Kneehill County Business Guide

June 2021

INDEX 02

About Kneehill County Location Transportation

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Industry Sector Profiles

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Kneehill County Data

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About the Region Acme Linden Carbon Three Hills Trochu

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Economic Development Three Hills & District Chamber

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Business Development Team Quick Links

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Planning and Development

TOTAL FARMS 700

AVERAGE FARM SIZE Over 1,600 Acres: 1120 to 1599 Acres: 400 to 1119 Acres: 130 to 399 Acres: Under 130 Acres:

21% 11% 25% 25% 17%

AVERAGE $/ACRE 2021 $3,737.84 CLI 1: $3,721.69 CLI 2: $4,918.76 CLI 3: $4,533.79

CULTIVATED ACRES 648,129

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Support Services

Employer Support Additional Contacts

LOCATION Kneehill County is conveniently located within driving distance of Calgary, Old’s, Red Deer, Stettler, Drumheller and Strathmore.

Estimated driving distances from Three Hills (located centrally in the County) are as follows: • • • • • •

132 km to Calgary 69 km to Olds 101 km to Red Deer 106 km to Stettler 63 km to Drumheller 87 km to Strathmore

TRANSPORTATION ABOUT KNEEHILL COUNTY Situated in the heart of central Alberta, Kneehill County is a progressive rural municipality comprised of approximately 814,653 acres of land and a population of 4992 residents.

Within the Kneehill County landscape lies the Towns of Three Hills and Trochu, Villages of Acme, Carbon, and Linden, and the 4 Hamlets of Torrington, Huxley, Swalwell and, Wimborne. The residential neighbourhoods of Hesketh and Sunnyslope round out the remainder of the region. The trade area consists of over 11,000 people with Three Hills providing as the primary service centre.

Kneehill County’s central locality provides residents and businesses with convenient access to larger centers while still maintaining the rural quality of life that makes country living so attractive. Over the past decade, the region has seen an influx of individuals and families leaving the hustle and bustle of the city to call the County and it surrounding municipalities home.

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Secondary Highway No. 27 provides direct access from the region, west to the QE2 Corridor.

Highway No. 21, running vertically through the region, ties into the Trans-Canada No.1 which provides coast to coast accessibility.

Further access to the region is obtained via Canadian National Railway and the Three Hills Municipal Airport

ACCESS TO MARKET Central Alberta has excellent access to international trade markets. The region is crossed by the CANAMEX corridor linking Alberta to the USA and Mexico.

Served by two continental rail lines, goods are easily moved to ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, and Halifax. Intermodal facilities are easily accessed in Calgary. Central Alberta is served by the Red Deer Airport and both Calgary and Edmonton International Airports, (YEG & YYC. Canada has numerous trade agreements across the globe.

Domestic trade agreements like the New West Partnership Trade Agreement support the movement of goods nationally.

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LOCAL INDUSTRY Today, agriculture remains the backbone of the local economy. Located at the centre of a high-volume grain and beef production area, the region is ideally situated to grow its footprint in agricultural product processing.

Based on the raw materials produced in the region, sophisticated food or plant processing operations, including growing niche categories of specialized food, products, composites, or medicines/supplements have been identified as a strong growth sector.

Over the past decade, the County has seen an increase in the amount of diverse economic developments coming to the region. Wind energy made its debut in

2010 with 48 turbines in the northwest area of the County.

Other recent developments include data mining, multiple large grain elevators & meat curing/production facility.

Cannabis made its debut to the region in 2018 with solar on the horizon.

Agri-food has made its mark throughout the County running the gamut from meat processing facilities, honey processing, and cheese making to micro brewing and so much more.

Tourism is a growing industry in the area with the addition of a luxury wedding venue, nationally recognized medieval encampment, and the development of the Horseshoe Canyon tourism site.

Golden Acres Honey

Top 6 Industries (based on employment) ...

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Agriculture Health Care & Social Assistance Construction Retail Trade Transportation & Warehousing Oil & Gas Extraction

Solterra d’italia, Acme, AB

KNEEHILL COUNTY SECTOR PROFILES • • • •

Agri-processing Energy Machinery Manufacturing & Fabrication Tourism

Learn more about Central Alberta growth sectors and profiles one at Central Alberta Economic Partnership (CAEP)!

DATA TOTAL HOUSEHOLDS FOR TENURE: 2,183

Kneehill County business and residents are served by six fire stations with halls located in the Village of Acme, Village of Carbon, Village of Linden, Town of Trochu, Town of Three Hills and the Hamlet of Torrington. A regional fire mutual aid agreement is in place with our urban and rural partners for fire services within Kneehill County.

