The provincial government advertising that it's preparing a new focus on diversification and rural infrastructure projects, but local economic development agencies in Medicine Hat are currently undergoing heavy review.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
There is new money and new focus on regional economic development within provincial ministries, but local agencies with the task inside Medicine Hat city hall as well as the greater region are undergoing major changes.
The “Invest Medicine Hat” model is currently being evaluated after top staff left this year and elected officials signalled an overhaul was in order.
In the greater region, the Palliser Economic Partnership is now resetting its footing after staff changes during the pandemic.
This comes as Premier Danielle Smith has promised to focus attention on developing economic corridors, spending new money on infrastructure, seeking out value-added ag processing and providing grants for petrochemical development.
Those are all long-hoped-for legs of investment attraction strategy in southeast Alberta, but for just as long, local complaints have centred on attention from the province and industry.
“I think our issues are (now) in the frontal lobe, which is something that the region has been hoping for for a long time,” said city Coun. Cassi Hider, who represents the City of Medicine Hat on several development-focused boards, including PEP.
She would like to see a concerted effort soon to take greater advantage of new resources from the province and new openness to support projects.
The city’s main industrial attraction projects – creating a hydrogen market and studying carbon capture and storage – are also often discussed by Smith.
Those files are moving forward well, said Hider, guided by technical staff in the energy and utilities, and longtime local economic developer Jon Sookecheff remains with City Hall as a consultant.
But senior officials at Invest, Eric Van Enk and Jason Melhoff, haven’t been replaced since they departed over the last 12 months.
Staff said during budget discussions this month that the office’s budget was a “placeholder” until future activities are determined.
Hider said determining the city’s own economic development strategy should be a priority in early 2023.
“What we are lacking are those people reaching out to industry,” said Hider,
“On that front, we’re stalled and that worries me, frankly.”
She is confident returning executive director Walter Valentini, who retired in 2020, will be able to focus the efforts of the group, which includes municipalities including Hanna, Oyen, Medicine Hat and Cypress County
The SouthGrow Economic Partnership effort of municipalities surrounding Lethbridge has been front and centre at announcements about Highway 3 twinning – a stated priority of Smith’s.
Southgrow, which is behind the “Canada’s Premier Food Corridor” marketing effort between Taber and Lethbridge, also expanded eastward last year and now includes the County of Forty Mile, Foremost and the Town of Bow Island.
Cypress County officials told the News they are pleased to work with both PEP and “Verge” economic alliance, including Redcliff, Bow Island and the County of Forty Mile.
It is also actively hiring two new positions to work with industry, and sees potential partnerships with SouthGrow.
“They do very good work and we’ve taken a preliminary look at what they do,” said County manager Tarolyn Aaserud. “We will align ourselves with efforts that will benefit Cypress County.”
On Tuesday, Nate Horner, the minister of newly expanded ministry of agriculture, irrigation and rural economic development, addressed the media with Jobs Minister Brian Jean to announce $125,000 immediate grants to Alberta’s eight regional economic development agencies.
That would be to further initiatives sketched out during two years of consultations on rural activity and diversification.
They also highlighted spending of $390 million on broadband expansion over five years, as part of a $933-million irrigation expansion program cost shared with Ottawa and irrigation districts, funding for new seats in veterinary schools and other small measures.
“(It) charts a path forward that will address these issues and build on our commitment in Budget 2022 to support sustainable growth and diversification in rural Alberta,” said Horner, whose riding is directly north of Brooks-Medicine Hat.
Opposition Ag Critic Heather Sweet said the announcement is too little too late with an election coming in May 2023.
“Once again the UCP have announced a plan to make a plan, rather than any concrete action today that will directly impact the lives of people in rural Alberta,” she said.
