This week, Alberta’s Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors Devin Dreeshen was in Coaldale to announce over $3 million in grant funding for the Town’s Industrial Rail Extension project.
The funding comes from the province’s Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program or STIP, as well as from funds from the Town and NewCold.
According to the Town, the approximately $8 million project will see the construction of a rail spur linking Coaldale’s industrial park to the main CPKC rail line.
It’s also the first rail infrastructure initiative in Alberta to receive funding through STIP.
Mayor Jack Van Rijn says this project represents one of the most significant industrial infrastructure investments in the Town’s history. “This investment not only unlocks the development of a $222 million, state-of-the-art cold storage facility, but also opens the door to broader regional economic development by making rail-accessible industrial land available in Coaldale.”
Dreeshen adds Coaldale is a growing hub for agri-food and industry in southern Alberta.
“By investing in key infrastructure like this rail extension, we’re helping unlock the region’s full economic potential and positioning Coaldale, as a driver of long-term growth,” notes Dreeshen.
Associate Minister of Water for the province Grant Hunter attended an official funding announcement Friday.
“This project is a game-changer— not just for Coaldale, but for all of southern Alberta,” says Hunter. “This partnership between the province, the Town and private industry is exactly the kind of collaboration we need to drive long-term growth, support job creation and help establish southern Alberta, as a leading centre for agri-food production and efficient supply chain distribution.”
