Photo Courtesy Government of Alberta

By David Opinko

Alberta

Province to restore funding to regional economic development alliances

Mar 22, 2023 | 1:20 PM

LETHBRIDGE, AB – The Government of Alberta has announced additional funding for organizations that support rural economic development.

Minister of Jobs, Economy, and Northern Development Brian Jean said that Budget 2023 would more than double its support for Alberta’s nine regional economic development alliances (REDAs) this year to $125,000.

“Nobody knows their local economy better than REDAs, which bring awareness of provincial and municipal initiatives,” said Jean. “Each area has its own specific needs and goals, and this additional support will increase their ability to develop local solutions to economic needs while supporting the improvements that their region needs.”

REDAs are independent, non-profit organizations made up of municipalities and regional stakeholders that work together to promote long-term economic development.

There are a few REDAs in southern Alberta, including:

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• SouthGrow Regional Initiative:
  • Includes communities in south-central Alberta such as Lethbridge County, Cardston, Blood Tribe, Claresholm, Vulcan, and Taber
• Alberta Southwest Regional Alliance:
  • Includes communities in southwestern Alberta such as Crowsnest Pass, Cardston, Fort Macleod, Pincher Creek, and Nanton
• Palliser Economic Partnership:
  • Includes communities in southeastern Alberta such as Medicine Hat, Hanna, Oyen, Redcliff, and Consort

SouthGrow Executive Director Peter Casurella said, for the first time in a few years, they have enough money to fund their own operations and invest in projects.

He explains that, prior to 2019, REDAs each received $100,000 per year from the provincial government, but that the funding amounts were reduced to approximately $50,000 annually.

With the increase in provincial funding, along with $100,000 from its member municipalities, Casurella said he will be able to leverage SouthGrow’s $225,000 into a $3 million budget this year.

He adds that the province has only committed to a one-year boost in funding, but he and other REDA operators are working on longer-term deals.

“A lot of what we do is multi-year work. It takes a lot of years to get some of these big projects rolling and we need to be able to plan with confidence,” said Casurella. “That investment and recognition of the value we provide to the province was very heartening, and now, we just need to get to the multi-year agreement stage.”

Casurella told Lethbridge News Now that SouthGrow has been responsible for several large-scale projects in southern Alberta that are beyond the scopes of individual rural communities.

One example he gave was an expansion of broadband internet services.

“Not many people know that southern Alberta, down here, has some of the best rural broadband in all of western Canada,” said Casurella. “That’s largely because SouthGrow and our partners have pulled hard on this for over a decade, finding solutions for communities, enabling projects through grant funding, [and] building partnerships that are able to roll out infrastructure deployment.”

Casurella said a global agri-food marketing campaign in 2022 reached over 4.3 million people on Twitter and LinkedIn.

Another initiative by SouthGrow is the administration of a federal program that provides funding to organizations wishing to install electric vehicle charging stations.

The other REDA organizations in Alberta include:

• Battle River Alliance for Economic Development:
  • Includes communities in east-central Alberta such as Hardisty, Camrose, Tofield, Wainwright and Provost
• Central Alberta Economic Partnership:
  • Includes communities in central Alberta such as Red Deer, Wetaskwin, Lacombe, Sundre and Rocky Mountain House
• Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance Society:
  • Includes communities in north-central Alberta such as Barrhead County, Westlock, Mayerthorpe, Clyde and Wabamun
• Northeast Alberta Information Hub:
  • Includes communities in northeastern Alberta such as Vegreville, Lloydminster, Bonnyville, Cold Lake and Lamont
• Peace Region Economic Development Alliance:
  • Includes communities in northwestern Alberta such as Peace River, Grande Prairie County, Fairview, Valleyview and Sexsmith
• Regional Economic Development Initiative for Northwest Alberta:
  • Includes communities in northwestern Alberta such as High Level, La Crete, Fort Vermilion, Mackenzie County and Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement