St. Albert's future was the theme as Mayor Cathy Heron spoke to the city's 2025 Business Breakfast about the work on Lakeview Business District and other aspects of the city's growth.
Heron opened her April 3 address to the sold-out crowd of 185 with an affirmation that looking ahead has been a priority for city council since it was elected in 2021.
"Like councils before us, we have visions of what our cities can become," Heron said.
She listed those priorities as economic prosperity, a vibrant downtown, community well-being, adapting to a changing natural environment, and financial sustainability.
She said council's No. 1 priority is continuing to advance the development of Lakeview Business District.
"This year. Full stop," Heron said. She said council is ready to make significant progress on the approximately 242-hectare industrial hub. She said it would bring an estimated 5,000 new jobs to St. Albert and between $1-1.5 billion in investment at full build out.
"Which will help ensure the long-term financial sustainability of our city and home to forward-thinking industries," she said. "The future is now."
In the fall, St. Albert city council approved the $62.7 million project to service the area of the industrial park, and Heron has repeatedly stated it is her primary ask to the provincial government for funding.
The continued development of the district will help connect those working there to St. Albert, Heron says.
"There is a powerful relationship between where you work and where you live," she said. The most recent census showed more people are living and working in St. Albert than ever before, up five per cent from 2018.
The rapid growth of neighbourhoods like Cherot, Riverside, and Ville Giroux will "provide future residents of St. Albert with an abundance of housing choices right on the doorsteps of Lakeview Business District," she said.
Patricia Nichol, manager of investment attraction and growth for the city, said St. Albert is "cultivating a community that is widely sought after by investors and developers."
"We are very pleased to see that there has been a positive shift in our local employment sector, with over 41 per cent of the city's eligible workforce now working in St. Albert," Nichol said. "This trend is likely due to the increase of businesses that have opened in our community."
St. Albert has also seen significant growth in the business community, Heron said. The city has seen an increase of 13 per cent in the number of business licences over the previous year.
"I'm excited to see the significant strides we make with non-residential growth this year and beyond," she said.
Heron looks forward to seeing the continued growth of the city, with St. Albert now being home to over 72,000 people; 2024 saw the city's highest growth rate since the early 2000s, Heron said.
"I am extremely proud that we are building a community that people want to live in and move to," she said. "Every person who moves to St. Albert is making a deliberate choice to call our exceptional community their home."
