Urban Flair, Rural Flavour Your guide to , , Canada

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services

About Strathcona County 2 Getting Here 3 PSTS 4 The Regional Economy 5 Strathcona County 6 Growth & Advantages 8

www.strathcona.ca/edt Revised March, 2012  THE WEST REFINED.

Strathcona County is a thriving community – for business, for life. facebook.com/ strathcona.edt As a specialized municipality, Strathcona County includes the urban centre of , eight @StrathcoCounty smaller hamlets, and numerous rural communities. strathcona.ca/enews With 92,000 residents, Strathcona County is the second-largest municipality in Alberta’s Capital Region, youtube.com/ strathconacounty situated immediately to the east of .

We take pride in our way of life – offering a balanced lifestyle for residents and an entrepreneurial environment for business. Discover all that we have to offer. A vibrant community, a strong economy, Visit us online: Strathcona County offers you the best of both. www.strathcona.ca/edt  Redwater, Cold Lake, 38 Fort McMurray

Getting Here 830

STURGEON 221 Road Range LAMONT COUNTY COUNTY CITY OF FORT 830 SASKATCHEWAN ? JOSEPHBURG Warren Township Road 550 Joseph Aerodrome (Josehburg Airport)

Manning Drive

21 CITY OF Township Road 540 830 Highway 212 Road Range EDMONTON Elk Island National Park

216

16 Trans-Canada (Yellowhead) Highway 16 SHERWOOD ARDROSSAN PARK 101 Ave Baseline Road Township Road 530

Strathcona Wilderness Cooking Lake - Blackfoot Wye Road Wye Road (Highway 630) Centre Grazing, Wildlife, and 82 (Whyte) Avenue 630 Provincial Recreation Area ANTLER LAKE Whitemud Drive 630 HALF

Highway 21 Highway MOON NORTH COOKING

Anthony Henday Drive Henday Anthony LAKE 75 Street 75 23 Ave Township Road 520 LAKE 629 Highway 629 14 COLLINGWOOD 630 216 COVE  City of Edmonton SOUTH COOKING University of Alberta Township Road 514 LAKE Edmonton International Airport HASTINGS LAKE Highway 14 14

Range Road 221 Road Range Township Road 510 204 Road Range

Ministik Lake BEAVER LEDUC COUNTY Game Bird Sanctuary COUNTY

Strathcona County is located minutes away from Edmonton, Airport Highways Alberta’s capital city. The urban area of Sherwood Park is less than •• Edmonton International •• Trans-Canada Yellowhead 30 minutes from the Edmonton International Airport (YEG). Airport (YEG) Highway (Highway 16) •• Anthony Henday Drive Charter flights and private (Highway 216) We are accessible via the Trans-Canada aircrafts •• Wye Road (Highway 630) (Highway 16 ) and Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216). •• Cooking Lake Airport •• Baseline Road Other major arteries include the recently expanded Wye Road •• Warren Thomas Aerodrome •• Highway 21 (Highway 630), Baseline Road and Highways 14 and 21. (Josephburg) •• Highway 14 Rail Strathcona County provides extensive public transit system for •• Canadian National (CN) both local trips and commuter trips to Edmonton. •• Canadian Pacific (CP)

3 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Professional, Scientific & Technical Services (PSTS)

Professional, Scientific & Technical Services is the largest sector in Strathcona County.

The professional, scientific and Establishments classified under this sector are often technical services sector focuses dependent on the knowledge and skillsets of their employees. The type of business conducted by these primarily on activities where human industries is often on an assignment basis and its production capital is the major input. process is almost entirely dependent on the expertise and training of its workers.

Source: Canadian Industry Statistics, Industry Canada, http://www.strategis.ic.gc.ca, 2006

The professional, scientific and technical services sector includes a broad base of professional and business service providers, often defined as the ‘knowledge’ industries. An increasingly complex and competitive business environment coupled with advances in internet and other technological advancements ensure that specialized expertise will continue to be in high demand in the future.

