Guided by its mission to “grow a vibrant economy that explores, promotes and facilitates new emerging opportunities, competitiveness and innovation,” the Peace River Economic Development Alliance (PREDA) has demonstrated remarkable resilience amid the economic downturn of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation, Doug Schweitzer, stated that while Alberta is recovering from these challenges, the economic region that includes Grande Prairie and the Peace Country in northwest Alberta has seen the most growth, as reflected in decreasing unemployment rates.

Schweitzer credits this positive economic outlook in large part to the region’s economic diversity, which embraces forestry, agriculture and oil and gas operations. Throughout the pandemic, the demand for these resources has continued, and in the case of forestry products, has increased.

To meet the distribution demand for these resources, transportation infrastructure projects are underway such as the twinning of Highway 40 between the cities of Grande Cache and Grande Prairie, 430 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. The project, which is jointly funded by the province, the County of Grande Prairie and the Municipal District of Greenview, will convert the existing two-lane highway into a four-lane one, and will include two new bridges to facilitate the safe and efficient transport of goods and people to key markets.

The region is also expanding its stake in energy resources. In particular, the Municipal District of Greenview is developing the Greenview Industrial Gateway (GIG), an eco-industrial development area that will leverage the municipality’s strength in natural gas production to generate economic investment and expand job opportunities for the region.