Alberta tourism industry receiving new federal investments through PrairiesCan

The Government of Canada is investing $17,828,956 in 50 projects to grow Alberta’s tourism economy and attract more visitors to the province, bringing economic benefits for businesses and communities. 

Investments are being made through the Tourism Relief Fund (TRF), administered by PrairiesCan in the Prairie Provinces. The TRF is a $500 million program to support the tourism sector in Canada by:

• empowering tourism businesses to create new or enhance existing tourism experiences and products to attract more local and domestic visitors; and
• helping the tourism sector reposition itself to welcome international visitors by providing the best Canadian tourism experiences we have to offer the world.

Projects announced today

• The Aero-Space Museum Association of Calgary ($316,706)
  Update existing infrastructure to improve accessibility and increase exhibit space at the Hanger Flight Museum and Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. (Calgary)

• Alberta Beer Festivals ($33,767)
  Enabled the hosting of a safe outdoor week-long festival celebrating food and beer in the heart of downtown Banff (Dec. 2021). (Banff)

• Alberta Small Brewers Association ($525,000)
  Collaborate with Alberta-based breweries and tourism stakeholders to build and promote an Alberta Ale Trail self-guided tour network that increases awareness of local Alberta breweries. (Calgary)

• Alexander First Nation ($387,500)
  Develop a tourism resort plan that grows the Alexander First Nation's reputation as a tourism destination and provides business opportunities for band members. (Rivière Qui Barre)

• Anderseed Farms ($99,975)
  Launch new activities, including gardening experiences and Indigenous programming, to attract visitors to Prairie Gardens and Adventure Farm in the shoulder and winter seasons. (Bon Accord)

• Banff & Lake Louise Tourism ($600,000)
  Develop a tourism destination plan and create a digital trip-planning tool that makes it easier for visitors to find events, attractions, and businesses in the Banff and Lake Louise regions. (Banff)

• Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park ($434,595)
  Create a new Elder gathering space and improve pathways to increase the accessibility of experiences at Blackfoot Crossing Historical Park. (Siksika)

• Bridgeland Distillery ($77,740)
  Improve the visitor experience and learning opportunities at Bridgeland Distillery by enhancing displays, signage, tasting rooms, tours and digital experiences that show the distilling process. (Calgary)

• Calaway Park ($500,000)
  Modernize park infrastructure with a revamped entrance, new signage, enhanced services, and updated web and app features to improve the guest experience at Calaway Park. (Calgary)

• Centre Communautaire d'Edmonton ($380,250)
  Develop and implement a francophone tourism strategy and deliver Francophone programming at events in the Edmonton region. (Edmonton)

• Chinatown and Area Business Association ($45,000)
  Install authentic Chinese lanterns in public spaces throughout Edmonton's Chinatown and promote cultural events taking place in the district. (Edmonton)

• Do North Events ($382,545)
  Host the inaugural Professional Triathletes Organization (PTO) Tour event and inaugural PTO Canadian Open in Edmonton (July 2022). (Edmonton)

• Edmonton Heritage Festival Association ($83,585)
  Deliver World Music Week 2022, an in-person four-day outdoor music event in Edmonton. (Edmonton)

• Edmonton Space and Science Foundation ($2,000,000)
  Modernize infrastructure at TELUS World of Science – Edmonton by adding new exhibitions dedicated to human health and the Arctic, enhancing Indigenous programming spaces, incorporating new projection equipment into the Queen Elizabeth II Planetarium, updating the gift shop, upgrading lighting, and implementing a new ticketing system. (Edmonton)

• Elk Island Retreat ($99,999)
  Expand on-site accommodations with new glamping domes and add a new fully serviced venue space to better facilitate nature based programming and events. (Fort Saskatchewan)

• Explore Edmonton Corporation ($891,320)
  Deliver a tourism recovery program that includes a winter concert series and provides Edmonton area business with access to training and tools that help them enhance and promote their unique visitor experiences. (Edmonton)

• Fallentimber Meadery ($99,999)
  Construct a new tasting room, patio and walking trails to increase capacity and extend the operating season for facility tours and product tastings. (Water Valley)

• Food Bike Tour ($99,999)
  Expand and market electric bicycle and walking food tours in Banff, Calgary, Canmore and Edmonton. (Edmonton)

• Forage & Farm / Stone Wood and Steel ($99,999)
  Enhance blacksmithing and reception facilities and launch an upgraded online sales platform to improve the visitor experience. (Millarville)

• Girth Hitch Guiding ($42,563)
  Develop and deliver new summer and winter outdoor climbing experiences that provide a unique visitor experience in the Nordegg area. (Nordegg)

• Glamping Resorts ($99,999)
  Establish new glamping dome accommodations in Castle Provincial Park. (Pincher Creek)

• Go East Regional Tourism Organization ($52,688)
  Launch the 2023 Roadtrip Adventure Game and deliver tourism training sessions to increase awareness of and visitation to attractions, experiences, and events in east central Alberta. (Vegreville)

• Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance Society ($140,000)
  Develop a tourism destination plan, deliver training to tourism operators, and update web content to increase awareness of and visitation to north-central Alberta. (Mayerthorpe)

• Hinton & District Chamber of Commerce ($65,000)
  Create a tourism destination plan that provides a strategic vision for sustainable growth in tourism in the Hinton area. (Hinton)