These industries include:

• legal services industries

• accounting and related services industries

• architectural, engineering and related services industries

• surveying and mapping services industries For more information about the PSTS sector: • design services industries

• management, scientific and technical consulting services industries

• scientific research and development services industries

• advertising services and industries

Source: Strathcona County Strategic Plan 2011-2014

Alberta Government Professional, Scientific and Technical Services Industry Profile July 2011 http://www.employment.alberta.ca/BI/2652.htm

4 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Regional Economy

Alberta’s Capital Region is made up of 25 municipalities in the Edmonton metro area with a total population of 1.3 million.

The Alberta Economy Alberta’s Capital Region (ACR)

Alberta leads the country in employment, exports and Alberta’s Capital Region encompasses 25 municipalities investment. There are currently $208 billion in projects with a total population of 1.16 million in the metro scheduled for completion within the next 3-5 years. Edmonton area. The region is the closest major service and Alberta’s real GDP advanced 3.3% up from a 4.5% manufacturing provider for the Alberta Oil Sands. When it decrease recorded in 2009. Alberta’s population is comes to the Capital Region, Strathcona County is a major 3.78 million, representing a growth of 1.7% from last player. Many companies operating in Strathcona County year. A diverse economy in agriculture, energy, forestry, are providing manufacturing, engineering, technical, and construction, finance and services positions Alberta to research services to the energy sector. There are currently continue to be leaders in the nation. over 66 projects at a value of $134 billion currently under construction in the Oil Sands.1 Naturally, opportunities for Albertans pay the lowest personal income taxes and no businesses supporting this sector are plentiful. provincial sales tax. As well, businesses have the lowest 1 corporate taxes in the country with no general payroll or www.albertacanada.com/documents/SP-MajorAlbertaProjects.pdf capital taxes.

With a work force of 2.18 million, Alberta has the highest labour force participation rate and highest employment rate among the provinces.

Source: Government of Alberta Finance. Alberta Economy Indicators at a Glance (February 17, 2012).

Alberta’s Capital Region is home to award-winning research facilities in science, technology and medicine. Pictured above (from left to right): Alberta Research Council, Advanced Technology Centre and the University of Alberta. Images: Edmonton Economic Development Corporation (EEDC)

5 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Strathcona County

Strathcona County is strategically located for industry, agriculture and technical services.

Location. Location. Location.

Strathcona County is strategically located to take advantage of service and manufacturing needs regionally and provincially.

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, North America’s largest hydrocarbon processing complex, spans parts of Strathcona County as well as four other member municipalities.

Agriculture is a large industry in the County. With 772 farms and over 85,000 hectares of agricultural land, the area is positioned for agri- food processing and agri-tourism opportunities.

As of December 2011, there were a total of 7,905 business establishments in Strathcona County. The professional, scientific and technical services sector is the largest sector comprising 18.2 per cent of the total.2

2 Business Register Division, Statistics Canada 2011 Business Patterns Data.

Some newcomers Recognize these businesses? The following are just a few To search for more businesses, or to add companies in the professional, scientific and technical services your company to our online business sector that have recently relocated to Strathcona County. directory, visit www.strathcona.ca/edt

6 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Professional Scientific and Technical Services in Strathcona County

Business Type Profiles - Strathcona County (Statistics Canada, 2011)

Retail Trade (459) Real estate, rental Transportation and warehousing (420) and leasing (723) 6% % Financial and insurance (393) 9% 5 5% Management of companies and enterprises (371) 5% Other (1,213) Health care and social assistance (352) 15% 4% 4% Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting (280)

3% Wholesale trade (258)

3% Manufacturing (209) % 2% 17 2% Accommodation and food services (179) Construction (1,324) 1% 1% 18% Mining, quarrying, oil & gas extraction (129) Arts, entertainment, and recreation (89) Professional, Scientific and Technical Services (1,447) Information (49) (Total businesses: 7,905)

