Regional Investment Opportunities
COMMUNITY PROFILE – Rocky Mountain House
OVERVIEW
There is an opportunity for tourism related investments in the West Country near Rocky Mountain House. The West Country has a unique positioning as being more rustic and natural, and therefore less developed. This area, known as the David Thompson Tourism Corridor, has mountain ranges, emerald lakes, and wilderness that rival Alberta’s other mountain resort areas.
The David Thompson Highway is Central Alberta’s gateway to the Rocky Mountains. As a less traveled route into the Banff and Jasper National Parks, unique opportunities are available for backcountry camping, hiking, wildlife viewing, and other adventures in the unspoiled wilderness.
There are numerous provincial parks and recreation areas and reserves in the region including Cow Lake, Crimson Lake, Ram Falls, Crescent Falls, Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve, Abraham Lake, Jackfish Lake, and Goldeye Lake. The North Saskatchewan River Park, at Rocky Mountain House, is a potential tourism asset.
HOSPITALITY
Along the David Thompson Highway, there are nearly 30 hotel/motel/resort facilities in addition to about 50 campgrounds with 1,500 individual campsites.
Campers alone account for over 140,000 visitors annually to the Rocky Mountain House area. Tourism reaches its peak in the summer. Several campgrounds operate at over 80% occupancy during the summer months. Occupancy remains steady in the fall, compared to other areas of the province, due to hunting activity that occurs in the region.
EXISTING ATTRACTIONS
Natural scenery and attractions within the area include majestic mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, picturesque valleys, forests, and an abundance of wildlife. Some examples of wildlife includes: bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, moose, elk, and sport fish. The West Country is popular for hunting, camping, fishing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling, cross-country skiing, and all-terrain vehicle (ATV) activity.
Rocky Mountain House is rich in history and the Town and neighbouring community of Nordegg are home to two National Historic sites:
- Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
- Nordegg Brazeau Colleries Industrial Minesite Museum
The Rocky Mountain House Airshow attracted 9,000 spectators in 2008. It featured Canada’s famous air demonstration team, The Snowbirds.
TOURISM STATISTICS
Over the course of 2007, visitors spent 4.37 million person-nights in the Alberta Central TDR. Fifty-eight percent of these person-nights (2.55 million) were spent in the homes of friends and relatives. Twenty-three percent (1.03 million) were spent in campgrounds/trailer parks. The remaining nineteen percent (over 800,000) was spent at hotels and motels.
COMMUNITY WEBSITE
To learn more about Rocky Mountain House, please visit
www.rockymtnhouse.com
TOURISM INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITY – SERVICED RV CAMPGROUND
OVERVIEW
With high visitation rates, a strong and growing cluster of tourism amenities and capacity for further development, the Corridor is emerging as Alberta’s next tourism destination of choice. Opportunities for a serviced RV Campground, RV Resort and other accommodation facilities such as lodges currently exist in the area.
INVESTMENT, REVENUE AND MARKET ANALYSIS
Crown land nodes have been established in the West Country to facilitate commercial tourism development. Developers will need to apply for a lease from Alberta Sustainable Resource Development (ASRD) under the Alberta Tourism Recreational Leasing (ATRL) Program. Municipal development permits will also need to be applied for, however with the area structure plan in place this may help expedite the process.
SITE
Over 2,000 acres of land is available for development in the David Thompson Corridor. The developable land is available in the region’s four nodes, which have been designated for tourism and recreation development. They include Whitegoat Lakes, Bighorn Canyon, Shunda/Goldeye, and Sauders/Alexo. The opportunity to lease public land for tourism development exists at all four nodes.
CONTACT INFORMATION
For more information regarding this opportunity, please contact Scott Martin.
Phone: (780) 415-8827 or Email: scott.martin@gov.ab.ca
*In 2009, the Tourism Division from Alberta Tourism, Parks and Recreation commissioned a study to assess the provincial RV campground sector. The study included a review of print and web literature, expert interviews and a public telephone survey of those who camp with RVs who reside in British Columbia, Alberta and Saskatchewan. Using these primary and secondary sources, the study provides an assessment of both the supply and demand side of the RV campground sector in Alberta. This report is available to interested developers and investors.
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