergency preparation and resilience as a business advantage. If we have resilient communities and strong, well-coordinated chambers of commerce working in partnership with us on these plans and strategies, that’s a major opportunity for investment attraction because companies have that level of comfort.”

Like most communities, Rocky View County’s emergency management team has historically focused on response. But after flooding in Bragg Creek in 2005, 2009 and again in 2013, it’s realizing that isn’t enough. The county recognized that it needed to develop a new section within its emergency plan that identifies a process specifically dealing with business re-entry plans to help businesses get up and running with the least amount of downtime should a disaster occur.

“Emergency management has gone through

that whole evolution. It’s been recognized right across North America that your dollar goes further if you start looking at mitigation and preparation so you can get back up and running quickly,” says Randy Smith, director of emergency management and fire chief for Rocky View County.

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ECONOMIC RESILIENCE TRAINING With the pilot project complete, EDA is offering the two-day program and a oneday condensed version of the Economic Resilience Training for Community and Regional Leaders to communities across Canada. For more information, visit www.edaalberta.ca

Major Development in Wabasca, Alberta!

COMBINED SENIORS’ LODGE, DSL AND INDEPENDENT SENIORS LIVING OPENING IN 2019

The MD of Opportunity No. 17

•

Council had a vision for a culturally

•

Supporting local business through construction

appropriate facility where seniors in

•

Supporting local opportunities through local staffing

the region and seniors throughout

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Teepee for community cultural events and teachings

Alberta who share the ingenious

•

Vision for interaction between the community, schools and

culture could age with dignity, community inclusion and grace while remaining connected to their culture.

In 2019 this vision will become a reality and we invite you to be a part of it!

60 Units made up of 56 Studio Suites [Lodge and DSL] and Four-One Bedroom Suites [independent seniors living]

and training to operate the facility

elders in the facility for cultural teachings and mentorship •

Central garden area

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Centrally located for community access

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Barrier free access throughout the building

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On-site commercial kitchen and laundry

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Resident laundry rooms available

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Common areas including dining area, lounges and activity spaces

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Rooms for community events, education and interaction with elders

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All suites with kitchenettes

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Medical treatment room and assisted bathing spa room

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High efficiency building envelope and mechanical systems

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CCTV security system

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Nurse call system

MUNICIPAL DISTRICT OF OPPORTUNITY NO. 17 For more information contact: Votham Anastasiadis at 780-891-3778 or 780-273-0112 Diverse Determined Driven

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CALGARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM IN CALGARY

CALGARY’S INNOVATION ECOSYSTEM

Silos have been part of the prairie landscape for generations, but in agriculture architecture and modern business culture, they are disappearing fast.

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is accelerating the advancement of technology in the energy sector and elsewhere, by bringing together people and organizations to facilitate the transfer of the knowledge economy to the commercial economy.

The clean tech ecosystem is being built on the legacy of a cluster of trailblazing companies that for decades have competed and collaborated in the oil and gas sector to support innovation and advance technology.

The new goal is ambitious – to transform and re-energize the city’s economy.

To do so, the business community is collectively upping its game around clean resource innovation to ensure Calgary is a global centre of excellence in all things energy. The rapidly evolving global energy market and focus on environmental issues is prompting intense competition to spur technological innovation.

Across a dozen city blocks in downtown Calgary, a unique combination of startup companies and global corporations, entrepreneurs and experienced business leaders, venture capitalists and angel investors, post-secondary institutions and government agencies is coming together to create ecosystems to take on the challenges.

It will take all these organizations working in concert to resolve these challenges.

The energy sector in Calgary – both hydrocarbons and renewables – has been a catalyst in fostering an environment that embraces innovation across sectors. Similar clusters of expertise are also emerging in areas as diverse as fin-tech, transportation and logistics, aerospace, agribusiness, wearable-technology and consumer goods.

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Calgary Economic Development supports the ecosystem approach to the application of technology and sees innovation as critical to the sustainability of all sectors in a diverse economy. We embrace the Rainforest Movement – a collaborative approach to supporting and growing six areas key to entrepreneurship and innovation. They are leadership, resources, activities and engagement, role models, infrastructure/policies and culture.

As a city, Calgary has all the ingredients to be a global innovation hub. Our highly talented workforce is key to us being recognized as the most innovative city in Canada.

A structural change in the energy sector is propelling the changing attitude in Calgary. Dozens of shared workspaces are operating as a highly educated workforce finds new ways to turn ideas into business success.

Across the business landscape in Calgary, it’s clear silos have been replaced by clusters.

For more information contact: Calgary Economic Development 403-221-7831 www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com

Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

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Be part of the innovative energy Calgary is home to exceptional Canadians making their mark. From the world’s first neurosurgical robot to advanced wearable technology and internationally recognized solutions for addressing climate change. And so much more.

Discover why you too should join our highly collaborative community of innovators and entrepreneurs and grow your business in the fastest growing metro region of major cities in Canada.

bepartoftheenergy.ca

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TOWN OF OKOTOKS TOWN OF OKOTOKS

YOUR YOUR PLACE PLACE YOUR YOUR OPPORTUNITY! OPPORTUNITY! OKOTOKS VALUE PROPOSITION OKOTOKS VALUE PROPOSITION The Town of Okotoks fosters a culture of resiliency The Town of Okotoks fosters a culture of resiliency – where people, businesses, ideas and a strong sense –ofwhere people,thrive. businesses, ideas and a strong community Grounded by the Sheepsense of community thrive.

Grounded bythe theRocky Sheep River valley, with stunning views to River valley, Okotoks with stunning views tobythe Rocky Mountains, is supported thoughtful Mountains, supported thoughtful planning andOkotoks design, aisstrong localby economy and a planning andculture. design,Okotoks a strong local economy vibrant civic envisions its and a vibrant civic as culture.

Okotoks envisions leveraged” its community an “intellectual-property community as an “intellectual-property leveraged” business hub servicing local, national and business hub servicing national international markets tolocal, create jobs forand people to international to create jobs for people to live and workmarkets in its community. live and work in its community.

OKOTOKS’ GROWTH & MARKET OKOTOKS’ GROWTH & MARKET The Towns’ population is approximately 30,000 The Towns’ population is approximately 30,000 people and has continued to experience consistent people and has continued toannexation experience consistent and ongoing growth; recent will and ongoing growth; recent annexation will accommodate expected growth to 80,000 people, accommodate expected growth todevelopment 80,000 people, including additional commercial including additional development opportunities over thecommercial next few decades.

The trade opportunities over the next few decades.

The trade area is extensive— approximately 250,000 people, area is extensive— approximately 250,000 people, extending as far as South Calgary and South-East extending as far as South Calgary and South-East

British Columbia. Okotoks is located 15 minutes British Okotoks is located south ofColumbia.

Calgary city limits and under15 40minutes minutes south Calgary city limits and under 40 minutes to the of Calgary International Airport. to the Calgary International Airport.

QUICK FACTS: QUICK FACTS: • Fibre Optics Broadband throughout Okotoks • Fibre Optics throughout Okotoks and annexed Broadband lands completed by 2019; annexedtaxlands completedvibrant by 2019; • and Favourable environment; economy • Favourable tax environment; vibrant economy and reasonable cost of doing business; reasonable cost of doing business; • and Non-residential tax rates are among the lowest • Non-residential tax rates are among the lowest in the Calgary region; Calgary region; • in Nothe business tax, except for professional • No business tax, except for professional businesses; • businesses; Okotoks is a significant resource in the • Okotoks is a business significant resource–inover the province for attraction province business attraction –construction over $25M in for industrial/commercial $25M in2017; industrial/commercial construction values in values in 2017; • Mid-sized urban center; young and dynamic • community: Mid-sized urban center; and dynamic average age young of 34 years; averagecommunity; age of 34 years; • community: Safe and sustainable •• Safe andeducated sustainable community; Highest and skilled population • Highest educated and skilled population in the region; in the region;

• Comprehensive education system, • Comprehensive education system, including post-secondary; including post-secondary; • Various health facilities, including two • Various including hospitalshealth withinfacilities, 15 minute drive; two hospitals within 15 minute • Affordable cost of living anddrive; high • Affordable cost of living and high quality of life; ofAir life;Ranch Airport (private local, • quality Okotoks • fully Okotoks Air Ranch Airport (private local, certified Southern Alberta Airport) fully certified Southern Alberta Airport)

Contact the Okotoks Economic Contact the Okotoks Development Team atEconomic 1-403-995-2769 Development Teamfor atmore 1-403-995-2769 Visit our Websites information Visit our Websites for more information and video clips: and video clips: www.okotokstourism.ca and www.okotokstourism.ca www.okotoksventure.ca and www.okotoksventure.ca

Your Your place, place, your your opportunity opportunity Okotoks is geared for growth. Start, Okotoks is geared for growth. Start, expand, or relocate your business expand, or relocate your business here — opportunity awaits. here — opportunity awaits.

okotoksventure.ca okotoksventure.ca

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CALGARY

ARRIVALS AND DEPARTURES Calgary’s new international terminal is bringing increased economic opportunity to the region through both people and cargo

PHOTO COURTESY: CALGARY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

BY DAWN SMITH

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CALGARY

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CALGARY AT A GLANCE • Population (2016): 1,239,220 • Area: 825.56 sq. km • Incorporated as a City: January 1, 1894 • Current Mayor: Naheed Nenshi Source: Statistics Canada

OUCHING DOWN AT CALGARY International Airport’s new terminal is almost like landing in the future.

Tall ceilings with plenty of windows let in natural light and provide prominent views of the surrounding area, and greet passengers as they are guided through digital passport kiosks to speed up processing and improve their experience. Electric-powered 10-passenger shuttles connect the existing terminal with the new terminal. At 2 million sq. ft. – the size of 34 football fields – it features 24 new gates, about 50 new shops and services, and plenty of comfortable seating.

There are also futuristic components that aren’t evident at the recently unveiled $1.6-billion international terminal, such as its sustainability aspects of an energy efficient exterior, geothermal heating, rainwater harvesting and co-generation power units.

“We see the airport as a welcome mat for Calgary,” says Cindy Ady, chief executive officer of Tourism Calgary.

The world seems to have taken notice. New economic opportunities landed in Calgary and the surrounding region with the opening of the terminal, which has improved the region’s already stellar ability to move cargo domestically and internationally, and increased the number of international passengers by 7.39 per cent

year-over-year during the first nine months of 2017.

Part of the increase in traffic can be attributed to several new routes that have been added to the airport’s offerings, such as non-stop service to Mexico City from Aeromexico, and WestJet flights to Nashville and Belize.

New destinations and increased frequencies are key drivers to connecting the world to Calgary and to Alberta. The airport will help to ensure business and tourism continues to grow.

Since the International Terminal opened, it has handled more than 21,000 flights, processed about 3.7 million bags and welcomed an estimated 4.8 million international and American passengers.

“The new terminal set us up to have the infrastructure to grow,” says Dean Paddock, director of corporate communications with the Calgary Airport Authority.

“Now we are focused on ensuring that our customers have a memorable experience out of Calgary’s airport, one that is so memorable that they want to return again and again.”

The terminal allows for future economic growth, not just at the airport, but in the City of Calgary and surrounding region. That potential growth comes in several areas, including tourism, which has increased since the new terminal opened and reached record

PHOTOS COURTESY: CALGARY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

TAKING OFF: The new international terminal at Calgary International Airport opened on October 31, 2016, and adds 24 new gates and more than 50 shops and services to the airport.

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levels in 2017 for the July to September season.

“It’s a great story,” says Tourism Calgary’s Ady. “We were up nine per cent over last year for those months.”

Those tourists are coming from all around the world, arriving from Asia via the new Hainan Airlines flight that opened in 2016 and from South America via the new direct flight between Calgary and Mexico City, which is a gateway to South America.

Many people around the world see Canada as a safe destination to visit. The increased number of tourists to the region benefits numerous businesses, including tour operators visiting the area’s mountain destinations, restaurant owners, hotel operators, and shopping centres in and around the city.

Even hotel operators located in downtown Calgary are enjoying an uptick in business due to the increase in tourism, which is a welcome relief for those who took a hit in business travel due to the recent economic downturn. “The perception of Canada’s brand remains very high across the world,” Ady says. “We are really enjoying our time in the sun.”

The enhancements to the fourth busiest airport in Canada shows it is truly a first-class facility and has also positively impacted cargo movements through Calgary.

Calgary International Airport boasts 1.68 million square

feet of dedicated cargo space, with direct access to warehouse and logistics facilities, in-ground fuelling and cargo services, including customs. In 2016, the airport moved a record volume of more than 137,000 metric tonnes of cargo, including three-quarters of all air cargo moved in Alberta that year.

“Our ability to help companies get their products to their ultimate consumers is enhanced significantly because of the capabilities of our international airport,” says Deana Haley, vice-president of client services for Calgary Economic Development. “By being home to WestJet Airlines, as well as the regional hub for Air Canada, it definitely positions Calgary as Western Canada’s premier inland port.”

The airport’s capacity to move massive amounts of cargo both domestically and internationally, coupled with the region’s highway and railway linkages benefits the overall economy and increases diversification.

The logistics, warehouse and distribution sector has always been strong in the Calgary region and is well positioned to continue that growth thanks to the airport’s new capacity.

“The airport is a facility that gives Calgary a competitive advantage and is an asset in our community that is helping to grow and diversify the economy,” says Haley.

BIENVENIDOS: Calgary International Airport's new terminal continues to add new routes, such as non-stop service to Mexico City.

“Our ability to help companies get their products to their ultimate consumers is enhanced significantly because of the capabilities of our international airport.”

– Deana Haley, vice-president of client services for Calgary Economic Development

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CITY OF ST. ALBERT

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

ST. ALBERT: SMART & STEADY

Proposed benefits of the DARP initiative include an increase in tourism and related spending, enhanced business attraction and retention, and enhanced residential attraction with reduced leakage.

With two of several high-rise buildings near completion, a new mixed-use, high density urban village is well underway and is poised to bring over 2,000 new residents to the Downtown area.

STEADY GROWTH WITH ROOM FOR MORE

A SMART CITY

St. Albert has designated 617 acres of land in their western region as the new “Lakeview Business District”. These lands are vital opportunities for non-residential investments that will offer high quality employment opportunities for local residents, spin-off economic opportunities for local business, and positive fiscal benefits for the City.

There are also commercial and industrial developments in the north and south areas of the city. A new business park, two urban villages, and a new movie theatre are just some of the confirmed developments occurring in the community over the next few years.

Along with being selected as the “Best Small City to Live in Canada” by MoneySense magazine in 2015 and 2016, St. Albert was also recognized as “One of the Best Communities for Business in Alberta” (Alberta Venture, 2016), and a “Top 5 Investment Town” (Western Investor, 2016).

By establishing positive relationships with businesses, fostering public engagement efforts, and cultivating innovation, St. Albert has built a solid foundation for steady growth and positions itself to be an economic leader in the Edmonton Metropolitan region.

St. Albert is positioned to become one of Canada’s leading SMART Cities. A SMART City is a place that embraces technology and advanced data analytics to support innovation and maximize efficiency, while at the same time improving local quality of life. It focuses on real-time applications, centralized controls, predictive analytics, advanced broadband networks, and open data to generate sustainable advantages.

The City of St. Albert and its Council are committed to the development of St. Albert’s downtown area, and have begun implementation of their Downtown Area Redevelopment Plan.

This initiative will provide a vibrant downtown that includes a mixture of employment opportunities, commercial, institutional, and medium-to-high density residential land uses with a focus on high-quality design.

Contact Information Rod Valdes Director, Economic Development (780) 459-1653 rvaldes@stalbert.ca www.cultivatebusiness.ca

LOCATED ON THE SCENIC STURGEON

“One of the Best Communities for Business in Alberta” – Alberta Venture

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River in the heart of Alberta, St. Albert celebrates a rich history that dates back over 150 years. Today, St. Albert is a bustling city with over 65,000 residents. Officially known as “The Botanical Arts City”, St. Albert is known for its abundant green spaces, for having one of the highest numbers of maintained trees per capita in the country, and for having over 95 kilometres of paved trails.

St. Albert is experiencing a business revolution. New developments are occurring throughout the city, the likes of which have not been seen in 30 years—making this an ideal time for business owners to get involved and benefit from the largest non-residential growth the city has ever experienced.

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Find out why we’ve been called the

“Top Investment Town in Alberta” Western Investor, 2016

• Available greenfield opportunities • Highly skilled workforce • Prime logistic access to 1.3 million people

Learn more about St. Albert and why investing here is a smart choice at cultivatebusiness.ca.

For more information, please contact Economic Development at info@stalbert.ca

cultivatebusiness.ca

TOWN OF HINTON

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

HINTON GROWS COMMUNITY SPIRIT UNDER #HINTONFIRST BANNER New initiative isn’t just shop local – it’s live local COMMUNITIES ACROSS NORTH AMERICA ARE battling to find ways to grow, encourage, and develop economic opportunities in their unique municipality. Competition from other communities, online retailers, and national chains all can be challenges for a growing small business. Many communities are trying out shop local initiatives to varying degrees of success.

The Town of Hinton, with a wide range of local, regional, and provincial supports, are trying something different. We call it #HintonFirst.

HintonFirst is a local movement to better our community by encouraging community members to consider Hinton first when buying, selling, volunteering, or recreating.

To businesses, it’s about providing the service, selection, and value customers need. For customers, it’s about checking to see if local shops can fill your needs competitively. It’s about recreating in our regions abundant natural splendor, and volunteering for local events. It’s about working together to find ways to succeed, as a community.

HintonFirst is also about seeking new ways to diversify, and lead.

That’s why we launched the HEAT, or Hinton Energy Alternative Team.

Around the world scientists, engineers, inventors, dreamers, and every day tradespeople are working towards an evolving energy future. New, emerging, renewable energy. A new generation eagerly awaits this opportunity to use leading edge technology and innovative approaches to create new opportunities and potential for the region. Hinton has long been a resource and energy based community. We have diversified in years past and have an opportunity to do so now to create, encourage, and attract the diversified potential of the future.

In all my time in Hinton, I’ve witnessed the ingenuity of Hintonites.

I see in the business community an appetite not just to keep up with the prevailing trends, but to lead. HEAT seeks to facilitate this spirit and gather the leaders at one table. – Natalie Charlton, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and HEAT member Find out for yourself. Visit HintonFirst.ca today to learn more.

For more information contact: Emily Olsen Communications and Strategic Advisor Town of Hinton 780-865-6087 | eolsen@hinton.ca www.hinton.ca

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SEEK BETTER DAYS

Business Development Made Easy

Diversified Economy

Unparalleled Quality of Life

Connected to the World

Get your business started in the hub of the West Yellowhead and take advantage of our competitive tax rate, skilled workforce, available land and office space.

Minutes from National and Provincial parks, Hinton has a friendly mountain community feel, with the lifestyle and views to impress.

Visit www.venturehinton.ca or email venture@hinton.ca for more information. edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

EDMONTON

CURB APPEAL

Downtown Edmonton is in the midst of an estimated $5-billion revitalization that is building economic opportunity in Alberta’s capital city

PHOTO: DARRYL PROPP

BY LEWIS KELLY

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EDMONTON AT A GLANCE • Population (2016): 932,546 • Area: 685.25 sq. km • Incorporated as a City: October 8, 1904 • Current Mayor: Don Iveson Source: Statistics Canada

PHOTO COURTESY: ENBRIDGE

REBORN: After a devasting fire razed the historic Kelly Ramsey building, the site was restored adding a new tower with Enbridge as the main tenant.

FACELIFT: The Stanley A. Milner Library originally built in 1967 is undergoing renewal, which will introduce a fresh face to a structure with a vital civic role in the Edmonton Downtown Arts District while keeping sustainability at the forefront.

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HRIS BUYZE MOVED TO DOWNTOWN Edmonton in 1999 and he’s had a front-row seat for the improvements brought by countless projects in the 19 years since.

“On a Sunday in 1999, you could fire a cannonball down Jasper Avenue and not hit anybody,” he says. “It’s not like that anymore.”

Buyze has been involved with the Downtown Edmonton Community League for several years and currently serves as the organization’s president. He feels that all the development, from the new arena to the museum to the new office towers and condo buildings, has changed the zeitgeist around the neighbourhood. Before, simply convincing most people to come downtown was a challenge, he says. Now most Edmontonians he speaks with don’t need convincing.

The numbers back up Buyze’s perception.

Just under 6,000 people lived downtown in 1997, when revitalization efforts began. Today roughly 14,000 people live in the area.

After years of slow progress, kicked off by the first Capital City Downtown Plan in 1997, transformation entered a second phase in the mid-2000s, when residential projects and new amenities began attracting young professionals to live downtown.

Then, in 2014, construction began on a downtown arena, partially funded by taxpayers. The project signaled a new era in downtown Edmonton, with investment flooding in from private and public players.

Skyscrapers like Edmonton Tower, the Kelly Ramsey Building and Stantec Tower began shooting out of the ground. The Royal Alberta Museum moved into a new $375-million building just north of City Hall.

Private residential projects brought attractive new housing to the market, tempting trend-setting young professionals to move downtown. Governments poured $665 million into a new light rail transit (LRT) line.

Post-secondary education institutions in the area embarked on ambitious campus expansion projects, like MacEwan University’s $180-million fine arts building, which was completed in 2017.

The mix of private and public players, along with shifting project schedules and budgeting practices, makes it difficult to calculate a definitive price tag for Edmonton’s downtown makeover, but any accounting must traffic in heady figures. One estimate from the Edmonton Economic Development Corporation totals up the projects at $5 billion, but if every proposed and planned project goes through, this figure may be low.

All these developments are playing an important role in Edmonton’s economy.

“The developments downtown were perfectly timed,” says John Rose, chief economist with the City of Edmonton, because they started just as global energy prices were beginning their 2014 collapse. “The projects acted as a real,

very important buffer for the Edmonton economy in getting through the recent downturn.

“As an economist, I couldn’t have asked for better timing. Right up until the middle of 2016, we saw employment growth here. A big part of that was the construction side.

We saw very, very solid numbers. That’s been a really important component in terms of Edmonton’s economic performance.”

Rogers Place, the new arena for the Edmonton Oilers, is already attracting millions of visitors each year and is at the heart of the new ICE District. This area of downtown is a 25-acre development that combines the arena, a community rink, a casino, and three large new skyscrapers to offer 300,000 sq. ft. of retail space and 1.3 million sq. ft. of office space all in one location. When all development is complete, the ICE District will be the largest mixed-use sports and entertainment district in Canada.

Kristopher Banner, project manager for ICE District, says the district will host an event that will draw in visitors 290 days of the year. In 2017, nine of those events were sold-out shows for the singer Garth Brooks. A City of Edmonton report concluded that those shows and their associated economic activity generated $42 million for the local economy.

DIALOG, an architecture firm working on ICE District, projects that the combined attractions will bring over 3.7 million visits per year when construction finishes.

Nate Box owns several restaurants in and around Edmonton’s downtown. He opened District in March 2014, roughly 10 blocks away from the new arena just as construction was getting started. Box was attracted by what he calls a “totally underserviced market” and by the investment going into downtown. For instance, District sits a

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

and Toronto and even Calgary is something we’re headed towards too.

“There are a lot of benefits to having a significant population live downtown.”

Downtown Edmonton has come a long way and there is still more to come. The Stanley A. Milner Library is in the midst of a renovation that will cost upwards of $69 million and finish in 2020. The Valley Line LRT extension, which will create 27 kilometres of new rail track linking downtown with the city’s south, will cost $1.8 billion and open to the public in 2020.

Construction of the ICE District won’t finish until 2020 and when it does, it will include the Stantec Tower, the tallest building in Canada west of Toronto.

Already, another tower under construction in the area has surpassed the Epcor Tower to win the title of tallest building in Edmonton.

“No matter which direction you look at the skyline of Edmonton,” says ICE District’s project manager Banner, “we’re changing it every day.”

PHOTOS: DARRYL PROPP

stone’s throw from the Edmonton Federal Building and Centennial Plaza, part of the provincial legislature grounds that finished a $403-million facelift in 2015.

“We have noticed a greater awareness of the downtown core,” Box says. “Whether they’re here for arena events or the 104 Street market or coming down to the newly renovated [legislature] grounds, there’s more people around.”

A good chunk of those new customers Box is noticing are likely downtown residents. Ian O’Donnell, executive director of Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association, hopes to see downtown’s resident population rise even higher to approximately 20,000 in the next few years. Residential projects like the Augustana high rise building with 216 units on 107 Street and a proposed 80-storey condo tower east of the Shaw Conference Centre suggest that developers also see this potential in the downtown market.

“Any new residential development is important,” O’Donnell says. “They provide resiliency for restaurants and retail downtown throughout the day and the weekend, which is important. What we’ve seen in Vancouver

ICE, ICE, BABY: With an arena, casino, retail and commercial space, Edmonton's ICE District is set to become one of the largest mixed-use sports and entertainment districts in Canada.

“There are a lot of benefits to having a significant population live downtown.”

PHOTO: TEEPLE ARCHITECTS

– Ian O’Donnell, executive director of Edmonton’s Downtown Business Association

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

TOWN OF STONY PLAIN

FIND YOUR FUTURE HERE Stony Plain welcomes all types of businesses with open arms STONY PLAIN IS A THRIVING, dynamic community boasting steadfast development and is one of the fastest growing cities in the Capital Region. Stony Plain has grown more than 50 per cent since 2003, and now consists of more than 17,000 residents and services approximately 60,000 people.

Part of the Edmonton metro region, Stony Plain is located just 17 kilometres from Alberta’s capital city and, because of this, is able to offer city-sized amenities while maintaining its character. Having traditionally acted as an agricultural hub in Central Alberta, Stony Plain currently encompasses about 37 square kilometres of land. The community is easily accessible from provincial Highways 16 and 16A, acting as a gateway to the west and making it an easy commute for those working in or out of Stony Plain, or looking to access other major air, rail

and ground transportation options.

With low debt and strong financial health, as well as a low taxation rate, Stony Plain acts as an ideal place for businesses to start up, expand or move. Currently, more than 850 businesses are proud to call Stony Plain home, receiving unparalleled support from both the Town and the community. Stony Plain prioritizes the promotion and support of commercial and industrial development, job creation and retention.

A unique and prosperous business centre, the community is carefully planned and developed to support business development and growth.

Stony Plain welcomes all types of businesses to the community with identified areas of growth in health care and related services, local food and food processing, destination shopping, dining, arts and culture, business and professional services, and energy and extraction.

Become part of a prospering, lively, and dynamic community and find out why more businesses are calling Stony Plain home.

For more information contact: Shawn McCauley Economic Development Officer Town of Stony Plain 780-963-8022 ecdev@stonyplain.com www.ChooseStonyPlain.com

“ STONY PLAIN PROVIDES ACCESS TO PRIME FARMLAND AND PROXIMITY TO MAJOR HIGHWAYS.” - Phil Bakker, EarthApples

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Start your future at

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

98,044

Leading Industries

Community Residents

Extraction

Market Area Population

1.4 Million

Manufacturing

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No Fees for Business Licenses

Scientific

Construction

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Average Family Income

171,300 OVER

Trucking

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of RETAIL

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OPEN

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11,000

Engineering

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5.6 Billion Household Spending Power

840,400 Eligible Workers in Region

Excellent Infrastructure & Accessibility

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Railway

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Strathcona County is the perfect community for you to do amazing things, and home to innovative entrepreneurs, business leaders and boundless opportunity.

Airports

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Ports

*2016-17 statistics

*2016-17 statistics.

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

LETHBRIDGE LETHBRIDGE COUNTY COUNTY

ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES ALLOW US TO INTRODUCE OURSELVES Lethbridge County offers high quality of life, great access to transportation Lethbridge County offers high quality of life, great access to transportation LETHBRIDGE COUNTY IS A LETHBRIDGE COUNTY IS A rural municipality in southern Alberta that largely rural municipality in southern Alberta that largely encircles the City of Lethbridge. The County has encircles the City of Lethbridge. The County has a long and productive history in agriculture but, a long and productive history in agriculture but, over time, it has diversified its economic portfolio over time, it has diversified its economic portfolio to also include agri-food processing, commercial to also include agri-food processing, commercial and industrial parks, road/rail/air transportation and industrial parks, road/rail/air transportation services, alternative energy and an emerging services, alternative energy and an emerging bio-industrial sector. bio-industrial sector.

HERE’S WHAT MAKES HERE’S WHAT MAKES US SUCCESSFUL US SUCCESSFUL Many businesses have found Lethbridge County Many businesses have found Lethbridge County to be an ideal location to establish themselves, to be an ideal location to establish themselves, expand their operations and prosper. Readily availexpand their operations and prosper. Readily available land, a young, educated and diverse regional able land, a young, educated and diverse regional workforce, and strong partnerships with local workforce, and strong partnerships with local post-secondary and research institutions combine to post-secondary and research institutions combine to

provide county businesses with the elements they provide county businesses with the elements they need for continued, sustainable success. Lethbridge need for continued, sustainable success. Lethbridge County’s highly developed transportation network – County’s highly developed transportation network – particularly highway connections and rail service – particularly highway connections and rail service – allows products to arrive and depart quickly and effiallows products to arrive and depart quickly and efficiently to destinations across North America and ciently to destinations across North America and around the world. A high quality of life, a reasonable around the world. A high quality of life, a reasonable cost of living and strong local communities help procost of living and strong local communities help provide stability and a true sense of place for both vide stability and a true sense of place for both employers and employees. employers and employees.

WE’D LOVE FOR YOU WE’D LOVE FOR YOU TO JOIN US! TO JOIN US! Maybe it’s time to look at a new place for growing Maybe it’s time to look at a new place for growing your business, one with many advantages and lower your business, one with many advantages and lower costs. Contact us and see how Lethbridge County costs. Contact us and see how Lethbridge County could be your company’s next home, and perhaps one could be your company’s next home, and perhaps one of the best decisions you make! of the best decisions you make!

