From the perspective of an entrepreneur looking to set up, expand or move a business, Rocky View County (RVC) was listed in the top 10 on Alberta Venture magazine’s annual list of the Best Communities for Business.
Published in the November issue, the County also received a gold rating for the best-educated population in the province, which the magazine considers as a marker of a successful business community.
“RVC has the distinct advantage of straddling the Edmonton-Calgary corridor and of surrounding the latter city on three sides… As such it is in a perfect spot to take advantage of the spin-off benefits of the province’s vibrant economy as a whole, and the County is doing so in spades,” stated the article.
Every year, the magazine examines 25 of the largest communities across the province and awards gold, silver and bronze in categories such as education, schools, taxes, land prices, population growth and median age, resulting in a list of the top 25 best communities to do business in Alberta.
RVC ranked sixth this year, coming in behind Fort McMurray at No. 1, Grande Prairie, Olds, Okotoks and Brooks. Airdrie and Calgary came in at seventh and eighth respectively for Best Communities to do Business.
RVC ranked in the top 25 for the second year - a fact that doesn’t surprise Reeve Margaret Bahcheli.
“I think it’s appropriate acknowledgement, RVC is a competitive advantage for Calgary. It offers the lifestyle other cities can’t with the mountain vistas, ability to own a horse and a big piece of land and have that country feeling,” she said.
“But it’s a good place to develop (a business) because of the lack of business tax, compared to Calgary. You have the vibrancy of Calgary and the cash flow turnover of Calgary because we’re right beside it, but we offer a slightly less expensive environment in which to work,” said Bahcheli.
She added she thinks the County’s well-educated population can be attributed to the number of expatriates that relocate to RVC on oil-and-gas-related business that are attracted to the County’s country-residential lifestyle.
“Another thing is, our schools score extremely well every single year in the province-wide exams. So it’s not that we’re just importing a well-educated population, but we’re also creating a well-educated population,” said Bahcheli.
RVC Economic Development Manager David Kalinchuk also said the ranking was “no surprise.”
“It was pleasant to learn that we have the highest educated population in the province – quite a title to hold,” he stated, adding that it’s reflective of the higher-average household incomes and greater degree of community involvement and volunteerism.
According to Alberta Venture, about 69 per cent of the county’s population has a post-secondary education.
Kalinchuk stated that while the ranking this year was an honour, it’s not the first time the county has been acknowledged for its economic success.
The municipality was ranked as Western Canada’s No. 1 place for manufacturing and logistics in a June 2012 list in Alberta Venture, which took into account all communities in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan.
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business also ranked the Greater Calgary Region, which includes RVC, Airdrie, Cochrane and Chestermere, as Canada’s No. 1 place for business in October.
Kalinchuck said this success hasn’t happened overnight though.
“RVC has created an exceptional environment for business and industrial development. This has taken many years of strategic promotion and critical investment in infrastructure,” stated Kalinchuk.
“A big part of this success has come from RVC’s council… The development community in RVC brings a great deal of investment to the County (as well). These include land owners, real estate brokers, developers and consultants.”
Kalinchuk said he thinks retail businesses are prospering in the County, in particular CrossIron Mills mall in Balzac. He added new retail investments such as the New Horizon Mall in Balzac and Bingham Crossing in Springbank are “significant for Southern Alberta and the Calgary Region.”
“Transportation, warehousing and logistics are also doing exceptionally well in RVC. Large-scale investments such as the Walmart Food Distribution Center and Target Distribution Center in Balzac, and CN Rail’s Calgary Logistics Centre at Conrich have put RVC on the global map,” stated Kalinchuk.
“All businesses in RVC – large and small – are part of the fabric that makes RVC unique and prosperous.”
