Western Standard - Designated Industrial Zone in Alberta's Heartland Receives Funding Boost

00:00:00.000 growth in our province. The DIZ began as a bold new way to support infrastructure and

00:00:05.200 sustainable practices in Alberta's industrial heartland. Now we're reimagining how to regulate

00:00:10.640 industrial facilities. Of course there's still improvements to make to reduce red tape while

00:00:15.300 upholding our high environmental standards but this is absolutely a success story and we're not

00:00:20.500 just leading in Canada. We are showing the world a better way forward. Streamlined logistics,

00:00:26.740 reduced transportation costs, crystal clear environmental expectations, and shared access

00:00:32.280 to infrastructure and resources. These help the designated industrial zone attract transformational

00:00:38.420 projects to our province. Projects like Dow's Path to Zero project, one of the largest investments

00:00:44.500 in Alberta history, these cutting-edge projects are growing our petrochemical sector, and they're

00:00:49.960 proving that environmental leadership and economic growth absolutely can go hand in hand. Today,

00:00:55.580 companies around the world are looking for the best places to build the industries and facilities

00:01:00.040 of tomorrow. Alberta can and should and will be that place. We are the home of innovation. We

00:01:06.560 have the talent, we have the energy, and we have the designated industrial zone, a clear signal to

00:01:12.280 the world that we're serious about partnering for progress. That's why today I'm pleased to

00:01:17.420 announce that we're investing over $50 million over the next five years in the designated

00:01:21.800 industrial zone. This will help attract world-leading industrial projects right here in the

00:01:26.820 industrial heartland and ensure we have the infrastructure to support them, starting with

00:01:31.580 three new water intake facilities accessing the river right behind us. Water is critical for

00:01:38.120 industry. They need it to operate and they continue finding new ways to recycle and reuse it. It's

00:01:44.180 been over a decade since the last new water intake was built here. We need new water intakes if we're

00:01:49.380 going to keep expanding this rapidly growing area. Our $50 million will cover 30% of the

00:01:55.020 construction costs with municipalities and their partners funding the rest. This isn't just about

00:02:00.640 the industrial heartland. Our government is working hard to improve water infrastructure

00:02:04.360 right across our province. That's why we invested earlier this year in major new programs like the

00:02:09.700 $125 million drought and flood protection program. And earlier this year, our colleague Minister

00:02:15.720 Dreschen announced over $400 million in grants for municipal water programs over the next three

00:02:20.740 years. Through the designated industrial zone, the wildly successful Alberta petrochemical incentive

00:02:26.040 program, the new Alberta carbon capture incentive program, and the most talented workforce in North

00:02:31.180 America, we are attracting companies that are thinking big. Earlier I mentioned Dow's Path to

00:02:36.740 Zero, a nearly $9 billion project that will use CCUS to create the world's first net zero carbon

00:02:42.300 emissions integrated ethylene cracker. For us, this isn't an either or conversation. When we talk

00:02:48.100 about the resources and products everyday people will need every single day. Our government

00:02:52.820 understands that the world needs more responsible resource development and certainly the investments

00:02:58.540 we're seeing in petrochemicals. We also know that the world will need more energy as demand continues

00:03:04.040 to rise every single day and we believe that that energy and those resources should absolutely come

00:03:09.440 from Alberta. We're leading the way in so many areas, providing the fuels, fertilizers, power,

00:03:15.320 petrochemicals, hydrogen, and other materials that Albertans and Canadians need. That's the

00:03:20.640 Alberta approach, creating jobs, billions of dollars in investment, all while lowering global

00:03:25.280 emissions and promoting responsible development. Today's announcement will help us do exactly that,

00:03:30.260 and I just want to thank my amazing colleague and a huge advocate for the area, Jackie Armstrong,

00:03:35.900 Hominach MLA to say a few words. I'd like to start by thanking my colleague Minister

00:03:54.300 Schultz for all of her hard work on this project. Today's announcement doesn't only speak to her

00:03:59.980 knowledge of environmental and industrial issues but her knowledge of the constituency I represent

00:04:05.820 Fort Saskatchewan-Vagerville. The more than $50 million being invested over the next five years

00:04:11.500 is clear proof of that knowledge. The Heartland already provides approximately 30,000 direct

00:04:17.580 and indirect jobs. It is already a prime target for investment with $45 billion of capital

00:04:24.300 investment made so far and another $11 billion announced for construction. It is already a

00:04:30.140 a world-renowned hub for innovation in clean industry.

00:04:34.120 But without proper water access, industry can't grow,

00:04:36.960 and Alberta's industrial heartland

00:04:38.540 has been operating with the same supply of water

00:04:41.600 for more than a decade.

00:04:43.500 This is why I've been passionately advocating

00:04:45.680 for this project since my election.

