
Western Canada’s Global Access Hub
Alberta’s prime location in Western Canada and strong infrastructure position the province as a growing gateway for doing business throughout North America and worldwide.
Our infrastructure allows business to move forward quickly and affordably. We are well-connected with two of the largest airports in the country and two transcontinental rail carriers with intermodal terminals. We have major highways running east to west and north to south – connecting Alberta to the CANAMEX corridor and connecting us to 16 million consumers that can be reached by road in one day from Calgary. Nineteen free trade agreements allow us access to global markets, along with easy access to Canada’s west coast ports and our state-of-the-art inland ports that make distribution less costly and more efficient.
Calgary International Airport
Photo Credit: Justin Hu on Unsplash
Export-oriented
Benefitting from direct access to the US and easy access to the Pacific Rim and Europe, Alberta leads the country in exports. In 2019, the province had the second-highest exports per capita at $26,772, well above the Canadian average of $14,483.
Through 15 free trade agreements, Canada has preferred market access to 51 foreign countries.
These agreements cover a market of over 1.5 billion potential consumers with a combined GDP of $49.3 trillion USD.
Fully integrated airports
Alberta has three international airports with on-site customs located in Edmonton, Calgary and Fort McMurray.
The Edmonton International Airport (EIA) is Canada’s largest airport by area and is home to world-class cargo operations. As the gateway to Canada’s north, EIA is fully integrated into the region’s logistics network and features industrial land dedicated to agri-business, logistics and distribution, aerospace and aviation, and advanced manufacturing.
To the south, the Calgary International Airport is one of the fastest growing cargo airports in Canada. Over 75% of all Alberta’s air cargo shipments are transported through Calgary which provides access to the US — the world’s largest industrial and consumer market.
Learn more about Alberta’s aviation and logistics capabilities.
World-class infrastructure
Alberta is served by the two most important transcontinental freight transportation players in Canada. Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway operate approximately 7,000 route miles in Alberta and transport 66 million tonnes in and out of the province.
Alberta’s extensive rail network not only allows market access across North America, but also to Asian markets. The Port of Vancouver and Port of Prince Rupert, two of Canada’s largest ports, offer regular departures to major markets including China, Japan, South Korea and India.
Alberta’s extensive network of pipelines, highways and telecommunications infrastructure are also attractive to companies looking to do business globally.
In 2019, over $630 million was invested into Alberta communications networks.
Global and diverse ecosystem
Alberta has a strong global network due to the multinational companies that operate in the province. There is an innate supportive culture of Albertans connecting businesses and communities.
With over 180 different languages or dialects spoken by Albertans, we embrace diversity and welcome businesses and talent to move here.
INVEST ALBERTA’S GLOBAL TEAM
Invest Alberta’s Global Team play a vital role in strengthening Alberta’s presence globally. Staff in our international locations are bilingual, experts in their local economy, and knowledgeable about the latest developments in Alberta.
Please see our Global Teams for more information.
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Calgary Folk Festival and Bow River in Calgary
Photo Credit: © Travel Alberta Photo by Tourism Calgary