St. Paul – From identifying missing businesses to developing land along the Iron Horse Trail, municipalities in the St. Paul region are pursuing several provincial funding opportunities to attract investment, strengthen tourism, and support local businesses.

During its November 10 meeting, the County of St. Paul council reviewed four initiatives connected to Alberta’s Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) program, including projects involving the Town of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point, STEP Economic Development Alliance and Go East Regional Tourism Organization.

The proposed projects range from a $45,200 development concept plan in St. Paul to a $60,000 marketing strategy for Elk Point, along with a regional business gap analysis and a tourism initiative valued at more than $60,000.

While the County is supporting the regional efforts, no additional County funding was requested for the projects.

Regional study aims to identify what’s missing

One of the biggest regional initiatives is a proposed Retail, Commercial and Industrial Gap Analysis, designed to identify where businesses are needed and where new investment opportunities exist.

The study would examine market demand, gaps in retail and commercial services, and opportunities for industrial development throughout the STEP region.

The goal is to give municipalities better information when attracting businesses, planning development and identifying opportunities for growth.

The findings would also complement ongoing work examining utility capacity and investment readiness.

The project was previously submitted to the Alberta Community Partnership (ACP) program in October 2026. Administration explained that an earlier attempt to secure funding through that program had been unsuccessful.

STEP is now pursuing NRED as an alternative funding source.

Under the NRED program, eligible projects can receive funding for up to 50 percent of their costs. The required matching contribution for the gap analysis would come from STEP’s 2027 budget, subject to approval.

If both provincial funding applications are successful, only one grant would be accepted for the project.

Council approved supporting the NRED application, with the County of St. Paul serving as the applicant and STEP Economic Development Alliance managing the project.

The study would benefit all four STEP municipalities: the County of St. Paul, Town of St. Paul, Town of Elk Point and Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay.

Town of St. Paul exploring development along Iron Horse Trail

The Town of St. Paul is seeking provincial funding to examine development opportunities on municipal land adjacent to the Alberta Iron Horse Trail.

The proposed $45,200 Alberta Iron Horse Trail Adjacent Lands Concept Plan would focus on land between 53 Avenue and the trail, extending from 50 Street to 46 Street.

The project would examine potential land uses, infrastructure requirements, preliminary development costs and how improvements could be completed in phases.

It would complement ongoing planning for the Iron Horse Trail staging area.

The Town is requesting $22,600 through NRED and would provide the remaining $22,600 as a matching contribution, subject to grant and budget approval.

The County was provided the information for awareness and was not asked to contribute financially.

Elk Point looking to strengthen its identity and attract businesses

The Town of Elk Point is also pursuing NRED funding for a $60,000 Community Positioning and Marketing Strategy.

Rather than creating another standalone initiative, the project would bring together economic development, community engagement and business attraction work already underway.

That includes initiatives involving STEP, the Elk Point Economic Development Committee and Hello Elk Point.

The goal is to develop a more coordinated approach to how Elk Point presents itself to potential residents, businesses and investors.

The Town is requesting $30,000 in provincial funding and would contribute $30,000 in matching funds, subject to approval.

Like the St. Paul project, the application was presented to County Council for information only.

Go East seeking support for regional tourism growth

Tourism is another area receiving attention.

Go East Regional Tourism Organization is applying for NRED funding for its Regional Tourism Corridor Development and Industry Support Initiative.

The project, valued at more than $60,000, would support tourism business retention and expansion through 2027 and 2028.

The initiative would focus on developing visitor experiences, providing training for tourism operators, offering practical business tools and creating regional road trip experiences.

The goal is to encourage visitors to explore more communities, stay longer and spend money at local businesses.

The benefits could extend beyond traditional tourism attractions to restaurants, accommodations, retailers, artisans, agricultural producers and other businesses connected to the visitor economy.

STEP Economic Development Alliance requested permission to provide a letter of support on behalf of its four member municipalities.

Council approved the request.

The County had previously supported a separate Go East application to the Travel Alberta Rural Development and Promotion Fund during its September 22 meeting.

Council streamlines future tourism support

Council also approved a second motion that will make it easier for STEP and its Destination Management Committee (DMC) to support future Go East funding applications.

Rather than returning to council for approval every time a letter is requested, STEP and the DMC can now provide letters of support when the initiatives align with regional priorities and do not require additional municipal funding.

The authorization remains in place as long as STEP municipalities continue supporting membership in Go East.

During the meeting, councillors also questioned why so many projects were being submitted to NRED.

Administration explained that the program is not new, but municipalities are making greater use of it following difficulties securing funding through other provincial programs.

NRED is provincially funded and provides another opportunity to advance regional economic development projects.

What’s next?

All four initiatives remain dependent on their respective grant applications and funding approvals.

The County’s decisions support the regional applications and allow STEP to continue coordinating economic development efforts without requiring additional County contributions.

Together, the projects represent an effort to identify business opportunities, prepare land for future development, improve community marketing and bring more visitors and investment into the St. Paul region.