CALGARY : HEART OF THE NEW WEST
GeneralAuthor :
Richard Bilodeau 
Located at the convergence of the Bow and Elbow rivers and situated in the foothills of Alberta’s majestic Rocky Mountains, Calgary is a dynamic and attractive city with western roots and friendly small town hospitality. Its innovative spirit, clean and safe environment, vibrant culture and highly productive workforce are just a few reasons why Calgary is a world-class city as well as a global business destination.
Calgary is located in the Parkland region of Alberta and has a metropolitan population of 1, 251,600, making it the fifth largest census metropolitan area in the country. Founded in 1876, Calgary’s growth has been steady; its population has doubled in the past 30 years. The city’s geographical size is 746 square km and the Calgary Regional Partnership is comprised of 19 municipalities. The city is a major urban center for the southern half of the province and lies at the crossroad of two major North American highway systems: the Trans Canada Highway, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Canamex Corridor which stretches from Northern Canada all the way to Mexico.
Calgary’s population is young, diversified and active; it is the youngest population of any Canadian City, with an average age of 35. In 2007, the city had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, with 3.2% and the second highest labour force growth, at 4.5%; the labour force participation rate for Calgary in 2007 was 76.1%. Calgary’s labour force has a positive work ethic combined with high-level professional and technical skills, as well as being well-educated: 73% of Calgarians have attended a post-secondary institution.
A spirited city
The Calgary Stampede is without a doubt Calgary’s best-known visitor attraction. The Folk Music Festival, International Blues Festival, the Calgary International Film Festival are only some of the other annual festivals the city has to offer to Calgarians and visitors alike. Roughstock is one of the country’s richest rodeo events. Wordfest is the third largest literary festival of its kind in Canada.
Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games and is proud of its sporting legacy. Canada Olympic Park now operates as a multi-purpose year-round athletic facility used for high performance athletic training as well as for recreational activities. Highlights of the park include a visit to the Ski jump Tower−the highest vantage point in Calgary−and a tour of the Olympic Hall of Fame Museum to explore past games through the Olympic timeline.
Other attractions include The Pengrowth Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames and venue for many concerts and events during the year. The Calgary Tower, Calaway Park, Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park, the Glenbow Museum and Devonian Gardens, one of the world’s largest indoor parks are all additional points of interest.
Public Transit system
The City of Calgary has developed a very effective and efficient public transit system with three Light Rail Transit Lines (LRT) forming its backbone.
Light Rail Vehicles (the CTRain, as it is known today) run on 44.9 Km of double track, of which 87 percent is surface operation, 5 percent is on grade-separated bridges and 8 percent is underground. The lines cover 37 stations and carry nearly 500,000 passengers daily. Each station is served by various feeder bus routes, also serving adjacent communities and employment areas. Calgary has the highest ridership (total and on a per capita basis) of any North American system. The use of public transit reduces the environmental impact of urban travel. Fewer private automobiles, also means cleaner air and reduced traffic noise for Calgarians.
Economy in full bloom
Calgary is Western Canada’s business centre, as well as Canada’s fastest growing economic region. It is expected that the city will continue to lead the country in economic growth. Although Calgary is a major centre for the global energy industry, its rapidly expanding economy has diversified well beyond its traditional strength. Agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, financial services and technology also contribute to the city’s booming economy and international reputation for innovation. The construction sector is also a major factor in Calgary’s economy and it is in full progress; looking at the panoramic view from the Calgary Tower observation deck, one only has to notice the dozens of cranes in activity, to grasp the full extent of the city’s expansion.
Calgary’s economy is ranked first in Canada, with an estimated Real GDP of 3.4% in 2007 and 3.9% in 2008.
