To the average layman, the Alberta Energy Corridor’s draft land use strategy means nothing. One might recognize the maps of the five communities — oops, make that ‘growth nodes’ — it identifies for future development, but the colour-coded oblong shapes adorning them look more like abstract art than a development strategy.
But to leaders and planners in the energy industry, those funny little maps will hopefully represent opportunity, foresight — and an open invitation.
The land use strategy helps solidify visions of what the Alberta Energy Corridor (AEC) might eventually look like. It takes the very general AEC mandate — “to diversify the regional area by attracting a myriad of businesses that will increase long-term employment and community stability” — and gives it shape by defining more precisely what types of businesses it means, and where.
Too often, economic development consists of little more than waiting for the phone to ring or a knock on the door. The AEC land use strategy enables the member municipalities to start knocking on industry’s door itself, while at the same time providing a clearer picture to industry of what the AEC is all about.
You need rail access? Try Boyle or the Al-Pac area. You need cheap, unserviced land? Look at Donatville. You need office space? Boyle and Athabasca have it. Need a resident workforce? Go to Grassland. Need to be as close to Fort McMurray as you can? Wandering River is your answer.
The land use strategy will also help area residents better conceptualize the AEC’s potential. Once you figure out the colour coding, you can start to picture the Donatville area becoming a mini ‘gasoline alley’, or industrial development complementing the Grassland’s existing commercial strip, or more heavy industry popping up around Al-Pac. And once area residents can picture the AEC and get excited about it, you suddenly have a whole set of volunteer salesmen helping to promote the concept.
Since its creation, the AEC has been a difficult concept to grasp. The land use strategy goes a long way towards making sense of it, which can only help its long-term viability.
