Value-Added Agriculture
Nearly 700,000 irrigated acres. 50+ acres of greenhouses. 3,600 farms and ranches growing everything from pulses to hemp to cattle.
Process where Western Canada’s best crops are grown.
Alberta’s Palliser region is home to over 3,600 farms representing over 11.6 million acres in crop and pasture land and over $1.6 billion in livestock and poultry. It also has nearly a third of all irrigated land in the province of Alberta.
Alberta’s agri-food processing industry enjoys favourable conditions for the development of food and meat processing opportunities. The cities of Brooks and Medicine Hat, Cypress County, and the village of Rosemary are home to meat processing facilities.
Alberta also offers an extensive network of research and development facilities in and near the EATC to help develop and commercialize products and processes. Agricultural research in the region has resulted in better production methods, new crop varieties, and a large, varied genetic pool of breeding livestock.
Pulse Processing
Nearly 700,000 acres of irrigated land and 80% of Alberta’s pulse production means pulse processing facilities will have all the feedstock they need in the Palliser region.
Western Canada’s best location for your next pulse processing facility
There are 3,163 farms growing pulses on 606,962 acres in the Palliser region, according to the 2016 Census of Agriculture. Chickpeas, lentils and dry beans grown in the Palliser region account for 80% of Alberta’s pulse crop production.
Alberta’s Palliser region is home to the vast majority of Canada’s irrigated land. St Mary River Irrigation District delivers water to over 370,000 acres while the Eastern Irrigation District provides water to an additional 300,000 acres.
The Oyen Rail Yard, part of the CN Rail network, provides 155 acres of railside land and approximately 1,000 of rail siding. The Foremost Rail Yard connects to CP Rail via the Forty Mile Rail short line rail. The cities of Medicine Hat and Brooks also have rail siding land ready for development. For grain and pulse processing companies in need of rail access, the Palliser region has multiple options to consider.
Craft Brewing and Distilling
A small group of local investors could have their own craft distillery or brewery in one of Alberta’s fastest growing industries.
Start your Brewery or Distillery in Southeast Alberta
Alberta’s Palliser region is home to some of the best ingredients in the world, with excellent market access into Alberta’s major cities. Experienced distillers in Alberta and British Columbia are seeking new places to make their spirits.
A small group of local investors would have the means to bring distilling to their town. With such a meteoric rise in demand, world-class ingredients, available talent, market access, and some local investment dollars, a craft distillery is a real possibility.
Hemp and Cannabis
Home to about 40% of Canada’s hemp crops, irrigated land and hemp processing facilities, the Palliser region is a great place for hemp and cannabis.
Western Canada’s best location for your next hemp or cannabis processing facility
Alberta’s Palliser region is Western Canada’s hemp and cannabis capital. Area hemp farmers grow 40% of the national crop, the region is home to approximately two-thirds of Canada’s irrigated land, and the Town of Redcliff is home to nearly half of Alberta’s total greenhouse square footage.
Medicine Hat is home to Alberta’s highest per capita number of retail cannabis shops. Brooks, Bow Island, and Special Areas are both destinations for hemp extraction, cannabis cultivation, and other value-added activities, with a number of projects underway. Cannabis projects are also slated for the Town of Bassano.
Wind Energy
Alberta’s most reliable and stable wind resources. Multiple large-scale wind projects already completed. Strong rail linkages.
High wind energy potential in Alberta’s Palliser region
Hundreds of megawatts of wind energy projects worth billions are proposed or under development in Alberta’s Palliser region. Capital Power, Suncor, Berkshire Hathaway are leading the way with massive projects while others are expected to break ground in the near future.
All projects are drawn to the region’s steady wind supply, rail access, road infrastructure, and available workforce. Wind tower components are able to arrive in the region via rail along Fort Mile Rail, CP Rail, or CN Rail.
Solar Energy
The sunniest region in Canada with 330 days of annual sunshine. Thousands of acres of solar-suitable land. Large scale projects already complete.
Canada’s best solar source is in Alberta’s Palliser region
Solar projects are springing up across Alberta’s Palliser region. The City of Medicine Hat boasts 330 days of sunshine annually, making it Canada’s sunniest city. That benefit extends to much of the region, with solar projects proposed or under development in Medicine Hat, Cypress County, Brooks, and the County of Newell.
Aerospace and Defense
Serviced airside commercial land at Medicine Hat Regional Airport. Canada’s first and largest commercial BVLOS drone testing range. Canada’s largest Canadian Forces Base and Research Centre.
Test and Deploy in Alberta’s Palliser Region
The Foremost UAS Range is Canada’s largest restricted commercial airspace for Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) drone test flights. In fact, in February 2018, the first Transport Canada-approved BVLOS flight took place here.
The Medicine Hat Regional Airport has serviced airside and groundside greenfield land for sale and is seeking air service, advanced manufacturing, and technology companies.
Canadian Forces Base Suffield is located in the Palliser region. At 2,700 square kilometers, it is the largest Canadian Forces Base and is home to Defense and Research Development Canada which is focused on military engineering, mobility and autonomous systems, weapons system evaluation, and chemical-biological defense.