REAL GDP BY INDUSTRY: CALGARY ECONOMIC REGION, 2006
SELECTED INDUSTRIES / 1997 DOLLARS (000,000) / DISTRIBUTION (%)
• Agriculture / 266.0 / 0.5
• Oil & Gas and Mining / 6,443.1 / 12.3
• Manufacturing / 5,061.3 / 9.7
• Construction / 5,459.4 / 10.4
• Utilities / 966.4 / 1.8
• Transportation and Warehousing / 4,054.6 / 7.7
• Trade / 5,571.5 / 10.6
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing / 6,326.6 / 12.1
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services / 5,246.5 / 10.0
• Accommodation and Food Services / 1,138.4 / 2.2
• Educational Services / 1,851.2 / 3.5
• Health and Welfare Services / 2,148.9 / 4.1
• Other Services• 3,583.7 / 6.8
• Government Services / 1,432.2 / 2.7 /
Source: Calgary Economic Development
EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTY: CALGARY ECONOMIC REGION, 2007
INDUSTRIES / PERSONS(000's) / DISTRIBUTION (%)
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting / 6.9 / 0.9
• Mining and Oil & Gas Extraction / 59.5 / 8.1
• Utilities / 8.9 / 1.2
• Construction / 67.6 / 9.2
• Manufacturing / 49.9 / 6.8
• Wholesale Trade / 32.6 / 4.4
• Retail Trade / 71.7 / 9.7
• Transportation and Warehousing / 43.9 / 6.0
• Information and Cultural Industries / 17.3 / 2.4
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate Rental and Leasing / 45.6 / 6.2
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services / 79.9 / 10.9
• Administrative and Support, Waste Management & • Remediation Services / 31.1 / 4.2
• Educational Services / 41.1 / 5.6
• Health Care and Social Assistance / 67.5 / 9.2
• Arts, Entertainment and Recreation / 17.2 / 2.3
• Accommodation and Food Services / 38.5 / 5.2
• Public Administration / 24.0 / 3.3
• Other Services (Except Public Administration) / 32.5 / 4.4
TOTAL / 735.7 / 100.0
The country’s global energy Centre
From its early days, because of its position as the headquarters for Canada’s energy industry, Calgary has benefited from international investment in this sector of its thriving economy. The vast majority of the country’s largest and many of the world’s major energy companies have established a significant presence in Calgary, as well as a great number of investor owned electric power generation companies. These companies produce electric power from sources as diverse as natural gas, hydro, coal, biomass and wind. Calgary-based companies are driving more than $75 billion of the $108 billion of major energy-related projects in the province.
The workforce involved in Calgary’s constantly evolving energy sector has exceptional knowledge and experience in this field of activity. Over 6,400 petroleum engineers work in Calgary and another 77,600 workers are employed in natural and applied sciences-relation careers. Highly skilled workers from Canada and around the world flock to Calgary. In fact, the city’s net interprovincial migration is the highest in the country.
Taxation
Personal tax advantage
Calgarians benefit from a low tax regime. The provincial government is debt-free, there is no municipal or provincial sales tax in Alberta, the gasoline tax rate is the lowest in the country, property taxes are low and the province also has the highest basic and spousal amounts in Canada, which means that Albertans can earn more before starting to pay income taxes.
Alberta also has a low single rate tax on personal income, at 10%. This is the lowest top marginal rate in Canada, rewarding work effort. At some income levels, Albertans pay more in income taxes than they would in some other provinces. But the lack of a sales tax more than makes up for this. Overall, individuals pay less tax in Alberta. Alberta's advantage will be even greater once health care insurance premiums are eliminated on January 1, 2009.
Corporate tax advantage
Alberta has a business-friendly tax structure, with the lowest general corporate tax rate and the second lowest small business tax rate among provinces. Alberta businesses also do not have to pay capital taxes, machinery taxes, inventory taxes, payroll taxes or general sales taxes on their inputs, as they would elsewhere in Canada.
The province also boasts of one of the lowest corporate tax rates among provinces; in order to ensure Alberta’s competitiveness on the global scale, the provincial government lowered the general corporate income tax to 10 per cent (down from 11.5 percent) in 2006. It is easy to understand why Calgary is home to Canada’s largest concentration of head offices in Western Canada - representing finance, oil and gas, manufacturing and transportation industries.
Alberta continues to reduce taxes on small business. The small business income threshold rose to $460,000 on April 1, 2008. The threshold is scheduled to rise further, to $500,000 on April 1, 2009.
A Great place to live, work and play
Calgary is a thriving city, full of vibrant energy that combines all the benefits of a large metropolitan centre with the warmth and comfort of western hospitality. With its young and spirited population, its optimism and spirit, its enthusiastic entrepreneurial culture and the future possibilities it has to offer, Calgary really is the heart of the New West.
