REGIONAL PROFILE BEST OF THE ALBERTA HUB REGION The Northeast Alberta Information HUB Ltd. (the Alberta HUB Region) is a partnership of 34 communities located in Northeast ALBERTA Alberta, Canada. A culturally diverse Region, it is home to: FORTRT MCMURRAY ŸAn established and growing Aerospace & Defence industry. Cold Lake’s Air Weapons Range is a world class training ground for military aircraft and is used by a number of allied countries. USA ŸOne of the largest in situ oil sands operations in Canada and a premier in situ project near Cold Lake. ALBERTART ŸThe Husky Lloydminster Upgrader which converts heavy oil from HUB northeastern Alberta, western Saskatchewan, and bitumen from the JJASPERASPER REGIONN Cold Lake area to synthetic oil. ŸA strong agricultural sector that produces 15% of the province’s oats, 12% of the province’s canola along with other mixed grains. One of the country’s largest cattle feedlots along with Alberta’s first and only organic fruit cottage winery are located in the Two Hills area. CCALGARYALGARY ŸLakeland College, with campuses in Vermilion and Lloydminster. The Vermilion campus has one of the largest college operated farms in Canada. The FIRE ETC. Emergency Training Centre, located at the Vermilion campus, is Canada’s most comprehensive emergency training organization. ŸHigh quality transportation systems including Highway 16, a four lane divided highway, which is part of the Yellowhead branch of the Trans Canada Highway. ŸCanada’s oldest and one of its largest Ukrainian settlements along with one of the first permanent Lebanese settlements in Canada. The TRANSPORTATION Alberta HUB also has one of the largest concentrations of French and Aboriginal settlements in Alberta. Four of Alberta’s eight Métis Settlements are in the Alberta HUB Region. ŸOver 150 lakes, sandy beaches, the beautiful North Saskatchewan River, and Western Canada’s largest inland marina with over 250 The Alberta HUB Region is a transportation HUB with its intricate berths. highway and rail system, regional airports, and Canadian Forces Air Base in Cold Lake. Alberta is optimally located to minimize ŸCanada’s Largest Ecomuseum. Residents and visitors are encouraged to experience the history, culture, landscape, and natural recreation market access costs related to transportation and distribution. areas in this “living” outdoor museum. Producers and shippers in the province enjoy some of the lowest access costs for both imports and exports in Western North America. ALBERTA COMPETITIVENESS HIGHWAYS The Alberta HUB Region is anchored by Highway 16, a four lane divided The Alberta HUB Region is located in the Province of Alberta, highway, which runs east west through the Region from Lloydminster to known for its competitiveness. Some of the advantages Edmonton. It is part of the Yellowhead branch of the Trans Canada enjoyed by Albertans include: Highway system that connects Western Canada to the strategic ports of ŸThe lowest overall taxes in Canada. Prince Rupert and Vancouver in British Columbia. ŸThe highest disposable incomes in Canada. Other major highways include: ŸThe lowest unemployment rate in Canada. ŸHighway 41 which runs north south from Cold Lake to Medicine ŸThe first province in Canada to be debt free. Hat. ŸThe highest investment per capita in Canada. ŸHighway 36 runs north south route from Lac La Biche to Highway 4 at the Alberta/Montana border. ŸThe highest economic growth rate among Canadian provinces. ŸThe second largest petroleum reserves in the world. ŸThe Canadian leader in small business growth. 1 ALBERTA HUB REGION ŸHighway 45 an east Plamondonndon These airports provide passenger, charter and LLacac LLaa Biche west route running cargo service. Both Lloydminster and Cold from Andrew to the Lake offer daily passenger service. Saskatchewan border. Lac La Biche is one of Alberta’s 14 airtanker ŸHighway 28 / 28A an bases and it is also an air ambulance base. east west route which runs from Edmonton to The Alberta HUB Region is in very close Bonnyville and connects proximity to the Edmonton International with Highway 55 to the Airport, a full service airport which offers daily Saskatchewan border. flights to major Canadian, American, and international cities. The Calgary International ŸHighway 55 an east west Airport offers similar services and is a 5 hour drive route, which meets with from the Alberta HUB Region. Highway 63 from Fort McMurray, near Lac La Biche, to Cold Lake and the Saskatchewan border. A High Load Corridor extends from Highway 834 in Lamont County’s south, north to Highway 15, west to the junction with Highway 637, east along Highway 637 and north on Highway 831 to the North Saskatchewan River. RAILWAYS The excellent highway access in the Region and strategic location to Canada’s two national rail carriers service the Alberta HUB Region: Edmonton results in a number of regional trucking services. ŸCanadian National (CN) (www.cn.ca) ŸCanadian Pacific Railway (CPR) (www.cpr.ca) AIR SERVICE Both carriers have intermodal yards in the city of Edmonton. Approximately 8,000 km of track in the Province of Alberta connect it to all The following regional airports are located in the Alberta HUB Region and of Canada, North America, and major ocean ports. have paved runways: COMMERCIAL PORTS Passenger Charter Cargo Runway Bonnyville Regional Airport 4,400 ft The Alberta HUB Region is strategically located to Canada’s largest port Cold Lake Regional Airport 3,000 ft the Port of Vancouver. The Port of Vancouver is Canada’s main gateway for moving goods to the Pacific Rim. The growing Port of Prince Rupert is also Medley Air Terminal (CFB Cold Lake) 12,600 ft strategically located to the Alberta HUB Region. The Port of Prince Elk Point Airport 4,400 ft Rupert, North America’s deepest natural harbour, is a northerly west Lac La Biche Airport 5,800 ft coast alternative for moving freight to Asia. Lloydminster Regional Airport 5,500 ft The closest main ports of entry into the US are: St. Paul Airport 3,500 ft ŸCoutts AB / Sweetgrass MT Two Hills Airport 2,900 ft ŸNorth Portal SK / Portal ND Vegreville Airport 4,000 ft ŸSurrey BC / Blaine WA Vermilion Municipal Airport 3,300 ft 2 INDUSTRY sheep/lambs (6%), goats (8%), chickens ENERGY (2%), elk (15%), deer (10%), and llamas & alpacas. The Alberta HUB Region is fortunate to be located Some key players in the agriculture on one of the largest oil and gas reserves in industry in the Alberta HUB Region Alberta. It is comprised of two sub-sectors: include: Ÿoil and gas producers Highland Feeders Ltd. near Two Hills is Ÿoil and gas service companies. one of the country’s largest cattle feedlots. There are over 300 oil and gas producing companies activee Highland Feeders is a leader in converting within the Alberta HUB Region. There are 1,000 oil servicece animal waste to bio energy. companies located within the area. Lakeland Poultry Processors is a family The Husky Oil Upgrader in Lloydminster began operationsations in owned and operated poultry processor at St. 1992. It converts heavy oil to a high quality, low sulphur ssynthyntheticetic oil. Paul. The Upgrader’s feedstock is heavy oil from deposits in northeastern En Santé Organic Winery & Meadery near Brosseau, is Alberta and western Saskatchewan, and bitumen from Husky’s Tucker Alberta’s first and only organic fruit cottage winery. Oil Sands project northwest of Cold Lake. It has the design capacity to produce 66,000 barrels per day of synthetic crude oil. Lakeland Agriculture Research Association is a major government research association for specialty crops. Imperial Oil operates fours plants in the Bonnyville/Cold Lake area: Leming, Maskwa, Mahihkan and Kahkeses. It is Canada’s largest in situ Lakeland College offers a strong Agricultural Sciences program. One of oil sands operation producing approximately 5% of all crude oil the largest college operated farms in Canada is located at the Vermilion produced in Canada. The Nabiye expansion would add 250 million campus. It includes an animal care clinic, artificial insemination (AI) barn, barrels of recoverable reserves at the Cold Lake facility. bull test and feedlot areas, cattle and sheep facility, dairy barn, swine unit, indoor riding arena and crop land. Many new technologies have been developed in the Alberta HUB including the drilling of long, horizontal wells at shallow depths, down Nilsson Brothers Livestock Exchange, near Vermilion, provides a 200 hole electric drive PC pumps, computer optimized production well seat theatre and auction ring for livestock auction services for the Region. management, high temperature pressure sensors, oil water sand The Bonnyville Forest Nursery is one of the province’s larger tree separator. The most notable development has been Progressing Cavity nurseries with a growing space of over 400,000 square feet. Pumps (PCP) which can tolerate large amounts of sand andd viscousvisc oil. The pumps are now One of ADM’s (Archer Daniels Midland Company) two Canadian sshippedhipped arounda the world. oilseed processing facilities is located at Lloydminster. Smoky Lake Forest Nursery is one of the largest seedling production nurseries in Canada. AGRICULTURE The Alberta HUB Region is deeply rooted in Agriculture from the Ukrainian pioneers, who first settled north of present day Lamont, to the Barr Colonists in the Lloyd minsterm area. ThThe Alberta HUB Region accaccountscco for 15% of Alberta’s totaltotaotal productionp of oats, and 12% of the canola.ccanola The Alberta HUB Region’s productionproductionon ofo cattlec accounts for 10% of the provincial total and 12% of the province’s bison. Other major livestock in the Region includes: horses (9% of the province’s total) hogs (3%), 3 TOURISM The Alberta HUB Region contains: AEROSPACE ŸAlberta’s Lakeland (www.albertaslakeland.ca). The Region has over 150 & DEFENCE lakes, sandy beaches, and the largest inland marina in Western Canada at Cold Lake.