Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is one of the world’s most attractive locations for chemical, petrochemical, oil, and gas investment. It is also Canada’s largest hydrocarbon processing region. The region’s 40+ companies, several being world scale, provide fuels, fertilizers, power, petrochemicals and more to provincial and global consumers.
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association strives to:
- provide a single approach to promote and facilitate industrial development
- proactively and efficiently collaborate on facilitating services and infrastructure
- plan for the area’s use while maximizing attractiveness and efficient industrial development
- promote and support a coordinated approach to achieving and maintaining appropriate standards of emergency preparedness, public safety, and health
Municipal Members
Alberta’s Industrial Heartland is guided by a non profit association of municipalities dedicated to sustainable eco-industrial development. Alberta’s Industrial Heartland Association (AIHA) was created in 1998 by the municipalities who each had land within the geographic area of Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.
A leading principal of AIHA is promoting responsible development within the region. This includes ensuring the region is ready for development in its infrastructure, services, and land use zoning principles. AIHA recognizes that activities in the area can have a major impact on neighboring communities and affect their service delivery as well. Together, the municipalities take a proactive and cooperative approach to planning and industrial development.
The five municipal partners have land within the geographic boundaries of the Heartland and each have one vote within the Association:
- City of Fort Saskatchewan
- Lamont County
- Strathcona County
- Sturgeon County
- City of Edmonton (official partner in 2010)
Associate Membership was added in 2011. Associate Members are municipalities invited to participate on committees, task forces, and attend Board meetings. While Associate Members do not have voting rights, their views contribute to the actions taken by the Association.
The three Associate Members include:
Board of Directors
As a not-for-profit association, AIHA is governed by a Board of Directors, comprised of one representative of each of the five municipal partners. The Board of Directors provides general direction and strategic priorities for AIHA Executive Director and staff members. Ensuring responsible, productive, and environmentally sound development, the Board and AIHA staff work closely with numerous stakeholders, including government, private industry, and area residents.