Calgary is located in the Parkland region of Alberta and has a metropolitan population of 1, 251,600, making it the fifth largest census metropolitan area in the country. Founded in 1876, Calgary’s growth has been steady; its population has doubled in the past 30 years. The city’s geographical size is 746 square km and the Calgary Regional Partnership is comprised of 19 municipalities. The city is a major urban center for the southern half of the province and lies at the crossroad of two major North American highway systems: the Trans Canada Highway, extending from the Atlantic to the Pacific and the Canamex Corridor which stretches from Northern Canada all the way to Mexico.
Calgary’s population is young, diversified and active; it is the youngest population of any Canadian City, with an average age of 35. In 2007, the city had the lowest unemployment rate in Canada, with 3.2% and the second highest labour force growth, at 4.5%; the labour force participation rate for Calgary in 2007 was 76.1%. Calgary’s labour force has a positive work ethic combined with high-level professional and technical skills, as well as being well-educated: 73% of Calgarians have attended a post-secondary institution.
A spirited city
The Calgary Stampede is without a doubt Calgary’s best-known visitor attraction. The Folk Music Festival, International Blues Festival, the Calgary International Film Festival are only some of the other annual festivals the city has to offer to Calgarians and visitors alike. Roughstock is one of the country’s richest rodeo events. Wordfest is the third largest literary festival of its kind in Canada.
Calgary hosted the 1988 Winter Olympic Games and is proud of its sporting legacy. Canada Olympic Park now operates as a multi-purpose year-round athletic facility used for high performance athletic training as well as for recreational activities. Highlights of the park include a visit to the Ski jump Tower−the highest vantage point in Calgary−and a tour of the Olympic Hall of Fame Museum to explore past games through the Olympic timeline.
Other attractions include The Pengrowth Saddledome, home of the Calgary Flames and venue for many concerts and events during the year. The Calgary Tower, Calaway Park, Calgary Zoo, Heritage Park, the Glenbow Museum and Devonian Gardens, one of the world’s largest indoor parks are all additional points of interest.
Public Transit system
The City of Calgary has developed a very effective and efficient public transit system with three Light Rail Transit Lines (LRT) forming its backbone.
Light Rail Vehicles (the CTRain, as it is known today) run on 44.9 Km of double track, of which 87 percent is surface operation, 5 percent is on grade-separated bridges and 8 percent is underground. The lines cover 37 stations and carry nearly 500,000 passengers daily. Each station is served by various feeder bus routes, also serving adjacent communities and employment areas. Calgary has the highest ridership (total and on a per capita basis) of any North American system. The use of public transit reduces the environmental impact of urban travel. Fewer private automobiles, also means cleaner air and reduced traffic noise for Calgarians.
Economy in full bloom
Calgary is Western Canada’s business centre, as well as Canada’s fastest growing economic region. It is expected that the city will continue to lead the country in economic growth. Although Calgary is a major centre for the global energy industry, its rapidly expanding economy has diversified well beyond its traditional strength. Agriculture, manufacturing, logistics, financial services and technology also contribute to the city’s booming economy and international reputation for innovation. The construction sector is also a major factor in Calgary’s economy and it is in full progress; looking at the panoramic view from the Calgary Tower observation deck, one only has to notice the dozens of cranes in activity, to grasp the full extent of the city’s expansion.
Calgary’s economy is ranked first in Canada, with an estimated Real GDP of 3.4% in 2007 and 3.9% in 2008.