MEDIAN HOUSEHOLD INCOME

LABOUR FORCE

MEDIAN AGE

2016 Stats

Total labour Force

2760 Owned 87% Rented 13%

Kneehill County had 648,129 acres of cropland in 2016, greatly increasing 5.11% from 616,637 acres in 2011. The “other” segment had the largest increase over last five years, increasing 37.9% to 96,272 acres.

$84,352.00

Employment Rate

42

72.5% Participation Rate

CROPLAND

75.5% 300000 200000 100000 0

Unemployment Rate

3.8% WORKER CLASSES None

2006

2011

Self Employed

Employee

10, 0%

2016

945, 34% NON-RESIDENTIAL TAX RATE

PROPERTY TAX ASSESMENT Residential

Non- Residential

1815, 66%

MOST POPULAR FIELD OF STUDY?

Education Level

24%

1400 1200 1000 800 600 400 200 0

76% 16.13%

ENGINEERING

2021 DEVELOPMENT STATS BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED: 45 BUILDING PERMIT VALUE: $17.2 million

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DEVELOPMENT PERMITS ISSUED: 89 DEVELOPMENT PERMIT VALUE: $15.3 million

2021 COUNTY KEY INFRASTRUCTURE INVESTMENTS

2022 COUNTY FACTS:

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Population 4992 3380 km² 9,055 land parcels o 5722 farmland o 5 industrial o 1,851 improved residential 200 + businesses Total permits issued 436

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$2.9 million highway repair $1.1 million capital equipment plan (Emergency Services & Transportation projects) $5.9 million bridge repairs & replacements $ 978,000 Emergency Communications System Upgrade (2020/2021) $234,000 highway signage $345,233 Swalwell lagoon access

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WIDE OPEN POSSIBILITIES!

ABOUT THE REGION Kneehill County works closely with the Municipalities in the region to maintain a shared vision for future growth. This culture of regionalism is governed by the Intermunicipal Development Plans held in place by each community.

Kneehill Long Table Dinner

ACME The Village of Acme is a small rural community full of spirit and proud of the many services available to its residents.

Acme officially became a Village on July 10, 1910. Over the century it has grown from a population of 190 to its current 653. The village offers a wide variety of amenities including educational, postal, and government services.

Located 75 km northeast of Calgary, the Village of Acme was incorporated on the same day the first passenger and freight train arrived.

Today, the Acme district is a rich agricultural area. Oil and natural gas is also produced in and around the Acme region.

W: acme.ca P: 403-546-3783 E: cao@acme.ca

CARBON The Village in the Valley evolved in the 1890’s, as ranchers pushed into the district.

It incorporated in 1912 as a village when the Kneehill Coal Mines flourished. Today, Carbon is a vibrant community of 500 residents and growing. It lies in the belt of the Canadian Badlands, just 40 kilometres West of Drumheller and one hour from the Calgary airport. Carbon is known for its geographical beauty as visitors are left breathless as they come down the hill into the “Village in the Valley”.

The Village of Carbon is located in the picturesque Kneehill Creek Valley with paved, quiet streets. Located within a half hour’s drive to nearby Three Hills or Drumheller, the Village is an excellent choice for raising a family, starting a business or retirement.

W: villageofcarbon.com P: 403-572-3244 E: office@villageofcarbon.com

LINDEN

THREE HILLS

With a population of 828 residents, Linden is a village known for its entrepreneurs. This business community offers everything from a furniture maker to a flower & gift shop. In between, you can find a grocery store, a restaurant famous for its peanut butter pie, a café serving specialty coffee roasted by them, Home Building Centre, two financial institutions and a convenience store.

Linden is an industrious community and you will enjoy its diversity. Calgary and Cross Iron Mills are less than an hour away.

With a current population of 3,212 residents, Three Hills has the security and quality of life of a small town with numerous "big city” amenities. The Downtown sector features numerous shopping and dining conveniences as well as a number of financial institutions and service necessities.

Linden is a place for families. Imagine being free to let your kids explore the natural coulee that bisects Linden. An area filled with deer, Canada geese, wildflowers, a campground, playgrounds and a stocked trout pond. There are many walking trails, playgrounds, baseball diamonds, soccer fields, an outdoor rink and a skate park. Your children will be raised in an environment free from violence; a place where they can feel safe and you can relax. A throwback to your childhood, when kids would be outside until the streetlights came on. A place of community and where you know your neighbours.

