At two recent Chamber events, business leaders had the opportunity to hear directly from municipal leadership about the forces shaping our region’s economic future. Across both sessions, one message stood out clearly: regional collaboration, infrastructure investment, and forward-thinking planning are central to long-term business success in Southeast Alberta.

From Planning to Prosperity: City Insights on Development Infrastructure and Growth

The first session of the day provided a detailed look at how the City of Medicine Hat is aligning infrastructure, planning, and service delivery to better support economic growth. Across departments, the updates highlighted a clear shift: moving toward more efficient processes, better data, and long-term infrastructure planning to reduce barriers for business and development.

The procurement update provided one of the clearest indicators of economic impact. In 2025 spproximately 76% of City purchasing stayed in Alberta with about 48% of that spending remaining within the Medicine Hat region. The City has also improved internal processes, significantly reducing contract turnaround times—from an average of 15 days to 2.7 days—making it easier and faster to do business. Looking ahead, dozens of projects are already underway or planned for 2026 across areas such as:

• Construction and infrastructure
• Facility upgrades
• Parks and recreation improvements
• Equipment supply and services

Environmental Utilities emphasized the increasing complexity of managing essential systems such as water infrastructure.

Key pressures include:

• Aging infrastructure and asset management requirements
• Climate impacts on water availability and quality
• Rising regulatory standards
• Growing expectations for efficient service delivery

To respond, the City is exploring new technologies, including artificial intelligence, to detect issues like leaks, main breaks, and potential failure points, improving both operational visibility and cost management.

Municipal Works highlighted a significant slate of projects underway in 2026, including Mill & Overlays, Road Rehabilitation, Storm Sewer Repair, Bridge Rehabilitation, Streetlight Gap Improvements, and Intersection Signalization. They also highlighted upcoming work in 2027 and beyond including 3^rd St NE/NW and 3^rd Street to 5^th Ave, as well as 16^th Street SW, Beyond project delivery, there was a strong focus on process improvements and service levels, including:

• Improving response times for maintenance (e.g., pothole repairs)
• Enhancing support for community events and public spaces
• Streamlining services like patio permits (including faster approvals and simplified applications)

Air service continues to be a key priority, particularly in light of recent service changes. The City is actively working to:

• Identify a new carrier aligned with regional demand
• Ensure reliability, connectivity, and appropriate service levels
• Advance a long-term Airport Master Plan to guide future investment

The Airport also demonstrated its broader economic impact, including contributions to regional GDP and supporting services such as medevac and flight training.

Planning & Development Services focused heavily on improving the development experience for applicants. Key initiatives include:

• Land Use Bylaw Refresh with a major update underway, shifting from flexibility toward greater certainty:

Clearer zoning and use definitions

Reduced discretion and fewer appeals

Better predictability for neighbouring developments

• Faster and More Transparent Processes with the department implementing a Process Improvement Program, including:

Target timelines for permits (e.g., 10–15 business days for development permits)

Quarterly performance reporting

Continuous review and updates to procedures

Off-Site Levies and Infrastructure Funding continues its review and approach to infrastructure funding, including:

• Growth assumptions and staging
• Cost-sharing models between developers and the municipality
• Long-term infrastructure delivery philosophy

The Land & Real Estate update reinforced a more proactive approach to land management, focused on:

• Creating value from existing land holdings
• Being adaptable to development opportunities
• Increasing marketing and sales efforts for available lands

Highlighted areas included both residential and commercial opportunities, such as emerging developments and business park offerings.

