Civil Municipal View Feb2023

14 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 4, ISSUE 2 esting at the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, the town of Cochrane, Alberta offers a picture- perfect example of a small town in western Canada, with its scenic landscape, historic downtown, and charming atmosphere. Located only 20 minutes from Calgary, Cochrane is close to big city amenities, including an international airport. Originally a small ranching community, the town was established in 1881, and today is home to close to 35,000 people and growing. Mayor Jeff Genung describes, “It’s all about location, location, location, here in Cochrane. We’re nestled in the Bow River Valley, it’s a beautiful setting, with the mountains in the background, the river flowing through, the railway, and there are two provincial highways that intersect in the heart of our community. It’s situated just perfectly.” As the fastest-growing town in Alberta, and the eleventh fastest in the country, Cochrane has a very robust business sector, with Chief Administrative Officer Mike Derricott reporting two thousand active business licenses. He shares, “When we went through the recent challenges of COVID, we anticipated things slowing down in our community. Actually, they didn’t, that growth continued in our development sector, but also, saw growth in our business sector. We’re really benefiting from what I would describe also as a growing diversification of our economic industries.” With Spray Lake Sawmills and R AT A GLANCE COCHRANE, ALBERTA WHAT: A fast-growing community with a focus on attracting tech companies. WHERE: Alberta, Canada WEBSITE: www.cochrane.ca