REAL GDP BY INDUSTRY: CALGARY ECONOMIC REGION, 2006
SELECTED INDUSTRIES / 1997 DOLLARS (000,000) / DISTRIBUTION (%)
• Agriculture / 266.0 / 0.5
• Oil & Gas and Mining / 6,443.1 / 12.3
• Manufacturing / 5,061.3 / 9.7
• Construction / 5,459.4 / 10.4
• Utilities / 966.4 / 1.8
• Transportation and Warehousing / 4,054.6 / 7.7
• Trade / 5,571.5 / 10.6
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate and Leasing / 6,326.6 / 12.1
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services / 5,246.5 / 10.0
• Accommodation and Food Services / 1,138.4 / 2.2
• Educational Services / 1,851.2 / 3.5
• Health and Welfare Services / 2,148.9 / 4.1
• Other Services• 3,583.7 / 6.8
• Government Services / 1,432.2 / 2.7 /
Source: Calgary Economic Development
EMPLOYMENT BY INDUSTY: CALGARY ECONOMIC REGION, 2007
INDUSTRIES / PERSONS(000's) / DISTRIBUTION (%)
• Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting / 6.9 / 0.9
• Mining and Oil & Gas Extraction / 59.5 / 8.1
• Utilities / 8.9 / 1.2
• Construction / 67.6 / 9.2
• Manufacturing / 49.9 / 6.8
• Wholesale Trade / 32.6 / 4.4
• Retail Trade / 71.7 / 9.7
• Transportation and Warehousing / 43.9 / 6.0
• Information and Cultural Industries / 17.3 / 2.4
• Finance, Insurance, Real Estate Rental and Leasing / 45.6 / 6.2
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services / 79.9 / 10.9
• Administrative and Support, Waste Management & • Remediation Services / 31.1 / 4.2
• Educational Services / 41.1 / 5.6
• Health Care and Social Assistance / 67.5 / 9.2
• Arts, Entertainment and Recreation / 17.2 / 2.3
• Accommodation and Food Services / 38.5 / 5.2
• Public Administration / 24.0 / 3.3
• Other Services (Except Public Administration) / 32.5 / 4.4
TOTAL / 735.7 / 100.0
The country’s global energy Centre
From its early days, because of its position as the headquarters for Canada’s energy industry, Calgary has benefited from international investment in this sector of its thriving economy. The vast majority of the country’s largest and many of the world’s major energy companies have established a significant presence in Calgary, as well as a great number of investor owned electric power generation companies. These companies produce electric power from sources as diverse as natural gas, hydro, coal, biomass and wind. Calgary-based companies are driving more than $75 billion of the $108 billion of major energy-related projects in the province.
The workforce involved in Calgary’s constantly evolving energy sector has exceptional knowledge and experience in this field of activity. Over 6,400 petroleum engineers work in Calgary and another 77,600 workers are employed in natural and applied sciences-relation careers. Highly skilled workers from Canada and around the world flock to Calgary. In fact, the city’s net interprovincial migration is the highest in the country.
Taxation
Personal tax advantage
Calgarians benefit from a low tax regime. The provincial government is debt-free, there is no municipal or provincial sales tax in Alberta, the gasoline tax rate is the lowest in the country, property taxes are low and the province also has the highest basic and spousal amounts in Canada, which means that Albertans can earn more before starting to pay income taxes.
Alberta also has a low single rate tax on personal income, at 10%. This is the lowest top marginal rate in Canada, rewarding work effort. At some income levels, Albertans pay more in income taxes than they would in some other provinces. But the lack of a sales tax more than makes up for this. Overall, individuals pay less tax in Alberta. Alberta's advantage will be even greater once health care insurance premiums are eliminated on January 1, 2009.
Corporate tax advantage
Alberta has a business-friendly tax structure, with the lowest general corporate tax rate and the second lowest small business tax rate among provinces. Alberta businesses also do not have to pay capital taxes, machinery taxes, inventory taxes, payroll taxes or general sales taxes on their inputs, as they would elsewhere in Canada.
The province also boasts of one of the lowest corporate tax rates among provinces; in order to ensure Alberta’s competitiveness on the global scale, the provincial government lowered the general corporate income tax to 10 per cent (down from 11.5 percent) in 2006. It is easy to understand why Calgary is home to Canada’s largest concentration of head offices in Western Canada - representing finance, oil and gas, manufacturing and transportation industries.
Alberta continues to reduce taxes on small business. The small business income threshold rose to $460,000 on April 1, 2008. The threshold is scheduled to rise further, to $500,000 on April 1, 2009.
A Great place to live, work and play
Calgary is a thriving city, full of vibrant energy that combines all the benefits of a large metropolitan centre with the warmth and comfort of western hospitality. With its young and spirited population, its optimism and spirit, its enthusiastic entrepreneurial culture and the future possibilities it has to offer, Calgary really is the heart of the New West.