Southern Alberta Investment & Trade Initiative
03.
Connected to the World
Southern Alberta’s top-notch infrastructure supports business development and growth in the province. Its extensive transportation links, market access, and telecommunication networks make it a hub for companies seeking to do business globally.
LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION
SUMMARY
With direct access to the US and easy access to the Pacific Rim and Europe, Alberta is the leader in exports in Canada. In 2019, the province had the second-highest exports per capita at $26,772, significantly higher than the national average of $14,483.
Canada has free trade agreements with 51 foreign countries, covering a market of over 1.5 billion potential consumers with a combined GDP of $49.3 trillion USD. The Calgary International Airport (only 2 hours away from Lethbridge) is one of the fastest-growing cargo airports in Canada, with over 75% of Alberta’s air cargo shipments passing through it and providing access to the US market.
Southern Alberta is served by the two largest transcontinental freight transportation companies in Canada, Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway, which operate about 7,000 route miles in the province and transport 66 million
tonnes in and out of it. Alberta’s extensive rail network not only allows market access across North America but also to Asian markets via the Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert, Canada’s largest ports.
Alberta’s extensive network of pipelines, highways, and telecommunications infrastructure is attractive to businesses looking to operate on a global scale. In 2019, over $630 million was invested into the province’s communication networks.
INTERSECTING MAJOR TRADE ROUTES
Southern Alberta is ideally located at the cross- section of major trade routes:
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Canada’s Western Gateway serves as a hub for moving commodities and manufactured products to end markets.
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The Highway 4 Corridor is a key crossroads for trade, while Highway 3 bisects the region from east to west, providing road and rail access to Vancouver, Seattle, and Chicago.
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Highway 36 is a high-load corridor that serves as a transportation route from the US to the oilsands in Northern Alberta.
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The Canamex Highway provides access to Calgary, Edmonton, California, Texas, and Mexico.
THE SOUTHERN ALBERTA ADVANTAGE
The agricultural heartland of Canada is an arms length away from major ports.