Stretching from Medicine Hat to Fort McMurray, the rankings examine the costs, market access, labour pool and taxes of Alberta’s bustling communities and determine where to find the best business opportunities in Alberta.
“Alberta is Canada’s economic powerhouse and its strength goes beyond the two major cities,” says Michael McCullough, editor of Alberta Venture. “Edmonton and Calgary earned their respective places on the list, but there are rewarding business environments in smaller communities throughout the entire province. We wanted to show how they compare, and even excel, against the big cities. The results were very interesting.”
The full rankings of Alberta’s Best Communities for Business, along with a breakdown of the top 10, are featured in the June issue of Alberta Venture. The June issue also features:
- Think: A New Idea of Alberta: A co-operative project of Alberta Venture and Alberta’s citizens-at-large to create a lasting legacy from Alberta’s unprecedented prosperity.
- Export Report: The state of Alberta’s export market is put under the microscope. Is it time to look beyond NAFTA?
- Urban Cowboy: Calgary’s nightclub king and business mogul, Paul Vickers, is no stranger to controversy.
Published monthly, Alberta Venture is Alberta’s only province-wide business magazine. The June issue is available at newsstands throughout the province and full articles can also be found at www.albertaventure.com. Complete rankings of Alberta’s Best Communities for Business are below.
Alberta’s Best Communities for Business 2008
Rank | Municipality | Costs | TRB* | Market | Labour | Special | Total Score |
1 | Red Deer (city) | 3.5 | 2.5 | 4 | 4.5 | 4 | 18.5 |
2 | Lethbridge | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 18 |
3 | Strathcona County | 1.5 | 2.5 | 5 | 4.5 | 4 | 17.5 |
4 | Edmonton | 2 | 2 | 4.5 | 5 | 4 | 17 |
5 | Medicine Hat | 4.5 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 16.5 |
5 | Okotoks | 1.5 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16.5 |
7 | Alberta’s International Region | 3 | 2.5 | 5 | 3 | 2.5 | 16 |
7 | M.D. of Rocky View | 3 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 3 | 16 |
7 | St. Albert | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 16 |
10 | Advertisement Fort Saskatchewan | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3.5 | 15.5 |
11 | Calgary | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 15 |
12 | Lacombe | 4 | 4 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 14.5 |
13 | Lloydminster | 4.5 | 4 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 14 |
13 | Airdrie | 2 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 14 |
15 | Olds | 3 | 4 | 2.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 13.5 |
16 | Grande Prairie | 3 | 3.5 | 2.5 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 13 |
16 | Camrose | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 13 |
18 | Wetaskiwin | 4 | 3.5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 12.5 |
19 | Barrhead | 5 | 3.5 | 1.5 | 1 | 1 | 12 |
20 | Fort McMurray | 1 | 1.5 | 3.5 | 0.5 | 2 | 8.5 |
*Taxes, Regulation and Bureaucracy
| For more information or interviews contact: Michael McCullough Editor Alberta Venture 780-990-0839, ext. 243 |
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