W: linden.ca P: 403-546-3888 E: clerk@linden.ca

TROCHU The heart of Trochu makes this gem of a town an incredible place to live! You’ll be hard-pressed to find a place jam-packed with more community spirit then Trochu. Trochu offers all the smalltown benefits with all the essential services one needs – great recreation facilities, full K – 12 modernized school, a golf course, beautiful green spaces, medical facilities, restaurants, shopping and much more!

With 7 parks and over 4 km’s of trails, abundant green space can be found throughout the community. In addition, excellent recreation facilities, dynamic arts organizations and numerous service groups, all lend well to the Town’s quality of life.

The Town of Three Hills offers a wide variety of educational opportunities. The school system is administered by the Golden Hills School Division and provides kindergarten to grade 12 at both Prairie Christian Academy and Three Hills School. Prairie Bible Institute provides post-secondary training through Prairie Bible College, Prairie School of Mission Aviation and Prairie College of Applied Arts and Technology.

Major industry within the Town of Three Hills includes agricultural endeavours; oil & gas exploration, production, and services; hospitality services; and retail. Three Hills welcomes new development and commerce and works closely with industries that wish to settle in this community. The Town’s potential employment opportunities of various levels of skill, education and experience make Three Hills a wonderful place to work!

View available development properties and future growth area structure plans online.

W: threehills.ca/invest P: 403-443-582 E: cao@threehills.ca

Trochu is a GREAT place to invest in! Centrally located, forward-thinking (you won’t find big-city red tape here!), land and buildings available, no business license charges, reasonable corporate taxes, and other economic incentives. The Town of Trochu is always ready and willing to work with you, come talk to us!

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View available development properties online.

W: town.trochu.ab.ca/invest-in-trochu P: 403-442-3085 E: cao@trochu.ca GrainsConnect Canada, Huxley, AB

Kneehill County… … helping you achieve success!

Kneehill County wants to make the process of growing, developing or relocating your business easy. As such, the Economic Development Officer (EDO) is available to assist you: • • • • •

Navigate the Planning & Development process Locate suitable sites and connect with landowners Locate business support services and contacts to help you grow Navigate through government departments and processes Advocate on behalf of the business community

Further, the EDO is in place to develop programs and services to: • • • •

Support your existing business needs Retain existing business Attract new business Promote what a remarkable place Kneehill County is to live, work and visit.

Prairie Brewing Co.

INVESTOR ROUND TABLE Kneehill County Department Managers and Staff are available to assist you with the planning and development of your business concept. To streamline municipal processes, Investor Round Table meetings can be booked to meet your Kneehill County Business Development Team and discuss your project in detail. At the table: • • • • • • •

Economic Development Planning and Development Transportation Agriculture Services Environmental Services Protective Services Additional departments as required

Your EDO will set up the Round Table meeting during your business consultation or on your request.

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THREE HILLS & DISTRICT CHAMBER The members of the Three Hills Chamber are business people and other community leaders who take an active interest in advancing local economic growth and business development. Members are committed to corporate citizenship through Chamber programs, services and events that benefit the whole community.

Key Focus: • • • •

Promoting success for our members Economic growth and development Community service and engagement Business and social networking

W: threehillschamber.ca E: info@threehillschamber.ca P: 403.443.5345

QUICK LINKS KNEEHILL COUNTY DEPARTMENTS

Horseshoe Canyon

KNEEHILL COUNTY BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT TEAM ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Economic Development Officer Phone: 403-443-5541 Email: edo@kneehillcounty.com Web: kneehillcounty.com CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER Mike Haugen, CLGM 403-443-5541 Mike.Haugen@kneehillcounty.com DIRECTOR OF INFRASTRUCTURE Mike Ziehr 403-443-5541 Mike.Ziehr@kneehillcounty.com DIRECTOR OF COMMUNITY SERVICES Laurie Watt, CLGM 403-443-5541 laurie.watt@kneehillcounty.com

Agriculture Services Economic Development Planning & Development Protective Services Roads Visitors Water & Utilities

MAPS • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •

ATCO Electric Service Area CN Rail Network EQUS Electric Services Area Federation of Gas Co-op Service Area’s Kneehill County (Interactive) Kneehill County Fire Service Area Kneehill County Future Growth Area’s Kneehill County Ownership Map Kneehill County Road Network Kneehill County Water Distribution National Broadband Availability Map Province of Alberta (Interactive) Province of Alberta Energy Maps (PDF) Province of Alberta Highway Network Town of Three Hills Town of Trochu (select “Jump to” “Trochu”) Village of Acme (select “Jump to” “Acme”) Village of Carbon (select “Jump to” “Carbon”) Village of Linden (select “Jump to” “Linden”)

