Contents
Connecting us to Everywhere
The Prairie Economic Gateway (Gateway) initiative is a first-of-its-kind collaboration between The City of Calgary and Rocky View County to enable rail-served industrial development and economic diversification in the Calgary region. This historic partnership is projected to generate over $7 billion in economic activity and create more than 30,000 jobs across the Calgary region over the next 10 to 12 years.
The Gateway project will leverage the region’s strategic location and existing Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) rail network to enable greater interprovincial trade and global market access while unlocking new manufacturing, logistics, processing and distribution opportunities. By improving supply chain efficiency and reinforcing an inland port position, Prairie Economic Gateway will enhance trade resilience in the greater Calgary region and help mitigate economic disruptions.
Prairie Economic Gateway - Shepard Logistics Centre
Review a video featuring a full-scale rendering of the southern portion of the proposed Gateway lands.
Video Credit: Shepard Development Corporation
At the Crossroads of Opportunity
The Gateway initiative is located within Rocky View Countys’ Prairie Gateway Area Structure Plan (ASP), a statutory document approved by Council and adopted by bylaw in accordance with the Municipal Government Act (MGA).
Originally intended for annexation, the City of Calgary and Rocky View County instead agreed on a partnership for the ASP lands. The focus shifted to regional collaboration and economic development along our shared border for years to come.
The ASP outlines the vision for the future development of the Plan area with regard to land use, transportation, conservation of the natural environment, emergency services, design, and utility service requirements
The Plan area provides a unique opportunity for development with direct rail access. The physical layout of roads and buildings is optimized for this purpose and forms the foundation of the Plan.
Ideally located within the ASP area, the Prairie Economic Gateway generates several benefits for businesses and consumers alike:
- Located at the intersection of Alberta’s most populous urban municipality (Calgary) and Alberta’s most populous rural municipality (Rocky View County).
- 50 million people accessible via ground transportation (rail and truck) in all directions within 24 hours.
- Direct access to CPKC’s Class 1 railroad, comprised of over 32,000 kilometres of rail connecting Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
- Access to the nearby Calgary International Airport, connecting the region to any global location within 48 hours.
What Prairie Economic Gateway Offers
Access to Rail & Key Markets
Prairie Economic Gateway will serve as an industrial, manufacturing, and logistics hub in the Calgary region. Key benefits include:
- Industrial lands located within Rocky View County, directly bordering the City of Calgary.
- “Gold Tier” designated land by CPKC.
- Greater interprovincial trade access through east-to-west connections, with direct links to global markets via the Canada-U.S.-Mexico (CANAMEX) corridor.
- Proximity to two Class 1 rail lines, including a CPKC intermodal yard in Calgary and a Canadian National (CN) intermodal yard in the County.
- Road access via the Trans-Canada, Alberta Highway 2 and Stoney Trail. Improvements will allow these transportation corridors to be used to their full potential.
- Access to air transportation via the Calgary International Airport, one of Canada’s leading freight-handling distribution centres.
Public & Private Sector Investment
To meet the needs of a modern, industrial and diversified Alberta economy, Prairie Economic Gateway will enhance and attract further private and public investment in the region. This includes:
- Partnering with the private sector to construct a 2,190-acre industrial park, which will service the transfer of goods from rail to truck in the core of the Gateway.
- Encouraging private sector investment across diverse industries seeking stronger market access, including manufacturing, agriculture, energy, and logistics, among others.
- Enhancing the trade of Alberta-made goods via optimized rail transportation in areas of agriculture, forestry, chemicals, plastics, temperature-controlled goods, and metals and mining.
- Reducing trade vulnerabilities through improved supply chain efficiencies to enhance the region’s resilience to trade disruptions affecting goods movement in North America.
- Driving infrastructure development and skilled labour growth in the region through the creation of public and private sector jobs.
Economic Benefits
The Calgary region serves as an economic engine of the nation. Prairie Economic Gateway will enhance this strength and lean on the partnership between The City and County to make life better for all who call the Calgary region home. Key benefits of this initiative will include:
- Over $7 billion generated in incremental economic activity via public and private sector investment.
- More than 30,000 jobs created across the development phase alone in areas such as construction, utilities, infrastructure development, vertical buildout, power facilitation and more.
Why Prairie Economic Gateway Now?
The Calgary region is growing rapidly. More than 110,000 new jobs are needed in the next five years to address our growing population, along with an influx of goods needed to support the nearly 2 million people expected to call the region home by 2030. Prairie Economic Gateway is set to address the needs of modern industrial activity in the region via a shared commitment to regional collaboration between the City of Calgary and Rocky View County. Key outcomes include:
Getting goods into the Calgary region
Recent labour action at Canadian ports has exposed a weakness in our supply chains. The Gateway’s added scope for logistics ensures reliable and affordable goods and services for residents and businesses.
Creating more local and regional jobs
An inland port built around increased rail capacity will provide skilled jobs to address our growing workforce needs. Jobs related to rail development are high-paying and, on average, attract eight additional jobs for every one rail position.
Increasing private sector investment
The City and County are working to align regulations within and across jurisdictions. This will simplify processes for local businesses and attract new investment from across Canada and the world.
Enhancing environment-friendly development
Gateway is a chance to extend sustainable development practices to industrial land use. It can grow the economy in industries including manufacturing, technology and transportation and shift goods from truck to rail, resulting in a 75 per cent reduction in greenhouse gas emissions.
Opening connections to new markets
Gateway will provide producers with upgraded access to markets. These markets include new trading opportunities across Canada through the east-west link, and international markets beyond the coasts, the continental United States and Mexico, along with global markets accessible via air.
Timeline
The following timeline provides a high-level overview of the work by the Gateway team to date, as well as what is to come following the signing of the Prairie Economic Gateway Deal Agreement between Rocky View County and The City of Calgary.
2023
Work begins outlining a manufacturing and logistics hub within the Calgary region, a project now known as the Prairie Economic Gateway.
February 2025
Rocky View County Council unanimously votes ‘yes’ on the Prairie Economic Gateway Agreement on February 18. Calgary City council votes ‘yes’ on February 25.
March 2025
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to explore an investment partnership.
Q2 – Q4 2025
Work continues with the project’s Governance Oversight Committee. The City and County continue to seek external funding support and regulatory approvals from other orders of government.
2026 – 2027
Work will focus on detailed engineering studies and design for the Gateway’s public infrastructure needs, as well as focus on land acquisition.
2027 – 2029
Work will shift to infrastructure delivery and site development.
2030 & Beyond
Work will continue around infrastructure delivery and shift to revenue generation as the Gateway opens for business.
Working With Government
Following the signing of the Prairie Economic Gateway Agreement, work is underway to secure funding from other orders of government, as well as to find partnership opportunities to promote provincial and national priorities.
In March 2025, The City of Calgary and Rocky View County signed an early-stage Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Canada Infrastructure Bank to explore an investment partnership.
Opportunities for Provincial Partnership
- Expediting Designated Industrial Zone (DIZ) status establishment.
- Streamlining regulatory processes for water and transportation infrastructure.
- Unlocking private investment with existing provincial funding such as the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program, the Local Growth and Sustainability Grant, and the Municipal Water/Wastewater Partnership.
- Promoting the Gateway nationally and internationally while promoting collaboration on corridor agreements.
Opportunities for Federal Partnership
- Investing in infrastructure to grow our communities through federal resources such as the Canada Community Building Fund, Trade Corridors Fund, and the Public Transit Fund.
- Boosting growth through national regulatory alignment.
- Combating administrative changes to help mitigate trade disruptions and tariff vulnerabilities.
- Streamlining regulatory processes for Gateway-related infrastructure.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Prairie Economic Gateway is a proposed rail-served industrial development along the border between The City of Calgary and Rocky View County that will unlock new opportunities in manufacturing, logistics, processing, and distribution.
Strategically located within Rocky View County, the Prairie Economic Gateway Area Structure Plan (ASP) lands are located north of CPKC’s main line, south of Glenmore Trail, east of Stoney Trail and adjacent to Calgary’s southeastern limits.
The Prairie Economic Gateway addresses the need for skilled jobs and higher economic activity in the Calgary. In addition, this initiative is set to be a cornerstone of economic growth in the region, with an expected $7 billion in economic activity generated in the next 10 to 12 years alone.
BuilThe recent Canadian Pacific Rail and Kansas City Southern Rail merger to become the Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC) railroad unlocked a new opportunity to facilitate goods movement between Canada, the US and Mexico.
Extensive modelling has been undertaken to address factors around economic output and job creation, amongst the other benefits listed here on this page. These estimations are based on Statistics Canada’s Input-Output Model by applying economic multipliers for Alberta and cross-referencing national impact assessments including direct impacts, indirect impacts, and induced impacts for the Prairie Economic Gateway initiative.
No. The 30,000 jobs referenced above are specific to the development phase only. The jobs created during operation will depend on the specific business and industrial portfolio that makes up the Prairie Economic Gateway once constructed and operational.