The Economic Development update provided both data and direction with the City focusing on:

• Target industries including aerospace and defence, agriculture, and energy
• Workforce attraction and retention strategies
• Small business navigation and supports, along with new incentive programs
• Coordinated regional marketing, promotion and investment attraction efforts

One of the more transformational updates came from the City’s move toward open data access. Previously, accessing GIS data required individual requests custom agreements and up to seven levels of approval. The new direction focuses on:

• Making data publicly accessible
• Reducing approval levels and timelines
• Improving transparency and customer service

The morning session made one thing clear: Growth doesn’t just come from attracting investment; it comes from building the systems that make investment possible. From faster permitting and better data access to infrastructure upgrades and procurement opportunities, the City is working to create a more efficient, transparent, and business-ready environment. For businesses, staying informed and engaged in these discussions is critical, not only to navigate current systems but to help shape how they evolve.

2026 State of the Region

The Mayors of our region (Cypress County, the City of Medicine Hat, and the Town of Redcliff) emphasized that while each municipality has its own priorities and challenges, the regional economy is deeply interconnected.

As highlighted by Mayor Dan Hamilton, businesses don’t evaluate opportunities based on municipal boundaries—they look at the bigger picture: workforce availability, infrastructure, quality of life, and whether communities work well together.  

This sentiment was echoed throughout the State of the Region session, with leaders reinforcing a “if one wins, we all win” mindset. Regional alignment, rather than competition, was positioned as a key advantage in attracting investment and supporting growth.

Why this matters for business:

• Site selection and investment decisions are made at a regional level
• Collaboration between municipalities strengthens the region’s competitive position
• Businesses benefit when communities align on infrastructure, workforce, and growth strategies

The Foundation of Growth

A major takeaway from both sessions was the critical role of infrastructure in enabling development and investment.

Municipal leaders spoke candidly about the importance of maintaining and upgrading core systems including roads, utilities, recreation facilities, and emergency services, even when these investments aren’t always visible or “exciting.”

In Redcliff, Mayor Chris Czember emphasized that infrastructure must come before development, noting that deferring investment leads to higher long-term costs and missed opportunities.

Similarly, Cypress County highlighted ongoing investments in municipal assets as a foundation for long-term economic development and community growth. This was specifically highlighted with their upcoming SiteLink conference to attract investment to our region this September.

Infrastructure readiness impacts timelines, costs, and feasibility of projects. Without reliable services like water, roads and utilities, growth and expansion would not be possible. By taking a strategic and proactive approach to infrastructure investment, our region will signal confidence and readiness for growth.

Preparedness remained a consistent theme throughout the events, highlighting the importance of intentional, responsible growth. Municipal leaders stressed that growth should not happen for its own sake, it must align with infrastructure capacity, community needs, and long-term planning goals. Predictable, well-planned growth creates certainty for investors.

Cypress County outlined its approach to balancing growth with its rural identity, while Redcliff spoke to disciplined planning and forward-thinking decision-making. From a city perspective, Linnsie Clark highlighted the importance of strategic planning and regional economic development initiatives to capture emerging opportunities—particularly in sectors such as aerospace and defence.

Leaders also pointed to specific opportunities where the region is well positioned to grow. The City of Medicine Hat identified aerospace and defence as a key sector with significant potential, supported by existing regional assets and partnerships.

At the same time, Cypress County highlighted growth across multiple sectors, including agriculture, energy, logistics, tourism, and residential development, demonstrating the region’s diverse economic base.

Redcliff noted their strategic location and industrial history. They have intentions to grow their greenhouse agriculture, recreational assets and continue to build a strong residential base for their citizens.

All municipalities emphasized the need to better promote the region externally and increase visibility among decision-makers and investors.

To conclude the lunchtime session, Linnsie Clark encouraged attendees to bring forward solutions, promote the region, and act as ambassadors for Southeast Alberta. Similarly, Chris Czember emphasized the importance of optimism, community support, and local engagement, highlighting that strong communities are built not just by infrastructure, but by people.

Looking Ahead: A Collective Path Forward

The State of the Region session reinforced a shared goal across municipalities: building a strong, resilient, and prosperous Southeast Alberta. While each community will continue to pursue its own priorities, the path forward is increasingly collaborative, focused on aligning infrastructure investments, promoting regional strengths, and supporting sustainable growth.