OTHER • • •

DIRECTOR OF CORPORATE SERVICES Bill McKennan, B.Comm, CPA, CMA 403-443-5541 bill.mckennan@kneehillcounty.com

Alberta (GOA) Business Support Programs Alberta Transportation Highway Traffic Counts Innovation Canada Business Support Programs

FEDERAL & PROVINCIAL

MANAGER AG SERVICES BOARD & PARKS Shelby Sherwick 403-443-5541 shelby.sherwick@kneehillcounty.com

Alberta Transportation: If you are planning a development within 800 m of a highway, contact transdevelopmenthanna@gov.ab.ca or call 403-854-5550 to discuss your permit requirements and regulations. Learn more at alberta.ca/roadside-developmentpermits.aspx

MANAGER OF ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES (UTILITIES) John McKiernan 403-443-5541 John.McKiernan@kneehillcounty.com

Environmental Public Health: Alberta Health Services requires permits for a variety of businesses including but not limited to Food Facilities, Personal Services, Social Cares etc. To learn if your business requires Alberta Health Permits head to their “Open a Business” page at albertahealthservices.ca/eph/Page15563.aspx or call 1-877-3606366 to speak to a Central Region Public Health Officer.

MANAGER OF PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT Barb Hazelton 403-443-5541 Barb.Hazelton@kneehillcounty.com MANAGER OF PROTECTIVE SERVICES Debra Grosfield, CLGM 403-443-5541 debra.grosfield@kneehillcounty.com

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Provincial Licensing Requirements: The Government of Alberta licenses or registers businesses under the Fair-Trading Act, Charitable Fund-raising Act, Cemeteries Act and the Cooperatives Act. Learn more at alberta.ca/business-licences.

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PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT

Explore Kneehill County online

Kneehill County’s Planning and Development Departments prides itself in being business friendly. Development staff are accessible and work hard to ensure that approvals are put forward as efficiently as possible.

Find a full list of the County’s Planning and Development Tools can be found on the County’s website under Planning and Development Tools

using the interactive geographic map…

This effective wayfinding tool, can be used to locate County zoning as well as individual properties’ assessment values, making it a useful resource for assessors, developers, real estate agents and anyone else looking for Land information.

Access the MuniSight mapping program here!

Tips: The MuniSite web map works best in Google Chrome •

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HOME OCCUPATION PERMITS are required for all major and minor home occupation business in the County. Contact the Planning & Development department if you believe your business falls into one of the below categories: A HOME OCCUPATION MINOR is an occupation, trade, profession or craft carried on by a resident of a dwelling that is secondary to the residential use of the dwelling. The home occupation shall be wholly contained within the dwelling unit.

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A HOME OCCUPATION MAJOR is an occupation, trade, profession or craft carried on by a resident of a dwelling that is secondary to the residential use of the dwelling and may include the use of accessory buildings.

Login as "guest" if you don't have a profile. You’ll be led to a disclaimer page, review and click ‘Accept’ to proceed To navigate the map, simply click anywhere on the map and drag to the location you want to view The zoom tools at the top of the page allow you to zoom in or out on a property The “Searches” tab, to the of the map allows you to search by parcel or address The “Legend” tab allows you to select specific map feature Drawing, measurement and text tools are also located to the left of the map A spinning blue circle in the bottom right-hand corner of the map indicates the page is loading. If you prompt an action but receive no response, simply wait for the circle to stop spinning.

Click the “?” icon in the top right corner of the screen for further support The map cannot be broken! Feel free to click, zoom and rotate as you wish! All user input is lost as soon as the map is closed.

9 WIDE OPEN POSSIBILITIES!

BUSINESSES SUPPORT SERVICES

BUSINESS LINK Find the most relevant funding, get expert, confidential startup advice, training and market research, and access the knowledge and tools you need to plan and grow your business.

P: 1-800-272-9675 W: businesslink.ca

CF WILDROSE E Community Futures Wild Rose provides a variety of customized, affordable loan options for small business owners and entrepreneurs in rural Alberta, ranging from $500 to $150,000.

They are known for saying “yes” when other lenders say “no”, and for having flexible qualification criteria.

P: 403-934-8888 W: wildrose.albertacf.com

Find a comprehensive list of Business Supports at: kneehillcounty.com/2352/Business-Support-Services

ALBERTA INNOVATES With many programs available and annual investments of $286 million, Ab Innovates delivers a broad spectrum of funding and grant opportunities for those looking to make a difference in our province.

P: 1-877-423-5727 W: albertainnovates.ca

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT BANK BDC supports small and medium-sized businesses in all industries and at every stage of growth with money and advice.

