Airports and munis agree to collaborate on defence

Leduc County, Sturgeon County, Cold Lake, and the Edmonton International Airport have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on aerospace and defence development. The agreement — announced during the Summit for Technology, Aerospace & Research in Cold Lake on July 16 — focuses on training, investment, and business development around regional airports, including the Villeneuve Airport, a Sturgeon County facility operated by the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority.

The partners will also jointly advocate to the province to recognize Highway 28, which connects Edmonton and Cold Lake, as a vital economic corridor. The Alberta government published an economic corridors fact sheet in 2024 that details five highway renewal projects set to conclude in 2027. Scott Cyr, the MLA representing Cold Lake and the parliamentary secretary for transportation and strategic development, recently reiterated that Highway 28 is a priority. Improved connectivity may help the region leverage talent trained at Portage College's Cold Lake Aerospace Campus and become more integrated with the 4 Wing Cold Lake Canadian Forces base, for which the federal government is funding a $1-billion expansion. "With a once-in-a-lifetime defence modernization on the horizon, Cold Lake is poised to see significant activity and values partners who understand the full potential of a connected airport ecosystem," Cold Lake Mayor Bob Mattice said in a release about the regional MOU.

Economic development leaders are now gathered in Edmonton for the Pacific Northwest Economic Region Summit, with officials from the Edmonton airport and other organizations talking about defence and sustainability, among other topics. Attendees will visit the airport's sustainability campus on July 22 to see its dual-use and defence infrastructure, its hydrogen production and refuelling system, commercial drone delivery operations, and more. The airport's sustainability efforts are set to accelerate through a five-year collaboration with the Pittsburgh International Airport.