Wheatland County is hoping to attract some large investors to the region through a new tax incentive bylaw which was passed at the Tuesday, September 21 regular council meeting.
The new bylaw will provide eligible investments with a 40 per cent exemption on municipal property tax for non-residential improvements, for three years from the first fully taxable year, and will apply to both new investments and expansions.
“We need employment opportunities that are well paid, have prospects for career advancement, and will capitalize on our long-standing, strong work ethic that built Wheatland County,” said Wheatland County Reeve Amber Link in a press release. “We need these opportunities to retain our youth. We know Wheatland County is the best place to live and work, and we are making it the best place for businesses to locate and grow.”
Changes to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) in June 2019 allow municipalities to offer incentives to reduce, exempt, or defer property tax collection for non-residential properties for up to 15 years. This change will bring Alberta in line with other jurisdictions including Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
“Eligible investors must have an increase in assessable improvements and/or machinery and equipment of $10 million over the base assessment year,” says Tracy Buteau, general manager of Corporate and Financial Services. “The tax incentive is a vital part of positioning Wheatland County as being the best investment destination for business.”
The bylaw will help Wheatland County increase its non-residential tax base and signal the county is serious about competing for large projects. Wheatland County is set to be one of the first Albertan municipalities to implement a municipal property tax incentive, further adding to its attractiveness as a business location.

Minister of Jobs, Economy and Innovation Doug Schweitzer and Associate Minister of Rural Economic Development Nate Horner announced on Thursday, October 28 the provincial government will be making a $10 million investment to help small businesses expand their online presence.
Along with the investment, the province will partner with Business Link and Digital Main Street to develop the Digital Economy Program.
“Websites that are effective are ones you are constantly maintaining and updating,” says Reality Bytes owner and CEO John Shoff. “People need/want e-commerce, live chat, social media integration. It’s not a one page brochure type of setup that works for most businesses anymore.”
The Digital Economy Program will take a two-pronged approach to supporting small businesses.
ShopHERE program, which is powered by Google, will give eligible small businesses the ability to create and operate online stores, while also having access to support and training through Digital Main Street. To qualify, businesses must be registered in Alberta and have fewer than 50 employees.
Funding will also be provided to eligible organizations, such as non-profits, chambers of commerce, and economic development agencies. This will allow these organizations to hire post secondary students and recent graduates, who will be in charge of developing digital service squads to provide support and services, develop digital business strategies for social media and e-commerce.
Earlier this year, the provincial government announced it would invest $150 million to help expand and improve broadband internet access in rural areas throughout the province.
“Rural Albertans have often had to choose between living in their hometown and pursuing new opportunities,” said Associate Minister Horner during Thursday’s press conference.
Associate Minister Horner says the new Digital Economy Program will go “hand in glove” with the rural broadband initiative, and will continue to allow those looking to live a more rural lifestyle to hold jobs which would typically require urban living.