P: 1-877-232-2269 W: bdc.ca

CENTRAL ALBERTA ECONOMIC PARTNERSHIP Central Alberta is recognized as the most innovative and prosperous region in Canada. CAEP operates as the most innovative and successful regional economic alliance in Canada to enhance sustainable prosperity across Central Alberta by facilitating collaboration between communities, business and government and by providing tools to assist in community wellbeing and economic development.

P: 403-357-2237 E: info@caepalberta.com W: caepalberta.com

CENTRAL ALBERTA ACCESS PROSPERITY

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Access Prosperity is a comprehensive network and information resource. They work with industry leaders, business experts and government bodies to facilitate growth, expansion and diversification of our region. They are your link to investment opportunities, key contacts and regional information.

Access Prosperity will help you learn about the area, meet the right people and make important business decisions.

P: 1-403-356-4935 E: info@accessprosperity.ca W: accessprosperity.ca

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EMPLOYER SUPPORT CANADA - ALBERTA JOB GRANT

The Canada-Alberta Job Grant is a training program where an employer applies on behalf of their employee(s) for eligible training costs.

Employers decide who gets training and what type of training may be needed for their employees.

TRAINING FOR WORK Training for Work funding is available to service providers employment and training supports for Albertans who are unemployed or marginally employed and those on Employment Insurance (EI) and other income supports. This also includes programs targeted to under-represented groups including newcomers, women, indigenous people and more.

EMPLOYER RESOURCES Information to help employers recruit, retain and strengthen their workforce.

Sweet Haven Wedding Barn

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS

TRANSPORTATION ALBERTA TRANSPORTATION P: 403-854-5550

Good Knights Medieval Encampment

KNEEHILL ADULT LEARNING (KALS) P: 403-443-5556 E: admin@kals3hills.ca PRAIRIE COLLEGE P: 1-800-661-2425 E: info@prairie.edu RDC CENTRE FOR INNOVATION P: 1-587-393-3139 E: sec@bowvalleycollege.ca STRATHMORE ENTREPRENEUR CENTRE P: 1-587-393-3139 E: sec@bowvalleycollege.ca

CANADIAN NATIONAL RAILWAY P: 1-800-361-0198 KNEEHILL COUNTY ROADS P: 403-443-5541

TOURISM ALBERTA TOURISM MARKET INFORMATION P: 403-648-1000 11 E: info@travelalberta.com ALBERTA TOURISM INFORMATION SERVICE (ATIS) P: 1-833-270-4232 E: atissupport@travelalberta.com TRAVEL DRUMHELLER P: 1-866-823-8100 E: admin@traveldrumheller.com

BUSINESS SUPPORT

PERMITTING, LICENSING & REGULATIONS

ALBERTA WOMEN ENTREPRENEUR’S P: 1-800-713-3558 E: info@awebusiness.com

AHS ENVIRONMENT & PUBLIC HEALTH P:1-403-854- 3331 E: centralzone.environmentalhealth@ahs.ca

GOA FOR BUSINESS P: 310-0000 (in Alberta) P: 780-427-2711 (out of Province)

CANADA INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY OFFICE P: 1-800-997-1936 E: IC.contact-contact.IC@canada.ca

ATCO Electric Distribution P: 1-800-668-2248

WOODLAND IMMIGRATION CONSULTING SERVICES LTD. P: 403-443-0877 E: andy@woodlandimmigration.ca

EMPLOYMENT STANDARDS, GOA P: 1-877-427-3731

EQUS ELECTRIC P: 1-888-211-4011 E: general@equs.ca

EDUCATION BUSINESS LINK P: 1-800-272-9675 JUNIOR ACHIEVEMENT SOUTHERN ALBERTA (EAST CENTRAL) P: 403-872-5608 E: jsantiago@jasouthalberta.org

KNEEHILL COUNTY PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT P: 403-443-5541 E: planning@kneehillcounty.com KNEEHILL COUNTY PROTECTIVE SERVICES P: 403-443-5541 REVENUE CANADA AGENCY P: 1-800-959-5525 (Business) P: 1-800-959-8281 (Individual) WORKERS COMPENSATION BOARD P: 1-866-922-9221

TOURISM INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION OF AB E: info@tiaalberta.ca

UTILITIES

FEDERATION OF AB GAS CO-OPS SERVICE AREA MAPS P: 888-616-6543 E: info@fedgas.com KNEEHILL COUNTY WATER P: 403-443-5541

A complete list of local utility providers can be found online at: kneehillcounty.com/2224/LocalUtility-Providers