Local, regional economic initiatives to get $30M in grants from province

Municipalities and economic development organizations with ideas about how to diversify Alberta's economy can tap into $30 million in grants over two years starting Oct. 1.

The concept of the Community and Regional Economic Support program is that local people have their own ideas that need funding to get off the ground.

Jay Slemp, chair of the Palliser Economic Partnership, said his group, which covers 20 municipalities including Hanna, isfunding projects but needs some extra help.

• Alberta coal phase out would be 'devastating' to the Town of Hanna

"We're not short of ideas," Slemp said at a government news conference in Edmonton on Wednesday. "It's trying to figure out what are the right ones to work on. What's the right thing to chase."

Money set aside in the last two budgets for local and regional economic development has been combined into the CARES program.

Program funding includes $750,000 for initiatives to help Fort McMurray businesses restart after the wildfire and $600,000 for four rural Alberta business centres.

The community grants start at $10,000 and will cover up to half of the costs of a project. Grants for regional projects start at $25,000.

Slemp saidthe money could be spent to bringmore broadband Internet into rural communities, so people can work in knowledge-based economies without having to move to the city. Or to find ways for farmers to get their products to the Pacific Coast so they can be shipped to Asia.

A challenge for Hanna is adapting to life after Alberta gets out of coal-fired electrical generation. The local coal mine employs 60 to 80 people and the coal-fired power station employs another 110.

Slemp saidhis organization is working on a strategic plan to help people transition. Money from the CARES program could help with that.

"It's not always the strongest that survive," he said. "It's those that are able to adapt. We live in times of change. Change is not always what we like but the people who can adapt, how can we help them adapt? That's pretty critical to our success."