Factors Affecting Agritourism Development in the Foothills CONTEXT This resource includes high-level insights on the political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, and environmental context. The short report provides existing and prospective agritourism industry members the needed context to understand agritourism development as it pertains to businesses in the Foothills region. POLITICAL 3 ECONOMIC 5 SOCIOCULTURAL 8 TECHNOLOGICAL 11 LEGAL 14 ENVIRONMENTAL 20 Contents for this resource draw from Foothills Tourism Association’s summary report on agritourism as a growth opportunity. For more information, please refer to the report or contact Foothills Tourism Association. 2 POLITICAL The Foothills is comprised of multiple a not-for-profit government corporation municipalities including the hamlet of Bragg made up of elected officials from the 10 Creek in Rocky View County at its northern member municipalities of the Calgary tip, the Town of Nanton and the surrounding Metropolitan Region. It was established area of the Municipal District of Willow Creek in 2018 through the CMRB Regulation No. 26 as its southern tip, the mountains to under the Municipal Government Act, and the west, and Highway 2 to the east. four of its member municipalities include Foothills County, Rocky View County, the This means the area is Town of Okotoks, and the Town of High River. The mandate of the corporation is comprised of three municipal to “support the long-term sustainability districts or counties, six urban of the Calgary Metropolitan Region by municipal governments, and two 1) Ensuring environmentally responsible First Nations reserves. land-use planning, growth management and efficient use of land; 2) Developing These 11 municipal jurisdictions include: policies regarding the coordination Rocky View County, Foothills County, the of regional infrastructure investment Municipal District of Willow Creek No.26, and service delivery; 3) Promoting the as well as the towns of Nanton, Okotoks, economic wellbeing and competitiveness High River, Turner Valley, Black Diamond, of the Calgary Metropolitan Region; and 4) the Village of Longview, Eden Valley Developing policies outlining how the Board Bearspaw First Nation (which forms part of shall engage the public in consultation.” Stoney Nakoda Nation), and Tsuut’ina First Nation including the townsite of Redwood In 2018, the Calgary Metropolitan Region Meadows. Within the Foothills, Foothills Board, released its Interim Growth Plan, County encompasses most of the area, pending the approval of its 2021 Growth including which encompasses most of the & Servicing Plans. These plans were Foothills, includes the hamlets of Aldersyde, developed to serve as a best-practice Cayley, De Winton, Hartell, Heritage Pointe, guide for achieving long-term prosperity Millarville, Naptha, Priddis, and Priddis in the Calgary Metropolitan Region by Greens. providing policies and high-level guidance The Calgary Metropolitan Region Board is to member municipalities including: 1) 3 Residential, commercial and industrial Plan and Servicing Plan. These plans are land use; 2) Corridors for transportation, important to consider when planning for recreation, energy transmission, utilities the development of agritourism activities in and transit; 3) Infrastructure planning the Foothills as member municipalities will and development; 4) Water quality, need to align their strategies and plans to water use and management (including these documents, noting that non-member flood mitigation); and 5) Environmental municipalities may not be required to align sustainability and the conservation of with their strategies and plans. Relevant agricultural lands. Importantly, these plans non-member municipalities include the are aligned with policies of the South towns of Black Diamond, Turner Valley, Saskatchewan Regional Plan and any parent Nanton, the Village of Longview, and the policy documents, the Alberta Land-use Municipal District of Willow Creek No. 26. Framework and enacting legislation, and When planning for the development of the Alberta Land Stewardship Act. agritourism, it is important to consider where development is occurring in the Foothills as The Calgary Metropolitan Region Growth different municipalities will have different Plan (2021) and Calgary Metropolitan goals, strategies, regulations, and bylaws Region Servicing Plan (2021) were finalized that will impact agritourism development. In and approved by the Calgary Metropolitan other words, having a clear understanding Region Board in May 2021. They have been of the jurisdictional landscape is key to the submitted to the Minister of Municipal success of agritourism development in the Affairs for review, and if approved by the Foothills. Minister, will replace the Interim Growth 4 ECONOMIC In 2017, Calgary Economic Development—a for the Calgary Metropolitan Region.” The not-for-profit corporation funded by the plan identifies driver industries that are City of Calgary, community partners, expected to lead employment growth in the other orders of government, and the immediate term (1-2 years), short term (3-5 private sector—released an Agribusiness years), medium term (6-10 years), and long Value Chain Study. The study identifies term (11-20 years). agritourism activities as growth opportunities for the local economy. More More specifically, specifically, it mentions the opportunity the plan identifies four driver of building and expanding the distillery, brewery, and micro-brewery base of the city industries that are connected to and its surrounding area, as well as scaling agritourism and are expected to agritourism through craft beer tours, and lead employment growth in the promotions with premiere restaurants as years to come. examples. The study identifies the interest of Canadian and Albertan travellers in In the immediate term, this includes value participating in agritourism activities as added agriculture, which according to well as the opportunity to incorporate the Regional Employment Forecast Final agritourism as a marketed offering for Report (2020) includes “specialized food a Alberta tourists. It specifically mentions nd beverage manufacturing.” During the fostering partnerships between established short term, value added agriculture is tourism assets and artisanal growers and/or identified, which is described as “speciality farmers that could take on, or scale existing food manufacturing, seed cleaning, agritourism activities. Similarly, Calgary’s cannabis production.” Finally, in the medium economic development strategy—Calgary term, both value added agriculture, including in the New Economy (2018)—identifies industries focussed on “plant proteins, tourism as an “emerging & growth cluster”. micro-breweries/wineries”, and tourism, which includes “food accommodation As noted, the Calgary Metropolitan Region sector, outdoor adventures, equestrian,” Board has released the Calgary Metropolitan are identified. Region Growth Plan (2021). The growth plan is “a policy framework for managing growth and implementing long-term vision 5 Within the Foothills, the towns of Black For example, Rocky View County released Diamond and Turner Valley published an its Economic Recovery Task Force 2020: Intermunicipal Economic Development Rocky View County’s Economic Recovery Strategy (2019). The strategy identifies and Resilience in Response to COVID-19 five strategic goals to improve economic (2020). It identifies the development of a development in both municipalities: comprehensive marketing plan for Rocky View County to raise awareness of what 1. Build economic development capacity; the county has to offer; noting the success 2. Foster a friendly-environment for new of “Shop Local” campaigns and their development and existing businesses; online business directory on their website, 3. Support business retention and which highlight many local agricultural expansion entrepreneurship; producers who offer farm-to-table 4. Target community-based economic experiences. Furthermore, the Economic development; Recovery Taskforce identified the need 5. Make Black Diamond and Turner Valley for future marketing to grow the business a destination. directory into business-to-business (B2B) opportunities and cooperatively oriented The strategy also notes that both towns will packaging of complementary products continue to experience population growth and services for growing markets including rates comparable to many of Calgary’s tourism and agritourism. suburban communities. Importantly, the tourism industry is identified as a large Understanding the economic sector of the local economy in both towns, development context of the and it was highlighted in previous strategic Foothills is key to successfully plans as a key source of economic activity. More specifically, the strategy identifies developing agritourism. agritourism as an emerging consumer trend As is identifying ways that agritourism that rural communities should leverage for is aligned with existing economic economic development growth. development strategies and recovery plans. It also fosters stronger opportunities As a result of the pandemic, major tourist to receive support from municipalities and hubs such as Calgary continue to experience economic development corporations. a steep decline in economic activity, with a year-over-year decrease in hotel occupancy rates of 66%. However, there is recognition of the role that agritourism can play in the tourism recovery effort. 6 7 SOCIOCULTURAL Since time immemorial, the