PSTS Breakdowns

Number of NAICS* Descriptor companies 5413 Architectural / Engineering / Related Services 278 As of Dec. 2011, there were 541611 Management consulting services 222 1,447 businesses that 5415 Computer systems, design, and related services 198 provided professional, scientific, and technical 541690 Other scientific and technical consulting services 159 services in Strathcona 5412 Accounting / Tax preparationg / Bookkeeping / Payroll services 162 County. This was an 54199 All other PSTS 96 increase of 34% from 5411 Legal services 70 1,076 companies in 2003. 5418 Advertising / Public Relations / Related services 33 541620 Environmental consulting services 38 54194 Veterinary services 29 5414 Specialized design services 39 541612 Human resources consulting 17 54192 Photographic 15 5417 Scientific research and development services 15 54191 Market research 4 Total 1,447

*North American Industrial Classification System

7 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Growth & Advantage

Growth in the local economy is fuelling developments in the industrial, commercial and residential sectors.

Strathcona County is the third largest municipality in Alberta with a market area of over 1.16 million people. A growth rate of 2.8% has been maintained for the past several years, with the average age being 37.

As of the 2011 Federal Census, the population was 92,490 with 64,733 in Sherwood Park and 27,757 in the rural area. By 2014, the total population is expected to be approximately 99,000.3

3 2011 Federal Census

Building Permit Comparisons Legend 500,000,000 Residential

Industrial 428,476,130 433,558,857

Commercial / Institutional 400,000,000

147,967,869 337,950,209

233,348,679 300,000,000 282,927,837

179,572,986 109,741,593 200,000,000 166,221,838 44,679,606

64,426,550 21,218,050

Construction Value ($) Construction Value 100,000,000 170,766,668 155,590,572 93,950,673 92,487,949

0 2008 2009 2010 2011

8 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt The professional, scientific and technical services sector comprises of 18.1% of the total businesses listed in the Strathcona County Business Directory. A competitive business environment, coupled with technological advances, ensures that specialized expertise will be in high demand.

Advantages of locating your business in Strathcona County:

Business oriented community Education • Pro-active local Chamber of Commerce with over 1,000 • Access to numerous colleges and universities in the members - the 3rd largest in Alberta metro-Edmonton area including the world-renowned

• Council and administration commitment University of Alberta, MacEwan University, and Northern Alberta Institute of Technology • Residents support the local economy • Elk Island Public and Separate School systems for Cost competitive students K-12 • • No business license New community library

• No business tax Real Estate • Low provincial and corporate taxes • Competitively priced lease and/or purchase business Connections condos or units • Buildings or vacant land parcels in established fully- • 30 minutes to the Edmonton International Airport serviced business areas with various zoning options • Warren Thomas Josephburg Aerodrome • Mixed-use commercial units • 20 minutes to • Home based business options • Connected to seven primary highways including Trans Canada Yellowhead Highway Quality of Life • Serviced by both CN & CP Rail • Competitive housing options in a urban or rural setting • Public transit, greyhound and taxi service. • Hospital currently under construction

• Labour force 10 major recreational facilities including Millennium Place plus golf courses, team sports, cross-country • Current labour force of 713,000 in the metro- skiing, hiking, parks, trails, and more Edmonton region • Wide variety of shopping and dining experiences • Highly educated with 55.3% of Strathcona County • A safe community to live and raise a family residents over 15 having some post-secondary education

9 | Guide to Strathcona County > Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services  www.strathcona.ca/edt Contact Find us online

Strathcona County Economic Development and Tourism Website: www.strathcona.ca/edt

2001 Sherwood Drive facebook.com/strathcona.edt Sherwood Park, Alberta, Canada T8A 3W7 @StrathcoCounty Phone: 780-464-8216 Fax: 780-464-8444 strathcona.ca/enews www.strathcona.ab.ca/edt youtube.com/strathconacounty [email protected]

For more info

Urban Flair, Rural Flavour is a series of information guides on Strathcona County. Topics include:

• Quality of Life

• Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (PSTS)

• Tourism

• Alberta’s Industrial Heartland (AIH)

• Retail Market

• Agriculture

• Green Economy

• The Creative Class