For more information contact: For more information contact: Martin Ebel Martin Ebel Economic Development Officer Economic Development Officer Lethbridge County Lethbridge County 1-855-728-5525 1-855-728-5525 mebel@lethcounty.ca mebel@lethcounty.ca www.lethcounty.ca www.lethcounty.ca

PROSPERITY PROSPERITY FROM FROM A A DIFFERENT DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVE PERSPECTIVE Agriculture | Bio-Industrial | Renewable Energy | Transportation | Logistics | Manufacturing Agriculture | Bio-Industrial | Renewable Energy | Transportation | Logistics | Manufacturing

Contact Martin Ebel Contact Martin Ebel Economic Development Officer Economic Development Officer

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Toll-Free North America (855) 728-5525 Toll-Free North America (855) 728-5525 mebel@lethcounty.ca mebel@lethcounty.ca Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca Embracing Change Creating Opportunity

www.lethcounty.ca www.lethcounty.ca

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LETHBRIDGE

IT TAKES A COUNTY The City of Lethbridge and the County of Lethbridge take a collaborative approach to economic development

PHOTO COURTESY: UNIVERSITY OF LETHBRIDGE

BY IAN DOIG

Diverse Determined Driven

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LETHBRIDGE

F

OLLOWING A MOVE TO CANADA from Venezuela a few years ago, Rafael Chavez – along with his sister Andreina and brother Oscar – reinvented their family’s South American cheese-making business. They engineered new cheese recipes to accommodate local ingredients and produce fresh-style cheese popular in Latin America, Europe and the Middle East.

With help from Leduc Food Processing Development Centre, the Chavez family purchased equipment and secured shelf space in major Canadian grocery chains and specialty food shops, winning product awards for their Fresk-O line in the process.

As production demands grew, their search for a permanent home for Latin Foods Inc. took them to Lethbridge. Alberta’s fourth largest city is situated in the prairie landscape of southern Alberta, a little more than 200 kilometres south of Calgary and about 100 kilometres north of the U.S. border.

Here, Latin Foods found the perfect setting to accommodate their ambitious plans—the rural district surrounding the City of Lethbridge in southcentral Alberta. Their production facility now utilizes 15,000 litres of local milk per month. Once their business receives export approval to the U.S., Andreina, who along with Oscar handles sales and marketing, forecasts a 20 per cent monthly production increase.

“We have been received like brothers and sisters here. The area has been super-supportive,” Andreina says of the county, local financial institutions and rural business development group Community Futures Lethbridge Region.

Latin Foods was not the only organization to recognize the City of Lethbridge’s economic potential. The city was designated 23 out of 133 international business districts on

LETHBRIDGE AT A GLANCE • Population (2016): 92,729 • Area: 122.09 sq. km • Incorporated as a City: May 9, 1906 • Current Mayor: Chris Spearman Source: Statistics Canada

KPMG’s 2016 Competitive Alternatives cost-competitiveness ranking, and Canadian Business and Profit magazines declared it Canada’s second most business-friendly place the same year.

“Lethbridge is one of those communities that has always had to adapt,” says Economic Development Lethbridge (EDL) chief executive officer Trevor Lewington. Owing to its pioneer roots, the community’s barn-raising ethos and the impulse to adapt to new opportunities as they emerge is part of the entrepreneurial DNA here, he adds.

And the city has plenty to flout. Its workforce benefits from a low cost of living, two post-secondary institutions, and a bevy of cultural and recreational attractions that draw families.

Also, central to its economic draw is its stability and steady, predictable growth. On the outside of Alberta’s oil and gas sector, the city’s diverse economy has proven immune to economic fluctuation while maintaining steady growth of 2.5 per cent annually. With agriculture as its foundational element, its economic mix prominently includes manufacturing, with operations such as the Pratt and Whitney Canada jet engine plant, Kawneer Company Canada’s aluminum extrusion facility and Lethbridge Iron Works.

The finance, insurance, real estate and public sectors complete the balance.

While large companies anchor the economy, smaller startup businesses with a notable emphasis on high-tech entrepreneurship nurtured in the city’s Tecconnect incubator, a partner of the Regional Innovation Network of Southern Alberta (RINSA), which provides assistance from business planning and loans to prototyping.

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PHOTO: JAIME VEDRES PHOTOGRAPHY

GROWING OPPORTUNITY: Housing 10 start-up companies, the 10,000-square-foot Tecconnect facility features meeting rooms, in-house business advisors and a whole lot of peer interaction that has helped launch businesses such as Rick Johnston’s (right) Autovance.

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

PHOTOS COURTESY: LETHBRIDGE IRON WORKS, LETHBRIDGE BIOGAS

IRONCLAD: Lethbridge Iron Works president John Davies's continuous capital improvement program ensures the company is on the leading edge of iron foundry technology.

BIO POWER: Lethbridge BioGas uses an anaerobic digestion process operating at 38°C for the production of renewable energy.

“No matter how you enter the system, the idea is you’ve got all these networked partners that then figure out how to best support the business,” says Lewington.

Housing 10 start-up companies, the 10,000-square-foot Tecconnect facility features meeting rooms, in-house business advisors and a whole lot of peer interaction that has helped launch businesses such as Rick Johnston’s Autovance.

With the ambition to revolutionize automotive dealership sales software, his formerly one-man operation now has nine full-time employees and was recently purchased by Quorum Information Technologies. With Johnston remaining vice-president of the Autovance Division, the business will soon exit its four Tecconnect offices to settle in permanent headquarters.

“Just knowing this is a place where a San Francisco kind of technology startup could be, really drove me to pursue that,” recalls Johnston. “They were incredible. Once you’re in here, all the programs that are accessible and the mentorship, all the pieces fall into place.”

Though the city has a population of just 100,000, with the engagement of the county and surrounding municipal districts, it flexes the collective economic muscle of a trade area that encompasses 341,000 residents. A trade area study estimates non-Lethbridge residents engage in $473 million worth of activity annually in the area.

The entire region surrounding Lethbridge is a hotbed of economic activity and has cultivated an enviable entrepreneurial culture bent on building and attracting development.

The region has $1.278 billion in major developments underway or set to commence by 2019.

Lethbridge County enjoys the highest gross agricultural income of any jurisdiction in Alberta and features some of the country’s largest feedlots, numerous dairy, pork and poultry operations as well as extensive grain farming and specialty crop production. Its robust farming sector supplies an array of agri-food operations. Latin Foods is one of three cheese factories here, and other notable food facilities include a McCain Foods Canada French fry plant, as well as greenhouse operations Whole Leaf, and Broxburn Vegetables and Café.

Complementing agriculture and agri-food facilities, the county is pursuing further industries that play to its strengths.

These include the bio-industrial realm, which combines plant fibres with resins and plastics to create strong, light construction materials and manufacturing parts.

Also utilizing plant material, but as fuel stock, alternative energy projects here include Lethbridge BioGas and biodiesel producer Invigor Bioenergy Company. Lethbridge County economic development officer Martin Ebel says southern Alberta’s abundant year-round sunshine and wind farms have also generated interest in solar and wind energy projects.

“This has great potential for the region, and that whole idea of sustainability,” he says. To this end, the city, county and surrounding municipal districts cooperatively operate the Southern Alberta Alternative Energy Partnership, which markets the region to renewable energy companies.

This co-operative, collaborative approach to economic development allows the region to punch above its weight in attracting investment.

“People from outside the region remark on the culture,” says Ebel. “Lethbridge is a city, but it has a small town feel. The network is close-knit, easy to maintain and easy to get to know.”

Emblematic of the region’s forward-thinking nature, it has forged links with China through a sister relationship with the City of Anyang and its own surrounding county.

Delegations have been exchanged, cementing the promise of benefits for the Lethbridge region. Though the Asian country’s expanding middle class represents massive trade opportunities, negotiating its unique government, economic and cultural structures makes doing business with China a challenge.

Both Ebel and Lewington are confident in the Lethbridge region’s ability to build the required economic relationships, a process Ebel likens to building a rope bridge, one strand at a time. “We’ve made a conscious decision to be proactive,” he says. “We’re going to pave the way so our businesses can go over there and be successful.”

Diverse Determined Driven

“Just knowing this is a place where a San Francisco kind of technology startup could be, really drove me to pursue that.”

– Rick Johnston, founder of Autovance

SAY CHEESE: The Latin Foods production facility now utilizes 15,000 litres of local milk per month.

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TOWN OF FORT MACLEOD

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

FORT MACLEOD

Small Town – Big Heart – Big Opportunity

SINCE 2014, FORT MACLEOD HAS BEEN

At the crossroads of Alberta Highways 2 and 3, you will find Fort Macleod, poised and ready for business with new infrastructure, new industrial lots and a streamlined development process.

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seriously focused on attracting business.

It started years before with the announcement of the Police College coming to town – which did not come to fruition – but left a renewed vision of the future.

In the years since, a forward-looking attitude has enveloped Fort Macleod. It continues to improve and maintain its look and feel as a quaint town so residents, visitors and business people will feel welcomed and be comfortable here.

New infrastructure for the Police College site was developed for the 320 acres just south of town. At this point 160 acres is serviced and 160 acres is open. Both are available for further development.

New industrial land has recently been serviced (2016) with infrastructure, including fibre optic, to much of the town. Many companies are expanding or building new structures knowing the infrastructure servicing them is sound. The water plant that sits on the Old Man River has received updates.

The Town of Fort Macleod has a commitment to improving investment readiness. Red tape and delays can hinder forward movement. Streamlining the development process and updating Land Use Bylaws will help those that bring their business to town.

The people that live here are hard-working folks.

At the time of writing, two buildings with lots are also available.

The first building sits on five lots directly north of a newly developed playground and Spray park. The health complex is just another block to the east. With Council and the Municipal Planning Commissions approval, this property can be re-zoned for residential or other uses. The existing building is roughly 7600 square feet in size.

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The other building, the historic Territorial Courthouse (1903), spreads its grand presence across a large lot flanked by trees on the east and west. This two and a half story building (~2500 sq. ft.) has been used by the Town of Fort Macleod as their town offices, but has been outgrown. This architectural beauty is set back from the eastbound highway going through town, and takes you back to the stateliness of the turn of the century.

The Town of Fort Macleod is positioned at the crossroads of highways 2 and 3, making transportation easy for products or supplies. Those in the transportation business would benefit from locating here.

The area is primarily driven by ranching, agriculture and wind farms. Recreational sites are nearby for those that love the outdoors.

Kayaking, canoeing and tubing can happen on the Old Man River, or with a short drive you can get to the numerous lakes in the area or go up to the mountains. Ski resorts are within an hour or two – depending on your preferences. Waterton National Park is within a couple hours drive and those with a hankering for horses can graze their animals in the town’s community pastures or you can buy your own acreage or farmland.

This small town has two newly renovated schools, a health care centre, organizations of many interests, senior housing, large residential lots and a small-town feel. You will know your neighbours and likely serve with them on one committee or another.

So, if you are interested in developing a business, you need to consider the Town of Fort Macleod – the small town with the big heart; you’ll find your big opportunity here.

For more information and to discuss special incentives contact either: Keli Sandford - Dev. Officer - Town of Fort Macleod k.sandford@fortmacleod.com or Sue Keenan - CAO - Town of Fort Macleod s.keenan@fortmacleod.com Ph: 403-553-4425 | Fax: 403-553-2426 www.fortmacleod.com

Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

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Set up your business at the crossroads of Highways 2 and 3.

Traffic converges at the crossroads of Highways 2 and 3 – two of Alberta’s major thoroughfares – in Fort Macleod. In addition to the advantage of easy transportation, there are other benefits.

New and updated infrastructure includes upgrades to our electrical distribution system, water treatment plant as well as fibre optic networks being available. That makes Fort Macleod a business-ready community for both industrial and commercial developments. We are ready for your business and have an open mind for land sales and future developments. A multitude of varying sized lots are available. This includes residential lots as well as agricultural, industrial and commercial areas of town. With a continued eye on the future we are already in the planning phase of additional expansions targeting light industry and commercial growth.

If you prefer not to build, there are beautiful structures already in place that can be purchased for your business to move into.

So whatever your needs, we would love to have you set up shop where the crossroads meet. Call today for more information, and to enquire about current incentives.

For more information visit our website fortmacleod.com/do-business-and-invest-here/development/ or contact Keli Sandford, Town of Fort Macleod at 403-553-4425 or k.sandford@fortmacleod.com

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LETHBRIDGE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

LETHBRIDGE:

a bright choice for business and investment next five years, including significant developments in the private, institutional and city infrastructure categories.

PEOPLE

A GROWING CITY WITH A POPULATION

... the more people get to know Lethbridge, the more they love it!

of nearly 100,000, Lethbridge is southern Alberta’s hub for both traditional industries and emerging technologies. Lethbridge thinkers, makers and doers are leading change in agriculture, food sciences, technology and manufacturing within a community that is propelled by innovative research and a spirit of entrepreneurship.

Our diverse business community includes small businesses and global corporations, 100-year-old companies to the ever-evolving roster of tech startups based out of the Tecconnect centre for entrepreneurship and innovation.

Our diverse business community includes small businesses and global corporations, 100-year-old companies to the ever-evolving roster of tech startups based out of the Tecconnect centre for entrepreneurship and innovation.

We also benefit from balanced growth and economic stability that is evident in economic indicators like Gross Domestic Product (GDP) along with annual rankings and reports. Lethbridge has a gross domestic product of approximately $5.5 billion and an urban population of nearly 100,000 in a trading area of over 341,000.

With real GDP growth of 3.4 per cent anticipated for 2017, Lethbridge will outperform the wider provincial economy thanks to strength in the agricultural industry and modest exposure to the volatile resource sector.

INDUSTRIES Agriculture and agri-food are core wealth-generating industries for southern Alberta with more than 1,200 related businesses in the Lethbridge area ranging from production to value-added processing.

Lethbridge also boasts a thriving technology sector, driven by a growing knowledge workforce and fueled by the bright minds at our post-secondary institutions and research centres.

A competitive tax structure, proximity to markets and a highly educated workforce have allowed a diversified manufacturing base to grow in Lethbridge. From specialized trailers to aircraft engines, oil and gas equipment to prefab homes, Lethbridge is home to a range of small to medium sized manufacturers.

Lethbridge is also seeing strong performances in the construction sector with more than $1 billion in major developments either underway or planned for the region over the

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One of Lethbridge’s greatest assets is its young, educated and diverse population. Over the past five years, our population has grown by an average of almost two per cent per year, giving Lethbridge the fifth fastest population growth rate among census metropolitan areas (CMA) in Canada. That’s nearly 150 new arrivals each month! Between 2012 and 2017, the population of people aged 30-39 increased by 20 per cent and today more than a quarter of the adult population is under the age of 34. Overall, Lethbridge has a well-balanced demographic profile and a healthy mix of youth, workforce and seniors in the community.

What makes our community attractive as a place to make a life is the combination of city amenities and small-town charm, the easy lifestyle it enables and the sense of community it fosters. We pride ourselves on our community’s natural beauty, diverse population, two modern post-secondary institutions, a thriving arts and culture scene and top-notch recreational facilities. We are also a community that delivers on its promises over time. In fact, we have found that the more people get to know Lethbridge, the more they love it!

With its low cost of living, mild climate, short commute times and wide range of recreation and cultural opportunities, Lethbridge has something for everyone to achieve a perfect balance of work and life.

CHOOSE LETHBRIDGE There are many concrete reasons Lethbridge is a great location to start, grow or expand your business. At Economic Development Lethbridge, we are proud to foster collaboration among industry, business, governments and institutions while helping businesses access the information and support needed to relocate, start or grow.

Contact us at 403-331-0022 or visit chooselethbridge.ca for more information on how we can help you make the bright choice for your business.

Contact us at 403-331-0022 or visit chooselethbridge.ca for more information on how we can help you make the bright choice for your business.

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

for business

A bright spot in the province, Lethbridge is the southern Alberta hub for both traditional industries and emerging technologies. Lethbridge thinkers, makers and doers are leading change in Agriculture, Food Sciences and Manufacturing within a community that is propelled by innovative research and a spirit of entrepreneurship.

If you are looking for a great place to make a living and make a life – consider Lethbridge.

Anticipated GDP growth expected to outperform the wider Alberta economy.

Conference Board of Canada

Fourth Best Place for Business in Canada.

Canadian Business and PROFIT

Fifth fastest rate of population growth among Census Metropolitan Areas in Canada.

Statistics Canada

THE CHOICE IS YOURS visit chooselethbridge.ca to learn more.

RED DEER

MANUFACTURING INNOVATION Red Deer College is finding success in partnering with businesses on innovative manufacturing projects

PHOTOS COURTESY: RED DEER COLLEGE

BY JOSEPH CAOUETTE

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W

HEN NICK EFSTON WAS LOOKING to develop a prototype for his company’s vertical-axis wind turbine, he did not even bother putting together an estimate on how much it would cost to hire a private facility to build the project. He already knew the job would be far too expensive.

“We would have had to bring in all these people and have dedicated engineers. We didn’t actually quote it out because we knew it would have taken hundreds of thousands of dollars,” says Efston, president of Toronto-based Mobismart Mobile Off-Grid Power and Storage Inc. On the recommendation of Robert Reive, the Calgary-based owner of the intellectual property behind Mobismart’s turbine design, the company connected with Red Deer College’s Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing (CIM). Together, the two organizations collaborated in a successful application to the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada for a $25,000 grant to help build and test a prototype at CIM. Mobismart went into the centre with two basic questions: Could the turbine, designed for deployment in remote or temporary locations, begin moving at wind speeds of three metres per second, or roughly eight kilometres per hour? Could it hit its power production target of four kilowatts?

Over eight months, the company worked with CIM to finalize computer-aided design (CAD) drawings and build a working prototype. Test benchmarks were completed at the college and the finished model is now headed to Toronto, where it will be set up outside Mobismart’s manufacturing centre for testing in realworld conditions. Efston expects to begin commercial production shortly after these final tests are complete.

This process would have likely been more difficult without the services of a facility like CIM, Efston says.

While the three-year-old Mobismart is already an active business — it sells and installs solar and wind power systems — it would not have been able to develop its own unique turbine design without additional help. Having the support of a government grant and access to CIM greatly lowered the cost of doing the necessary research and development work.

“We probably could have got it funded, but it wouldn’t have happened as quickly. We would have had to do other things to get the funds to do it first,” says Efston. “It would not have come to market as quickly as it did.”

CIM began operations at Red Deer College in 2009.

The college is located in the southwest area of Red Deer, not far from the Queen Elizabeth II Highway that has traditionally made up the western border of Alberta’s third largest city, which sits roughly halfway between Calgary and Edmonton.

CIM opened its doors with funding support from Red Deer College, the provincial government, and the federally run Western Economic Diversification Canada. Small- and medium-sized enterprises looking to develop new products routinely turn to CIM for an array of support services, including design engineering, 3D CAD modelling and prototype fabrication.

Every year, the centre accepts around 30 projects like Mobismart’s vertical-axis turbine, according to Naveen Anand, Red Deer College’s director of applied research and innovation.

Notably, CIM does not take an interest in the intellectual property of its clients’ projects. It is a fee-for-service facility that draws upon $4.2 million in equipment, including an industrial-grade 3D printer, and metal forming and cutting machinery.

The use of 3D printing allows the centre to quickly and affordably produce multiple iterations of a product, and its metal-working machinery allows it to create final prototypes for more extensive testing. However, CIM can also leverage the resources available elsewhere on campus to support its work.

“Being at Red Deer College, we also have access to equipment that is housed in the School of Trades and Technology,” Anand says. “For example, if we needed to use carpentry tools or welding equipment, all of that is possible. So, the overall value proposition for the centre becomes quite compelling.”

CIM’s support for entrepreneurs extends beyond designing and fabricating prototypes. As well as helping companies through the process of developing a new product, the centre can also help connect its clients with potential industry partners or provide advice on business management and marketing issues.

Anand recalls one central Alberta welding shop that had its staff drop from 100 to 30 during the recent economic downturn. The college was able to offer advice on how it could diversify its business from oil and gas into construction. Other companies have turned to the college and its Donald School of Business for help in drawing up business plans.

“We’re able to ask them questions. That idea looks interesting, but do they know if it has a market?” Anand says. “We can at least seed those kinds of thoughts.”

Diverse Determined Driven

RED DEER AT A GLANCE • Population (2016): 100,418 • Area: 104.73 sq. km • Incorporated as a City: March 25, 1913 • Current Mayor: Tara Veer ​

Source: Statistics Canada

“We are seeing more and more clean-tech projects come to the centre. You can see the economy is diversifying.”

– Naveen Anand, director of applied research and innovation at Red Deer College

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Oil and gas is a major component of the regional economy, and alongside agriculture, it is one of the main drivers of local manufacturing, explains Kimberley Worthington, executive director of the Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP).

“There are a lot of local operators that manufacture almost every component that’s needed in oil and gas,” she says. “We see the good in that, but when the economy goes down, it impacts us as well.”

Worthington sees signs of increased economic activity in the region.

“I think that speaks to the need for diversification,” she says. “And the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing can lend its hand to help diversify the economy by supporting new entrepreneurs in developing the products they want to get to market. Diversification will help central Alberta, and Alberta on the whole, weather those peaks and valleys much better.”

Economic diversification has been a cornerstone of the CIM’s mission from the start, and projects like Mobismart’s wind turbine offer a hint of what form it could take in central Alberta.

“We are seeing more and more clean-tech projects come to the centre. You can see the economy is diversifying,” Anand says. “I would say we’ve had an impact on that.”

He expects the number of clean technology projects to only increase as the college invests in campus sustainability improvements, such as a combined heat and power unit. A new alternative energy lab, expected to be completed in spring 2018, will only further increase the expertise available on campus to support new clean technology projects at CIM. “There is manufacturing here. The entrepreneurial spirit around here is not focused entirely on agriculture or oil and gas,” Anand says. “The hybrid economy is emerging.”

LEGACY BUILDING: Being constructed for the 2019 Canada Winter Games, the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre will bring Olympic level features to Red Deer College.

LEADING THE WAY: Red Deer College president and CEO Joel Ward with students in the Centre for Innovation in Manufacturing.

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edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

TOWN OF SYLVAN LAKE

WE ARE VENTURE DRIVEN

Central Alberta offers access to Alberta’s capital and to transportation at a fraction of the cost HAVE YOU BEEN THINKING about creating a better lifestyle for you and your family? You’re not alone. Consider making a life in Sylvan Lake – your business and your lifestyle can benefit from our supportive and rapidly growing community.

Located in the nucleus of Central Alberta with an immediate trading area of over 313,000 people, the Town of Sylvan Lake is home to an active and growing manufacturing sector, a pivotal part of its thriving industrial base. Support activities for the oil and gas sector are a prominent focus of the manufacturing sector in the community. Additionally – 168 Professional Scientific Technical Services businesses support the manufacturing sector in Sylvan Lake.

Sylvan Lake offers a young, highly skilled workforce with unique business opportunities, year-round recreational, health, and fitness activities, and a vari-

ety of festivals and events – all of which contribute to an environment that offers tremendous commercial and industrial opportunities while providing a perfect work-life balance.

“Fiber-Werx International Inc. was founded in 2002 as a custom fiberglass manufacturer and composite repair facility and manufacturer of RV components. Over the years, the business has changed and grown substantially. We’ve expanded our space and taken on new lines of business. Sylvan Lake is a great place for manufacturers; the “industrial” community in Sylvan is a close knit group, and we work to support each other whenever possible.”

Scott Getschel, Fiber-Werx

For more information, contact: Vicki Kurz Economic Development Officer Town of Sylvan Lake 403-887-1185 Ext. 226 vkurz@sylvanlake.ca www.sylvanlake.ca/invest

Do you want a better life – now?

Consider living by the lake with year-round outdoor recreation at your doorstep. Supported by an established and growing community of skilled trades workers and a local government that helps businesses succeed.

Sylvan Lake strikes the perfect lake-work balance for you, your business and your family.

sylvanlake.ca/invest

Diverse Determined Embracing Change Creating Driven Opportunity

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

CITY CITY OF OF RED RED DEER DEER

A WEALTH OF OPPORTUNITIES Become Become a a part part of of a a community community that that shares shares your your vision vision and and fits fits your your lifestyle lifestyle INTRODUCING INTRODUCING CAPSTONE CAPSTONE AT AT Riverlands.

A visionary new Riverlands. A visionary new urban urban community community designed designed for for easier, easier, more more balanced balanced living. living. Nestled Nestled along the banks of the Red Deer River, along the banks of the Red Deer River, this this city city withwithin a city will be home to condos and townhomes, in a city will be home to condos and townhomes, hotels, hotels, offices offices and and retail, retail, shopping shopping and and dining dining and and arts and culture.

Capstone residents will arts and culture. Capstone residents will enjoy enjoy beaubeautiful tiful natural natural amenities amenities and and downtown downtown conveniences conveniences all all within within an an upscale upscale urban urban environment. environment.

With approximately With approximately 20 20 acres acres of of vacant vacant developdevelopable land, Capstone at Riverlands provides able land, Capstone at Riverlands provides aa rare, rare, once-in-a-lifetime once-in-a-lifetime opportunity opportunity for for riverfront riverfront develdevelopment opment in in aa city’s city’s downtown downtown core. core. The The Capstone Capstone redevelopment redevelopment is is expected expected to to be be aa long-term long-term project project that will see the community transform that will see the community transform over over many many years. years. This This community community will will include include aa mix mix of of medimedium to high-density housing such as condos um to high-density housing such as condos and and townhomes; townhomes; commercial commercial development, development, including including office space, shopping and office space, shopping and dining; dining; lush lush green green parks, parks,

urban urban gardens, gardens, plazas plazas and and courtyards; courtyards; possible possible cultural facilities such as a public cultural facilities such as a public market market and and artistic artistic expressions; unique green spaces and water expressions; unique green spaces and water features; features; pedestrian-friendly pedestrian-friendly and and well-connected well-connected streetscapes; streetscapes; enhanced trail connections enhanced trail connections to to the the river river valley, valley, the the beautiful beautiful Waskasoo Waskasoo Park Park system system and and aa beautifullybeautifullydesigned designed Riverwalk; Riverwalk; and and aa proposed proposed pedestrian pedestrian bridge bridge across the river to Bower Ponds. across the river to Bower Ponds.

As As aa growing growing city city of of more more than than 100,000 100,000 citizens citizens and centrally located along Alberta’s and centrally located along Alberta’s busiest busiest transtransportation portation corridor corridor between between Calgary Calgary and and Edmonton, Edmonton, Red Red Deer Deer has has aa wealth wealth of of opportunities opportunities for for new new businesses.

The Capstone district offers the businesses. The Capstone district offers the perfect perfect location location for for entrepreneurs entrepreneurs who who want want to to tap tap into into the the buy-local movement and connect to their customers buy-local movement and connect to their customers on on aa first-name first-name basis. basis. Become Become aa part part of of aa community community that shares your vision and fits your lifestyle. that shares your vision and fits your lifestyle. Live Live where where you you work work and and exchange exchange commute commute time time for for more more downtime. downtime. Re-write Re-write your your to-do to-do list list with with things things

you you actually actually want want to to do. do. Fill Fill the the days days with with more more wonder, the nights with more wonderful. wonder, the nights with more wonderful. See See youryourself self here. here. See See yourself yourself in in Capstone Capstone at at Riverlands.

Riverlands.

The The Capstone Capstone team team is is now now selling selling serviced serviced land land parcels and is looking for innovativive parcels and is looking for innovativive developers developers wishing wishing to to seize seize this this incredible incredible opportunity. opportunity. More More information can be found at capstonereddeer.ca information can be found at capstonereddeer.ca

Cory Edinga, Edinga, Project Project Manager Manager Cory City City of of Red Red Deer Deer 403-342-8106 403-342-8106 capstone@reddeer.ca capstone@reddeer.ca www.capstonereddeer.ca www.capstonereddeer.ca

A A visionary visionary new new riverside riverside community community comes comes to to Red Red Deer.

Deer.

Introducing Introducing Capstone Capstone at at Riverlands: Riverlands: aa revolutionary revolutionary masterplanned masterplanned urban urban community community designed designed for for easier, easier, more more balanced balanced living. living. Nestled Nestled along along the the banks banks of the Red Deer River, this city within a city will be home to condos and of the Red Deer River, this city within a city will be home to condos and townhomes, townhomes, hotels, hotels, offices offices and and retail, retail, shopping shopping and and dining, dining, arts arts and and culture. culture.

Step out your door and onto a nature trail.

This is community re-imagined.

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Southwest, South Central | p.64 Peace Country | p.66 Capital, North Central, Slave Lake Wood Buffalo | p.70

$51.1billion

Alberta’s energy exports totaled $51.1 billion in 2016. Crude petroleum topped the list of major exports that year with total merchandise exports of $43.3 billion. This accounted for 54.9 per cent of the province’s exports, which were sent to 187 different countries.

This map highlights a few regions with exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

30%

The Government of Alberta has set a firm renewable energy target to ensure 30 per cent of electricity used in Alberta will come from renewable sources, such as wind, hydro and solar by 2030 in order to protect the province’s health, environment and economy.

Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Energy Regulator, Statistics Canada

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WIND OF

CHANGE

With a long history of wind energy production, southern Alberta is drawing interest amid an increased global appetite for renewable energy projects

BY TRICIA RADISON

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PHOTO: TRAVEL ALBERTA

S PART OF ITS CLIMATE LEADership Plan, the Alberta government has set a goal of adding 5,000 megawatts of renewable electricity capacity in the province by 2030, and that’s generating investor interest in wind and solar energy projects from around the globe.

“We’re getting international enquiries because the signal is: here’s a government that is really interested in pursuing energy production in renewables and alternatives, and we want to know more about what’s going on,” says Bev Thornton, executive director of the Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance.

Alberta SouthWest is a collaboration between 16 rural communities working to support local business and attract new investment to an area in the southwest corner of the province that covers 16,705 square kilometres. Aligned with Alberta Economic Development and Trade, it connects potential investors to the people and information they need to succeed.

