December 13, 2022 – Municipal District of Bonnyville Council reaffirmed its dedication to economic development and diversification for the municipality by adopting the inaugural Business and Industry Growth Strategy (BIGS) at the November 23, 2022, Council meeting.
BIGS is the result of the recently created 2022-2027 Strategic Plan, in which Council identified building a viable and diversified regional economy as one of its first goals.
The BIGS document outlines the economic development future of the M.D, including investment readiness, economic diversification, and brand development. In this vein, Council also approved starting the rebranding process for the M.D. in 2023.
“We live in an area that is rich in many things — oil and gas, recreation, and agriculture. What this strategy will do is highlight other sectors where we can expand. We have a lot of space for industries to grow and flourish here. With this plan, we will be able to give investors and industries a new place to call home,” said Reeve Barry Kalinski.
Initial steps have already been made by the M.D.’s Economic Development Specialist, Scott Kovatch. There will be a new website focused solely on achieving the goals laid out in BIGS. This will be ready in the first half of 2023 and will be the driver behind future investment, site selection, and attracting new businesses.
The strategy doesn’t only focus on bringing in new industry. Part of the M.D.’s vision is for the Economic Development Specialist to be a resource to existing businesses, helping find new opportunities, and building on their successes. This will include a free online business directory that will help connect businesses, with the potential of forming new partnerships and localizing the supply chain.
A copy of the BIGS document can be found at bit.ly/MDBvilleBIGS.