Wetaskiwin

line runs directly through the city.And Highway 2, the second busiest highway in Canada, is only 9 miles away. Running between Calgary and Ed- monton, it’s a beneficial supply line connecting Wetaskiwin to major centres and services, as well as bringing tourists into the city to visit the re- nowned Reynolds Alberta Museum.The museum houses antique aircraft, automobiles, equipment, motorcycles, and recently received approval from the province for a $40 million expansion. Just ‘over the field’, the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame draws people from across Canada and beyond. Burgess shares,“We have the Home Hardware Distribution Centre for western Canada located here because of the access for transportation.Also, we’re at the centre point for the western reaches of the country and, of course, the Vancouver area. As far as long-term businesses go, one of the lon- gest standing companies here is ACDandy Prod- ucts Ltd.–a supplier of electrical components and systems right across North America.Also,Manluk Global Manufacturing Solutions ships internation- ally and has been a major employer here for many years.They sponsored our fabulous community recreation facility.We do have a very generous business sector.” Wetaskiwin has newmaster plans in the works for industrial and residential development, as well WETASKIWIN, ALBERTA PREFERRED VENDOR n NorQuest College-Wetaskiwin Campus www.norquest.ca Founded 50 years ago, NorQuest College serves approximately 15,850 full-time, part-time, and continuing education students each year, 60 percent of whom are born outside of Canada. As a regional steward, the school also provides access to adult education in Edmonton and the sur- rounding region. as downtown expansion/enhancement.However, a municipal election, less than three months away, could determine the course taken with those strategic plans. Burgess stresses the affordability of the city as a place to live and conduct business.“We have a survey done by another city,where we are almost tied with the lowest affordable city in Alberta, as far as combined costs of housing, taxation, and utilities.We had a slight reduction in taxes last year and are looking at holding the line this year.The cost of housing is probably the biggest contributor -ours is quite low compared to most centres.” Wetaskiwin is a very progressive city that cares equally about providing excellent quality of life for its community.Walkability is a strong component. Environmental responsibility is at the forefront. Burgess sums it up,“There are many steps you can take that make sense financially, but envi- ronmentally you’re paid off as well. Infrastructure improvements to roadways,water systems, etc. are part of our ten-year master plan.We’re preparing for growth, and attraction of businesses; we have the infrastructure set up for industrial and resi- dential expansion.Howwe see that going over the next ten years depends on the success over the next five.”