Commercial wind energy production began in this corner of the province more than 20 years ago. In fact, the first wind farm was built west of Pincher Creek in 1993 and was only recently decommissioned, having more than fulfilled its life expectancy. A new site is being built directly north of the original Cowley Ridge site.

“This region was built on coal mining and oil and gas,” says Thornton. “As those resource industries diminished, the area was able to reinvent itself with alternatives and renewables. The tax revenue that continues to come off the wind development has been a benefit.”

While the industry established itself using the remarkable winds of southwest Alberta, technology has created larger, more efficient turbines, enabling wind farm development to continue spreading eastward across the plains of southern Alberta.

Peter Lovering is the manager of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative, which comprises 24 communities in south central Alberta across 18,605 square kilometres. Lovering says that funds generated under Alberta’s Climate Leadership Plan should provide investors with incentive to launch wind and solar projects in Alberta.

“Some facilities will likely be built using offsets from Alberta’s carbon levy. Because the province

is encouraging the build of renewable electricity generation there are still lots of opportunities that will present themselves,” he says.

In December 2017, the province auctioned off 600MW of renewable electricity, 200MW more than originally planned. The successful bids set a record for the lowest renewable electricity pricing in Canada at 3.7 cents per kilowatt-hour.

duction,” says Bob Dyrda, project lead with Alberta SouthWest. “We’ve included a solar toolkit on the site [www.saaep.ca] so municipalities can learn about best practices, permits, taxes and solar access.”

With a government committed to developing the renewable energy sector and the capacity being built by Alberta SouthWest, SouthGrow

“Some facilities will likely be built using offsets from Alberta’s carbon levy. Because the province is encouraging the build of renewable electricity generation there are still lots of opportunities that will present themselves.”

– Peter Lovering, manager of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative Wind power will be the source behind all three of the winning projects, which are expected to total about $1 billion in private-sector investment and power up to 255,000 homes.

Some operators, like Renewable Energy Services Ltd., were investing ahead of the province’s auction. The Nova Scotia-based company is developing the McLaughlin Wind Farm outside of Pincher Creek. This wind farm will launch with a capacity of 60MW and will consist of 14, 4.2-MW turbine generators, a substation and an underground collector system.

The company chose to invest in southern Alberta because of the location it was able to secure. “It’s also the only open market in Canada where you can actually produce something as long as you’re prepared to do it at the prices you get,” says Larry LeBlanc, chief executive officer of Renewable Energy Services.

Alberta SouthWest and SouthGrow are hoping more companies follow Renewable Energy Services’ lead into the area and have setup a support system to help smooth out the process. The two regional economic organizations have partnered with Economic Development Lethbridge to form the Southern Alberta Alternative Energy Partnership (SAAEP), and have developed an extensive resource centre for investors in the alternative and renewable energy sector.

“The municipalities are knowledgeable about the wind energy industry but solar is new.

They’re now having conversations about policies and land use issues related to solar energy pro-

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and other organizations, there could be a bright future for wind and solar energy production in the province.

“The big message is that Alberta is seriously looking at making alternatives and renewables an important part of our energy story,” says Thornton.

ALBERTA’S RENEWABLE ELECTRICITY PROGRAM Opening Round Winning Projects: Company: Capital Power Project: Whitla Wind Capacity: 201MW Location: 60 kilometres south west of Medicine Hat Company: EDP Renewables Canada Project: Sharp Hills Capacity: 248MW Location: 50 kilometres north

of Oyen Company:

Project:

Capacity: Location:

Enel Green Power North America Riverview Wind Farm and Castle Rock Ridge Wind Power Plant 115MW and 31MW Pincher Creek

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DRIVING

EFFICIENCY Technology advances and improved operations are helping oil and gas producers get back to profitability

PHOTO BY: DREAMSTIME.COM

BY R.P. STASTNY

LBERTA’S ENERGY INDUSTRY is emerging leaner and stronger from the recent downturn.

“There’s really two areas that gave us a lot of efficiency in the last couple years.

One is technology. The other is a repeatable process and optimizing every part of the drilling process,” says Precision Drilling’s president and chief executive officer Kevin Neveu.

Precision Drilling is a Calgary-based drilling contractor with a history that spans more than 65 years and has built 47 new rigs for Canadian operations since 2009. All of Precision Drilling’s new rigs are now built with clip-on walking capability for pad drilling (drilling multiple wells on the same site), allowing the rigs to efficiently move from well to well on a pad without having to be disassembled and reconstructed for each job.

These high-powered rigs also feature increased automation during drilling operations, which allows the rigs to drill faster, eliminate human variance, error and non-productive time. This technology, combined with better well design, more accurate control over the drilling operation, the ability to run fewer casing lines—it’s all part of what Neveu calls the “industrialization of the drilling process.”

This improved drilling process is especially evident in the Montney formation, one of Alberta’s most targeted oil and gas formations, which lies right in the middle of the Peace Country economic region of northwest Alberta. Natural gas production from the formation became a larger portion of Alberta’s total natural gas output, rising from 38.2 per cent in 2015 to 42 per cent in 2016. Natural gas liquids (classified as oil production) helped the

Montney formation become the only formation in Western Canada to see its oil production rise between 2014 and 2016, moving from 60,000 barrels per day to 95,000 barrels per day. Horizontal wells drilled by Precision Drilling in this formation in 2017 took less than 10 days to drill, compared to more than 14 days in 2014.

And it’s not just drilling efficiencies leading to increased oil and gas activity in northwestern Alberta.

Calfrac Well Services recently improved how it handles the massive volumes of sand needed for hydraulic fracturing. The Calgary-based company has operations around the world and provides

“There’s really two areas that gave us a lot of efficiency in the last couple years. One is technology. The other is a repeatable process and optimizing every part of the drilling process.”

– Kevin Neveu, president and chief executive officer of Precision Drilling The investment by Alberta’s energy industry players in new technology is part of the reason oil and gas companies can remain competitive.

While some of the 50,000 direct oil and gas jobs lost in Western Canada since 2014 have been refilled, the initial purge has since translated into a 36 per cent increase in the labour productivity in the industry’s service and supply sector, according to a Petroleum Labour Market Information report by Enform, a safety association representing the oil and gas industry. Additional mergers and acquisitions are expected to add another two per cent labour productivity by 2021.

All this at a time when the industry invested an estimated $11 billion on exploration and development outside of Alberta’s oil sands. This investment is spread out through the entire life cycle of a well from infrastructure and site preparation to multi-stage hydraulic fracturing and production.

Diverse Determined Driven

several services, including coiled tubing service rigs, cementing, and pumping trucks. By not waiting in a queue for sand, Calfrac saves money and wins more jobs by ensuring dependable service.

“We [now] take delivery of the sand at the mine gate and manage the logistics supply chain all the way from Wisconsin—or wherever the sand is coming from—to our trans-loading facility,” says Scott Treadwell, Calfrac’s vice-president of capital markets and strategy.

These made-in-Alberta innovations and a new focus on efficiency, are building a foundation for renewed activity in the province’s oil and gas industry, which saw an increase of 85 per cent in wells drilled during the first 10 months of 2017 compared to 2016. With an increase in oil and gas land sales from $136.8 million in 2016 to $504.6 million in 2017, the trend of increased activity should continue into 2018.

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TOWN OF MAYERTHORPE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

A GREAT PLACE TO GROW A BUSINESS development with newly installed Infrastructure. Zoned to accommodate a variety of low density housing types such as Single Detached, Manufactured Homes and Duplex Dwellings. MLS# E4089677 ✓ New infrastructure including upgraded/expanded water treatment plant, expanded reservoir capacity, upgraded sanitary sewer lift station, and sanitary sewer mains providing quality services to business and industry

WE ARE DRIVEN BY AN ACTION-ORIENTED

“With great enthusiasm, we look forward to discussing these opportunities with prospective companies to visit and tour suitable locations.

- Mayor Kate Patrick

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Town Council focused on economic development, opportunity and growth. The conditions are optimal in the Town of Mayerthorpe for many different business opportunities.

TOWN OF MAYERTHORPE is strategically connected in a cost-effective location located 130 kilometers (80 miles) northwest of Edmonton on Highway 43. The town is an ideally located community serving a trading area in excess of 46,000 people and a large skilled labour force. The Mayerthorpe area offers great longterm potential with incentives, including an affordable suitable land base, access to sources of manpower, direct access to CN Rail (with secondary access to CP nearby), secondary access to Highway 43 and Highway 22, highway commercial and a light industrial land base to support secondary industry growth, land base to facilitate residential development for employees and their families, and connections with businesses to support regular planned minor and major maintenance.

The Town of Mayerthorpe offers: ✓ Access to Edmonton (approx. one hour) ✓ Strategically located at intersecting Highway 43 (CANAMEX Trade Corridor) and Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail) ✓ Direct access to CN Rail provides for easy transport of products, goods, and materials ✓ Fully operational municipal airport and terminal building providing access by air ✓ Expanded In-fill Rebates to include residential and commercial properties provides for a two-year municipal tax rebate for new development. ✓ Large parcel of land with or within close proximity to services. ✓ Residential Lots Available: Park Avenue is a new

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The Town of Mayerthorpe supports in principle establishment of an industry in the area. As such, we will strive to: ✓ Expedite municipal statutory clearances and permits in a timelier manner than that of larger municipalities with extensive regimes. This will allow for approvals in a reasonable time frame. ✓ Achieve the lowest operating cost regime by negotiating property tax incentives, land acquisition and servicing costs, and municipal services. ✓ Lobby for expedited approvals from other related provincial regulatory bodies. ✓ We will play a role together with our partners in the Region, with International and Intergovernmental Relations, and with proponents to help develop industry, promote healthy lifestyles, and ensure a safe community. ✓ We have in the past and will continue to support the industry in our Region, the Province, and Canada.

INTERESTED IN INVESTING IN MAYERTHORPE? LOTS FOR SALE: Gasoline Alley North 22 Highway Commercial and Light Industrial Lots Prime location for truck stop, hotel, restaurants, car wash, recreational sales/service, industrial & professional services.

For information on business investment and attraction, visit: https://townfolio.co/ab/mayerthorpe/overview or www.mayerthorpebusinesspark.ca for more information.

For more information contact: Town of Mayerthorpe Box 420, Mayerthorpe, Alberta T0E 1N0 cao@mayerthorpe.ca 780-786-2416 | www.mayerthorpe.ca

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Commercial and light industrial land base Access to Highway 43 and Highway 22 Fully operational municipal airport Utility Infrastructure Capacity

110 +/- kms from Acheson/West Edmonton Quality Internet/Fibre Optic Connectivity Developer/Subdivision/Tax Incentives Direct access to CN Rail

22 Highway Commercial and Light Industrial Lots

Gasoline Alley North

Mayerthorpe, Alberta Plan 172 2565 (NW 21-58-8-W5M)

ALBERTA SITE LOCATION

Prime location for truck stop, hotel, restaurants, car wash, recreational sales/services, industrial & professional services.

Northwest Central Alberta’s newest highway commercial/light industrial subdivision serving Highway 43/22 with 23,000 vehicles per day.

Sales Contact:

Graeme Parkes gp@irproperty.com 780-707-2666

www.mayerthorpe.ca mymayerthorpe

mayerthorpe1

A BILLION DOLLAR

BRIGHT IDEA A power line in north central Alberta is being developed on the strength of one of the largest public-private partnership investments in Canadian history

BY LEWIS KELLY

GRID BUILDERS: Construction of the first tower for the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project was completed in November 2017.

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PHOTOS COURTESTY: ATCO ELECTRIC

HE CANADIAN PACIFIC RAILway (CP Rail) is famous for being the first transportation link to unite Canada from coast to coast. It also set the precedent as the first public-private partnership (P3) in Canadian history.

Shortly after CP Rail was incorporated in 1881, the federal government gave it a grant of $25 million, 25 million acres of land, and agreed to pay CP Rail’s surveying and tax bills for 20 years. A partnership between industry and government on such a scale has not been seen in Canada since the last spike was driven in 1885.

Until now.

In late December 2014, the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) awarded one of the biggest P3 contracts in Canadian history with an estimated price tag of $1.5 billion to Alberta PowerLine. The company is a joint venture between the utility company ATCO and American infrastructure firm Quanta Services that was formed to design, build, own and operate the Fort McMurray West 500-kV Transmission Project.

The 500-kilometre transmission line will originate at a substation about 70 kilometres west of Edmonton and travel north through the North Central and Slave Lake regions of Alberta. The line will connect to a substation near the Hamlet of Wabasca before turning northeast for the final 100 kilometres and connecting to a substation just west of Fort McMurray in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in northeast Alberta. The project will add 700 megawatts of transmission capacity to the province’s electrical system—roughly enough to power 700,000 homes—when electrification takes place in 2019.

“This critical infrastructure project speaks to the confidence that exists across Alberta in the sustainability of Wood Buffalo for generations to come,” says Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Mayor Don Scott. “We welcome this investment and development in our region and look forward to working alongside all of our partners to ensure our region remains a great place to call home.”

The roots of P3 projects on this scale are simple.

In the 1950s, Canadian governments spent slightly over three per cent of gross domestic product on the upkeep and expansion of infrastructure. That fell to less than half a per cent by the early 1980s.

There have been moments when this downward march has been reversed, but the overall direction of the trend has been uniform.

“This critical infrastructure project speaks to the confidence that exists across Alberta in the sustainability of Wood Buffalo for generations to come. We welcome this investment and development in our region and look forward to working alongside all of our partners to ensure our region remains a great place to call home.”

– Don Scott, Mayor of the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo Ownership has shifted over this time too. The federal government once owned much of Canada’s infrastructure, but a 2013 study from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives found the federal government now owns 13 per cent. Local governments, which have far fewer funding levers available to them, now own almost half of the nation’s infrastructure.

Combined, these trends create a strong incentive for governments to look at alternative funding models, like P3s, for major infrastructure projects.

That was the case for the Fort McMurray West 500kV Transmission Line. In 2010, the Alberta government mandated AESO to develop and implement a new competitive procurement process aimed at finding a private firm to build the line.

“While it has many hallmarks of a traditional P3 process, it also contains a number of unique features,” says AESO public affairs manager Tara de Weerd. Among these are greater fairness and openness, efficient allocation of risk and minimizing life-cycle costs. AESO required that the winning firm agree to operate the line for a fixed cost for 35 years.

Diverse Determined Driven

AESO engaged a fairness advisor in the design of its process and retained an independent panel of experts to evaluate proposals for the Fort McMurray project. The first stage of the threepart competitive process opened in late-2013 and attracted interest from around 30 parties from all over the world.

“This is an exceptionally large project that fits in very well with the company’s portfolio of infrastructure it owns, operates and maintains,” says Quyen Nguyen, vice-president of Alberta PowerLine. “The competitive nature of the project required ATCO to consider risk elements differently, and priced these into our bid.”

Investors voiced their confidence in the project in a major way in late-2017, when the project secured funding from the private sector through a debt funding competition administered by AESO. The debt issue for the project represents the largest P3 financing ever completed in Canada.

The success in securing P3 funding for a major electricity transmission project is a trend that has strong potential to continue in the future.

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TOWN OF WESTLOCK

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

A COMMUNITY WITH SPIRIT

Diverse economy, excellent transportation connections and plentiful recreation opportunities SMALL TOWN ATMOSPHERE WITHOUT the hustle and bustle of the city, have a voice and make a difference in the Community you have your business in and call home.

Located at the crossroads of Highway 18 and Highway 44, Westlock has a lot to offer.

There are excellent opportunities for business growth and expansion in our Community. Located just 85 kilometres north of Edmonton, we offer quick and easy access to major markets and transportation routes. Industrial, commercial and residential lots are available to suit your needs. Prime locations with ample parking are available downtown.

Westlock has exceptional services and amenities such as a fully serviced hospital with 12 doctors, two orthopaedic surgeons and one anaesthesiologist.

Recreation opportunities are plentiful which includes the Westlock Rotary Spirit Centre housing a standard NHL size arena, walking/running track/fieldhouse/fitness centre. Westlock Aquatic Centre offers a fitness centre and a full indoor six lane pool, a steam room and hot tub. Westlock Servus Curling Centre has a 4 sheet ice surface as well as an upstairs lounge. With 9.1 km on the Westlock Rotary Trail, a state of the art skateboard park and the Mountie Park campground, there is something for everyone.

Westlock has a diverse economy, excellent transportation connections and Telus Fibre technological infrastructure. The Canadian National Railway runs a secondary main through our Community and has spur tracks available. The Westlock Municipal Airport is located 6 kilometres east and 1 kilometre south of Westlock with a runway of 1036.58m.

A community experiencing steady growth with a population of 5147, we offer an affordable cost of living, fantastic recreational opportunities, friendly people, a quiet rural lifestyle and a Community with Spirit!

For further information: Contact the Economic Development Department at 780-350-2109 or visit our website at www.westock.ca

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LIFE IS GOOD HERE

780-349-4444 www.westlock.ca info@westlock.ca

A Community with Spirit!

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

TOWN OF INNISFAIL TOWN OF INNISFAIL

A HUB OF OPPORTUNITY A HUB OF OPPORTUNITY The perfect location well worth exploring The perfect location well worth exploring CONVENIENTLY SITUATED ON CONVENIENTLY SITUATED the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, Innisfail isON a thrivthe Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, is acall thriving mid-sized community in whatInnisfail some may the ing mid-sized community in what some may call perfect location. It’s just 15 minutes south of Red the perfect location. just 15 of Red Deer and an hourIt’snorth of minutes Calgary, south meaning whatDeer and an hour north of Calgary, meaning ever few amenities it doesn’t have are available whatjust a ever amenities doesn’t have are available just a shortfew drive in eitheritdirection. short drive either direction.

What it in does have, however, is impressive: A What it does have, however, impressive: A robust and diverse economy thatis includes everything robust and diverse economy that includes everything from home-based businesses to full-scale operations; from home-based businesses to full-scale operations; schools that offer safe and comfortable learning envischools that offer safe and comfortable learning envi-a ronments; a wide and varied talent pool that boasts ronments; a wide and varied talent pool that boasts strong rural work ethic; subdivisions that contain a strong ethic; subdivisions thatincontain some ofrural the work most luxurious new homes the some of the most luxurious new homes in the region; and some of the most visited tourist attracregion; of the most visited tourist attractions inand all ofsome Central Alberta. tions in that’s all of just Central Alberta.

And a start.

There’s plenty more to this And that’s just a start. plenty moreexploring. to this town of about 8,000, andThere’s it’s all well worth town of about 8,000, and it’s all well worth exploring.

CONNECTED: Innisfail sits immediately adjaCONNECTED: Innisfail sits immediately adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth 2 Highway, and is located cent to the Queen Elizabeth 2 Highway, and is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corrinear theone midpoint of theeconomically Calgary-Edmonton Corridor — of the most vibrant regions dor — one of the most economically vibrant regions in the entire country. Calgary International Airport is in the entire country. within an hour’s drive.Calgary International Airport is within an hour’s drive.The region fosters a strong rural DEDICATED: DEDICATED: Theno region fosters strongand rural work ethic that produces shortage ofaskilled work ethic that produces no shortage of skilled and dedicated workers. Nearby colleges contribute to an dedicated Nearby colleges to an immenselyworkers. diverse talent pool fromcontribute which the town immensely diverse talent pool from which the town draws its labour force. draws its labour LIVELY: Theforce. region is home to some of the provLIVELY: The region is home to some ofwhich the province’s most enthralling tourist destinations, ince’s most enthralling tourist destinations, which every year attract thousands of visitors from all around every year attract thousands of visitors all around the world.

Wildlife encounters, golfingfrom excursions and the world.

Wildlife encounters, golfing excursions and skydiving adventures are all possible. skydiving adventures are all possible.

PROSPEROUS: The town’s former sewage PROSPEROUS: town’s former sewage lagoons are in the processThe of being reclaimed, and over lagoons are in the process of being reclaimed, and over

several years will be primed for sale as industrial land. several yearsit’s will be primed saleup as industrial Ultimately, a move that’llfor open a wealth ofland.

Ultimately, it’s a move that’ll open up a wealth opportunity in an already rich industrial area. of opportunity in an already rich industrial area.

For more information, contact: For moreFullarton information, contact: Stuart Stuart Fullarton Economic Development Economic Development Town of Innisfail Town of Innisfail 403-227-3376 403-227-3376 stuart.fullarton@innisfail.ca stuart.fullarton@innisfail.ca www.innisfail.ca/economicdevelopment www.innisfail.ca/economicdevelopment

Opportunity awaits.

Opportunity awaits.

www.innisfail.ca/economicdevelopment www.innisfail.ca/economicdevelopment

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AGRICULTURE South Central, West Yellowhead | p.76 Central | p.80 Southwest | p.84

50.3

Alberta has one of the world’s most productive agricultural economies, with a total farm area of 50.3 million acres or 20.3 million hectares.

This map highlights a few exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

ALBERTA’S MAJOR AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS Farm Cash Receipts for 2015 (in $ billions)

Cattle & Calves

Canola

Wheat

Dairy Peas, Beans & Lentils

4.58 2.85

1.90

0.56

Hogs

0.40

Poultry & Eggs

0.37

Oats, Rye & Barley

0.30

Other

0.90

1.63

0 1 2 3 4 5

Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Statistics Canada

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HOME

GROWN With a mix of big brands and niche products, food processing is big business in Alberta

PHOTO BY: ISTOCK.COM

BY ROBIN BRUNET

LTHOUGH HE MAY NOT HAVE known it at the time, Tom Droog hit a home run when he set up Spitz Sunflower Seeds in Bow Island. He bought his first roaster in 1989 and the business grew rapidly during the 1990s, before eventually becoming a staple in the dugouts of Major League Baseball teams and being acquired by PepsiCo’s Frito-Lay brand.

Droog’s success in a small town along Highway 3 in southeast Alberta between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge has likely encouraged other food processors to set up operations in the province. Droog has even been known to encourage them, renting his land to young farmers to give them the same opportunity he was given when he was just starting out.

There is tremendous opportunity in Alberta’s food and beverage processing sector. The industry is the largest manufacturing employer in the province, generating $14.6 billion in sales and accounting for more than 22,400 jobs, according to government statistics.

PepsiCo Frito-Lay’s purchase of Spitz Sunflower Seeds is just one example of an international company taking advantage of the food processing opportunity in southern Alberta. McCain Foods built a French fry manufacturing plant in Coaldale — just 20 kilometres east of Lethbridge in southern Alberta—back in 2000 and recently invested in expanding the plant, which works

with more than 25 potato growers in southern Alberta.

“Thanks to McCain Foods and Frito-Lay, we’ve processed our potatoes to the fullest extent. And in some cases processing has become so successful that we even import raw products, which is the case with Spitz,” says Peter Lovering, manager of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative, an economic development alliance of 24 southcentral Alberta communities.

“Thanks to McCain Foods and Frito-Lay, we’ve processed our potatoes to the fullest extent. And in some cases processing has become so successful that we even import raw products, which is the case with Spitz.”

– Peter Lovering, manager of the SouthGrow Regional Initiative While the recent successes of the industry are noteworthy, some food processing companies have been in the region before Alberta was even a province.

Richardson International, Canada’s largest agribusiness, was established 150 years ago. Its plant in Lethbridge is one of the largest fully-integrated crushing, refining, processing and packaging operations in the country.

Between the Lethbridge plant and the company’s plant in Yorkton, Saskatchewan, Richardson processes over 1.6 million metric tonnes of canola seed and

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PHOTO COURTESY: RICHARDSON OILSEEDS PHOTO COURTESY: GFR INGREDIENTS

ANOTHER KIND OF OIL BOOM: Richardson International's Lethbridge plant helps the company produce 1.6 million tonnes of canola seed and over 700,000 tonnes of oil annually.

over 700,000 metric tonnes of oil annually.

“Richardson has done a fantastic job exporting canola oil,” says Lovering.

Even with a fully developed food-processing sector, new market opportunities for growth and investment continue to emerge. Moreover, food processors are enjoying strong support from entities such as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, and the Alberta Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry. Via the Growing Forward 2 program that provides up to $1.3 billion in grants to help upgrade equipment and improve efficiency, companies such as Champion Petfoods and GFR Ingredients are preparing to maximize their operations and increase market share.

GFR Ingredients is based in Barrhead, which is a little more than 120 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, received a Growing Forward 2 grant for operations improvement and is targeting growth opportunities in the health sector.

“We specialize in creating proprietary plant protein powders with superior nutritional properties, and in the last six months alone the volume of inquiries for our prod-

HEMP FOR HEALTH: GFR Ingredients is growing a successful business by producing hemp-based protein power.

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uct has been overwhelming,” says Theresa Gough, GFR Ingredients plant manager. “The bulk of our products goes to Canadian and U.S. clients – but our goal is to go worldwide.”

GFR is another example of an Alberta processor that caught the eye of outside investors.

“GFR is actually a Vancouver firm that purchased us in 2011 because we were successfully deriving protein from hemp,” says Gough. “Specifically, our HempSol-80 powder has the highest concentration of hemp protein available, plus it contains Omega-3 and Omega-6 essential fatty acids.”

The continuously evolving food processing sector and the support from various levels of government leaves Lovering optimistic the industry will continue to grow in Alberta.

“The provincial government understands its importance at a regional level and as an export force, and it has always gotten behind companies wanting to explore new markets,” says the manager of SouthGrow. “So, I’m looking forward to seeing how we’ll evolve in the near future.”

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

JEDI

CULTIVATE MORE

We have all the right tools to help you grow your business at a fraction of the cost JEDI IS A GRASSROOTS municipal partnership between the County of Wetaskiwin and Town of Millet, located just 40 kilometres south of the City of Edmonton.

We are a non-profit organization that facilitates strong, sustainable economic growth in our region.

Whether you’re an industrial operation relocating to the area, a regional company pursuing international growth, or a foreign business looking to invest in Alberta, we’re here to help, with the resources and vigour to make it a reality.

When building your business, comprehensive research is a crucial starting place—and we can provide those vital statistics and data, but we also help you with so much more. From site selection assistance and land development planning, to investment advice and grant applications, we begin with knowledge and follow through with action.

We know your bottom line drives where you situate your business. Here in Central Alberta, our affordable land and efficient economy can support and grow your operations. Compared to nearby urban centres, we offer lower cost options for industrial property. Plus, there’s a central transportation sector, with convenient and highcapacity options for air, rail and highway travel.

This includes three high-capacity highways which go through our region that are part of key North American transport corridors.

Our approach to industry development works — the proof is in the success stories we’ve cultivated over the years. But, we know our region’s greatest wins are only in the making. We’re dedicated to nurturing our clients’ growth, knowing our full potential is ever evolving.

Acre by acre, we shape our future and enrich our

region. As your partner for industry development, investment and expansion, JEDI is driven to see Central Alberta thrive.

For more information, contact Joan Miller, Director Economic Development Joint Economic Development (JEDI) 780-361-6231 jmiller@jedialberta.com www.jedialberta.com

JEDI Working with you

from the ground up!

Helping new and existing businesses with their development & expansion in oil and gas, manufacturing, agriculture and warehousing.

• • • • •

Serviced industrial land at ½ the market price of the adjacent capital region Located in Central Alberta’s manufacturing and logistics hub On 3 high-capacity North American corridor highways Access to a labour force of 334,000 focused on skilled trades 30 km south of Edmonton International Airport and the Leduc-Nisku Industrial Park See what the JEDI advantage is about by visiting www.jedialberta.com

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HARVESTING TECHNOLOGY

A new generation of Alberta farmers are embracing the digital era and reaping improved results

BY JENNIFER DOROZIO

PHOTO BY: SHUTTERSTOCK.COM

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HEN JOHN KOLK’S GRANDFATHER was a farmer 70 years ago, watering the land was painstaking work. Back then, one person armed with a shovel and gravity used flood irrigation to handle a maximum of 40 acres of land at a time. Today, one person armed with an app on their cell phone now oversees the watering of around 4,000 acres of farmland.

John Kolk has managed Kolk Farms Conrich in Picture Butte, 30 kilometres north of Lethbridge in southern Alberta, for almost 30 years and acknowledges operations have come a long way. Specialized technology designed for creating better results in the agriculture industry is changing entire production cycles on Alberta farms. Kolk uses an app on his phone to control central irrigation pivots that water his crops. With a tap of his thumb, he can control the volume of water, speed of its distribution and direction of the application.

“It used to be one person had to go and change each pivot each time, so they could maybe handle 10,” says Kolk. “[Now] one person can handle 30 to 40 pivots on their cellphone.”

The evolution of fertilizing and seeding methods is just one example of how technology is transforming Alberta’s agriculture industry. Between 2015 and 2016, farms in Alberta reduced their total expenses by 3.5 per cent, while increasing total net income by 60 per cent at the same time. By applying the right technology on farms, the next generation of farmers has a chance to improve efficiency and quality of production, while reducing the labour of operations and their carbon footprint.

Decisive Farming, a tech company based in the farming community of Irricana, about 60 kilometres northeast of Calgary, has three main focuses when working with farmers: precision agronomics, data management and crop marketing risk management. Decisive Farming has created a comprehensive online data platform called “My Farm Manager” that tracks different variables, like fertilizer application, the weather and margins on the farm in near real-time, and is accessible via any browser and their mobile apps.

“When we look at gathering farm information and digitizing these things, and taking them out of [a farmer]’s head or notebook, we can actually start to apply them to a lot of different technologies that gain a huge amount of efficiency on the farm.”

– Remi Schmaltz, chief executive officer of Decisive Farming “When we look at gathering farm information and digitizing these things, and taking them out of [a farmer]’s head or notebook, we can actually start to apply them to a lot of different technologies that gain a huge amount of efficiency on the farm,” says Remi Schmaltz, chief executive officer of Decisive Farming.

Decisive Farming also provides patented technology that analyses the soil characteristics within a field through satellite imagery and comes up with a precise recipe for what each area of a field needs, seed and nutrient-wise.

