The Town of Cochrane and Rocky View County (RVC) are joining forces with six other municipalities across the Calgary region in a new pilot initiative aimed at attracting investment, job creation, and cementing the Calgary region as a competitive business hub in North America.
Called Invest Greater Calgary (IGC), the new initiative is formally hosted by Calgary Economic Development (CED), and brings together the City of Airdrie, City of Calgary, City of Chestermere, Town of Cochrane, Foothills County, Town of High River, Town of Okotoks and RVC.
In a time of global economic uncertainty, shifting trade dynamics and growing competition for business investment, IGC creates a stronger regional identity and a clearer value proposition for site selectors and investors, CED wrote in a press release.
The multi-municipality partnership agreement allows for the region as a whole to speak with one voice and “can better position the region to attract global capital, support local industries and respond nimbly to trade disruptions,” CED said.
The launch of IGC is being seen as a reflection of the growing momentum around regional collaborations taking shape around the world, the CED argues. By pooling expertise and aligning economic priorities, municipalities can strengthen their position to draw investment. “This includes better positioning the region as an industrial hub, where shared infrastructure, talent pipelines and supply chains are essential to long-term success,” CED said.
“Invest Greater Calgary represents the future of economic development,” wrote Bonnie Nunnari, the interim lead of the IGC Secretariat, a position that has been established by CED to lead project development and to coordinate operational support. “This partnership shows the power of municipalities working as one to compete globally and act locally. By sharing data, aligning outreach and presenting a unified vision, we’re signaling to investors that the Calgary region is ready for bold ideas, major projects and long‑term investment.”
The pilot project will last for three years and is reported to focus on four key areas: regional research and analysis, regional marketing and promotion, investor support and program development.
The new partnership comes just under a year after the Calgary Metropolitan Region Board–which consisted largely of the same actors and had similar goals–was shuttered due to lack of funding from the Province.
The IGC stresses that it isn’t meant to replace local economic development–it hopes to strengthen it. “Municipalities keep their own priorities while gaining shared data, regional marketing and broader investor reach,” CED wrote. “By collaborating instead of competing, they can pursue regionally significant opportunities and bring more investment home.”
Mark Krysinski, the director of community growth for the Town of Cochrane, said the opportunity to explore collaboration opportunities with other municipal partners is tantamount to Cochrane’s approach to economic vitality.
“Participation in IGC amplifies Cochrane’s exposure to opportunities for investment, attraction, and retention to create and retain high-quality jobs in our community,” Krysinski wrote. “By leveraging the additional funding and expertise of other regional partners, Cochrane can amplify and accelerate its economic opportunities.”
While the former Calgary Metropolitan Region Board ran out of provincial funding, a lack of resources does not seem to be an issue for IGC. Participating municipalities have committed to a shared annual contribution through a cost‑sharing formula that accounts for population and assessment value and additional funding has also been secured through provincial and federal grants, according to CED.
“With funding, governance, and shared priorities in place, IGC marks a new chapter of regional cooperation, one that prioritizes collective growth over municipal boundaries,” the CED wrote in a statement.
Related: Cochrane considers participation in Invest Greater calgary pilot
