Economic growth in Coaldale and region closely tied to SouthGrow Regional Initiative
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Coaldale has seen exceptional economic growth over the past half decade in part thanks to the focus placed on regional collaboration.
“There are a number of factors which play in to Coaldale’s economic growth,” said Cameron Mills, Manager of Economic Development and Strategic Initiatives at the Town of Coaldale. “One is the decisions our current elected officials have made in terms of making Coaldale very competitive from a tax perspective; another incredibly important element of our success in terms of economic development is the focus we’ve placed on working with our neighbours to promote the region as a whole.”
A great example of that approach is Coaldale’s support of SouthGrow Regional Initiative, a collection of 29 southern Albertan municipalities in an economic development alliance committed to working together to achieve prosperity for the region. Founded in the early 2000s, SouthGrow helps enable ground-level economic development by leveraging the collective voice of communities to drive regionally beneficial projects and resources.
“No single community has the mandate, resources, or expertise to implement large scale projects,” said Peter Casurella, Executive Director of SouthGrow. “By pooling the region’s resources, we can achieve major projects that bring value and draw attention to the entirety of Southern Alberta.”
“SouthGrow is the catalyst behind many of the major collaborative projects between Coaldale and other municipalities in the region,” said Mills, “They are a key piece of the puzzle that not only gives Coaldale and neighbouring municipalities valuable economic development opportunities; they promote the regional identity as a whole.”
SouthGrow has played a key role in a number of major regional projects, including the twinning of Highway 3.
“As Canada’s Premier Food Corridor, the region is a destination and growing industry cluster for the agri-food sector,” said Casurella. “The twinning of Highway 3 will enable the region to have legitimate claim towards becoming a serious global industry player. Projects like the this would not be possible without the collective efforts of each community that is involved.”
Agri-food plays a significant focus in SouthGrow’s work in Southern Alberta.
“Agri-food is our main focus – we need to continue positioning ourselves as a global leader in this field,” said Casurella. “Right now, there is a gap in the labour pool within the industry; one of SouthGrow’s initiatives is to identify these gaps to organizations so they can provide the right training and education to grow the right skills. Moving forward, we’ll also be pushing for more advanced greenhousing and other value-added projects in the industry.”
SouthGrow also works to enable renewable energy projects that will accelerate regional economic growth.
“Southern Alberta has incredible potential to capitalize on the renewable energy gold rush we’re starting to see on a globalized scale,” said Casurella. “In order to monetize renewable energy like wind and solar, we need to start by preparing guidelines for municipalities, businesses, stakeholders, and the provincial government to facilitate renewable energy investments. Ultimately, a mindset shift away from oil and towards harnessing renewable energy will generate jobs, investment, and wealth into Southern Alberta.”
“SouthGrow played an important role in connecting the Town with 2Point0 Ltd., who will be developing a recycling and green energy solution in Coaldale’s industrial park in the coming months,” said Mills. “This will bring jobs, technological innovation, exposure to new industries and will do so while decreasing the Town’s operating costs and allowing us to provide an expanded level of service to our residents.”
SouthGrow’s mission is to accelerate and enhance quality of life, development and sustainability for the community of the SouthGrow region of Alberta.
“The bottom line is that SouthGrow funnels investment interest into the region and creates more business in Coaldale,” said Mills. “Our economy is closely tied into the region, so what’s a win for Southern Alberta is a win for Coaldale. Coaldale is extremely lucky to be a part of such a strong regional organization and to have access to a professional as dedicated and talented as Peter Casurella at the helm of that organization. It’s an incredibly important component of our economic development strategy and one that has already paid dividends for our town.”
Visit southgrow.com to learn more about the organization.