“It’s [about] understanding what’s going on in the field,

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DIGITAL FARMING: Decisive Farming offers a comprehensive online data platform that tracks different variables on the farm in near real-time, and is accessible via any browser and their mobile apps.

into a special quality market because of the feedback he gets from satellite and soil assessment through Decisive Farming.

“We as producers should focus our efforts on getting full production out of each and every acre that we own or farm,” says Anderson. “Instead of buying more and getting bigger why not get better with what we have?”

Patricia MacQaurrie, Councillor with the City of Wetaskiwin – about 70 kilometres south of Edmonton in central Alberta – and chair of the Central Alberta Economic Partnership, says with urban municipalities growing and gobbling up farm land, farmers have to use technology to improve their results.

“We’re getting the most out of each sliver of crop, those technologies are allowing us to see better and better production out of smaller pieces of land,” says MacQuarrie.

In Alberta, new uses for technology on farms are showing up in sometimes unconventional ways, such as using solar power for irrigation pivots or drones for crop and cattle surveillance, something more and more farms are doing.

“Tech offers something new and exciting for each generation, yet we’re still holding on to our traditional farming methods, so we’re at this unique crossroads,” says MacQaurrie. “We’re really integrating a lot of unique tech into agriculture while still trying to maintain that family-owned farm experience.”

PHOTOS COURTESY: DECISIVE FARMING

IN THE FIELD: Jay Anderson (right) makes use of the My Farm Manager app while straight cutting canola.

maximizing the potential of each area of a field from a profitability standpoint,” says Schmaltz.

Jay Anderson and his wife Carol own JCA Farms, and seed about 4,000 acres of land each year. They first used Decisive Farming’s technology to help with fertilizer recommendations for their irrigated land in 2005. By 2013, Anderson had his entire farm linked up to “My Farm Manager.”

In 2016, when cold, wet weather caused problems for some farms, Anderson had a smooth harvest, which he credits to Decisive Farming. According to Anderson, he continually grows and sells high protein Spring Wheat

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

CITY OF LACOMBE CITY OF LACOMBE

WE WE LIVE LIVE A A BEAUTIFUL BEAUTIFUL LIFE! LIFE! NESTLED IN CENTRAL ALBERTA’S NESTLED IN district, CENTRAL beautiful parkland the CityALBERTA’S of Lacombe is beautiful parkland district, theQE City Lacombe is favourably situated along the II of corridor between favourably situated along the QE II corridor between Calgary and Edmonton, and in close proximity to Calgary and Edmonton, andresidents in close of proximity to Red Deer.

The over 13,000 our picturRed Deer.

The over 13,000 residents of our picturesque city enjoy an excellent standard of living, high esque city enjoy an excellent standard of living, sushigh discretionary income levels and well-managed, discretionary income levels and well-managed, sustainable growth. tainable growth.

We are open for business! With a regional trade We are open170,000 for business!

With a regional trade area exceeding people, Lacombe is an ideal area exceeding 170,000 people, Lacombe is an ideal location for commercial and industrial development location for commercial and industrial development with a ready supply of serviced, suitably zoned land with a ready supply of serviced, suitably zoned land available. available.

Lacombe is an important research and service hub is an important research hub forLacombe the agricultural industry in Alberta.and Weservice host both for the agricultural industry in Alberta.

We host both federal and provincial agriculture research facilities, federal and provincial facilities, the head office for the agriculture Agriculturalresearch Financial Services the head office for the Agricultural Financial Services Corporation, and are proud to serve area farmers and Corporation, and are proud to serve area farmers and producers. producers.

Discover Discover the the

Lacombe’s historic downtown, with its growing Lacombe’sof historic downtown, with itsnew growing complement sidewalk patios, exciting restaucomplement of sidewalk patios, exciting new rants, artisanal bakeries and an award-winningrestaumicrorants, artisanal bakeries and an award-winning microbrewery, alongside long-standing professional offices brewery, alongside long-standing professional offices and retail stores, is fast becoming a ‘foodie’ destinaand fast becoming destination.retail Andstores, we areisalways looking toa ‘foodie’ add to our burtion.

And we are always looking to add to our burgeoning culinary arts and retail scene. geoning culinary arts and retail scene.

We are known for our vibrant arts and cultural Wewith are known for our vibrant scene, many festivals, events arts andand localcultural markets scene, with many festivals, events and local markets taking place throughout the year. Residents have taking place throughout theopportunities. year. ResidentsThe havenewly access to ample recreational access to ample recreational opportunities.

The renovated Gary Moe Sportsplex features two icenewly surrenovated Gary Moe Sportsplex two surfaces, swimming pools, a curlingfeatures rink, and anice outdoor faces, swimming pools, a curling rink, and an outdoor spray park. We are proud of our trails system, Skatespray park. proud ofAthletic our trailsPark, system, Skateboard Park We andare MEGlobal a multi-use board Park and MEGlobal Athletic Park, a multi-use artificial turf facility. artificial turf also facility.

Lacombe boasts an excellent K-12 education Lacombe also boasts an excellent K-12police education system, Burman University, a municipal service, system, Burman University, a municipal police service, an acute-care hospital, long-term care facilities and a an acute-care hospital, long-term care facilities and a

wide range of medical service providers. wide of medical providers.

Werange are blessed withservice a perfect blend of small-town We are blessed with a perfect blend of small-town living, first-class amenities and the creativity and living, first-class amenities and the creativity and fresh perspective of our citizens. We invite you to set fresh perspective of our citizens.

We invite you to set your roots down in Lacombe. your roots down in Lacombe.

For more information contact: For information contact: Guymore Lapointe - Community Economic Guy Lapointe Community Development Manager, CityEconomic of Lacombe Development City of Lacombe 403-782-1263 Manager, | glapointe@lacombe.ca 403-782-1263 | glapointe@lacombe.ca www.lacombe.ca www.lacombe.ca

difference

Lacombe is a vibrant and inviting city full of opportunity. Come see what everyone is talking about.

Lacombe is a vibrant and inviting city full of opportunity. Come see what everyone is talking about.

Lacombe. Strong Roots. Fresh Perspective.

Lacombe. Strong Roots. Fresh Perspective.

www.facebook.com/cityoflacombe www.facebook.com/cityoflacombe 5432 56th Ave, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1E9 5432 56th Ave, Lacombe, AB, T4L 1E9

Diverse Determined Embracing Change Creating Driven Opportunity Embracing Change Creating Opportunity

@cityoflacombe @cityoflacombe 403-782-6666 403-782-6666

www.lacombe.ecdev.org www.lacombe.ecdev.org 2018 2018

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HOME ON

THE RANGE

BY JOSEPH CAOUETTE

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Alberta’s newest provincial parks peacefully co-exist with ranch country in the province’s southwestern region

PHOTOS COURTESY: BRENT BARBERO

E

NCOUNTERING WILDLIFE CAN BE ONE of the main attractions for visitors to Alberta’s many natural areas. While hikers and campers typically keep an eye out for bears and moose, people enjoying Castle Provincial Park and Castle Wildland Provincial Park will also have a chance to see herds of beef cattle grazing on land where the buffalo once roamed.

“Grazing keeps a healthy environment. The wildlife isn’t as happy on land that’s never been grazed as something that’s been grazed by cattle,” says Brent Barbero, an area rancher and member of the Pincher Creek Stockman’s Association. “Basically, we’re trying to mimic what the buffalo did years ago.”

The province first proposed creating these two new parks in 2015. The parks surround the Rocky Mountain Forest Reserve in southwestern Alberta, stretching along the B.C.-Alberta border from Crowsnest Pass in the north down to Waterton Lakes National Park in the south. The borders were officially established in January 2017, adding more than 105,000 hectares of land to Alberta’s reserve of protected natural spaces.

Bev Thornton, executive director of the Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance, sees potential for the new parks to raise awareness of the region as a tourism destination. She expects visitors will be attracted to the area by the increased range of activities and better maintained camping facilities that will be found in the parks. Even local ranches may be able to capitalize on some of those extra tourism dollars. For example, Thornton has already seen some local operators diversify into the ranch vacation business by offering tourists the chance to take part in cattle drives.

Still, increased tourism and other commercial activities in the region does not alter the fact that ranching remains a crucial component of the local economy. According to the provincial government, there were 1,777 farms in the Alberta SouthWest region in 2016, and the ratio of cattle to people living in the area is 12.7 to 1.

In consulting with landowners and communities during the establishment of the two parks, the government has created an area where both ranchers and provincial parks can co-exist within the same borders. This creates a unique opportunity for Alberta SouthWest as they can continue to develop new economic opportunities in the region and still maintain a vibrant ranching community.

“Ranching is a vital part of the agricultural base that our region is built upon,” Thornton says. “While we all feel some effect from the ups and downs of our energy economy, agriculture creates a kind of stability here.”

The province assures ranchers in the region that the newly established land use rules will not impact existing grazing. In fact, grazing can be used as a tool for managing vegetation in

natural areas and even helping to control invasive plant species, among other ecological purposes.

“The idea behind the grazing on forestry land was to help make local ranches more viable, maintain biodiversity and reduce fuel loading to prevent forest fires,” Barbero says. “And it’s still that way.”

Ranchers have been raising cattle in southwest Alberta for more than a century, and have been using sound grazing practices that has kept the area pristine during that time. For example, local ranchers have been managing grazing timing, salt location, maintaining fences around campgrounds, and hiring a rider to watch over the cattle – both necessities given the amount of outdoor recreation in the region – for a number of years now.

“Ranching is a vital part of the agricultural base that our region is built upon. While we all feel some effect from the ups and downs of our energy economy, agriculture creates a kind of stability here.”

– Bev Thornton, executive director of the Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance “We invest a great deal of time and money into maintaining a healthy grazing ecosystem,” says Barbero. “If user-pay ever existed in a public environment, we are it.”

Barbero adds the government is doing more maintenance work in the area and so far most of the initial impacts of ranching within the provincial park have been positive.

While hunting has never been a major concern for the ranchers, other forms of outdoor recreation have proven disruptive, sometimes driving cattle away from the best grazing areas, Barbero explains.

“Random camping and ATVs were rampant. There was very little control on that end of things, and a lot of our primary rangeland was basically rendered useless for grazing,” he says. “There are definitely restrictions on ATVs and random camping now, so some of that has been straightened out, and grass is a hardy resource that can return with good management.”

The government says it will work with local stock associations to manage the evolving needs of ranchers and other park users to ensure the peaceful co-existence continues well into the future.

“With the creation of the parks, a system was also put in place to monitor and regulate hunting in order to have a balanced system, recognizing all users,” notes Tim Chamberlin, communications advisor with Alberta Environment and Parks.

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GOOD GRAZING: Grazing on forestry land helps make local ranches more viable, keeps the landscape pristine, maintains biodiversity and reduces fuel loading to prevent forest fires.

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RED DEER COUNTY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

THRIVING BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES Grow in Red Deer County

RED DEER COUNTY IS A DIVERSE

Red Deer County offers prime land opportunities and is strategically situated along the QE2 - Calgary to Edmonton corridor

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municipality with a centralized location and expanding economy.

The County’s competitive advantages make it an excellent place to conduct business. Its commercial, public service and industrial sectors are growing to include many new developments that provide a wide range of services to residents, businesses and individuals residing in, as well as visiting, the Central Alberta area. With a growing population over 20,000, there are an additional 120,000 highly skilled residents living in the urban areas within its land mass of 4,042 square kilometres.

New Major Area Structure Plans have been adopted for key areas within the County to encourage growth and stimulate development that adheres to its Municipal Development Plan. In 2017, new plans were adopted for Gasoline Alley East, Gasoline Alley West and Highway 2 and 42. Gasoline Alley West is an up and coming community that will promote a healthy environment, job growth and business diversity. It will also be home to Liberty Landing, a new residential community. This subdivision, along with a recently approved mixed use commercial/residential multi-storey buildings will complement the current existing service industry facilities available within the area.

The Highway 2 and 42 area is now slated for commercial, industrial and agri-business development, which will encompass eight quarter sections surrounding the Highway interchange. This area will supplement the current industrial and commercial parks surrounding Red Deer that are approaching full build out. The area will soon be available for future development.

Businesses are able to connect to the world with easy access to major international air, rail and ground transportation routes. The

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Red Deer Airport provides the opportunity to connect to international venues and offers passenger service three times daily, as well as charter and air cargo service. The Airport has recently increased their air service to allow better flexibility for personal and business travel.

Red Deer County also boasts one of the best tax environments in North America. This is due to the fact that there are no business taxes in the Red Deer region; County property taxes are generated through school, municipal taxes and specific service requisitions.

The tax environment within Red Deer County provides opportunities for small businesses, as well as large scale organizations.

Red Deer County has many factors that make it a great municipality for businesses and residents alike. It’s where progressive growth meets traditional values. Administration at the County continues to work to generate new and exciting opportunities for businesses to thrive and succeed.

For more information, please contact: Sandra Badry Economic Development Officer sbadry@rdcounty.ca | 403-357-2305 www.rdcounty.ca

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FORESTRY Slave Lake | p.88 West Yellowhead | p.90 - 91

$5.7 billion

In 2016, shipments of Alberta’s forest products reached a record $5.7 billion, and exports were $2.9 billion. Forest products include pulp, paper and wood products such as lumber and oriented strandboard.

2.2 billion m

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This map highlights a few exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

Alberta's commercially productive timber land base of 26.1 million hectares covers 40 per cent of Alberta's total area, and includes in excess of 2.2 billion cubic metres of growing stock.

Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade

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VALUE ADD Alberta’s forestry sector is finding new uses (and economic opportunity) for one of the province’s most abundant natural resources

BY ROBIN BRUNET HERE ARE A LOT OF TREES in Alberta. In fact, there are 38 million hectares of forest in the province, which makes up 58 per cent of the total land area.

Of the forested area, about 60 per cent, or 22.5 million hectares is considered suitable for harvest. Alberta harvests less than 1 per cent of the forested land base annually, but the many species of coniferous and deciduous trees that make up the harvest are known for being lightweight and high strength lumber.

Alberta’s sought-after wood products are more than just lumber. With more than 40 mills, the province’s forestry sector produces a diverse suite of products from lumber and engineered wood products to pulp, paper and bioproducts that are exported around the world.

Here are just a few projects that are helping diversify Alberta’s forestry sector and creating economic opportunities along the way.

Northern Alberta has always been a place of innovation. For decades, we’ve been busy developing better ways to extract and transport natural resources to help fuel the world’s growth.

We welcome new partners to take advantage of what our County has to offer.

To learn more, please visit us at countyofnorthernlights.com

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PHOTO COURTESY: TOLKO INDUSTRIES

Re-Engineering Opportunity PROJECTS: High Prairie Forest Products and Tolko Industries Mill Upgrades VALUE ADD: Engineered Wood Products ALBERTA HAS A LONG HISTORY IN DEVELOPing engineered wood products – such as plywood, oriented strandboard, glulam and I-joists – but two High Prairie mills are making a bet that there will be increased demand for these products that are critical components in the construction market.

Lee Barton, general manager of High Prairie Forest Products, says the improvements to the mill he oversees will make it “one of the most modern in North America” and “bring long-term stability to our employees, families, and the people of High Prairie.”

High Prairie Forest Products (a division of West Fraser Mills) is investing $55 million to modernize its High Prairie stud mill, which will boost its capacity from 86 million board feet to 180 million board feet. Studs are vital in wall construction as they carry vertical structural loads and are also used in non load-bearing applications such as partition walls.

The mill upgrade is scheduled for completion in March 2018 and the expansion includes a new modernizer and log in-feed, new canter line, new waste conveyors, and a second continuous kiln – the improved efficiencies of which will enable the facility to better withstand market downturns.

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Also, more jobs will be created to supply increased volumes of fibre to the mill.

Meanwhile, Tolko Industries Ltd. is preparing for a re-opening in early 2018 of its High Prairie oriented strandboard mill after receiving $70 million in upgrades. When fully operational, the facility will employ 175 people directly, as well as create shared responsibilities

“We’re hoping that demand for oriented strandboard will remain strong and allow the mill to operate for many years to come. We look forward to the employment opportunities and economic benefits that both of these mills will provide.”

– Linda Cox, general manager of the Lesser Slave Lake Economic Alliance for forest management with local First Nations and Métis settlements. A harvesting plan to ensure sustainable forestry activity in the region has been drafted in consultation with Métis and First Nation communities in the area, with one proposed activity area being Whitefish First Nation.

Situated about 370 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, High Prairie has a population of approximately 2,500 people and is part of the Less-

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Leduc 795

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• Airport: 15 minutes • Leduc: 10 minutes • West Edmonton Mall: 30 minutes

Pigeon Lake

er Slave Lake Economic Alliance (LSLEA) – one of Alberta’s busiest regions in the forestry sector.

“We’re hoping that demand for oriented strandboard will remain strong and allow the mill to operate for many years to come,” says Linda Cox, general manager of the LSLEA and former Mayor of High Prairie. “We look forward to the employment opportunities and economic benefits that both of these mills will provide.”

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MILL MAKEOVER: Tolko Industries is re-opening its oriented strandboard mill in High Prairie after $70 million in upgrades.

• South Edmonton Common: 30 minutes

Looking for an outstanding quality of life in a relaxed locale? Calmar offers a great, small-town lifestyle with well-designed neighbourhoods, two first-rate schools, parks, recreational facilities and a mix of commercial and industrial businesses. The town is close to some of the province’s loveliest lakes and handy for the Edmonton International Airport. Best of all? Affordable real-estate prices. Escape big-city hustle and bustle — come home to Calmar.

CONTACT Kathy Rodberg, CLGM Town Manager info@calmar.ca

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Tapping into By-Products PROJECT: West Fraser’s Lignin Recovery Plant VALUE ADD: Lignin BIOPRODUCTS – WOOD WASTE AND OTHER plant materials converted into everything from glues and textiles to plastics and artificial sweeteners – is widely viewed as a huge economic opportunity for Alberta, and work is already underway to help identify and develop markets for these products.

One of the high-profile projects advancing the evolution of Alberta’s bioproducts sector is West Fraser’s $30-million lignin recovery plant at its pulp mill in Hinton, a town of nearly 10,000 people a little less than 300 kilometres west of Edmonton at the foot of Jasper and the Rocky Mountains. The commercial-scale plant is the first of its kind in Canada and was completed last year.

Lignin is extracted during pulp manufacturing operations and is then repurposed as a renewable substitute for synthetic resin components currently derived from fossil fuels. Alberta Innovates – an arm’s length provincial government agency working with different industries to spur innovation – invested $3 million into the plant.

Steve Price, Alberta Innovates executive director of bioindustrial innovation, says that prior to the upgrade, lignin was used to generate power

for the plant, “but now West Fraser is recovering a portion of the lignin and generating a new revenue stream.”

The most promising application for repurposed lignin to date has been as glue for wood products, such as glulam beams. In a collaborative research and development effort, specialty chemical provider Hexion has determined it can use up to 20 per cent of the new plant’s lignin in its adhesives.

for other initiatives,” says Price.

In this regard, he views West Fraser’s lignin recovery plant as a significant milestone in the growth of the Alberta bioeconomy. The technology has the potential to be adopted by all pulp mills in Canada, which provides not only an economic opportunity but an environmentally friendly opportunity as well, considering every tonne of recovered lignin prevents a tonne of CO2 emissions from entering the atmosphere.

“Many companies are seeking additional revenue streams in order to diversify in what is a cyclical industry. They’re also looking to improve their environmental performance, and we believe business arrangements such as that between West Fraser and Hexion open the door for other initiatives.”

– Steve Price, executive director of bioindustrial innovation with Alberta Innovates “Many companies are seeking additional revenue streams in order to diversify in what is a cyclical industry. They’re also looking to improve their environmental performance, and we believe business arrangements such as that between West Fraser and Hexion open the door

Price points out that other potential applications for lignin include green chemicals, thermoplastic composites and additives.

“This is the first of many applications; another possible one is lignin as a bonding agent for asphalt,” he adds.

WONDER EXTRACT: A valuable by-product of pulp manufacturing, lignin has applications in power generation, synthetic resins, green chemicals, bonding agents, and other uses.

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PHOTOS COURTESY: CAPSTONE INFRASTRUCTURE

GREEN ENERGY: Whitecourt Power's 25-year track record of providing green energy supports the viability of the biomass industry in Alberta.

Renewing Renewable Investment PROJECT: Capstone Infrastructure’s Whitecourt Power Facility VALUE ADD: Biomass THE WHITECOURT POWER BIOMASS FACILITY has been turning wood waste into electricity for more than 20 years and a recent investment from Capstone Infrastructure will ensure the plant continues providing renewable energy for decades to come.

Capstone Infrastructure develops, owns and operates thermal and renewable power generation facilities across Canada. The company got a boost in funding from the Government of Alberta’s Bioenergy Producer Program for its $14.3-million refurbishment of Whitecourt Power. The upgrade was completed towards the end of 2016, and included repairs to the facility’s boiler and an overhaul of its steam turbine/ generator.

“Whitecourt represents a great move forward in minimizing environmental footprints by using waste products to create energy,” says Troy Grainger, executive director of the Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance (GROWTH Alberta), an alliance of nine communities and four supporting agencies in north central Alberta.

Whitecourt Power is located in Woodlands County close to Whitecourt, a town with a population of a little more than 10,000 people that

sits on Highway 43 about 180 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The plant was the first power generating facility in Canada to be certified under the federal government’s EcoLogo program, which recognizes products and services that adhere to stringent environmental standards and practices.

all. For forestry communities like Whitecourt, it keeps people employed, reduces industry footprint, and is less of a burden on landfills.”

Capstone Infrastructure chief executive officer Dave Eva is confident the forestry sector around Whitecourt will be able to supply waste wood in the volumes required for the overhauled facility,

“Whitecourt represents a great move forward in minimizing environmental footprints by using waste products to create energy.”

– Troy Grainger, executive director of the Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance The plant generates power from wood waste supplied from nearby saw and pulp mills. The waste is transformed via fluidized bubbling bed boiler combustion. The combustion generates hot gases, which produce the steam that creates electricity in the turbine/generator. The electricity is sold under a long-term power purchase agreement and delivered to Alberta’s power grid.

Grainger says Whitecourt Power’s 25-year track record of providing green energy, “supports the viability of our biomass industry over-

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securing most of its supply from the nearby Millar Western pulp and lumber mills.

With seven mills less than 100 kilometres away from Whitecourt, the area could become a hotbed of biomass activity.

“Even though the biomass industry in Alberta is still up and coming, it is steadily evolving, as are technological advances,” says Grainger. “There are plenty of opportunities for growth given the amount of product available in the region.”

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ROCKY VIEW COUNTY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

GROWING ALBERTA’S FUTURE PROSPERITY ROCKY VIEW COUNTY IS BOOMING! Rocky View County and Southern Alberta have a rich history of agriculture. For well over a century, farmers and ranchers have made the land productive, managing livestock and cultivating a cornucopia of crops that feed the world. Each year, our Province’s agricultural producers make strategic improvements to the land as they cultivate, nurture and then harvest the fruits of their labour.

Rocky View County has taken the same approach with economic development.

Over this past decade, the County has cultivated huge opportunities and ‘planted’ extensive infrastructure for growth. Projects big and small have been nurtured and encouraged, resulting in spectacular investment and growth. Since 2001, Rocky View has grown business and industrial assessment over 379%. Compare this to 319% growth in Calgary and 343% growth in Edmonton over the same period.

Fertile conditions in Rocky View County continue to attract world-class investments that are looking for places to grow.

AMAZON COMES TO BALZAC In 2017, Amazon announced they would be building their 600,000 square foot fulfillment center to Balzac, north of Calgary. The distribution center will employ 750 people and will be a welcome addition to Rocky View’s growing warehouse and logistics hub. A ribbon-cutting ceremony on October 26, 2017 was attended by Premier Rachel Notley, Federal Minister Kent Hehr, Rocky View Reeve Greg Boehlke and Glenn Sommerville, Director of Operations for Amazon Canada.

Also new to Balzac in 2017, with facilities currently under construction, are Richards Packaging and Modern Sales Co-op. These two world-class companies complement the existing developments in the Balzac and are great examples of the growing diversity of firms coming to Rocky View and the Calgary Region.

Since 2001, Balzac is home to CrossIron Mills, Century Downs Rocky View has Racetrack & Casino, Days Inn Calgary North Balzac and grown business countless numbers of world-class industries and warehouse and industrial facilities. These include the Walmart Food Distribution Center assessment at 1.1 million square feet, the Sobey’s Warehouse at 1.3 million square feet, the Smucker Foods Canada warehouse at 395,000 over 379% square feet and Gordon Food Service Distribution Center at 289,000 square feet. All of these facilities have created a critical mass of development within Western Canada’s transportation and warehousing sector. Rocky View anticipates this decade-long momentum — in combination with the recent Amazon announcement — will continue to attract major investment and development to the Balzac area and other parts Rocky View County.

parking. The New Horizon Mall is unique to Alberta in that each retail unit will be owned by individual shop-owners or investors.

This innovative condo- retail format is common throughout Asia and the Middle East. The New Horizon Mall will feature fashion, health and beauty services, giftware, electronics, food, entertainment and much more.

WHY ROCKY VIEW? WHY NOW? Why is Rocky View County such a great place to invest? Why is Rocky View flourishing when so many communities in Alberta are buckling under the weight of low oil prices and a profoundly impacted Provincial economy? Why do investors continue to flock to Balzac and Rocky View County?

Rocky View offers an impressive selection of fully-serviced land options, all with excellent proximity to metropolitan Calgary. The Balzac area is a perfect example. As well, Rocky View also has no business tax. That means no business revitalization zone levies, no business licenses, no onerous business tax — period. Investors know that Rocky View County is the best place in Alberta to cultivate opportunity.

Rocky View has visionary land owners, confident developers and highly-networked real estate brokers that facilitate major investments: month after month, deal after deal. These people are the foundation of Rocky View’s bright future. They are the seedsource for success.

Visionary leadership by Rocky View’s Council has made Balzac what it is a today — a hub of commercial and industrial growth, a world-class destination for retail and entertainment, a place for investment that is unmatched in Alberta. As every good farmer in Alberta knows, Rocky View County is constantly planning for the next season of growth. Rocky View will continue to cultivate opportunities and plant the seeds of success that will produce Alberta’s prosperous future.

WHAT ELSE IS ON THE HORIZON? Throughout 2017, people travelling Highway 2 between Airdrie and Calgary saw the construction of a magnificent new architectural masterpiece, just south of CrossIron Mills. While a few people thought it was a new stadium for the Calgary Flames, it is in fact a highly anticipated retail destination — the New Horizon Mall.

Scheduled to open in 2018, the New Horizon Mall will be 280,000 square feet, with two levels of retail shops, a cultural entertainment stage and underground

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For more information contact: David Kalinchuk, Economic Development Manager Rocky View County Telephone: (403) 520-8195 E-mail: dkalinchuk@rockyview.ca Website: www.rockyview.ca

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ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY & RESEARCH Northeast | p.94,

Capital | p.96,

Calgary | p.97

$16billion Alberta’s information and communications technology (ICT) industry includes about 4,600 companies and 40,000 employees generating about $16 billion in annual revenues in 2016, making ICT one of Alberta’s key sectors.

BROADBAND SPEED

Download speeds for high-speed/premium Internet services (in MB/sec)

Ontario

This map highlights a few regions with exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

Alberta

99

70

59

British Columbia

Quebec Saskatchewan

50

Manitoba

49

58

0 20 40 60 80 100 Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade, speedtest.net

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ALBERTA 2.0 Alberta's technology sector is at the forefront of cutting-edge innovation and unique partnerships are helping set the province up for future advances

BY JESSICA BARRATT

TART-UP CULTURE HAS CHANGED the way Canadians look at businesses to solve challenges. Companies are operating with more transparency and are more open to collaboration in an effort to make advances.

Alberta’s tech sector is fully embracing this new direction. Applied research is becoming more common as part of post-secondary education, unique collaborations to complex problems are becoming more frequent, and a growing network of support is available to commercialize proven technology.

The efforts are paying off. A 2016 Deal Flow Study from Alberta Enterprise Corporation revealed that the number of technology companies headquartered in Alberta grew by 48 per cent from 927 to 1,373 between 2012 and 2016.

Revenues have also followed with one in five Alberta technology companies in the study reporting over $1 million in annual revenue.

With government support, this trend has high potential to continue. The Alberta government’s research and development expenditures are among the highest in Canada, on a per capita basis, partially thanks to annual

draws on two research endowment funds valued at over $2 billion. The province also has an established competitive funding program for Alberta’s post-secondary institutions that supports the acquisition of research equipment to build research capacity. Since 2001, the program’s investment of $287 million has leveraged $926 million more in other funding.

Here we look at just a few initiatives helping Alberta plug into the international tech scene through education, collaboration and commercialization.

PREPPED FOR SUCCESS: The $10-million Food Sciences Centre at Portage College is bringing students and industry together.

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PHOTOS: OCTOPUS CREATIVE

“FOODPRENEUR” MIGHT NOT BE AN ENTRY in the Oxford Dictionary just yet, but an incubator program at Portage College could have a hand in changing that.

The college’s Food Sciences Centre features four new food science labs—the Kettle Line Lab, the Meat Processing Lab, the Bakery Lab, and the Packaging Lab. The labs are equipped with state-of-the art equipment, including grills, ranges, smokers, and mixers.

“It was a $10 million project that took place in phases over 10 years,” says campus manager Beverly Lockett. “Everything is quite industrial.”

One catering business making use of the foodpreneur-focused incubator is A Cut Above. The father and son business rents kitchen space at Portage College and hosts catered events in the dining room. Recently, A Cut Above entered into a collaboration with the college, working with the school’s culinary students and instructors to provide catered breakfast and lunch for students writing exams.

“It is collaborations like this that portray successes of our program,” Lockett says.

A local meat processor also turned to Portage College Food Sciences centre when he outgrew the community kitchens he was renting. He is now using the Meat Processing, Kettle Line and Packaging labs to prepare his products, with a vision of eventually hiring students to help process and sell his wares in the school’s retail space.

