Nestled in Alberta’s mountain region is the beautiful town of Sundre. Serving approximately 2,800 within the town limits and nearly 8,000 in the surrounding Mountain View and Clearwater Counties, Sundre is a growing destination for families and businesses.
“Sundre is a sub-regional hub for the area’s population in terms of amenities, transportation and commerce,” says Jon Allan, Economic Development Officer, “and Sundre has eliminated red tape and streamlined the permit decision-making process, since all decisions are made in-house by the Town’s planning authority. This allows for quick, responsive decisions.”
“Allan continues, “The amenities, especially comparatively for a community of our size, are superb. With a performing arts centre, kilometres of trails, a year-round indoor pool and athletic centre, ample shopping, and other cultural and recreational opportunities, the community is a hub for the local area, which includes Mountain View County and Clearwater County. On top of that, a diverse economy (forestry, oil and gas, manufacturing, transportation, construction, cannabis production, tourism, public sector, retail, and agriculture) all contribute to the area’s economy.”
He adds, “Workforce development and resident attraction efforts have helped instigate hundreds of new residential units developed, under construction, or in planning, since 2016 alone.”
It’s also a hot spot for tourism. Few can resist the beauty of the mountains and the warmth and hospitality of the locals. With over 2000 campsites located within ten minutes of the town, plus an almost unlimited supply of random camping opportunities in the mountainous crown lands a short drive west of town, on any given weekend tens of thousands of people come to the area to take advantage of the great outdoors.
“Tourism growth is astounding!” Allan is pleased to report. “Between 2015-2017 there was an 111 per cent increase in stops at the area Visitor Information Centre, versus the previous three-year period of 2012-2014.”
In addition to attracting families and tourists, Sundre is also seeing a rise in interest from the business community. Affordable land, a ready workforce and modern infrastructure draw companies to grow their business in Sundre. The recent development of the cannabis production industry in the area is a testament to these facts.
Those that visit, work, or settle in this town are rewarded by its beauty. This year Sundre was awarded five Blooms from Communities in Bloom (an organization that celebrates the enhancement of green spaces in communities).
In addition to receiving the highest number of Blooms possible in any given year, Sundre is also celebrating a Marketing Canada Award from the Economic Developers Association of Canada. This award is in recognition of the Town’s development of a new online ecosystem of websites, including its new town site (www.sundre.com), its tourism site (www.exploresundre.com), its economic development website (www.growsundre.com), and its mobile app. People interested in visiting or investing into the local area are encouraged to explore any of these new online products for information gathering.
“The Town of Sundre is a growing community with a dynamic economy that provides a safe place to visit, invest, live, and grow,” concludes Allan.