00:04:47.980 The construction of three new water intake facilities,

00:04:51.520 or as I like to call them, straws in the river,

00:04:54.120 will allow industry here to continue to grow

00:04:56.580 for many years to come.

00:04:58.220 This means the area will become even more attractive

00:05:00.840 for investment.

00:05:02.300 This means even more jobs in my constituency

00:05:05.340 and opportunities for those moving here.

00:05:08.200 This means even more of a cutting edge innovation,

00:05:10.740 which is making Alberta trailblazer

00:05:13.000 in responsible industrial development.

00:05:15.600 To put it simply, as the heartland grows,

00:05:18.060 Fort Saskatchewan grows and Alberta prospers.

00:05:21.420 I'm happy to say that this will be happening

00:05:23.880 while the designated industrial zone

00:05:25.540 keeps strong environmental frameworks in place.

00:05:28.100 This ensures that today's investment

00:05:30.220 won't just lead to growth,

00:05:31.500 but will lead to growth,

00:05:33.000 the kind of sustained prosperity

00:05:35.100 we want our children to inherit.

00:05:39.580 I'm excited to see how that growth

00:05:41.480 helps my constituency thrive,

00:05:43.320 and I'm grateful I could be part of this announcement,

00:05:45.920 which will make that growth possible.

00:05:48.660 I'm now passing this on to Dave Dudek,

00:05:52.780 so he can tell you more about today's announcement

00:05:55.500 and what it means for the Alberta industrial heartland.

00:06:06.800 Thank you, Jackie, and welcome Minister Schultz.

00:06:10.520 Nice raining day, should alleviate our drought situation

00:06:13.160 anyway, right?

00:06:14.920 Good morning, my name is Reeve Didick

00:06:17.120 and I am the chair of Alberta's

00:06:18.380 Industrial Heartland Association.

00:06:21.060 Our association is responsible for the economic development

00:06:24.840 Alberta's industrial heartland. These new intakes will improve the business case for companies

00:06:34.040 choosing to locate in the heartland. It will provide dependable access to low-cost water

00:06:40.840 while simultaneously ensuring shared use of infrastructure across new users on these three

00:06:48.120 new intakes this will establish long-lasting economic benefits in an environmentally responsible

00:06:55.960 way when this new water infrastructure is paired with our existing infrastructure like rail pipelines

00:07:03.640 and carbon sequestration as well as access to a talented and advanced workforce and low-cost

00:07:10.360 feedstocks the industrial heartland provides outstanding opportunities for industrial

00:07:16.440 producers to locate their next project. AIH has over 45 billion in existing capital infrastructure

00:07:25.480 and with Dow's recent final investment decision will soon be home to the world's first net zero

00:07:31.480 ethylene cracker and derivative facility. Our region is solidifying our position as a world-class

00:07:39.400 destination for industrial development. Our strong partnership with the Government of Alberta

00:07:47.000 has helped foster this growth. I would like to recognize the Minister and the hard-working staff

00:07:53.400 at the Ministry of Environment and Protected Areas for their continued commitment to this partnership

00:08:00.120 and for advancing the dual benefits of environmental stewardship and economic prosperity in our

00:08:07.160 communities. Their leadership on establishing Alberta's industrial heartland as Alberta's

00:08:14.040 first designated industrial zone and improving regulatory approvals and environmental controls

00:08:20.600 within our region is another example of how our collaborative relationship helps attract more

00:08:30.440 investment. The Alberta Industrial Heartland Association looks forward to seeing industrial

00:08:36.280 development as a result of the three new intakes and we look very forward to the results that may

00:08:44.840 be upcoming in the future thank you very much thank you david we are now going to go to questions

00:08:56.440 in person before going to the phone so it'll be one question one follow-up

00:09:00.440 seeing no questions in the room we're going to go oh we have one question in the room

00:09:04.360 Good morning, Lindsay Mori with the Sherr Park News, just wondering if there is currently

00:09:10.920 any projects in the pipeline or in the works that would be dependent directly on this kind

00:09:16.200 of policy?

00:09:20.520 There is, discussions are happening, they're happening all the time, but as of right now

00:09:26.420 there's, no one has made a final investment decision that would warrant the use of a new

00:09:32.980 intake i i just want to i just want to say though that uh one of the municipalities within the

00:09:42.340 association does have an application with alberta environment and uh we're waiting for final

00:09:50.980 approval on that uh hopefully that happens sooner than later here and i'm sure that once we get that

00:09:56.740 initial uh in final investment decision made then we can proceed with construction wherever that may

00:10:04.340 be within the heartland here did you have a follow-up no seeing no questions on the line

00:10:14.740 either this concludes today's announcement thank you everyone for joining us

00:10:26.740 You

Western Standard - May 16, 2024

Designated Industrial Zone in Alberta's Heartland Receives Funding Boost

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