“The dream behind our retail store is to provide an outlet for small producers to sell their products,” says Lockett. “Often we are finding that foodpreneurs do not have access to their buyers or do not have a channel to distribute their product. The vision of our retail space is to provide that opportunity for producers.”

Portage College is just one of three post-secondary institutions in the Northeast Alberta Information Hub (Alberta HUB) region taking a holistic approach to applied education and research, and creating graduates that will have expertise in ever-evolving industries, such as food science and renewable energy.

Alberta HUB is the regional economic organization supporting an area in northeast Alberta that borders Saskatchewan and stretches more than 300 kilometres from Lac La Biche County in the north

to the County of Vermilion River in the south.

University nuhelot’ine thaiyots’i nistameyimâkanak Blue Quills – named after one of Saddle Lake Cree Nation’s founders, Chief Blue Quill (sîpihtakanep) – has been providing post-secondary opportunities locally since the mid-70s. In 1990 the university began to develop and deliver their own highly focused degree and certificate programs, and continue to add to its diverse educational offerings.

“We have just launched a hydroponic ‘mîciwin emaskihkîwakihtek food is medicine’ growing project in partnership with local schools and clubs to inspire whole fresh foods and gardening,” says Sherri Chisan, acting president and director of programs with University Blue Quills.

In collaboration with institutions like the University of Alberta, the University of Calgary, NorQuest College, PowerUp Lac La Biche, and St. Paul Community Futures, Blue Quills offers its students and graduates unparalleled access to an ever-expanding network of potential employers, research partners, and funding opportunities.

“Many have had transformational experiences and are applying knowledge within their communities,” says Chisan.

She also noted that perhaps the most important work the university is doing is around reconciliation. Blue Quills has been working with industry, government, and not-for-profit agencies for several years, promoting greater understanding and healthy relationships, which ultimately improves partnership opportunities.

Meanwhile, Lakeland College’s Renewable Energy and Conservation program is designed for students looking to develop an understanding of climate change; energy security and independence; conservation; and sustainable building construction practices.

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PHOTOS COURTESY: LAKELAND COLLEGE

Alberta Post-Secondary Institutions Prepare Students for Economic Diversification Through Applied Research Programs

RENEWABLE ENERGY: Lakeland College’s Renewable Energy and Conservation program is designed for students looking to develop an understanding of climate change; energy security and independence; conservation; and sustainable building construction practices.

With the Alberta government’s plan of ensuring 30 per cent of electricity in the province is generated by renewable energy by 2030, the program will create graduates that can apply what they learn at planning and development departments with different municipal or provincial government bodies across the province. “The choices are so diverse, it’s almost mind-boggling,” says Rob Baron, instructor at Lakeland College.

Collectively, these and other post-secondary institutions in the province continue to provide graduates with the experience they’ll need to thrive in a diversifying economy. As Bob Bezpalko, executive director of Alberta HUB, puts it: “They’re meeting the needs of businesses and industry, not only for today, but into the future. The opportunities are endless in the Alberta HUB region.”

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Global Artificial Intelligence Leader Taps Into University of Alberta Brain Power EDMONTON’S RISE AS A GLOBAL LEADER in artificial intelligence research was confirmed when one of the world’s top firms in the field chose Alberta’s capital as the home of its first international research lab.

England-based DeepMind – who already employs about a dozen University of Alberta alumni – knew exactly where to look when deciding to expand outside of its home country, and will work in partnership with the University of Alberta’s Computing Science and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation departments.

“This alignment of academic and practitioner-led research will drive a whole host of new scientific breakthroughs right here in Canada,” says Richard Sutton, one of three University of Alberta professors who will lead the DeepMind Alberta team.

DeepMind was formed in 2010 with the aim of developing computer programs that could solve complex problems without hav-

ing the answers “taught” or programmed into the computer. The company’s work started in gaming, but the learnings were soon applied to solve environmental problems and health care. This progress gained the company attention, and DeepMind was purchased by Google in 2014.

“From the start of DeepMind I’ve always felt a kinship, like we held the same views of the challenges of AI and how to tackle them,” comments DeepMind Alberta’s Michael Bowling.

Under the leadership of Sutton, Bowling, and Patrick Pilarski, DeepMind Alberta will benefit from an established network of Edmonton’s top artificial intelligence professionals.

“We’re already known for making AI advances through gaming,” says Dr. Jonathan Schaeffer, dean of the Faculty of Science at the University of Alberta, referring to their decadeslong track record in creating machines that can outplay humans. “Games are just the begin-

ning. We use that knowledge in other applications,” he notes, pointing to Pilarski’s expertise in rehabilitation health.

Artificial intelligence is anticipated to greatly impact the way people live and work, and become a billion-dollar industry within the next 10 years. The full impact of artificial intelligence and machine learning developments is yet to be known, but they are part of a suite of technologies that was dubbed the Fourth Industrial Revolution by the World Economic Forum.

The presence of an industry leader like DeepMind Alberta in Edmonton is expected to improve the province’s stakes in a highly competitive global industry. “We have great students come through the U of A only to find jobs outside of Canada,” says Schaeffer. “By attracting new companies and having them create excellent jobs here, our graduates will be able to stay in town.”

DEEP MINDS: University of Alberta professors and artificial intelligence researchers (L to R) Richard Sutton, Michael Bowling, and Patrick Pilarski are working with DeepMind to open the AI powerhouse company's first research lab outside the United Kingdom in Edmonton.

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PHOTO COURTESY: DISTRICT VENTURES-IBM INNOVATION SPACE PHOTO: JOHN ULAN

Calgary-Based Innovation Accelerator Sees Promise in Lifesaving Technology APPLE HAS SIRI, AMAZON HAS ALEXA AND Microsoft has Cortana. SIX Safety Systems has LUCI. While the Calgary-based company’s technology was developed as a fatigue and detection management system – not a voice-controlled digital assistant like her artificial intelligence counterparts Siri, Alexa and Cortana – LUCI may actually save lives.

By using real-time fatigue and distraction monitoring technology, LUCI uses near-infrared sensors placed on an operator’s dash/workstation to detect and measure the operator’s eye movements. The readings are immediately analyzed to determine levels of fatigue and distraction.

LUCI was conceived by SIX Safety Systems and commercialization of the company’s technology recently got a boost from tech giant IBM Canada during the launch of a new technology accelerator space in Calgary.

In March 2017, IBM Canada and District Ventures partnered to establish an innovation space in Calgary. SIX Safety was one of eight companies that made up the inaugural cohort for the District Ventures-IBM Innovation Space. During its year-long residency in the Innovation Space, SIX Safety concentrated its efforts to further develop and commercialize LUCI.

“During our time [there], we have deployed a record number of LUCI systems in a variety of vertical markets. We are thrilled that LUCI is in the field saving lives,” says Emily Overes, SIX Safety’s director of marketing and communications.

Using a “demand-driven” approach, the District Venture-IBM Innovation Space taps a roster of industry experts to help companies target their problems, challenges or business gaps.

“Once that is nailed, they can more easily raise capital, create brand awareness, and develop the necessary technical skills to execute their vision,” says Robert McMurtry, executive with the Innovation Space. “We believe that by harnessing the power of IBM’s artificial intelligence, blockchain, and internet of things capabilities quickly and with precision, our Innovation Space cohort companies can enable change and increase value much more rapidly.”

Companies accepted into the Innovation Space benefit from direct access to IBM’s artificial intelligence service, better known as Watson.

“By harnessing the power of Watson Analytics, we’ve effectively begun measuring the effects of operator fatigue against any KPI our customers deem important,” says Overes. “This predictive risk analysis unlocks a multitude of possibilities that will

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FAST TRACKING: A new innovation accelerator in Calgary is helping tech companies define their markets and commercialize innovations.

deliver a positive return on their investment.”

As an innovation accelerator, the Innovation Space provides resources for both entrepreneurs and large businesses – and Alberta’s information and communications technology (ICT) industry is large. In 2016, Alberta’s ICT industry included about 4,600 companies and 40,000 employees generating about $16 billion in annual revenues.

In Calgary, it’s an industry that is poised to grow.

Alberta’s largest city already has an established network of organizations focused on start-ups, such as incubators Startup Calgary and Innovate Calgary.

In addition, 27 per cent of all graduates from Calgary’s seven post-secondary institutions are from science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) programs.

The first cohort of Innovation Space companies that included SIX Safety’s LUCI system came from a wide range of industries, such as health care, natural resources, financial services, clean tech, and agriculture.

“We’re thrilled that we’ve just completed our first cohort in the Innovation Space, and we’re looking forward to applying what we’ve learned to build an even better program for cohort II,” says McMurtry. “This program is accelerating the process of economic diversification in Alberta.”

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CITY OF AIRDRIE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

BUSINESS-FRIENDLY AND ENGAGED

STORY BY MARIO TONEGUZZI

PHOTO BY SERGEI BELSKI

Airdrie opportunity proved successful for Spira Systems

RON PATTERSON OF SPIRA SYSTEMS

BUSINESSES STRUGGLE DURING A

“Not having any business tax here, they’ve been quite engaged in helping us get established.”

– Ron Patterson

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recession, but Ron Patterson took the recent economic downturn in Alberta as an opportunity to start his enterprise.

Airdrie-based Spira Systems, established in July 2015, is growing and today has nine employees with headquarters and a manufacturing facility in 25,000 square feet.

“It’s a drilling tool manufacturing company that focuses on directional drilling equipment and primarily power sections,” says Patterson, well-experienced in the power section and drilling motor industry. “Essentially the products that we make, they power the drill bit for both oil and gas and utility drilling.”

Patterson says the recession that spanned two years in Alberta in 2015 and 2016 was the trigger point to start the company.

“With the oil and gas industry being in such a big boom, it inflates costs. It inflates availability of people. Inflates from capital equipment to people to facilities at a premium,” he says. “With a downturn coming we knew that facilities would become available…. We were able to get people. We were able to capitalize equipment at a fraction of what it would have been in an upturn.

And personnel, we were able to secure some very quality people with knowledge in the industry who otherwise we wouldn’t be able to get.”

Establishing the business in Airdrie was also opportunistic.

The type of facility the company was looking for was hard to find in Calgary. It needed yard space, overhead room for cranes, good clean offices, and lots of parking.

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“We got word that our building was available before it even hit the market. And Airdrie, too, has been quite business friendly.

Not having any business tax here, they’ve been quite engaged in helping us get established here,” says Patterson.

Spira Systems is a privately-owned manufacturing company, supplying the oil and gas drilling industry with premium quality products and superior customer service.

Spira Systems combines the operational expertise of a North American power section manufacturing team with Artemis, a German engineering company.

“Together we are committed to delivering exceptional quality stators, rotors and relines to the North American drilling motor industry,” says Patterson, who has been involved in the downhole drilling tool and drilling motor industries for more than 25 years.

“Essentially at the very basic level we’re a rubber moulding and machine company. We are joint venture with a German company out of Hanover. They’re a family run, quite large rubber manufacturing company specializing in oil and gas and agricultural rubber products,” says Patterson.

Artemis produces all of the company’s rubber compounding and mixing. It was looking to expand into North America and it knew of Patterson and his partners’ reputation in this environment.

Chris Thomson is the company’s vice-president and Majid Delpassand serves as its vice-president in the United States.

Business has been good since Spira started with clients primarily in Canada and the United States. It has been doing some business with international clients as well.

Plans for growth include “future expansion into the U.S., if we can,” says Patterson. “Product line expansion will be another growth. We’ll probably diversify into comparable product lines.

That may be outside the oil and gas industry as well.”

For more information contact: Kent Rupert, Team Leader Airdrie Economic Development 403-948-8844 | 1-888-AIRDRIE (247-3743) economic.development@airdrie.ca www.airdrienow.ca

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ARTS & TOURISM Southwest, South Central, West Yellowhead, Capital, Northeast, Capital | p.102 Calgary | p.103

Palliser, Calgary, Central, Wood Buffalo | p.101

$8.1 billion

Tourism in Alberta is a significant economic driver. It supports more than 127,000 jobs across Alberta, and generated approximately $8.1 billion in tourism expenditures in 2015. About $3.4 billion, came from out-of-province and international visitors.

Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Alberta Culture and Tourism, Statistics Canada

This map highlights a few exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

ALBERTA TOURISM EXPENDITURES BY VISITOR ORIGIN 2015

58% Alberta

19% Rest of Canada 10% United States

13% Overseas

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ILLUSTRATION: HEFF O'REILLY

ON TAP: Today there are over 69 brewing licenses in Alberta, compared to only 18 in 2014.

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BY THERESA TAYLER

The ingredients for a typical date night are anything but ordinary in Alberta LBERTA’S BEVERAGE, FOOD, AND FILM AND television industries are tapping into the province’s rich heritage to offer vibrant experiences and exciting investment opportunities.

It all starts with the landscape. Alberta offers its residents and visitors exceptional tourism experiences and adventures, with world-renowned attractions, vibrant cities, and the most diverse and scenic landscapes in North America. Alberta has five UNESCO World Heritage Sites, more than 480 provincial parks, 18 provincial historic sites and 5 national parks.

This backdrop has literally set the stage for a number of blockbuster movies, and more is being done to draw movie and television producers to the province. The landscape is also part of the draw for adventurous food and drink tourists who can sample the best of what Alberta has to offer in any corner of the province, while admiring the stunning views of mountains, forests, rolling hills or prairies.

Here we meet just a few of the people helping put Alberta’s beverage, food, and film and television industries on the map.

DRINKS Craft Beer Brewers Across Alberta Serve Up New Tourist Destinations WHEN YOU THINK OF NAPA AND SONOMA, wine comes to mind. Kentucky is known for the Bourbon Trail and Portland is known for beer. So, what do wine connoisseurs and beer lovers think of when they think of Alberta?

“We’re often compared to places such as Colorado, which is a major brewing mecca in the [United] States,” says Terry Rock, executive director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association (ASBA). “Destination brewers include those in Hinton and Crowsnest Pass, Lethbridge, from a tourism perspective it’s wonderful — a person can travel all over the province and sample local beer.”

Alberta Culture and Tourism announced a craft brewery grant of $60,000 to help the ASBA develop the province’s local beer brand, and establish craft brewing as a must-visit experience for beer fans and brewers from around the world.

“We’re going to start pulling together all of these elements and create a healthy tourism network around our industry,” Rock says.

Craft beer production is exploding across Alberta for a variety of reasons, including a vibrant 100-year legacy, new regulations that make it easier for smaller brewers to enter the market, magnificent malt barley and some of the best water in the world.

Alberta’s beer legacy began hundreds of years ago in the late-1800s with folks such as Alfred Ernest Cross who founded the Calgary Brewing and Malting Company, Fritz Sick of the Lethbridge Brewing and Malting Company, and the Saskatchewan Brewery, located in Medicine Hat. Of course, more recently, we can point to Big Rock Brewery founder Ed McNally.

are creative and different,” Rock says, adding that Calgary alone is nearing 30 breweries.

Adding to the perfect brew for an invigorated industry of passionate, Alberta-based entrepreneurs is a quality education program.

“There’s the program at Olds College for [Brewmasters and Brewery Operations Management]. It’s a two-year program, and they’ve just

“From a tourism perspective it’s wonderful — a person can travel all over the province and sample local beer.”

– Terry Rock, executive director of the Alberta Small Brewers Association

Today, there are currently 69 brewing licenses in Alberta, compared to only 18 in 2014. Rock says the influx is primarily attributed to a new set of regulations set out by the Alberta government in 2013 that opened the spigot on the amount of beer being brewed by removing the minimum requirement for brewers to produce at least 500,000 litres per year.

“Alberta’s economy is going through a change, and part of that change is people are looking for new and unique opportunities that

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added distilling. Let me tell you, everyone gets a job who goes through that curriculum,” Rock says.

Alberta has quality craft brewers operating everywhere from Edson to Edmonton, and Lacombe to Fort McMurray. Part of the reason Alberta beer tastes so darn good, is our barley.

“We have the best barley in the world and we produce hundreds of thousands of tons of malt barley a year and export most of that. We’re world leaders. It’s similar to how B.C. [British Columbia] is known for great grapes,” says Rock.

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DINNER Prominent Alberta Chefs Dish Out a Unique Indigenous Food Tourism Experience IMAGINE CAMPING IN A TIPI UNDER THE stars in Sir Winston Churchill Provincial Park, adjacent to beautiful Lac La Biche, while feasting on locally farmed, foraged and hunted delicacies, all prepared in traditional First Nations’ gastronomic style.

This lakeside experience about 220 kilometres northeast of Edmonton is what was served up to adventurous foodies at the first Cook it Raw Alberta event and the model for a new food tourism culinary camping program in the province.

“My purpose is sharing the knowledge of where we come from and history around food,” says Shane Mederic Chartrand, executive chef of Sage at River Cree Resort and Casino in Edmonton. “Each nation across Canada is so different in their history; there’s not one type of indigenous food. I’m trying my best to shed light on all indigenous food and its connection to history, spirituality... There’s not a whole lot of (recipe) traditions that have been written down.”

Chartrand has indigenous Enoch Cree Nation roots, and the culinary tours give him an opportunity to share stories and history with travellers to Alberta and local food tourists. He teaches cooking classes to indigenous youth, and took part in the Cook It Raw Alberta event.

The Cook It Raw series was launched in 2009 and unites top chefs from around the world, so they can collaborate and learn together in different interna-

tional locations. In 2015, the event made its way to Alberta and the Cook it Raw chefs embarked on a culinary journey to Lac La Biche. Fourteen of the province’s top chefs descended upon Birch Island (or as the locals call it, cucumber island due to its shape) to hunt, forage, fish and participate in First Nations’ traditions such as a Sweat Lodge and the breakdown of the sacred bison.

Chefs used everything from local wheat berries, faro, rose hips and barley to freshly caught fish and bison. The pilot project resulted in a shared final meal with the people of Beaver Lake Cree Nation.

ism Alliance (ACTA). Following the first event, ACTA realized they had a special opportunity to develop a culinary camping experience that would be unique to Alberta.

Two years after the initial collaboration, the culinary camping pilot program was born, featuring Alberta chefs, such Chartrand, Debra Poulin (Twisted Fork in St. Paul) and Bill Alexander (Little Chief Restaurant at Grey Eagle Casino in Calgary). ACTA plans to run one cooking weekend inspired by indigenous food each year, and create a culinary calendar of events that travels around the province.

“As a foodie destination, Alberta is up and coming.

We have some wonderful world-class chefs, and we’re starting to get some major international attention.”

– Tannis Baker, executive director of Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance “We move so fast these days. We don’t sit and talk, and share and listen to our own stories. Sharing food is a big part of that,” Chartrand says. “We don’t celebrate that nearly enough, and food makes those moments so much better; because food is medicine, it changes who we are.”

That Cook It Raw Alberta event was a collaboration between the Native Friendship Centre, Sir Winston Churchill Park and the Alberta Culinary Tour-

“As a foodie destination, Alberta is up and coming. We have some wonderful world-class chefs, and we’re starting to get some major international attention, in part due to programs like Cook it Raw which brings chefs together to collaborate and meet,” says Tannis Baker, executive director of ACTA. “Our chefs are starting to get invited to international events and conferences, and put Alberta on the culinary map.”

PHOTOS: GABRIEL HALL

UNIQUE EXPERIENCE: The Alberta Culinary Tourism Alliance plans to run one cooking weekend inspired by indigenous food each year.

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Town of Bon Accord

MOVIE New Incentives Aim to Give Alberta Expanded Role in Hollywood Films

PHOTO COURTESY: CALGARY ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

50 ACADEMY AWARDS AND 22 EMMY Awards out of 90 nominations would make an impressive trophy case – and it’s precisely how much bling Alberta has earned in the past 15 years, more than any other jurisdiction in Canada.

Luke Azevedo believes the province is poised and ready to achieve even greater success in the limelight.

“We generated $246 million dollars last year through the film and television industry in this province. And, we anticipate that this year (2017) it will be higher,” says the commissioner of film, television and creative industries with Calgary Economic Development.

“We are going to see this industry grow exponentially over the next five to seven years.”

Alberta has a lot to offer potential investors. As of October 2017, the industry is getting a boost from the Screen-Based Production Grant from the Alberta government, which will make $45 million per year available to production companies working in Alberta. Movie makers can apply for up to 30 per cent of their eligible expenditures made in the province.

“For each project that moves the cap from $5 million to $7.5 million. We’re much more globally competitive now for higher budget films and series.

We’re in a position now where visiting studios can do much larger spends in Alberta while working with the Calgary Film Centre, CL Ranch and many others across the province,” Azevedo says.

Over the last few years, Alberta has played centre stage for a number of blockbuster movies including, Interstellar starring Matthew McConaughey (2014) and The Revenant starring Leonardo DiCaprio (2015). The list of credits also includes critically

acclaimed television shows, such as Fargo and Canadian-made favourites, such as Heartland.

In November 2017, Azevedo was in California attending the American Film and Market Conferences. It’s one of the industry’s most significant international events. Thousands of movie and television-making leaders arrive in Santa Monica, Calif., for a week of deal-making, screenings, conferences and networking. Calgary’s film commissioner was among representatives from more than 80 countries.

“We’re meeting with all sorts of folks from all of the major studios and large independent producers, as well as supporting some of our local producers from Alberta who are there to connect and make deals,” Azevedo says.

As well as the variety of scenic backdrops – from the brawn of the Rocky Mountains to the beauty of the prairies and badlands – Alberta also boasts experienced movie crews, and other incentives that bring casts and movie-making teams from around the world to shoot here.

“With continued government support, we would like to see it grow to a half a billion-dollar industry over the next five years,” Azevedo says. “We have some of the best crews and talent in the world here, not to mention amazing facilities. All of this accumulates to make Alberta one of the top locations in North America for productions to look to.”

Albertans should probably keep their stylists on speed dial for the next red-carpet event because it’s only a matter of time before we start, once again, racking in the Hollywood awards.

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TOWN OF VERMILION

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

NEW IDEAS FOR BUSINESS

THE TOWN OF VERMILION PLACES A

With new developments in industrial, highway commercial and residential areas, the Town of Vermilion is experiencing an increase in business investment.

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high priority on economic development. The town boasts the best of both worlds – big city amenities with small-town friendliness and security.

Strategically located along the picturesque Vermilion River at the main intersection of Yellowhead Highway 16 and Buffalo Trail Highway 41, Vermilion is a hub within the Alberta Eastern Trade Corridor. Two hours east of Edmonton and the Edmonton International Airport, and only 30 minutes from Lloydminster, Vermilion is recognized as a strong and effective service centre.

The town’s local economy is based primarily on two key sectors – agriculture and the oil and gas industry. Agriculture is the foundation on which the Vermilion region was built. The industry includes grain, oil seeds, beef, hogs, specialized livestock and dairy products, and the region plays host to numerous trade shows, seminars and sales related to the agriculture industry. On the crossroads of Highway 16 and 41, Vermilion is strategically located between the oil fields in Wainwright, Lloydminster, Elk Point and Cold Lake. Located within the Alberta HUB region, Vermilion benefits and has access to the Cold Lake oil sands area, as well as a major part of the Athabasca oil sands – Vermilion is experiencing economic growth.

Vermilion offers quality parks including the Vermilion Provincial Park, recreational and cultural facilities and programs complimented by well-designed neighborhoods and crescents, along with a mix of commercial and industrial businesses.

The town also offers outstanding medical services. Residents say that the quality of life in Vermilion is second to none, thanks to great amenities and services, growth and development,

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established businesses, a good variety of new businesses, lots of parks and green spaces, various activities, a good economy, good health care and a very family-oriented community.

Vermilion is a great place to purchase or build a home – the town has everything from mature neighbourhoods with majestic tree-lined boulevards to brand new subdivisions bustling with family activity. There are also single family dwellings, condominiums and seniors-focused housing complexes. Our newest residential subdivision will feature housing for various markets, great builders and wonderful communities. Whether you move to raise a family or to retire in a beautiful, safe and friendly community, Vermilion is a great place to find your dream home. Its residents are outstanding citizens donating their time, talents and finances to local boards, cultural groups, committees and sports teams. Vermilion is so active it is hard not to get involved.

There are plenty of opportunities to shop locally in Vermilion, where familiar faces greet customers within an array of businesses including pharmacies, clothing, furniture, hardware and lumber, agricultural dealerships, oilfield companies, boutiques and restaurants.

With new developments in industrial, highway commercial and residential areas, the Town of Vermilion is ready for business.

For more information contact: Mary Lee Prior, Economic Development 5021 – 49 Avenue, Vermilion, AB T9X 1X1 Phone: 780-581-2419 Fax: 780-853-4910 Email: economic@vermilion.ca Twitter: @NewIdeas4Living Facebook: /TownofVermilion Instagram: ExploreVermilion

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SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

SPECIAL AREA NO. 4 SPECIAL AREA NO. 4 REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT REGIONAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

BUILDING BUILDING CREATIVE CREATIVE COMMUNITIES COMMUNITIES ON THE NORTHERN END OF ON THE NORTHERN END OF the Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP) you can the Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP) you can find Special Area #4 (SA4). Extending from the find Special Area #4 (SA4). Extending from the Neutral Hills in the north to the Sharp Hills in the Neutral Hills in the north to the Sharp Hills in the south, SA4 is made of diverse landscapes, people, south, SA4 is made of diverse landscapes, people, and businesses. Regional strength in the agriculture, and businesses. Regional strength in the agriculture, energy and the oil and gas industries makes Special energy and the oil and gas industries makes Special Area No.4 the place to grow, live and invest. SA4 is Area No.4 the place to grow, live and invest. SA4 is dedicated to building creative communities throughdedicated to building creative communities throughout the region and one example of that would be the out the region and one example of that would be the Village of Consort. Consort can be found at the Village of Consort. Consort can be found at the intersection of Highway 41 and Highway 12 with a intersection of Highway 41 and Highway 12 with a direct route to Saskatchewan. direct route to Saskatchewan.

Consort and its surrounding area is rich with Consort and its surrounding area is rich with energy resources. New exciting projects happening in energy resources. New exciting projects happening in the community include a new windmill farm and the community include a new windmill farm and solar panel projects along with multiple new busisolar panel projects along with multiple new busi-

nesses in the area. The “Village of Opportunity” also nesses in the area. The “Village of Opportunity” also has a supportive municipal government that encourhas a supportive municipal government that encourages innovative ideas to enhance and maintain a qualiages innovative ideas to enhance and maintain a quality of life for all residents in the area. Their recent tax ty of life for all residents in the area. Their recent tax incentive for new industrial lots sold, worked very well incentive for new industrial lots sold, worked very well and the Village is already creating more industrial lots and the Village is already creating more industrial lots to meet the demand for retail space. With their to meet the demand for retail space. With their “Return to Rural” Initiative, Consort is attracting “Return to Rural” Initiative, Consort is attracting great growth with new businesses cropping up and great growth with new businesses cropping up and proving that rural business can thrive. With accessible proving that rural business can thrive. With accessible hi-speed internet to the area, existing and new busihi-speed internet to the area, existing and new business can benefit and all be players in the bigger market ness can benefit and all be players in the bigger market at large, putting their businesses out to the world. The at large, putting their businesses out to the world. The Village of Consort and the surrounding Special Area Village of Consort and the surrounding Special Area #4 have the resources you need to not only create, but #4 have the resources you need to not only create, but invest in local business in a welcoming, positive, and invest in local business in a welcoming, positive, and vibrant environment. vibrant environment.

For more information contact: For more information contact: Wanda Diakow Wanda Diakow Economic Development Officer Economic Development Officer (403) 577-3523 (403) 577-3523 www.specialarea4red.ca www.specialarea4red.ca

VILLAGE VILLAGE OO F F C C ONSORT ONSORT The The Village Village of of Opportunity Opportunity www.consort.ca www.consort.ca

Building Creative Communities in SA #4 Building Creative Communities in SA #4

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TRANSPORTATION & LOGISTICS Battle River | p.108 Palliser | p.112 Capital | p.114 Mackenzie | p.118

$34.8 billion

The Government of Alberta’s $34.8-billion infrastructure program in the Jobs Plan is helping stimulate the economy, keep people working and address the province’s infrastructure deficit.

ALBERTA’S MAJOR EXPORTS 2016 (in $ billions)

$78.9 BILLION

2.2 Others 0.7 Transportation Equipment This map highlights a few exciting stories of economic innovation in this particular sector of Alberta’s economy, and is not meant to be a representation of the entirety of activity in this sector throughout the province.

0.7 Electronic & Electrical Products 1.2 Refined Petroleum Products 2.8 Metals & Machinery 2.9 Forestry Products 4.7 Processed Food & Beverages 5.1 Crops & Livestock 43.3 Crude Petroleum 7.4 Gas and Gas Liquids

7.9 Petrochemicals

Sources: Alberta Economic Development and Trade, Statistics Canada

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BY ANY MODE

NECESSARY A combination of pipelines and trucks deliver economic activity to an east-central Alberta hub

BY DALE LUNAN

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PHOTO COURTESY: HUSKY ENERGY

ANY REGIONS ACROSS ALBERTA have felt the impact of the crude oil price collapse since 2014, but many regions have also responded by continuing to build strong investment opportunities.

The Town of Hardisty is a good example of that. In this community of 554 people, it’s the tank farms and crude oil terminals that serve as the backbone of economic activity and job creation.

Enbridge and Gibson Energy are the major operators of tank storage in this prairie landscape of east-central Alberta, about 200 kilometres southeast of Edmonton.

No less than 10 pipelines bring crude oil into Hardisty, while four others send it out to markets across Canada and the United States. Some of those inbound pipelines originate in the oil sands region near Fort McMurray, more than 500 kilometres away in northeast Alberta.

“There are four pipelines that go straight into Hardisty from Fort McMurray and any increased volumes of oil moving on those pipelines helps not only Hardisty but the whole region,” says Arnold Hanson, chair of Battle River Alliance for Economic Development (BRAED), noting that increased inflows of crude also creates inflows of jobs with the tank farm operators. Gibson Energy, for example, hires a number of contract operators to run their tanker-trailers in support of the terminal operations.

