St. Albert is open for business.

Perhaps that’s a bit cliché these days, but the City of St. Albert is backing up that boast with an ambitious business plan that is unique in Alberta.

A cornerstone of St. Albert’s strategy is the creation of Campbell Business Park North. While business parks are common in every Alberta community, Campbell Business Park North is different.

“We are targeting clean industry that complements our community values,” says Larry Horncastle, Director of Economic Development and Tourism for the City. “The park is designed as an upscale, cohesive business park geared towards smaller firms.”

Larry Horncastle, director of St. Albert Economic Development, at the Campbell Business Park.

Lot sizes vary from a half-acre to an acre-and-a half, perfectly suited to small professional businesses such as high-tech firms, professional offices, engineers and architects, etc.

To emphasize that Campbell Business Park North is not a typical industrial park, design guidelines have been implemented to encourage originality, flexibility and innovation in site planning and development, including architecture, landscaping and graphic design.

The park will also be home to the expanded Northern Alberta Business Incubator. The incubator is designed to assist start-up businesses move forward to full independent status.

Alberta’s largest Multi-Purpose Leisure Facility may also be constructed adjacent to the Business Park.

“Employees in the business park will have direct access to the new recreational facilities that will include ice arenas, aquatics centre, community gym, soccer field and fitness/wellness facilities,” says Horncastle.

St. Albert residents will vote on the construction of the complex in a plebiscite on October 18. If approved, construction will begin this November.

The team at St. Albert Economic Development is anxious to show you that ‘Business is RIGHT in St. Albert. The team includes, from left, Larry Horncastle, Michelle Curial-Hebert, Bruce Randall, Joan Barber and Tom Koep.

The Campbell Business Park North and the Northern Alberta Business Incubator are two concrete examples of how St. Albert’s Economic Development Master Plan has been put into motion. The Master Plan adopted in July, 2004, focuses on:

* Business retention and expansion;

* Attraction of business in the knowledge-based, professional services sectors;

* Ensuring cost-effective services are available to support business growth;

* Ensuring policies, taxes and services are competitive; and

* Promoting St. Albert’s advantages.

“We have a plan in place, we know where we are going, and we know the kind of businesses we want to attract,” says Horncastle.

Located just minutes north of Edmonton, St. Albert is Alberta’s fifth-largest city with a population in excess of 55,000. In recent years, St. Albert has evolved from a “bedroom community” into a regional trading centre, serving communities to the north, as well as parts of Edmonton.

Residents agree they get value for their tax dollars and are proud of the City’s many parks, trail system and high level of city services.

St. Albert is steeped in history and culture, and is home to western Canada’s largest outdoor farmers’ market, the Northern Alberta International Children’s Festival and the downtown Arts and Heritage District.

The St. Albert Advantage consists of competitive business costs, excellent investment opportunities, strategic transportation links, educated and skilled workforce, reduced commuting time, business-friendly environment, internationally recognized business incubator, a market area of more than one million people.

St. Albert’s greatest advantage is its quality of life.

A survey of St. Albert businesses found that quality of life for business owners and their employees was one of the main reasons that business chose St. Albert.


The team at St. Albert Economic Development is anxious to show you that ‘Business is RIGHT in St. Albert. The team includes, from left, Larry Horncastle, Michelle Curial-Hebert, Bruce Randall, Joan Barber and Tom Koep.