• Mahikan Trails ($99,895)
  Renovate a medicine workshop space and install new cabins to facilitate multi-day workshops and immersive Indigenous experiences year-round. (Sundre)

• Métis Crossing ($1,450,000)
  Add 10 year-round Sky Watching Domes that allow visitors to comfortably sleep under the stars and compliment Indigenous-themed night sky experiences available at Métis Crossing. (Smoky Lake)

• Moose Mountain Ventures ($33,875)
  Create new winter tourism experiences, including horse drawn sleigh rides and ice skating opportunities, to increase winter visitation in the Bragg Creek area. (Bragg Creek)

• National Music Centre ($1,000,000)
  Host musical productions, conferences, and interactive exhibitions that draw visitors to the National Music Centre at Studio Bell in Calgary's downtown core. (Calgary)

• The Old School Cheesery ($99,999)
  Enhance interpretive materials, display equipment and facilities to showcase artisanal cheese making and improve the visitor experience. (Vermillion)

• Pine Creek Retreat ($97,920)
  Complete the development of Pine Creek Retreat including glamping shelters and website development to offer unique visitor experiences along the North Saskatchewan River near Victoria Settlement. (Smoky Lake)

• Pine Bungalows ($1,000,000)
  Construct two new heated family/group sized cabins that extend the operating season at Pine Bungalows in Jasper National Park. (Jasper)

• Powwow Times ($122,796)
  Deliver two Indigenous tourism experiences in Red Deer County: the 2021 Red Deer International Powwow and the 2022 Sylvan Lake National Indigenous Day. (Red Deer)

• Rabbit Hill Recreations Inc. ($99,999)
  Launch a unique summer tubing experience that enables Rabbit Hill Snow Resort to generate revenue and attract visitors in the summer season. (Edmonton)

• Refuge Bay ($99,999)
  Scale-up operations at Refuge Bay glamping resort with the addition of an all-season luxury modular tiny home, shower facilities and washrooms. (Cherhill)

• Rig Hand Distillery ($99,999)
  Update the tasting room, add interpretive Indigenous experiences, improve signage, complete a glass recycling system, and upgrade the website to support reservations and virtual tours. (Edmonton)

• Rocky Mountain Motorsports ($500,000)
  Develop a new motorsport park featuring a 3.5 km asphalt racetrack in Carstairs, Alberta (opened fall 2022). (Carstairs)

• Skyridge Glamping Ltd. ($500,000)
  Launch a brand new year-round dome glamping experience in Kananaskis. (Canmore)

• Spirit Hills ($99,999)
  Increase visitor capacity and experiences by expanding the tasting room, patio, and other facilities as well as adding an immersive digital wall that shows Spirit Hills' winemaking process. (Millarville)

• Thanksgiving Ranch ($99,670)
  Upgrade the kitchen, pool and barn areas and add outdoor entertainment spaces to enhance the visitor experience and better support events at Thanksgiving Ranch. (Pincher Creek)

• Tourism Canmore Kananaskis ($313,368)
  Collaborate with businesses in Canmore and Kananaskis to create a sustainable tourism strategy and online staff training program that increase awareness of and visitation to area experiences, especially in the shoulder and winter seasons. (Canmore)

• Tourism Jasper ($200,000)
  Establish a new stand-alone Jasper Tourism Visitor Information and Experience Centre in downtown Jasper. (Jasper)

• Town of Sylvan Lake ($297,000)
  Develop a 10-year Destination Management Plan to sustainably manage and grow year-round tourism in Sylvan Lake. (Sylvan Lake)

• Travel Alberta ($3,250,000)
  Create regional destination development plans that identify practical strategies and initiatives to increase awareness of and visitation to diverse tourism destinations across Alberta. (Edmonton)

• Travel Lakeland ($265,000)
  Work with regional tourism stakeholders to develop, grow and promote tourism experiences across Alberta's Lakeland region. (St. Paul)

• Travel Purposefully Inc. ($99,999)
  Establish new multi-season glamping domes at Onespot Crossing Campground to expand the availability of diverse accommodations in the Bragg Creek area. (Bragg Creek)

• Trixstar Productions ($99,999)
  Launch Trixstar’s  Skip the Line-up technology to support safe ordering and delivery of food and beverages to attendees at COVID-19 adapted outdoor events. (Edmonton)

• United Riders of Crowsnest Club ($78,333)
  Develop two bike trails and improve trail signage to help establish Crowsnest Pass as a premiere destination for mountain biking. (Blairmore)

• Urban River Adventures ($99,999)
  Offer new guided tours and upgrade facilities and infrastructure at an existing campground to attract visitors in the shoulder and winter seasons. (Parkland County)

• Waterton Chamber of Commerce ($99,530)
  Create an e-commerce strategy and digital toolkit to help businesses in Waterton National Park attract visitors year-round. (Waterton)

• Wild Woods Conservation and Education Centre ($63,348)
  Develop an all-season, off-grid, resort and campground that offers authentic Indigenous experiences in Yellowhead County. (Wildwood)

Related products

• News Release: Minister Boissonnault announces federal investments in Alberta’s tourism economy

Associated links

• Prairies Economic Development Canada
• Tourism Relief Fund in the Prairie provinces