Gibson is aggressively expanding those terminal operations at Hardisty as oil sands production continues to grow, despite the lower crude prices. Its latest project is the addition of three new tanks, which will add 1.1 million barrels of storage capacity. Two of the tanks, each 300,000 barrels, are underpinned by a long-term, fixed-fee contract with a large oil sands producer. The third tank, at 500,000 barrels, will service terminal operation needs.

“Our Hardisty terminal continues to demonstrate its commercial competitiveness and this contract affirms the on-going demand for our strategic storage infrastructure in support of incremental oil sands brownfield development,” Gibson president Steve Spaulding said in a statement.

The terminals operated by Gibson Energy, Enbridge, TransCanada and others help put Hardisty on the map.

“When tanks are being added, we’ll usually see an influx of about 100 workers over the course of the project,” says Sandy Otto, chief administrative officer for the Town of Hardisty. “And big projects, like when Enbridge added 19 tanks over three years or so, pushed our shadow population to 1,200.”

Those projects add an economic boost to the entire town, with some workers staying at hotels and campgrounds, others at an Enbridge-built work camp in town, and all of them supporting local businesses for the duration of the project.

Ben Brunnen, vice-president of oil sands for the Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers, says oil sands development will continue to contribute to Alberta’s economy over the next several years, with production expected to hit 3.7 million barrels per day by 2030 from about 2.4 million barrels per day today.

“We will see growth, and a lot of that growth is coming because of existing investments in the oil sands,” he says.

“We will see production growth from long lead time mining projects, but we will also see some additional investment in SAGD [steam-assisted gravity drainage] areas where they are stepping out production of a known reservoir.”

All of that oil sands investment, he says, trickles down throughout the province — an estimated 20,000 Alberta companies form part of the supply chain — and helps economic regions like BRAED and communities like Hardisty.

“There are four pipelines that go straight into Hardisty from Fort McMurray and any increased volumes of oil moving on those pipelines helps not only Hardisty but the whole region.”

– Arnold Hanson, chair of Battle River Alliance for Economic Development “One of the biggest drivers of activity right now is the trucking industry, because most of the oil produced around here is hauled to Hardisty and the tank farms there by truck,” says BRAED’s Hanson. “That’s a big thing because it spills off into mechanical services and even some soft custom services and our region needs that.”

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ASPHALT PIPELINE: Although there are 10 pipelines bringing oil to the crude oil terminals at Hardisty, trucks are still an important part of the supply chain.

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FLAGSTAFF COUNTY

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

AN AGRICULTURAL POWERHOUSE

With plentiful resources and a wonderful quality of life, Flagstaff County could be your future.

QUICK FACTS

POPULATION (2016): 8,361 RESIDENTIAL STRUCTURES (2014): 3,770 HOUSING STARTS (2015): 32 CONSTRUCTION VALUE (2015): $54.8 Million

AT THE ROOT OF THE FLAGSTAFF

Region’s rich farming heritage lies one million acres of fertile farmAVERAGE RESALE SINGLE-FAMILY HOUSE PRICE (2016): $156,820 VALUE OF DEVELOPMENT PERMITS (2015): $54.8 million land. This arable land forms the bedrock our very existence.

NUMBER OFof REGISTERED BUSINESSES (2016): 508 Our purpose-driven forefathers toiled this same soil for decades, plowing The Region is within easy driving distance from major centres such as Camrose, Edmonton, and Red Deer. Whether a path to prosperity through sheer resilience and resourcefulness forit is connecting to Alberta’s abundant natural resources to the north or linking to major markets to the east, west, and generations of farming families. south, the Flagstaff Region is within reach.

BATTLE RIVER ALLIANCE FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Source: Statistics Canada

• • • • • • • •

75 kilometres east of Camrose 115 kilometres west of Wainwright 150 kilometres southeast of Edmonton 200 kilometres northeast of Red Deer 325 kilometres northeast of Calgary 160 kilometres from Saskatchewan border 440 kilometres north of United States border 550 kilometres south of Fort McMurray

LAND OF OPPORTUNITY

The Flagstaff Region – truly a land of opportunity.

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Today’s farmers build on that legacy, maintaining our region’s historic role as an agricultural powerhouse. That notion is clearly evidenced by the fact the Flagstaff Region currently home to the secMAJOR is ROADWAYS: • Convenient access to the Eastern Alberta Trade Corridor (EATC), linking northern Alberta to Mexico – an ond-most Alberta Century Farm and Ranch Award recipients • Highway 36 (part of EATC and the high load corridor north and south) honour bestowed by the provincial government to those families • Highway 53 (east/west trade corridor) • Highway 13 (east/west trade corridor) who have continually owned and actively operated the same land for AIRPORTS: a minimum of 100 years.

• Municipal Airports: Flagstaff Regional Airport and Hardisty Airport • Edmonton International Airport, 150yields kilometresof away Today, Flagstaff Region farmland produces bountiful RAIL: wheat, canola, barley, peas, flax, oats,• and specialty crops that have Canadian Pacific Railway • Battle River Railway Short-line (previously Canadian the potential to be processed locally inNational a low-cost business environline) COURIER: ment.

• Full courier services Markets are well-established, including Viterra, Great Northern INTERNET: • High-speed Internet commonly available Grain and Paterson Grain. Easy market access is available via the www.stopatnothing.ca Battle River Railway, a CN short-line partner and innovator of a Composite Blending Program supporting the agriculture supply chain, and the main Canadian Pacific Railway line. The Flagstaff Region – truly a land of opportunity – beckons entrepreneurs and agri-food processors to produce market-ready items such as meat snacks, pulse foods, ready-made meals, and locally sourced canned goods, to name a few.

We are also a provincial distribution hub for the North American oil and gas sector via the establishment of the Hardisty Energy Hub. Available low-cost industrial land and an established industry support network boasts thriving freight trucking, management consulting, machinery and equipment repair, and metal fabrication enterprises that reward entrepreneurial initiative. Opportunities abound in bio energy, metal fabrication supporting local and oil sands energy development, and solar/wind power.

The Flagstaff Region – with Highways 13 and 36, and direct access to Highway 2 – is within easy driving distance from major centres such as Edmonton and Calgary, connecting Alberta’s natural resources to all other major markets.

The ties that bind us are the potential for industry access to a vast underground aquifer and bulk water stations, competitive wages for skilled labour, very affordable housing, openness to consider industry development proposals, and competitive business costs.

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FORT MCMURRAY

MAJOR HIGHWAYS HIGH LOAD CORRIDORS EASTERN ALBERTA TRADE CORRIDOR

EDMONTON

FLAGSTAFF REGION

CALGARY

‘CLASSIC ALBERTA’ Our deep-rooted agricultural heritage, while keeping us grounded, has withstood the test of time. It forms our “Classic 2 Alberta” identity and will serve as a fortified foundation upon which we will continue to grow into the future.

Find Flagstaff • 75 km east of Camrose • 325 km northeast of Calgary • 115 km west of Wainwright • 140 km from the Saskatchewan boundary • 150 km southeast of Edmonton • 420 km north of the United States border • 200 km northeast of Red Deer • 550 km south of Fort McMurray

For more information contact: Jenalee Blackhurst Economic Development Coordinator Flagstaff County | 780-384-4152 jblackhurst@flagstaff.ab.ca www.flagstaff.ab.ca

Embracing Change Creating Opportunity edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

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NOTHING SO GOOD.

A Place to Grow The Flagstaff Region is located on an aquifer, meaning water is accessible in vast supply. The Region is as accessible as it is beautiful, featuring the Battle River Railway short-line servicing the local agriculture sector.

Find out how you can capitalize on our number one industry - agriculture.

www.StopAtNothing.ca

RIGHT SIDE OF

THE TRACKS Development of a new rail yard and logistics park is aiming to put a small southern Alberta community on the fast track to becoming a transportation hub

BY KELLEY STARK

DIGGING IN: Ground breaking for phase one of the Oyen Rail Yard and Logistics Park commenced in October 2017 and will include $2.1 million in upgrades to existing rail, construction of new rail and initial site preparation. (From L to R) Todd Garman, Iron Horse Energy Services; Jay Slemp, Palliser Economic Partnership; Jordon Christianson, Special Areas Board; Doug Jones, Town of Oyen; Charmain Snell, Town of Oyen.

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PHOTOS: MAEGAN CHOSTNER

HAT’S OLD IS NEW AGAIN in southeastern Alberta. A railway stop that once sat on the main line from Saskatoon to Calgary is now drawing interest from companies in several different industries and global shipping routes, as a key intermediate transportation hub in Western Canada.

Even with 155 acres set aside for the Oyen Rail Yard and Logistics Park, the project developers might have to look at ways to expand.

“We’re expecting to grow,” says Town of Oyen Mayor Doug Jones. “It’s really progressed quite quickly.”

Ground breaking commenced for the Oyen Rail Yard and Logistics Park in October 2017.

Phase one of the project will see the existing railyards located on the north edge of Oyen developed into a logistics park capable of managing up to 2,500 cars annually. Estimated costs of the initial phase are $2.1 million and include upgrades to existing rail, construction of new rail and initial site preparation. Even before phase one was underway, the developers had secured service from a major rail company, an energy services company as an anchor tenant, fielded inquiries from other oil companies, agriculture outfits and renewable energy providers, as well as container cars for shipping overseas.

“There are three wind projects that have been bid on in our area,” says Jones. All three inquired about bringing in products like wind towers and blades, which could take up to 15,000 rail cars – roughly a mile and a half long.

In December 2017, the Alberta government auctioned off 600 megawatts of renewable electricity, enough to power up to 255,000 homes. Three wind power projects won this opening round of the Renewable Electricity Program and one of those projects will be located 50 kilometres north of Oyen. EDP Renewables, a Portugal-based renewable power company with wind farms around the world, anticipates its 248-megawatt Sharp Hills wind farm to begin commercial operation in December 2019.

Space for handling the large pieces of equipment associated with wind power projects will be incorporated into phase two of the logistics park development. The early interest proves that there is demand for regional transportation hubs to facilitate the movement of goods outside the Calgary-Edmonton corridor.

“Economic development going forward in North America is largely going to be dependent on how municipalities are preparing themselves from an infrastructure point of view to accommodate growth,” says Walter Valentini, executive director of the Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP). “What we discovered is transportation is the root of everything—if you can’t move it either in or out, you really have no business.”

tial tenants that expressed a strong interest in locating their operations in the park.

The Town of Oyen and the Special Areas Board signed on as the initial developers of the Oyen Rail Yard and Logistics Park project. Iron Horse Energy Services soon joined as the anchor tenant, and will use the site for a new sand distribution centre.

Sand is an integral part of the oil and gas development process, and the site will allow Iron Horse

“Economic development going forward in North America is largely going to be dependent on how municipalities are preparing themselves from an infrastructure point of view to accommodate growth. What we discovered is transportation is the root of everything—if you can’t move it either in or out, you really have no business.”

– Walter Valentini, executive director of Palliser Economic Partnership It’s an impressive feat for a town that was very recently far off the beaten track. Sitting just 40 kilometres west of the Saskatchewan border, Oyen was once a stop on the 600-kilometre stretch of prairie between Calgary and Saskatoon.

Canadian National Railway (CN) removed some of the tracks, leaving Oyen on a spur that comes from Saskatoon to service an agricultural elevator in Oyen.

“Basically, it’s a dead end,” says Jordon Christianson, chair of Alberta’s Special Areas Board, a rural municipality in southeastern Alberta.

Rather than leave it that way, the Special Areas Board began working with the Town of Oyen and the PEP – the region’s economic alliance – to begin asking questions such as, “How do we secure that infrastructure for the future? Can we develop business on it to maintain it and keep it going?”

The PEP hired PROLOG Canada to perform an assessment where they found several poten-

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Energy Services to easily serve key oil and gas resource plays in Alberta and Saskatchewan.

Another key partner supporting the project is CN. The rail company is working with the developers to bring the Oyen Rail Yard and Logistics Park online and a new transload facility in the region.

“We are pleased to be working with the partners to develop new opportunities and grow the local economy,” says Kate Fenske, manager of public affairs with CN. “We always welcome the chance to explore new business and connect future customers in Oyen to markets across North America and the world.”

As well as the anchor tenant, rail company and interest from multiple businesses, the town’s supporting businesses are lining up to service the logistics park. Jay Slemp, chair of the PEP, is excited that “local suppliers are now bidding on providing fuel, tires and other services. It is jobs in our community and kids in our school. We now have something to sell.”

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TRAINING DAY A state-of-the-art commercial driver training facility touches down at Edmonton International Airport

BY JUSTIN BELL

NEW DRIVER TRAINING FACILITY under construction at the Edmonton International Airport has the potential to make Edmonton a first-class training destination in North America.

The Alberta Motor Transport Association (AMTA) is currently building a massive new training facility adjacent to the airport. The new facility will feature a fiveacre track, a 20,000-square-foot office building, classroom space, an inside truck bay and a simulator.

“It’s a terrific opportunity for the transportation industry,” says Lorraine Card, president of the AMTA. “We are the only provincial trucking association in Canada that has a facility like this. It really is world class.”

Construction on the new facility started in mid-2017 and the track is expected to be operational in spring

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2018. The office and classrooms should be completed by the fall.

The new facility adds much needed training space for the trucking industry. Currently, new drivers practice their skills in public areas and on public roadways. Practice spaces are often impromptu areas, such as parking lots or private lots, and can be cancelled without much notice, which can make training unpredictable. According to Card, providing consistent and predictable spaces makes training for new drivers less intimidating and improves public safety.

With five acres of wide open roadway to work with, the new AMTA training facility will give training providers and partners the ability to set up a variety of scenarios for driver training. Barriers and pylons can stand in for obstacles, allowing for drivers to practice

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PHOTOS COURTESY: ALBERTA MOTOR TRANSPORT ASSOCIATION

taking on almost any situation from backing into a dock to making tricky turns.

The facility will also house one of the AMTA’s simulators, where drivers can train on conditions that are either dangerous or difficult to recreate on the track.

“We can put drivers into a skid on the system and give them some idea of how the vehicle will react to winter conditions,” says Card.

The AMTA owns two simulators. One is stationary, and the other is a mobile, classroom-style setting that the association can take around the province so companies can train their drivers closer to their facilities. That one will remain mobile, while the stationary simulator will be moved to the new facility.

The truck driving simulator will be one of multiple training simulators at the Edmonton International Air-

port. Canadian North currently operates a 737 simulator, while HNZ Topflight operates a helicopter simulator. As well as these training facilities, the AMTA development is part of a broader plan from the airport authority to bring more services onto the airport grounds. A new shopping mall is under construction, a new hotel was recently completed and the airport features a golf course. But more importantly, the training facility adds to the airport’s ability to serve clients in the transportation and logistics industry.

“EIA is very happy to be collaborating with AMTA to create this world-class training facility,” says Geoff Herdman, EIA director of real estate. “It will help to make the Edmonton Metro Region into a destination for training and safety services, and will also help to develop the region’s logistics sector as well as diversifying our economy. AMTA’s facility will be a valuable part of the region’s rapidly growing aerotropolis.”

The airport location was one of the selling points for the AMTA. Being at the airport means they can attract international attention, bringing in customers and clients from around the continent to train and learn about conditions in Canada.

“If companies know their drivers are coming north, knowing they are driving in winter conditions, they can spend time in the simulator and then head out to the track,” says AMTA’s Card.

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BREAKING GROUND: (From L to R) MLA Thomas Dang, Edmonton-South West; Tom Ruth, President and CEO Edmonton International Airport; Lorraine Card, Alberta Motor Transport Association President; and Chris Nash, Vice-Chairman, Alberta Motor Transport Association Board of Directors.

TRAINING SIMULATION: AMTA's truck driving simulator will join Canadian North's 737 simulator already operating at the Edmonton International Airport.

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CITY OF SPRUCE GROVE

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO THRIVE Opportunities limited only by your imagination

NAIT’S NEW SPRUCE GROVE CAMPUS

enhances the community’s education profile and will help to meet Alberta’s growing needs.

• The City Centre Revitalization project is improving the city’s core and building lasting partnerships within the business community. With an Area Redevelopment Plan (ARP) in full swing, we are already beginning to see an influx of activities being hosted there and some exciting redevelopment projects are underway.

SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS OF LIFE IN OUR COMMUNITY INCLUDE:

BUSINESSES IN SPRUCE GROVE ARE

... exciting redevelopment projects are underway.

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finding efficiencies and driving the bottom line. Here’s why: • The city is ideally situated between the TransCanada Yellowhead Highway and Highway 16A and is connected to transportation networks leading to major resource development areas. Located just 11km west of Edmonton, Spruce Grove has quick access to the Edmonton International Airport, the CN and CP intermodal yards, and Anthony Henday ring road which provides fast and convenient travel throughout the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.

• Spruce Grove’s trade catchment area is 127,000 people.

Spruce Grove is part of the 1.3 million Edmonton metro area which, represents a $1.9 billion retail market.

• Our city has a young demographic with a median age of 34.2 years of age. Personal per capita incomes are approximately 20% higher than the Canadian average and more than 50 per cent of the population has completed a post-secondary education or higher.

• Industrial land is competitively priced and gives room to grow within six industrial parks spanning 1,500 acres and two new privately-developed industrial parks with fully serviced lots from one to 40 acres or more, and turn-key Class A industrial buildings for purchase or lease.

• A skilled, local labour force offers employees the ability to live close to where they work with commute times of less than 10 minutes.

• NAIT’s new Spruce Grove campus—home to the polytechnic’s Crane and Hoisting Equipment Operator program and recently added Foundation Drill Rig Operators’ program –

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• A young, aspirational and family-oriented population of just over 35,000 that enjoys city conveniences with a wide variety of options for recreation, leisure and culture—progressive facilities, exceptional programming and a range of parks, playgrounds and green spaces.

• Amenities like the recently completed $75 million Tri-Leisure Village Sport’s Campus. It brings together first class sport and recreation facilities with supporting amenities such as, restaurants, hotel and an assortment of professional services.

• Taking the next step in implementing the Westwind Centre that’s currently underway – and it’s a big one! This is a 60 acre commercial destination which will offer a range of retail, office, entertainment, hospitality and professional services.

Industrial and commercial opportunities in Spruce Grove are limited only by your imagination, and vary among oilfield services and manufacturing, environmental products and services, transportation, warehousing, food processing, hospitality, retail and more. All you need to thrive in business and in life you will find here at your fingertips… so come to succeed. Grow your business and make your mark. Have more freedom and opportunities to enjoy life and focus on what matters most.

Raise it up, in Spruce Grove.

For more information contact: Mr. Dave Walker Manager, Economic & Business Development 780-962-7608 dwalker@sprucegrove.org

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SAVE TIME... drive the bottom line with efficient road, rail and airport access to markets.

The City of Spruce Grove is on the grow within the Edmonton metro’s population of 1.3 million.

The business. The family. Grow them. Raise them well in our lifestyle community.

Opportunities: • Destination Retail • Hospitality • Food • Accommodation • Transportation • Warehousing • Food Processing • Environmental Products/Services • Oilfield Services/Manufacturing Contact Dave Walker, Manager Economic & Business Development: 780-962-7608 www.investsprucegrove.ca @SpruceGrove_EcD

@InvestSpruceGrove Diverse Determined Driven

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NORTHERN

CONNECTION Improving transportation routes in northern Alberta will provide a significant economic boost to the region

BY JUSTIN BELL

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PHOTO COURTESY: CANADIAN NATIONAL

MPROVED TRANSPORTATION ROUTES through northern Alberta could increase economic diversification and help produce value-added commodities, and it’s a mission the Generating for Seven Generations (G7G) group has been promoting for almost 10 years.

G7G was created to explore the development of a rail link – approximately 2,400-kilometre double rail track – that would begin at Fort McMurray in northeastern Alberta and travel across the northern part of the province through the Mackenzie region of northwest Alberta before crossing into B.C. and then up north through the Yukon and on to Alaska.

“Alaska has been trying to connect with the lower 48 States since the Harriman Expedition (of the early 20th century) and this rail connection will immediately lower the cost of living for all those people in the North including the Peace [Region],” says Matt Vickers, chief executive officer of G7G. “It will lessen the greenhouse gas emissions due to less transport trucks on the road and it will also give businesses in the Peace [Region] access to the Asian markets at a very affordable price.”

The group began by working with First Nations in Canada and Tribes of Alaska to build support for the railway. After securing this support, G7G undertook a pre-feasibility study that received $1.8 million in support from the Government of Alberta. G7G has continued working with indigenous and non-indigenous governments along the proposed route to secure support and raise private capital for the estimated $27 billion project. Both are nearly complete.

This is the type of project the Northern Transportation Advocacy Bureau (NTAB) has been championing since its inception a year ago. Transportation is such a vital economic link that the Peace Region Economic Development Alliance (PREDA) and the Regional Economic Development Initiative (REDI) of Northern Alberta joined forces to form the Northern Transportation Advocacy Bureau (NTAB).

“This year, NTAB is focusing on building awareness amongst governments and industry on the potential value and opportunities of a rail line connecting Alberta with Alaska,” says Carolyn Kolebaba, chair of the NTAB and Reeve of Northern Sunrise County. “The connection to Alaska would reduce shipping times for our commodities to Asian markets and reduce transit times by 48 hours. This development would also provide an opportunity to bring products into landlocked Alberta via Alaska.”

The centre of economic activity in REDI is High Level, a town nearly 800 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The region is rich with forestry, agriculture, and oil and gas activity, which is why the NTAB is also looking at ways to connect REDI and PREDA with Fort McMurray. This trade

route would provide an economic boost to the Mackenzie and Peace Country regions, but also provide Fort McMurray businesses with access to oilfield service companies in the area, and eventually, access to tidewater.

“For many years, we have been looking at a highway corridor to connect Fort McMurray to the Peace Region,” says Dan Dibbelt, executive director of the NTAB, as well as PREDA and REDI.

“The connection to Alaska would reduce shipping times for our commodities to Asian markets and reduce transit times by 48 hours. This development would also provide an opportunity to bring products into landlocked Alberta via Alaska.”

– Carolyn Kolebaba, chair of the Northern Transportation Advocacy Bureau and Reeve of Northern Sunrise County

Last year NTAB undertook the Municipal and Regional Airport Sustainability Study, providing recommendations to governments and airports to address financial challenges in keeping local airports sustainable. This report will help local government and airports work on management structures, look at their fee structures and eventually increase service to Northern Alberta.

With access to better transportation routes, such as rail to Alaska or air services, businesses in the region would have broader distribution for their products, and Dibbelt says the NTAB continues to talk with the provincial, territorial and state governments to increase access to northwestern Alberta.

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LANDING OPPORTUNITY: The Municipal and Regional Airport Sustainability Study will help local government and airports work on management structures, look at their fee structures and eventually increase service to Northern Alberta.

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REDAs

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

CONNECTING TO INVESTMENT SUCCESS REDA

Key Opportunity Sectors

Alberta HUB

• Agriculture, Agri-Food • Oil & Gas • Renewable Energy • Aerospace Tech & Defense/UAV

AlbertaSW

• Tourism/Geo-Tourism • Agriculture • Alternative Energy

BRAED

• Agri-Food • Oil & Gas • Alternative Energy • Industrial Equipment

CAEP

• Petro Chemical • Agriculture/Food Processing • Manufacturing • Tourism

CRP

• Manufacturing • Logistics • Tourism • Agri-business • Energy

GROWTH

• Oil & Gas • Agriculture • Tourism • Alternative Energy • Forestry

LSLEA

• Forestry • Tourism/Commercial Recreation • Agriculture

PEP

• Agriculture/Agri-Food • Aerospace/Defence • Transportation/Logistics

PREDA

• Conventional/Unconventional Oil & Gas • Agriculture • Forestry

REDI

• Bio-Energy • Tourism • Agriculture • Forestry • Oil & Gas

SouthGrow

• Alternative Energy • Manufacturing • Agriculture/Food Processing

ALBERTA OFFERS A REALM OF ROBUST

Alberta abounds with entrepreneurial opportunities, a strong and diverse labour force, and a “let’s do business” attitude.

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advantages, from both global and local perspectives. The force of innovation and the spirit of entrepreneurship continue to energize the province as an exciting place to do business.

Alberta also has a unique professional network to help you, the investor, quickly and effectively connect with the people and information to move ventures forward: These are Alberta’s Regional Economic Development Alliances (REDAs), leading and supporting a collaborative, strategic approach to promoting and growing opportunities.

Mandated by the Ministry of Alberta Economic Development and Trade, the 11 REDAs focus upon community and regional economic development as well as business and investment attraction. Recognized as a winning model of province-wide collaboration, REDAs are partnerships of communities guided by the elected officials of the member municipalities, First Nations and Metis Settlements, and further supported by economic development agencies, community and business organizations. Effective results are achieved by leveraging resources of provincial and federal government departments, educational institutions, businesses and workforce partners. Each REDA operates from a regional office that is the “go to” resource for referrals to the people, the organizations, the services and the information relevant to business and industry.

Alberta abounds with entrepreneurial opportunities, a strong and diverse labour force, and a “let’s do business” attitude.

Complimenting this is a richness of natural resources, leading edge

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technologies and innovative approaches that support economic diversification. REDAs actively work with each other to implement multi-regional projects, positioning Alberta at the forefront of business development and creating the context for economic growth to occur.

Communications technology and high capacity broadband connectivity are an important focus for the regions and communities. Alberta communities understand that digital connectivity is essential to future growth.

Energy is an important part of the Alberta economy. Alberta is the site of the first commercial wind farm in Canada and also receives more sunshine than other provinces. Agriculture offers a richness of opportunity for the food industry and also for bioproducts. Oil and gas, though cyclical, remains an important economic engine for the whole country, and continues to offer many opportunities for value-added products and diversifying the manufacturing base.

Tourism development and marketing open the front door to investment. Alberta is home to iconic attractions, and the effective promotion of the province as a destination showcases opportunities to entrepreneurs and investors. Promoting visitation to the province serves to also raise awareness of business opportunities. And Alberta is attractive to those who want to do business in spectacular settings!

Transportation and logistics, moving people, goods and services, creates a shared focus on promoting the value of international trade corridors. Working together, the regions gain a big picture perspective that can be helpful to a new investor exploring possibilities.

REDAs represent powerful “partnerships of partnerships”.

Combine an “open for business” entrepreneurial attitude with collaborative efforts to nurture economic prosperity at the local and regional level, and the result is strong support for building business success.

Please feel welcome to contact any of the REDAs to learn more about the vast array of business and investment opportunities available throughout Alberta. They are an important connection to your investment success.

