It’s official. On February 15, the Alberta Minister of Jobs, Economy and Northern Development, Brian Jean, announced the inception of the Western Economic Corridor at the Recover Energy plant, west of Lodgepole.
The Western Economic Corridor (WEC) is a project Brazeau County has been working toward for several years. At its heart, the WEC is an infrastructure and tax structure plan designed to attract business to central Alberta.
The infrastructure that is now in place is one of the reasons Recover Energy chose Brazeau County for their first plant, said Stan Ross, the CEO and president of Recover. Not only do those elements save money for new businesses, but it also saves them time. The lowered taxes and decreased red-tape make the County more attractive, as businesses can get set up with less effort than in other places.
With the corridor in place, it’s hoped there will be more jobs available, and the County will become a leader in innovative tech that can help secure the future for the area.
“By working together with our economic corridor, we can build and diversify our economies, create new jobs, and benefit all of our communities,” said Cody Brooks, Deputy Reeve for the county.
Jean said the WEC is great economic news for Alberta.
“Brazeau County has been working hard to create a low tax environment and a low red tape environment, which I know that we need,” he says.
He said the work that the County has been doing to pave roads and create infrastructure has made the municipality one of the leaders for projects like this.
“I’m excited to recognize some of the early investments and successes that the Western Economic Corridor is bringing to Alberta,” he said.
Recover Energy, a company that recycles drilling mud for companies free of cost, and Base Element Energy, which works to reduce greenhouse gasses from oilfield waste, were two of the plants toured by Jean.
“Two leading-edge clean tech investments are helping to establish the Western Economic Corridor as a centre for clean tech innovation. We know this is the future for the oil industry,” said Jean.
Jean said those two companies recognized the opportunity the County had created for new businesses, and that was what drove them to start up in central Alberta.
He added that with a renewed Alberta Advantage, entrepreneurial spirit, communities, and work ethic, the future is promising for the province.
“You have a recipe for success for businesses and Albertans,” he said.
Jean said the Alberta government has been steadily investing in clean technology in the province, and the WEC is one area that shows the results of those investments.
“Oil and gas are not going anywhere, but the combustion engine obviously is, and we have to be at the top of that,” he said.
“We are an energy superpower here in Alberta … We have to make sure we are at the front of all of the technologies.”
