Dave Kusch
Reeve,
Woodlands County
Peter Kuelken
Councillor,
Woodlands County
Where natural beauty meets economic innovation,
Woodlands County is shaping a sustainable and prosperous future.
Winding its way through the heart of Alberta is the picturesque, fluid, and very powerful Athabasca River. Woodlands County encompasses over 250 kilometers of the river, and has also established itself as picturesque, fluid, and economically powerful. Woodlands County is located 180 kilometers northwest of Edmonton. The municipality is approximately 7,600 km2 in area and is located within Treaty 6 and Treaty 8 territories. Woodlands County features a large variety of landscapes including large forest reserves, rivers, resource extraction areas, agriculture, recreational areas, wildlife habitats, and settlement areas.
A strategic vision for growth
Central to the County’s Strategic goals, their Mission Statement reads, “We are a diverse and welcoming rural community that strives to provide exceptional opportunities for our families, businesses, and industries for the benefit of current and future generations.” Local action supports this statement. The County is reviewing its key land use documents with the desired outcome of streamlining local development and reducing red tape so that projects can be completed with the proper authorizations as quickly and affordably as possible. Reeve, Dave Kusch commented, “Our Council is very aware that our local economy will evolve and change. We are actively looking for economic projects that not only grow our local economy, but that fit strategically into our existing community and add to our stability and sustainability. Our land use tools including our newly adopted Municipal Development Plan and our current review of our Land Use Bylaw create great local opportunities for all levels of new investment.”
We are a diverse and welcoming rural community that strives to provide exceptional opportunities for our families, businesses, and industries for the benefit of current and future generations.
Empowering economic opportunities
Woodlands isn’t just focused on itself; the spotlight is regional. Partnerships are key to the regions ongoing success. While there are several hamlets and the Town Whitecourt located within the County, surrounding Towns and Counties are an important part of the local economy. The workforce, and of course tourists, aren’t focused on municipal boundaries. Peter Kuelken stated, “As a Councillor, I have been appointed to Chair our regional economic development alliance. This entity is examining how we can address both the economic and socio-economic needs of residents in our region. Building strong partnerships is our path forward and we’re actively working towards this goal, because we know we can get further together.”
Advancing energy and industry
Woodlands County is a proven location for industrial development. Home to numerous forestry processing facilities, electrical generation plants, natural gas processing plants, and a wide variety of agricultural operations. The County continues to work with Site Selectors and others to draw the interest of other industrial projects. An announced carbon storage hub will sequester the emissions of a proposed natural gas-fired, combined-cycle power plant. Further details will be announced in 2025.
Forestry, Agriculture, Tourism, and Energy are the pillars of the local economy and each of these industries is dynamic and opportunistic. As a rural area, living in the presence of nature is the way of life. This includes respecting the environment in all we do. All current industrial entities, large and small, in the County understand this concept and work purposefully to ensure they are excellent stewards of our environment. Woodlands County is Naturally Economic!
To learn more visit woodlands.ab.ca/p/site-selection.