For an informative overview of each REDA region visit www.economic.alberta.ca/redas.asp

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

A diverse membership, dedicated to designing vibrant Alberta communities

Learn more at www.edaalberta.ca @edaalberta

MEMBERS JON ALLAN Economic Development Officer Town of Sundre 717 Main Ave West, Box 420 Sundre, AB T0M 1X0 p: 403-638-3551 ext. 111 f: 403-638-2100 e: jon.a@sundre.com DAWNA ALLARD Manager, Central Region Alberta Economic Development and Trade 2nd fl, 4920 - 51 St Red Deer, AB T4N 6K8 p: 403-340-5302 f: 403-340-5231 e: dawna.allard@gov.ab.ca DIANNE ALLEN Manager, Economic Development Town of Bon Accord Box 779, Bon Accord, AB T0A 0K0 p: 780-921-3550 e: dallen@bonaccord.ca MEHDI AMOUI Chief Technology Officer Localintel #501, 237-8 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 5C3 p: 403-401-4656 e: mehdi@localintel.co VOTHAM ANASTASIADIS Economic Development Officer MD of Opportunity No. 17 2077 Mistassiniy Road North, Box 60 Wabasca, AB T0G 2K0 p: 780-891-3778 e: vothama@mdopportunity.ab.ca LEE ANDERSON Product Manager Localintel #501, 237-8 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 5C3 p: 403-888-0035 e: lee@localintel.co TREVOR ANDERSON Rural Business Development Officer Parkland County 53109A Hwy 779, Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-968-8888 ext. 8259 f: 780-968-8413 e: tanderson@parklandcounty.com www.parklandcounty.com HEATHER ANDERSON Economic Development Officer Woodlands County Box 60, Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N3 p: 780-778-8400 f: 780-778-8402 e: heather.anderson@woodlands.ab.ca SACHA ANDERSON Marketing & C.E.D. Coordinator Community Futures Crowsnest Pass Box 818, Blairmore, AB T0K 0E0 p: 403-562-8858 e: sacha@communityfuturescnp.ca JULIA ANGUS Cooperatives First 15-95 115 St E Saskatoon, SK S7N 2E1 p: 306-382-4410 e: julia@cooperativesfirst.com www.cooperativesfirst.com

MAGGIE ARMSTRONG Past President Economic Developers Alberta 54 Thorndale Close Airdrie, AB T4A 2C1 p: 403-948-4471 e: maggiearmstrong@shaw.ca SANDRA BADRY Economic Development Officer Red Deer County 38106 Rge Rd 275 Red Deer County, AB T4S 2L9 p: 403-357-2395 e: sbadry@rdcounty.ca www.rdcounty.ca JOAN BARBER Manager, Business Retention & Expansion City of St. Albert 29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3 p: 780-459-1725 e: jbarber@stalbert.ca RICK BASTOW Regional Economic Development Specialist Alberta Economic Development & Trade 10155-102 St Edmonton, AB T5J 4L6 p: 780-427-8116 e: rick.bastow@gov.ab.ca CURTIS BAUER City of St. Albert 29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3 p: 780-459-1631 e: cbauer@stalbert.ca MARK BAXTER President Outlook Market Research & Consulting Ltd. 1455 Toshack Road West St. Paul, MB R4A 8A6 p: 204-229-8190 e: mark@outlookmarketresearch.com www.outlookmarketresearch.com ASHLEE BECK Economic Developer Vulcan Business Development Society Box 1205, Vulcan, AB T0L 2B0 p: 403-485-4100 f: 403-485-3143 e: reception@vulcanbusiness.ca www.vulcanbusiness.ca STACEY BENJAMIN Executive Director Stettler Regional Board of Trade & Community Development 6606 50 Ave Stettler, AB T0C 2L2 p: 403-742-3181 f: 403-742-3123 e: s.benjamin@stettlerboardoftrade.com www.stettlerboardoftrade.com STEVE BETHGE Communications Coordinator Town of Edson PO Box 6300, Edson, AB T7E 1T7 p: 780-723-4401 e: steveb@edson.ca

BOB BEZPALKO Executive Director Regional Economic Development Northeast Alberta Information HUB 5015 - 49 Ave St. Paul, AB T0A 3A4 p: 780-645-1155 e: bobbezpalko@albertahub.com www.albertahub.com AUDREY BJORKLUND Community Development Manager Clear Hills County Box 240, Worsley, AB T0H 3W0 p: 780-685-3925 f: 780-685-3960 e: audrey@clearhillscounty.ab.ca www.clearhillscounty.ab.ca PAUL BLAIS Executive Vice-President MDB Insight 993 Princess St, Suite 201 Kingston, ON K7L 1H3 p: 855-367-3535 ext. 241 f: 416-367-2932 e: pblais@mdbinsight.com www.mdbinsight.com SEAN BLEWETT Manager Community Futures Chinook 5324 - 48 Ave Taber, AB T1G 1S2 p: 403-388-2923 e: sblewett@albertacf.com www.chinook.albertacf.com HUGH BODMER Past President Economic Developers Alberta 6102-46 St Olds, AB T4H 1M5 p: 403-556-3006 f: 403-556-3664 e: hugh@hughbodmer.com SUE BOHAICHUK CEO AUMA Alberta Municipal Place, 300 8616-51 Ave Edmonton, AB T6E 6E6 p: 780-433-4431 e: sbohaichuk@auma.ca www.auma.ca SHERI BREEN Controller Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region 104, 9817 - 101 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X6 p: 587-771-1356 e: sheri.breen@albertacf.com ELAN BUAN Senior Consultant Schollie Research & Consulting 4819C - 48 Ave Red Deer, AB T4N 1Z9 p: 403-346-9849 e: elan@schollie.com www.schollie.com JACQUELINE BUCHANAN Economic Development Officer Town of Three Hills PO Box 610, Three Hills, AB T0M 2A0 p: 403-443-5822 f: 403-443-2616 e: jbuchanan@threehills.ca www.threehills.ca

Diverse Determined Driven

WANDA COMPTON Manager of Economic Development & Communications Brazeau County 7401 Twp Rd 494 Drayton Valley, AB T7A 1R1 p: 780-542-7777 f: 780-542-7770 e: wcompton@brazeau.ab.ca www.brazeau.ab.ca

ROBERT BUCKLE Tourism/Economic Development Officer Athabasca County 3602 - 48 Ave Athabasca, AB T9S 1M8 p: 780-675-2273 e: rbuckle@athabascacounty.com www.visitathabasca.com ASHLEIGH BULMER Director of Development & IT Services Town of High Level 10511 - 103 St High Level, AB T0H 1Z0 p: 780-821-4022 f: 780-926-2899 e: abulmer@highlevel.ca www.highlevel.ca

CYRIL COOPER Past President Economic Developers Alberta Kingston, ON p: 613-544-2725 e: cooper@kingstoncanada.com

TAMMY BURKE Councillor Town of Rocky Mountain House Box 1509, Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1B2 e: councillorburke@gmail.com

DENNIS COOPER CEO Sky Wings Aviation Box 190, Penhold, AB T0M 1R0 p: 403-318-2046 f: 403-886-4279 e: dcooper@skywings.com

JEREMY CAIRNS Team Lead, Economic Partnerships Government of Alberta, Indigenous Relations 19th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 102 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8 p: 780-643-1735 e: jeremy.cairns@gov.ab.ca

MATTHEW CORNALL Technology Development Advisor Alberta Innovates Room 2915-100, 100 College Blvd Red Deer, AB T4N 5H5 p: 403-342-3475 e: matt.cornall@albertainnovates.ca www.albertainnovates.ca LINDSAY DANILLER Director Community Initiatives and Development REACH Edmonton Edmonton, AB T5J 1G4 p: 780-498-1231 f: 780-498-1266 e: lindsay.daniller@reachedmonton.ca www.reachedmonton.ca

TAWNDRA CALHOUN Economic Development Officer City of Chestermere 105 Marina Rd Chestermere, AB T1X 1V7 p: 403-207-7065 e: tcalhoun@chestermere.ca www.chestermere.ca SUSAN CARLISLE Carlisle Consulting Inc. 5304-105B St NW Edmonton, AB T6H 2S3 p: 780-554-7134 e: seacarlisle@outlook.com

TREVOR DAVISON Managing Principal O2 Planning + Design 510 255 17 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2S 2T8 p: 403-228-1336 f: 403-228-1320 e: trevor.davison@o2design.com www.o2design.com

ROXANNE CARR Roxx Strategic Management Sherwood Park, AB T8A 5B3 p: 780-340-1604 e: rpcarr@shaw.ca

JODI DAWSON Manager, Economic Development Town of High River 309B Macleod Tr SW Town of High River, AB T1V 1Z5 p: 403-603-3431 e: jdawson@highriver.ca

PETER CASURELLA Manager SouthGrow Regional Initiative PO Box 27068, Lethbridge, AB T1K 6Z8 p: 403-394-0615 e: info@southgrow.com

TARA DE MUNNIK Small Business & Tourism Specialist Strathcona County 2001 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3W7 p: 780-416-6737 e: tara.demunnik@strathcona.ca www.Strathcona.ca

SARA CHAMBERLAIN Economic Development Officer Airdrie Economic Development 400 Main St Airdrie, AB T4B 3C3 p: 403-948-8800 ext. 8455 f: 403-948-6567 e: sara.chamberlain@airdrie.ca www.airdrienow.ca

WANDA DIAKOW EDO Special Area #4 Box 220, Consort, AB T0C 1B0 p: 403-577-3523 f: 403-577-2446 e: wanda.diakow@specialareas.ab.ca www.specialareas.ab.ca

CANDACE CHARRON Tourism Business Development Officer Parkland County 53109A Hwy 779 Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-968-8888 ext. 8284 e: ccharron@parklandcounty.com www.investinparkland.com

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MEMBERS DAN DIBBELT Executive Director Peace Region Economic Development Alliance 10128 95 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0L4 p: 780-527-6232 f: 780-628-0771 e: dandibbelt@hotmail.com LAURA DIDYK VP Finance & Consulting Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) 110 Barclay Centre, 444-7 Ave SW Calgary, AB p: 403-292-4944 e: laura.didyk@bdc.ca JAMIE DOYLE Regional Muncipality of Wood Buffalo 9909 Franklin Ave Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4 e: jamie.doyle@rmwb.ca DAVID DUCASSES Research Manager Calgary Economic Development 731-1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7891 e: dducasses@ calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com GARY DUFFETT Economic Development Officer Town of Provost Box 449, Provost, AB T0B 3S0 p: 780-753-2261 f: 780-753-6889 e: edo@townofprovost.ca www.townofprovost.ca BOB DYRDA Business Development Alberta SouthWest Regional Alliance Box 3041, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0 p: 403-432-0342 e: bob@albertasouthwest.com MAUREEN EASTON Economic & Community Development Officer Mountain View County 1408 Twp Rd 320 Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0 p: 403-335-3311 ext. 161 e: measton@mvcounty.com MARTIN EBEL Economic Development Officer Lethbridge County #100, 905-4 Ave South Lethbridge, AB T1J 4E4 p: 403-317-6052 f: 403-328-5602 e: mebel@lethcounty.ca www.lethcounty.ca JODIE ECKERT CED Coordinator Community Futures Centre West 3209, 101 Sunset Drive Cochrane, AB T4C 0W7 p: 403-464-5734 e: jeckert@albertacf.com www.centrewest.albertacf.com

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MARK EDWARDS Director, Economic Diversification Parkland County 53109A HWY 779 Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-968-8406 f: 780-968-8413 e: medwards@parklandcounty.com COURT ELLINGSON Vice President Research and Strategy Calgary Economic Development 731-1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7892 f: 403-221-7828 e: cellingson@ calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com MIKE ERICKSON Economic Development Officer City of Fort Saskatchewan 10005 - 102 St Fort Saskatchewan, AB T8L 2C5 p: 780-992-6278 e: merickson@fortsask.ca www.fortsask.ca LINDA ERICKSON Regional Manager Alberta Economic Development & Trade 105, 200 - 5 Ave S Lethbridge, AB T1J 4L1 p: 403-393-2614 f: 403-381-5741 e: linda.erickson@gov.ab.ca www.southgrow.com MARIE EVERTS Events, Marketing & Economic Development Officer Town of Pincher Creek Box 159, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0 p: 403-627-3156 f: 403-627-4784 e: economic@pinchercreek.ca www.pinchercreek.ca JUSTIN FALCONER Falconer Media 10411-105 Ave NW Edmonton, AB T5H 4R8 p: 780-603-1472 e: justin@falconermedia.co DAWN FEDORVICH Economic Development Officer City of St. Albert 29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3 p: 780-459-1743 e: dfedorvich@stalbert.ca BRAD FERGUSON President & CEO Edmonton Economic Development Corporation 3rd Floor, 9990 Jasper Ave Edmonton, AB p: 780-424-9191 e: bferguson@edmonton.com JULIA FIELDING Economic Development and Communications Officer Town of Drumheller 224 Centre St Drumheller, AB T0J 0Y4 p: 403-823-1320 e: jfielding@dinosaurvalley.com www.dinosaurvalley.com

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JEFF FINKLE President & CEO IEDC Suite 900, 735-15 St NW Washington, DC 20005 p: 202-223-7800 f: 292-223-4745 e: jfinkle@iedconline.org www.iedconline.org CARRIE FISCHER Okotoks 58 Cimarron Way Okotoks, AB T1S 1M8 p: 403-370-2726 e: carriefischer21@gmail.com JENNIFER FOSSEN Manager, Community Development City of Wetaskiwin 4910 55A St Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 2R7 p: 780-361-4417 ext. 8811 e: jennifer.fossen@wetaskiwin.ca www.wetaskiwin.ca DREW FOSSUM Analyst, Stakeholder Relations Plains Midstream Canada 1400, 607-8 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0A7 e: drew.fossum@plainsmidstream.com KENDALL FRANKLIN Reputation & Relationships Lead Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association Unit # 103 6527 Sparrow Dr Leduc, AB T9E 7C7 p: 780-986-9538 e: kfranklin@leducniskueda.com STUART FULLARTON Communications Coordinator Town of Innisfail 4943 53 St Innisfail, AB T4G 1A1 p: 403-227-3376 f: 403-227-4045 e: stuart.fullarton@innisfail.ca www.innisfail.ca

BRAD GARA General Manager Community Futures Elk Island Region #4, 5002 Diefenbaker Ave, Box 547 Two Hills, AB T0B 4K0 p: 780-657-3512 e: cfeir@telus.net www.cfelkisland.com

BRIAN GLAVIN Manager, Economic Development & Land City of Grande Prairie 10205 98 St Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V3 p: 780-538-0475 e: bglavin@cityofgp.com www.investgrandeprairie.ca

PENNY GARDINER CEO EDAC 1100 South Service Rd Suite 205 Stoney Creek, ON L8E 0C5 p: 289-649-1771 e: gardiner@edac.ca www.edac.ca

BEN GOETZ Councillor for Village of Glenwood Village of Glenwood Box 1084, Glenwood, AB T0K 1E0 p: 403-626-3233 f: 403-626-3234 e: office@glenwood.ca www.glenwood.ca

JOANNE GEALS Economic Development Coordinator Alberta Indigenous Relations 19th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 102 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8 p: 780-644-4987 e: joanne.geals@gov.ab.ca

JOAN GOLDHAWK Past President Economic Developers Alberta 439 50 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2S 1H4 p: 403-389-6392 e: joan.goldhawk@gmail.com

DAVIN GEGOLICK Planning & Development Officer County of Minburn No. 27 Box 550, Vegreville, AB T9C 1R6 p: 780-632-2082 f: 780-632-6096 e: dgegolick@minburncounty.ab.ca www.minburncounty.ab.ca WENDY GERBRANDT Community Economic Development Coordinator Community Futures Wild Rose 101, 331-3 Ave Strathmore, AB T1P 1K2 p: 403-934-8888 e: wendy@cfwildrose.ca DAVID GHORIS Economic Development Officer The City of Red Deer PO Box 5008, Red Deer, AB T4N 3T4 f: 403-342-8260 e: david.ghoris@reddeer.ca

GERRY GABINET Director Strathcona County 2001 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3W7 p: 780-464-8257 f: 780-464-8444 e: gerald.gabinet@strathcona.ca

NATALIE GIBSON President InnoVisions & Associates #115, 203-304 Main St. Airdrie, AB T4B 3C3 p: 403-948-2110 e: nataliegibson@shaw.ca www.innovisions.co

ED GADES Community Development Coordinator Saddle Hills County RR#1 Spirit River, AB T0H 3G0 p: 780-864-3760 f: 780-864-3904 e: egades@saddlehills.ab.ca www.saddlehills.ab.ca

MICHELLE GIETZ Consultant Back Forty Enterprises Inc. Box 1810, Brooks, AB T1R 1C6 p: 403-501-3820 e: gietzm@backfortyenterprises.com

MARK GALLANT Business Development Manager Leduc Nisku Economic Development Association #103, 6527 Sparrow Drive Leduc, AB T9E 7C7 p: 780-986-9538 e: mgallant@leducniskueda.com www.internationalregion.com/Home.aspx

PETER GINGRICH Managing Director eSolutionsGroup Ltd. 179 Colonnade Road, Suite 400 Ottawa, ON K2E 7J4 p: 613-219-7067 e: pgingrich@esolutionsgroup.ca www.esolutionsgroup.ca

edaalberta.ca investalbertamag.ca

SCHAUN GOODEVE Manager of Planning & Economic Development Town of Morinville 10125 - 100 Ave Morinville, AB T8R 1L6 p: 780-939-7622 e: sgoodeve@morinville.ca www.morinville.ca VICTOR GOODMAN Director of Community Development and Innovation City of Camrose 5204 50 Ave Camrose, AB T4V 0S8 p: 780-672-4426 e: vgoodman@camrose.ca www.camrose.ca KARLA GOULD Economic Development Specialist The City of Spruce Grove 315 Jespersen Ave Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3E8 p: 780-962-7634 ext. 293 e: kgould@sprucegrove.org CATHY GOULET President Killick Leadership Group 5528-43 St, PO Box 405 Lamont, AB T0B 2R0 p: 780-618-4967 e: cathy.goulet@killickleadership.com LORI-JO GRAHAM Program Lead - Senior Development Officer Alberta Agriculture and Forestry 2nd Floor 5030-50 St Olds, AB T4H 1S1 p: 403-556-4244 f: 403-556-7545 e: lori-jo.graham@gov.ab.ca www.agriculture.alberta.ca/bio-industrial SHAUN GREEN EDO Smoky Lake Region 4612 - McDougall Drive, Box 310 Smoky Lake, AB T0A 3C0 p: 780-656-3730 e: shaun@smokylakeregion.ca www.smokylakeregion.ca

MEMBERS ANGELA GROENEVELD Economic Development Specialist AG Economic Development Consulting & Business Coaching RR#2, Blackie, AB T0L 0J0 p: 403-652-6213 e: angela@angelagroeneveld.com www.angelagroeneveld.com SHELLEY GROLLMUSS Vice President, Industry Development Travel Alberta 400 - 1601 9 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 0H4 p: 403-648-1014 e: shelley.grollmuss@travelalberta.com www.industry.travelalberta.com CAROLYN GUICHON Consultant-specialist in marketing, governance and business strategy Strategic Solutions Calgary, AB p: 403-305-3910 e: carolynworks@shaw.ca LEANN HACKMAN-CARTY Chief Executive Officer Economic Developers Alberta #127, 406 917-85 St SW Calgary, AB T3H 5Z9 p: 1-866-671-8182 f: 403-214-0224 e: leann@edaalberta.ca www.edaalberta.ca DEBBIE HAGMAN Community Development Officer Alberta Culture & Community Spirit Box 1209, Mayerthorpe, AB T0E 1N0 p: 780-968-3212 f: 780-968-7009 e: debbie.hagman@gov.ab.ca AMANDA HAITAS Business Development Officer Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo 9909 Franklin Ave Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4 p: 780-793-1033 e: amanda.haitas@rmwb.ca DEANA HALEY Vice President, Business Retention & Expansion Calgary Economic Development 731 1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7888 f: 403-221-7828 e: deana@calgaryeconomicdevelopment. com www.calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com BRITTANY HALLBORG Office Administrator Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association Unit # 103, 6527 Sparrow Drive Leduc, AB T9E 7C7 p: 780-986-9538 f: 780-986-1121 e: eda@leducniskueda.com www.internationalregion.com GENNINE HARDER Loans Accounts Officer Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region 104, 9817 - 101 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X6 p: 587-771-1356 e: gennine.harder@albertacf.com

JENNIFER HARTIGH Economic Development Officer Town of Blackfalds Box 220, 5018 Waghorn St Blackfalds, AB T0M 0J0 p: 403-885-6246 f: 403-885-4610 e: jhartigh@blackfalds.com www.blackfalds.com NATASHA HARTSON Coordinator, Business Development Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo 9909 Franklin Ave Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4 p: 780-788-4329 e: natasha.hartson@rmwb.ca MALCOLM HARVEY Past President Economic Developers Alberta Cobble Hill, BC e: mehassociates@shaw.ca CARLEY HERBERT Economic Development Officer Town of Wainwright 1018-2 Ave Wainwright, AB T9W 1R1 p: 780-842-3381 f: 780-842-2898 e: cherbert@wainwright.ca www.wainwright.ca CHRIS HESELTINE Assistant Deputy Minister Alberta Culture and Tourism 6th Floor, 10155-102 St Edmonton, AB T5J 4L6 p: 780-643-1997 f: 780-422-1759 e: chris.heseltine@gov.ab.ca FRAN HICKEY Economic Development Officer Town of Redwater PO Box 397, Redwater, AB T0A 2W0 p: 780-942-3519 ext. 33 f: 780-942-4321 e: ecdev@redwater.ca www.redwater.ca KATRIN HOFFMANN Senior Project Officer Alberta Economic Development and Trade 11155-70 Ave Edmonton, AB T6H 2G9 p: 780-427-6703 e: katrin.hoffmann@gov.ab.ca RONALD HOLLAND President GRESH International Inc. PO Box 1105, Camrose, AB T4V 4E7 p: 780-877-3632 e: gresh_rgh@hotmail.com LEAH HOLLER Business Development Officer Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region 104, 9817 - 101 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X6 p: 780-814-5340 e: leah.holler@albertacf.com LARRY HORNCASTLE, EC.D. Strategy Builder Keystone Strategies Inc. 109 Keystone Crescent Leduc, AB T9E 0J4 p: 780-217-5995 e: larry@keystonestrategies.ca www.keystonestrategies.ca

KATHRYN HOTTE Small Business Advisor Rural Alberta Business Centre 5412 55 St, Unit A Cold Lake, AB T9M 1R5 p: 780-594-1090 e: advisor@northeastrabc.ca www.northeastrabc.com RHONDA HOUGH Economic Development Officer Town of Whitecourt 5004-52 Ave, Box 509 Whitecourt, AB T7S 1N6 p: 780-778-2273 e: rhondahough@whitecourt.ca LISA HOULE Manager, Calgary Region; Regional Economic Development Services Alberta Economic Development & Trade 3rd flr, 639 - 5 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0M9 p: 587-297-5729 e: lisa.houle@gov.ab.ca HETTI HULS Economic Development Coordinator County of Grande Prairie 11101 84 Ave Clairmont, AB T0H 0W0 p: 780-532-9722 f: 780-539-9880 e: hhuls@countygp.ab.ca LORNA HUNT Executive Director Airdrie Chamber of Commerce Suite 102, 150 Edwards Way NW Airdrie, AB T4B 4B9 p: 403-948-4412 f: 403-948-3141 e: info@airdriechamber.ab.ca EVELYNA JAMBROSIC EDO Heart of the Peace Economic Development PO Box 730, Fairview, AB T0H 1L0 p: 780-834-8138 f: 780-835-3576 e: edo@fairview.ca www.heartofthepeace.com

TOM KOEP Director, Community and Economic Development Town of Devon 1 Columbia Ave West Devon, AB T9G 1A1 p: 780-987-8330 e: tkoep@devon.ca

ROBERT KALINOVICH Economic Development Officer Town of Cochrane 101 RancheHouse Rd Cochrane, AB T4C 2K8 p: 403-851-2285 e: robert.kalinovich@cochrane.ca MARK KAMACHI Creative Director AdMaki Creative Unit 1 - 27 Balsam Ave Bragg Creek, AB T0L 0K0 p: 403-949-3343 e: mark@admaki.ca www.admaki.ca

SCOTT KOVATCH Economic Development Officer-Rural Development Parkland County 53109A Hwy 779 Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-968-8888 ext. 8246 f: 780-968-8413 e: skovatch@parklandcounty.com www.investinparklandcounty.com

LLOYD KEARL Councillor Cardston County PO Box 580, 1050 Main St Cardston, AB T0K 0K0 p: 403-448-0262 e: lloyd.kearl@cardstoncounty.com

ADAM KOZAKIEWICZ Town of Smoky Lake Smoky Lake, AB p: 780-656-3676 f: 780-603-4565 e: cao@smokylake.ca www.smokylake.ca

TIM KEATING President Keating Business Strategies Ltd. #101, 4 Cuendet Industrial Way Sylvan Lake, AB T4S 2J7 p: 403-864-6369 f: 844-316-5327 e: tkeating@kbsl.ca www.kbsl.ca

AUDRA KRUEGER Executive Director Co-operatives First 213 - 310 Wall St Saskatoon, SK S7K 1N7 p: 306-382-4410 e: info@cooperativesfirst.com www.cooperativesfirst.com

MICHEAL KEHOE Commercial Real Estate 325, 1500 - 14 St SW Calgary, AB T3C 1C9 p: 403-803-9900 e: admin@fairfieldcommercial.com

BUD JAMES Mayor Town of Killam PO Box 189, Killam, AB T0H 0C0 p: 780-385-3977 f: 780-385-2120 e: bjames@town.killam.ab.ca

KEVIN KELLER Economic Development Officer MD Greenview No. 16 4806-36 Ave, Box 1079 Valleyview, AB T0H 3N0 p: 780-524-7623 e: kevin.keller@mdgreenview.ab.ca www.mdgreenview.ab.ca

DIANE JENKINSON Marketing and Communications Manager Municipal District of Bonnyville 4905-50 Ave, Bag 1010 Bonnyville, AB T9N 2J7 p: 780-826-3171 f: 780-826-3775 e: djenkinson@md.bonnyville.ab.ca

CHRISTOPHER KING Economic Development Manager County of Grande Prairie 10001-84 Ave Clairmont, AB T0H 0W0 p: 780-532-9722 ext. 1156 e: cking@countygp.ab.ca www.countygp.ab.ca

LEANNA JOSUE Plains Midstream Canada 1400, 607-8 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0A7 p: 403-451-1015 e: leanna.josue@plainsmidstream.com www.plainsmidstream.com

PERRY KINKAIDE CEO Alberta Council of Technologies Society Suite 316 , 9488 51 Ave NW Edmonton, AB T6E 5A6 p: 780-999-5874 e: pkinkaide@shaw.ca

Diverse Determined Driven

ULA KNELSON Community Development Coordinator Saddle Hills County RR#1, Spirit River, AB T0H 3G0 p: 780-864-3760 f: 780-864-3904 e: uknelson@saddlehills.ab.ca www.saddlehills.ab.ca

DAVID KALINCHUK Economic Development Manager Rocky View County 911 - 32 Ave NE Calgary, AB T2E 6X6 p: 403-520-8195 f: 403-277-5977 e: dkalinchuk@rockyview.ca www.thinkingalberta.com

LORNA KURIO Econ Dev Liaison City of Lethbridge 2nd flr 910-4 Ave S Lethbridge, AB T1K 6G9 p: 403-320-3005 f: 403-320-4259 e: lorna.kurio@lethbridge.ca VICKI KURZ Economic Development Officer Town of Sylvan Lake 5012 48 Ave Sylvan Lake, AB T4S 1G6 p: 403-887-1185 ext. 226 f: 403-887-3660 e: vkurz@sylvanlake.ca www.sylvanlake.ca HEATHER LALONDE CEO EDCO 6506 Marlene Ave Cornwall, ON K6H 7H9 p: 613-931-9827 f: 613-931-9828 e: edco@edco.on.ca www.edco.on.ca KAREN LAMOTHE Director, Economic Development Alberta Indigenous Relations 19th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 102 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8 p: 780-644-1005 e: karen.lamothe@gov.ab.ca

PAT KLAK Past President Economic Developers Alberta Edmonton, AB e: epklak@telus.net

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MEMBERS NORMA LANG Special Projects / Economic Development Town of Crossfield PO Box 500 1005 Ross St Crossfield, AB T0M 0S0 p: 403-946-5565 f: 403-946-4523 e: norma@crossfieldalberta.com www.crossfieldalberta.com

EDWARD LEBLANC Director of Planning and Economic Development Services Thorhild County PO Box 10, Thorhild, AB T0A 3J0 p: 780-398-2820 f: 780-398-3748 e: edward.leblanc@thorhildcounty.com www.thorhildcounty

TREVOR LEWINGTON CEO Economic Development Lethbridge 308 Stafford Dr S Lethbridge, AB T1J 2L1 p: 403-331-0022 f: 403-331-0202 e: trevor@chooselethbridge.ca www.chooselethbridge.ca

GUY LAPOINTE Community & Economic Development Manager City of Lacombe 5432 56 Ave Lacombe, AB T4L 1E9 p: 403-782-1263 e: glapointe@lacombe.ca www.lacombe.ca

REBECCA LEIGH Economic Development Officer City of Grande Prairie 10205 98 St Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V3 p: 780-357-4969 e: rleigh@cityofgp.com www.investgrandeprairie.com

KELLY LLOYD Coordinator of Strategic Affairs Town of Olds 4512 - 46 St Olds, AB T4H 1R5 p: 403-556-6981 e: klloyd@olds.ca

JODI LARMOUR Administrative Assistant Economic Developers Alberta Suite 127 #406, 917-85 St SW Calgary, AB T3H 5Z9 p: 866-671-8182 e: jodi@edaalberta.ca LISA LARSON City of Edmonton 10250-101 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 3P4 p: 780-222-3865 e: lisa.larson@edmonton.ca SHAWNA LAWSON Senior Economic Development Consultant McSweeney & Associates 121 Crystal Green Bay Okotoks, AB T1S 2N4 p: 587-890-8828 e: shawna@mcsweeney.ca www.mcsweeney.ca MONIQUE LEBLANC Community Services and Business Development Manager Town of Turner Valley Box 330, 514 Windsor Ave Turner Valley, AB T0L 2A0 p: 403-933-6206 e: moniquel@turnervalley.ca www.turnervalley.ca

SANDRA LEMMON Aboriginal Local and Regional Inclusion Lead WorleyParsonsCord 400S, 8500 Macleod Trail SE Calgary, AB T2H 2N1 p: 403-258-8067 e: sandra.lemmon@worleyparsons.com www.worleyparsonscord.com BRUCE LESLIE VP Trade Investment and Attraction Calgary Economic Development 731-1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7831 e: bleslie@calgaryeconomicdevelopment. com MICHELLE LEVASSEUR 27 Haven Crescent Devon, AB T9G 1J5 p: 780-863-5466 e: mrl03@shaw.ca TARA LEVICK Economic Development Officer City of Airdrie Economic Development 400 Main St SE Airdrie, AB T4B 3C3 p: 403-948-8844 e: tara.levick@airdrie.ca www.airdrienow.ca

BERNADETTE LOGOZAR Economic Development Coordinator Flagstaff County Box 358, Sedgewick, AB T0B 4C0 p: 780-384-4152 f: 780-384-3635 e: blogozar@flagstaff.ab.ca www.flagstaff.ab.ca ANGIE LUCAS Director of Planning and Operational Services Town of Sundre 717 Main Ave West, PO Box 420 Sundre, AB T0M 1X0 p: 403-638-3551 e: angie.l@sundre.com www.sundre.com DENISE LUSSIER Research Officer Alberta Economic Development & Trade 201 1 St East Box 326 McLennan, AB T0H 2L0 p: 780-536-7107 e: denise.lussier@gov.ab.ca RICHARD MACDONALD Design and Media Specialist Strathcona County 2001 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3W7 p: 780-416-6757 e: richard.macdonald@strathcona.ca

GORDON MACIVOR Past President Economic Developers Alberta e: gordonmacivor@gmail.com PHYLLIS MAKI General Manager Community Futures Lakeland & Lloydminster and Region 5010-50 Ave, Box 8114 Bonnyville, AB T9N 2J4 p: 780-826-3858 or 780-875-5458 f: 780-826-7330 e: pmaki@albertacf.com www.lakeland.albertacf.com LEE MALLEAU Founder m+a globalnomics 101-905 McKinnon Drive Calgary, AB T2E 4R5 p: 587-899-4211 e: lee@maglobalnomics.com ADENA MALYK Economic & Community Development Officer Mountain View County Postal Bag 100 Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0 p: 403-415-5689 e: amalyk@mvcounty.com www.mountainviewcounty.com KEN MAMCZASZ Senior Development Engineer City of Edmonton 12th Floor, HSBC Bank Place, 10250 101 Steet Edmonton, AB T5J 3P4 p: 780-496-6036 e: ken.mamczasz@edmonton.ca TOM MANSFIELD Executive Director, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Branch Alberta Economic Development and Trade 5th floor, 10155 - 102 St Edmonton, AB T5J 4L6 p: 780-427-6483 e: tom.mansfield@gov.ab.ca www.albertacanada.com/metalfab

Your Playground of Opportunity With panoramic lake views, rolling farmland, and a mix of urban and rural areas, Lac La Biche County is a community of choice in northeastern Alberta.

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PATRICK MATTERN Executive Director - Policy, Business Development & Research.

Government of Alberta - Tourism Suite 300, 639 - 5 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0M9 p: 403-297-8900 e: patrick.mattern@gov.ab.ca LEANNE MCBEAN Economic Development Coordinator Sturgeon County 9613 100 St Morinville, AB T8R 1L9 p: 780-939-8296 f: 780-939-2076 e: lmcbean@sturgeoncounty.ca www.sturgeoncountybounty.ca SHAWN MCCAULEY Economic Development Officer Town of Stony Plain 4905 - 51 Ave Stony Plain, AB T7Z 1Y1 f: 780-963-2197 e: s.mccauley@stonyplain.com www.choosestonyplain.com JOYCE MCCOY Councillor Town of Didsbury Box 790, 1606-14 St Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0 e: jmccoy@didsbury.ca CORINNE MCGIRR Community Development Coordinator County of Vermilion River Box 69, Kitscoty, AB T0B 2P0 p: 780-846-2244 f: 780-846-2716 e: cmcgirr@county24.com www.vermilion-river.com JOHN MCGOUGAN Repsol Oil & Gas Canada Suite 2000, 888-3 St SW Calgary, AB T2P 5C5 e: jmcgougan@repsol.com

MEMBERS SANDRA MCINTOSH Economic Development Coordinator City of Spruce Grove 315 Jespersen Ave Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3E8 p: 780-962-7634 e: smcintosh@sprucegrove.org www.sprucegrove.org/Business.htm

ERIC MCSWEENEY President McSweeney & Associates 121 Crystal Green Bay Okotoks, Ab T1S 2N4 p: 1-855-300-8548 e: eric@mcsweeney.ca www.mcsweeney.ca

MARY MORAN President & CEO Calgary Economic Development 731-1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7831 e: mmoran@ calgaryeconomicdevelopment.com

LISA NOVOTNY Development Manager City of Wetaskiwin Box 6210, Wetaskiwin, AB T9A 2E9 p: 780-361-4405 f: 780-352-0101 e: lisa.novotny@wetaskiwin.ca www.wetaskiwin.ca

BARBARA ENGELBART MCKENZIE Executive Director Leduc-Nisku Economic Development Association 103, 6527 Sparrow Drive Leduc, AB T9E 7C7 p: 780-986-9538 f: 780-986-1121 e: bmckenzie@leducniskueda.com

ELEANOR MICLETTE Manager, Economic Development & Community Services County of Northern Lights Box 10, Manning, AB T0H 2M0 p: 780-836-3348 ext. 229 f: 780-836-3663 e: miclettee@countyofnorthernlights.com www.countyofnorthernlights.com

MARK MORRISSEY Director of Economic Development City of Fort Saskatchewan 10005 - 102 St Fort Saskatchewan, AB T8L 2S5 p: 780-992-6231 e: mmorrissey@fortsask.ca www.fortsask.ca

LEKAN OLADOKUN Business Development Advisor Alberta Indigenous Relations 19th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 102 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8 p: 780-638-4383 e: lekan.oladokun@gov.ab.ca

SELENA MCLEAN-MOORE Manager, SE Region, Regional Economic Development Services Alberta Economic Development and Trade Medicine Hat Provincial Building, 109, 346-3 St SE Medicine Hat, AB T1A 0G7 p: 403-529-3113 e: selena.mclean-moore@gov.ab.ca

KRISTEN MILNE Economic Development / Land Officer The Town of Fox Creek PO Box 149, Fox Creek, AB T0H 1P0 p: 780-622-3896 f: 780-622-4247 e: kristen@foxcreek.ca www.foxcreek.ca

RICK NEUMANN Development Officer County of Barrhead No. 11 5306-49 St Barrhead, AB T7N 1N5 p: 780-674-3331 f: 780-674-2777 e: rneumann@countybarrhead.ab.ca

SHANE OLSON Manager, Commercial Development Strathcona County 2001 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3W7 p: 780-464-8259 e: shane.olson@strathcona.ca www.strathcona.ca

JIM NEWMAN Manager, Economic Development Lamont County 5303-50 Ave Lamont, AB T0B 2R0 p: 780-895-2233 ext. 216 f: 780-895-7404 e: jim.n@lamontcounty.ca

ANDREW O’ROURKE Economic Development Officer Mackenzie County PO Box 640, Fort Vermilion, AB T0H 1N0 p: 780-928-3983 f: 780-928-3636 e: aorourke@mackenziecounty.com www.mackenziecounty.com

YVETTE NG Executive Director, Destination Development and Visitor Services Branch, Tourism Division Ministry of Culture and Tourism Edmonton, AB p: 780-643-1368 e: yvette.ng@gov.ab.ca

BRENDA OTTO Economic Development Officer Town of Stony Plain 4905-51 Ave Stony Plain, AB T7X 1Y1 p: 780-963-8653 f: 780-963-2197 e: b.otto@stonyplain.com www.stonyplain.com

KENT MCMULLIN Senior Business Strategist- Industrial Development City of Edmonton 10250-101 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 3P4 p: 780-442-7150 f: 780-426-0535 e: kent.mcmullin@edmonton.ca SEAN MCRITCHIE Manager, Industrial Development Strathcona County 2001 Sherwood Drive Sherwood Park, AB T8A 3W7 p: 780-410-8511 e: sean.mcritchie@strathcona.ca

VANESSA MIRIANI Administrator CAEP 5013 49 Ave Red Deer, AB T4N 3X1 e: info@caepalberta.com BENJAMIN MISENER Manager of Land & Environment Brazeau County Box 5 Site 18 R.R.#1 Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0 p: 780-542-2667 e: bsmisene@gmail.com www.brazeau.ab.ca KOJI MIYAJI The City of Grande Prairie 10205 98 St Grande Prairie, AB T8V 6V3 e: kmiyaji@cityofgp.com

PATRICIA NICOL Economic Development Officer Town of Devon 1 Columbia Ave West Devon, AB T9G 1A1 p: 780-987-8306 f: 780-987-4778 e: pnicol@devon.ca www.devon.ca

QUINN PAGE Economic Development & Events Manager Town of Black Diamond 301 Centre Ave West (PO Box 10) Black Diamond, AB T0L 0H0 p: 403-933-4348 ext. 202 e: quinnp@town.blackdiamond.ab.ca PATTI PALMER Business Licensing Town of Cochrane 101 Ranchehouse Road Cochrane, AB T4C 2K8 p: 403-851-2573 f: 403-932-6032 e: patti.palmer@cochrane.ca JANE PALMER Aboriginal Relations Advisor Devon Canada 60 Meadowview Point Sherwood Park, AB T8H 2E8 p: 587-227-8317 e: pelicanplace@hotmail.com JORDAN PANASIUK Director of Community Services Big Lakes County 5305-56 St, Box 239 High Prairie, AB T0G 1E0 p: 780-523-5955 f: 780-523-4227 e: jpanasiuk@biglakescounty.ca www.mdbiglakes.ca DAVE PARSELL Co-founder & CEO LocalIntel #501, 237-8 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 5C3 p: 403-554-0982 e: dave@localintel.co KATE PATRICK Board Chair & Mayor, Town of Mayerthorpe GROWTH Alberta Barrhead, AB T7N 1N4 p: 780-674-3140 e: kate.p@telus.net

MARY ANNE OVERWATER Councillor Town of Olds 4512 46 St Olds, AB T4H 1R5 e: maoverwater@olds.ca

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MEMBERS RICHARD PAULS Vice President, Service Delivery Integral Strategy Network Inc. 153 - 1581h Hilside Ave Victoria, BC V8T 2C1 p: 403-874-4943 e: richard.pauls@integralstrategy.net JEFF PENNEY Manager of External Relations Shell Albian Sands Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4 e: jeff_penney@hotmail.com BYRON PETERS Deputy CAO Mackenzie County PO Box 640, Fort Vermilion, AB T0H 1N0 p: 780-928-3983 e: bpeters@mackenziecounty.com www.mackenziecounty.com DAVID PETROVICH Business Analyst Community Futures Wild Rose 101, 331-3 Ave Strathmore, AB T1P 1K3 p: 403-934-8888 e: david@cfwildrose.ca HOWARD PINNOCK General Manager of Planning and Development, City of Cold Lake City of Cold Lake Economic Development Advisory Committee 5513 - 48 Ave Cold Lake, AB T9M 1A1 p: 780-594-4494 f: 780-594-3480 e: hpinnock@coldlake.com www.coldlake.com JAMIE-LYNN PITTS Economic Development Specialist – Commercial City of Spruce Grove 315 Jespersen Ave Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3E8 p: 780-962-7634 ext.139 e: jlpitts@sprucegrove.org ERHARD POGGEMILLER Town of Didsbury Box 790, 1606-14 St Didsbury, AB T0M 0W0 e: epoggemiller@didsbury.ca TAMMY POWELL Senior Director, Regional Economic Development Services Alberta Economic Development & Trade, Entrepreneurship and Regional Development Branch 1176 Switzer Drive Hinton, AB T7V 2B7 p: 780-712-1601 e: tammy.powell@gov.ab.ca JERELD PRATT Economic Development Officer Clearwater County 5016 54 St Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1E7 p: 403-845-4444 f: 403-844-1850 e: jereldpratt@gmail.com www.clearwatercounty.ca

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ALYSHIA PRETULAC Stakeholder Relations Specialist Plains Midstream Canada 1400, 607-8 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0A7 p: 587-233-5805 e: alyshia.pretulac@plainsmidstream. com www.plainsmidstream.com

BERT ROACH Economic Development Officer Town of Beaumont 5600 49 St Beaumont, AB T4X 1A1 p: 780-929-1364 f: 780-929-8729 e: bert.roach@beaumont.ab.ca www.beaumont.ab.ca

GORDON SHAW Senior Manager, Planning & Development Lac La Biche County 13422 Hwy 881 Lac La Biche, AB T0A 2C0 p: 780-623-6750 f: 780-623-2039 e: gordon.shaw@laclabichecounty.com www.laclabichecounty.com

SHANNON PREUS Regional Manager Partnerships, Prairies Business Development Bank of Canada (BDC) 110 Barclay Centre, 444-7 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0X8 p: 403-407-9170 e: shannon.preus@bdc.ca www.bdc.ca

TERRY ROCK Executive Director Alberta Small Brewers Association 304-10A St NW Calgary, AB T2N 1W6 p: 403-681-2909 e: terry.rock@albertabrewers.ca

JEFF SHAW CAO Town of Cardston Box 280, Cardston, AB T0K 0K0 p: 403-653-3366 f: 403-653-2499 e: jeff@cardston.ca

ALEXANDRA ROSS Economic Development Specialist Town of Okotoks PO Box 20, Stn Main, Municipal Centre, 5 Elizabeth St Okotoks, AB T1S 1K1 p: 403-995-2769 e: aross@okotoks.ca www.okotoksventure.ca

LESLIE SHIER Manager, Real Estate Calgary Economic Development 731-1 St SE Calgary, AB T2G 2G9 p: 403-221-7821 e: lshier@calgaryeconomicdevelopment. com

MARY LEE PRIOR Community Economic Development Officer Town of Vermilion 5021-49 Ave Vermilion, AB T9X 1X1 p: 780-581-2419 f: 780-853-4910 e: mlprior@vermilion.ca www.vermilion.ca CATHERINE PROULX Manager of Economic Development City of Chestermere 105 Marina Rd Chestermere, AB T1X 1V7 p: 403-801-6551 e: cproulx@chestermere.ca www.chestermere.ca KRISTA PUTNAM Analyst, Stakeholder Relations Plains Midstream Canada 1400, 607-8 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0A7 e: krista.putnam@plainsmidstream.com WAI TSE RAMIREZ Economic & Environmental Sustainability City of Edmonton 12th flr, 10250 101 St Edmonton, AB T6J 3P4 p: 780-496-6004 e: waitse.ramirez@edmonton.ca JENNIFER RANGER Repsol Oil & Gas Canada Suite 2000, 888-3 St SW Calgary, AB T2P 5C5 p: 403-231-6149 e: jranger@repsol.com BRAIDON REID Commercial Business Strategist City of Edmonton 10250-101 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 3P4 p: 780-442-7148 e: braidon.reid@edmonton.ca CLIFF REILING Past President Economic Developers Alberta Box 1435, Blairmore, AB T0K 0E0 p: 403-563-5572 f: 403-563-0576 e: cliff.reiling@shaw.ca

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KENT RUPERT Team Lead Airdrie Economic Development 400 Main St SE Airdrie, AB T4B 2Z6 p: 403-948-8844 f: 403-948-6567 e: kent.rupert@airdrie.ca www.airdrienow.ca DEAN SCHWEDER Economic Development Officer Town of Rocky Mountain House Box 1509, Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1B2 p: 403-847-5260 f: 403-845-1835 e: dschweder@rockymtnhouse.com www.rockymtnhouse.com BARB SCULLY Connected Communities Coordinator Parkland County 53109A HWY 779 Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-289-4424 e: bscully@parklandcounty.com MICHAEL SELCI SVP, Fin and Cons - Prairies, PVP, Fin et Cons - Prairies Business Development Bank of Canada Edmonton, AB p: 403-292-6935 f: 780-495-5087 e: michael.selci@bdc.ca JOHN SENNEMA Manager, Land & Economic Development The City of Red Deer PO Box 5008, Red Deer, AB T4N 3T4 p: 403-342-8106 f: 403-342-8260 e: john.sennema@reddeer.ca TRISHA SEWELL Economic Development Officer Cactus Corridor Economic Development Corporation PO Box 1255, Hanna, AB T0J 1P0 p: 403-854-2099 ext. 215 e: trisha.sewell@cactuscorridor.com

HARRY SHNIDER Senior Consultant MDB Insight 4th Floor, 909 - 17 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2T 0A4 p: 780-660-2375 e: hshnider@mdbinsight.com www.mdbinsight.com TRACY SIMPSON Community Services Coordinator Town of Strathmore 680 Westchester Road Strathmore, AB T1P 1J1 p: 403-934-3133 f: 403-934-9942 e: tsimpson@strathmore.ca www.strathmore.ca DARLENE SINCLAIR General Manager Community Futures Lethbridge Region 2626 South Parkside Drive Lethbridge, AB T1K 0C4 p: 587-800-8431 e: dsinclair@albertacf.com LISA SLADE Senior Economic Development Officer Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo 9909 Franklin Ave Fort McMurray, AB T9H 2K4 p: 780-793-1063 e: lisa.slade@rmwb.ca www.choosewoodbuffalo.ca GARY SLIPP President Network Global Inc. 1435 - 22 Ave NW Calgary, AB T2M 1P9 p: 403-714-2467 e: garyslipp@networkglobal.ca ELVIRA SMID Manager, Special Events and Visits Alberta Economic Development & Trade 300, 639 5 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 0M9 p: 403-968-4486 e: elvira.smid@gov.ab.ca

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ANAND SOOCHIT Economic Development Officer Smith’s Landing First Nation PO Box 1470, Fort Smith, NT X0E 0P0 p: 867-872-4950 f: 867-872-5154 e: ec_dev@slfn196.com www.slfn196.com CAM SORENSON Communications CAPP #2100, 350-7 Ave SW Calgary, AB T2P 3N9 e: cam.sorenson@capp.ca HOLLY SORGEN General Manager Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region 104, 9817 - 101 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X6 p: 780-814-5340 f: 780-532-5129 e: holly.sorgen@albertacf.com www.cfofgp.com PAMELA STECKLER Investment Attraction & Business Development Officer Central Alberta : Access Prosperity Box 5005, Red Deer, AB T4N 5H5 p: 403-342-3103 e: pam.steckler@accessprosperity.ca SHAYNE STEFFEN Assistant CAO and Director of Economic Development Saddle Hills County RR 1 Spirit River, AB T0H 3G0 p: 780-864-3760 f: 780-864-3904 e: ssteffen@saddlehills.ab.ca www.saddlehills.ab.ca CYNTHIA STEWART Director, Community Relations International Council of Shopping Centers 555-12 St NW, Ste 660 Washington, DC 20004 p: 864-968-9324 f: 732-694-1734 e: cstewart@icsc.org JESSICA SURGENOR Economic Development Officer City of Brooks 201-1 Ave West Brooks, AB T1R 1B7 p: 403-362-3333 f: 403-362-4787 e: jsurgenor@brooks.ca www.brooks.ca CINDY SUTER Economic Development Lac Ste Anne County PO Box 219, Sangudo, AB T0E 2AO p: 780-785-3411 f: 780-785-2985 e: csuter@lsac.ca MICHELLE SWARE City of St. Albert 29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3 p: 780-459-1631 e: msware@stalbert.ca

MEMBERS JUSTIN SWEENEY Economic Development Officer Town of Claresholm PO Box 1000, Claresholm, AB T0L 0T0 p: 403-489-0762 f: 403-625-3869 e: edo@claresholm.ca www.townofclaresholm.com KELLIE TEMPLETON Alberta Economic Development and Trade Edmonton, AB e: kellie.templeton@gov.ab.ca JAMES TESSIER Regional Economic Development Specialist Alberta Economic Development and Trade PO Box 4663, 5201 – 44 St Bonnyville, AB T9N 2E3 p: 780-826-4302 e: james.tessier@gov.ab.ca VERONA THIBAULT Executive Director Saskatchewan Economic Development Association Box 113, Saskatoon, SK S7K 3K1 p: 306-384-5817 f: 306-384-5818 e: verona.thibault@seda.sk.ca www.seda.sk.ca

ANGELA TURNER City of Edmonton 12th flr, 10250 101 St Edmonton, AB T6J 3P4 e: angela.turner@edmonton.ca KEVIN TURNER Regional Director Office of Small and Medium Enterprises 5th Floor, 10025 Jasper Ave Edmonton, AB T5J 1S6 p: 587-783-9099 e: kevin.turner@pwgsc-tpsgc.gc.ca CHRIS TYRKALO Manager - Capital Programs Alberta Indigenous Relations 20th Floor, Commerce Place, 10155 102 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 4G8 p: 780-644-5745 e: christopher.tyrkalo@gov.ab.ca www.indigenous.alberta.ca JAYLENE ULMER Director, Marketing & Communications Economic Development Lethbridge 308 Stafford Drive South Lethbridge, AB T1J 2L1 p: 403-331-0022 e: jaylene@chooselethbridge.ca www.chooselethbridge.ca

MITCH THOMSON Executive Director Olds Institute for Community & Regional Development Box 4210, Olds, AB T4H 1P8 p: 403-556-1105 e: mthomson@oldsinstitute.com www.oldsinstitute.com

ROD VALDES Director, Economic Development City of St. Albert 29 Sir Winston Churchill Ave St. Albert, AB T8N 0G3 p: 780-459-1653 e: rvaldes@stalbert.ca www.stalbert.ca

CAROL THOMSON Economic Development Officer Paintearth Economic Partnership Society Box 509, Castor, AB T0C 0X0 p: 403-882-3211 f: 403-882-3560 e: cthomson@countypaintearth.ca www.paintearth.ab.ca

WALTER VALENTINI Executive Director Palliser Economic Partnership Box 1046, Medicine Hat, AB T1A 7H1 p: 403-526-7552 e: walter@palliseralberta.com

BEV THORNTON Executive Director Alberta SouthWest REDA Box 1041, Pincher Creek, AB T0K 1W0 p: 403-627-3373 e: bev@albertasouthwest.com www.albertasouthwest.com HAL TIMAR Executive Director Nunavut Economic Developers Association PO Box 1990, Iqaluit, NU X0A 0H0 p: 867-979-4620 f: 867-979-4622 e: exdir@nunavuteda.com www.nunavuteda.com

PETER VANA General Manager, Development Services Parkland County 53109A HWY 779 Parkland County, AB T7Z 1R1 p: 780-968-8329 e: pvana@parklandcounty.com MARK VANDENBERGHE Manager, North Central Region, Regional Economic Development Services Alberta Economic Development & Trade 5th Flr, Commerce Place, 10155-102 St Edmonton, AB T5J 4L6 p: 780-427-6450 f: 780-422-5804 e: mark.vandenberghe@gov.ab.ca

NANCY TOOMBS Marketing / Communications Economic Developers Alberta Suite 127 #406, 917-85 St SW Calgary, AB T3H 5Z9 p: 866-671-8182 e: nancy.toombs@edaalberta.ca

JOHN VANDERMEER Clearwater County PO Box 550, Rocky Mountain House, AB T0K 2L0 f: 403-845-7330 e: jvandermeer.clearwatercounty@ telus.net www.county.clearwater.ab.ca

TODD TOUGAS Vice President, Alberta North BDC (Business Development Bank of Canada) 820, 9888 Jasper Ave Edmonton, AB T5J 5C6 p: 780-495-2602 e: todd.tougas@bdc.ca

GLEN VANSTONE Vice-President, Trade & Investment Edmonton Economic Development Corporation World Trade Centre, 9990 Jasper Ave Edmonton, AB T5J 1P7 p: 780-904-6290 e: gvanstone@edmonton.com

DAVE WALKER Manager, Economic & Business Development City of Spruce Grove 315 Jespersen Ave Spruce Grove, AB T7X 3E8 p: 780-962-7608 f: 780-962-0149 e: dwalker@sprucegrove.org www.sprucegrove.org TONY WALKER General Manager Community Futures Alberta Southwest PO Box 1270, 436 Col. Macleod Blvd Fort Macleod, AB T0L 0Z0 p: 403-553-0264 f: 403-553-3080 e: tony@cfabsw.com www.southwest.albertacf.com SHANE WALLIS Business Analyst Community Futures Grande Prairie & Region 104, 9817 - 101 Ave Grande Prairie, AB T8V 0X6 p: 587-771-1356 e: shane.wallis@albertacf.com LESLIE WARREN Consultant Box 24, Champion, AB T0L 0R0 p: 403-485-5694 e: leswarren78@gmail.com GENE WESLEY General Manager Community Futures Lac La Biche PO Box 2188, 10106 102 Ave Lac La Biche, AB T0A 2C0 p: 780-623-2662 f: 780-623-2671 e: manager@cfllb.com www.cfllb.com TYLER WESTOVER Economic Development Manager Sturgeon County 9613 - 100 St Morinville, AB T8R 1L9 p: 780-939-8358 f: 780-939-3003 e: twestover@sturgeoncounty.ca www.startinsturgeon.ca DALE WHEELDON President & CEO British Columbia Economic Development Association 102-9300 Nowell St Chilliwack, BC V2P 4V7 p: 604-795-7119 f: 604-795-7118 e: dwheeldon@bceda.ca www.bceda.ca BRAD WHITE City of Edmonton 12th flr, 10250 101 St Edmonton, AB T6J 3P4 e: brad.white@edmonton.com KYLE WHITE Education and Engagement Lead Co-operatives First 15-95 115 St E Saskatoon, SK S7N 2E1 p: 306-203-4484 e: kyle@cooperativesfirst.com www.cooperativesfirst.com

Diverse Determined Driven

lCURTIS WHYTE President C. E. Whyte Consulting Inc. 8 Edforth Rd NW Calgary, AB T3A 3V4 p: 403-991-1267 e: cewhyte@telus.net www.cewhyteconsulting.com

OMAR YAQUB Senior Partner ALIF Partners #110 10025 106 St NW Edmonton, AB T5J 1G4 p: 780-695-7477 e: omar@alifpartners.com www.alifpartners.com

SIMONE WILEY Director of Development Services Town of Westlock 10003 - 106 St Westlock, AB T7P 2K3 p: 780-349-4444 f: 780-349-4436 e: swiley@westlock.ca www.westlock.ca

BEN YOUNG Economic Development Officer Town of Taber A - 4900 50 St Taber, AB T1G 1T1 p: 403-223-5500 e: byoung@taber.ca www.growingintaber.ca VICKI ZINYK CEO North Parkland Power Box 501, 600 - 2 Ave Thorhild, AB T0A 3J0 p: 780-398-2001 e: vicki.zinyk@npprea.ca www.npprea.ca

DANIELLE WOOLNOUGH Economic Development Assistant Town of Stony Plain 4905 51 Ave Stony Plain, AB T7Z 1Y1 p: 780-963-8021 e: d.woolnough@stonyplain.com

VIVIAN ZITTLAW Economic Development Officer Town of Westlock 10003 - 106 St Westlock, AB T7P 2K3 p: 780-349-4444 f: 780-349-4436 e: vzittlaw@westlock.ca www.westlock.ca

KIMBERLEY WORTHINGTON Executive Director CAEP 5013 49 Ave Red Deer, AB T4N 3X1 p: 403-357-2237 e: kimberley@caepalberta.com www.caepalberta.com LARRY WRIGHT Strategy & Technology Officer Town of Olds 4512 46 St Olds, AB T4H 1R5 p: 403-507-4803 e: larry.wright@olds.ca

INDEX OF ADVERTISERS.................................................................PAGE Calgary Economic Development...............................................................................................36-37 City of Airdrie: Economic Development..................................................................................98, 132 City of Grande Prairie...............................................................................................................16-17 City of Lacombe............................................................................................................................. 83 City of Red Deer............................................................................................................................. 62 City of Spruce Grove............................................................................................................ 116-117 City of St. Albert........................................................................................................................42-43 Co-operatives First.......................................................................................................................... 6 County of Grande Prairie...........................................................................................................24-27 County of Northern Lights.............................................................................................................. 88 Economic Developers Alberta...................................................................................................... 122 Economic Development Lethbridge..........................................................................................56-57 Field Law..................................................................................................................................... 127 Flagstaff County.................................................................................................................. 110-111 Joint Economic Development Initiative.......................................................................................... 79 Lac La Biche County.................................................................................................................... 126 Lethbridge County......................................................................................................................... 50 Municipal District of Greenview................................................................................................14-15 Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17....................................................................................... 35 Olds Institute for Community & Regional Development...................................................... 130-131 Red Deer County........................................................................................................................ 2, 86 RedPoint Media........................................................................................................................... 101 Regional Economic Development Alliances......................................................................... 120-121 Rocky View County..................................................................................................................... 5, 92 Special Area No. 4 Regional Economic Development.................................................................. 106 Strathcona County......................................................................................................................... 49 Town of Bon Accord...................................................................................................................... 103 Town of Calmar.............................................................................................................................. 89 Town of Fort Macleod................................................................................................................54-55 Town of High Level......................................................................................................................... 23 Town of Hinton............................................................................................................................... 44 Town of Innisfail............................................................................................................................ 74 Town of Mayerthorpe.................................................................................................................68-69 Town of Okotoks............................................................................................................................. 38 Town of Stony Plain........................................................................................................................ 48 Town of Sylvan Lake....................................................................................................................... 61 Town of Vermilion................................................................................................................. 104-105 Town of Westlock.......................................................................................................................72-73 Town of Whitecourt...................................................................................................................28-29

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OLDS INSTITUTE FOR COMMUNITY & REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE

ENTREPRENEURIAL, INTELLIGENT, CREATIVE Welcome to Canada’s Most Connected Community

LOCATED ALONG THE QUEEN ELIZABETH

The population of Olds increased 11.5% since 2011.

Many new residents came for one specific reason: The unlimited capacity and instant connection provided by the community’s fibre optic network.

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II Highway corridor, Olds is the diamond of central Alberta. The community offers exceptional urban amenities in a rural setting.

Populated by intelligent and creative thinkers who conceptualized and then realized fibre to the premises, this gigabit town has the fastest internet in the nation.

Olds is facility-rich: A modern hospital with surgical suite, conference and meeting venues, medical and emergency services, the best in educational options and recreational amenities, such as an Athletic Park currently in progress. Olds has attracted and retained a skilled labour force and as a result, its community development is vibrant and dynamic. Included among 9,184 residents, Olds is proud to have the most working artists per capita in Alberta.

Globally recognized as one the of Smart21 communities for 2018, Olds has a forward-thinking population who have a keen understanding of the challenges of undertaking communitychanging projects like broadband. To ensure economic growth and stability, fibre to the premises evolved from a vision in 2004, to full implementation in 2017. Broadband in itself is not exceptional – it is what broadband creates that is exceptional.

Education and creative intelligence do not oppose technology, because broadband is an equalizer. It is a mechanism for entrepreneurialism and innovation in all trades; in all education from primary to post-secondary; and in all creativity. It is where commerce in all its forms prospers. Broadband has brought the world to Olds and Olds to the world. Organizations can operate in real-time with anyone anywhere in the world while living in a community with respected and valued agricultural roots.

Free Wi-Fi hotspots in community spaces keep residents connected. Whether they are shopping in Uptowne Olds, or

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biking or walking on the integrated trail systems, or whether they are on a park bench reading an e-book surrounded by nature, residents stay connected.

Canada’s most connected community offers cost-effective telecommunications without data caps. Olds’ symmetrical internet, delivered by the town’s fibre optic lines, can upload or download 100 photos in 3 seconds, a business advantage for the both the entrepreneurs who operate out of storefronts, and the 400 entrepreneurs who operate from home. There are endless investment opportunities for professionals and site selectors in Olds because of the unique technological benefit, a benefit that also supports health and education.

Olds College, a renowned post-secondary institution, takes advantage of the broadband abundance and has become an Apple Distinguished School. Through Olds College’s Werklund Agriculture Institute, students are exposed to integrated agricultural leadership using technology as a tool for Smart Agriculture.

Broadband bolstered the educational initiative by serving the students with leading-edge internet capability.

Why choose to invest in Olds? Because Olds has the resources for community and economic development and unlimited opportunities for entrepreneurialism. Because of the community’s stunning harmony between technology, quality of life, and its rural roots. Because Olds is a place of abundance.

Because Olds is enough.

For more information contact: Larry Wright Mitch Thomson Town of Olds Olds Institute 403-556-6981 403-556-1105 larry.wright@olds.ca mthomson@oldsinsitute.com

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Family first | Talented workforce | Easy access to major markets 15 minutes from Calgary | 1 hour to the Rocky Mountains

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