The Pulse
Oct. 18, 2024

Strathcona County said Louisiana-based Bartlett Group has chosen the county for its Canadian headquarters thanks to an economic snowball effect that Dow's Path2Zero project is creating.

"(Bartlett is) heavily rooted in a lot of the advanced manufacturing and energy projects that are happening in this area, which I think made this area very attractive for them, with all the announcements that have happened in that petrochemical and hydrocarbon space," Sean McRitchie, director of economic development and tourism for Strathcona County, told Taproot.

Dow's presence in the region and specifically its Path2Zero project has created a sort of feedback loop of economic development, McRitchie said. Linde will supply the project with hydrogen through a new $2-billion plant, Cando Rail & Terminals is doubling the size of its Sturgeon Terminal and will have Dow as an anchor tenant, and ATCO is building a $2-billion, 200-kilometre natural gas pipeline along the Yellowhead Highway to support the project. Bartlett will serve all those new projects along with other unrelated industrial companies in the region. The company specializes in maintenance and turnarounds, and develops custom industrial scaffolding.

"These are the types of projects that companies like Bartlett and their subsidiaries get involved in, and the fact that that investment's all happening here made this a perfect environment for that business," McRitchie said.

The new Bartlett facility will create 25 temporary construction jobs and 100 permanent jobs, the county said in a release. The facility is expected to be completed in late 2024.

Bruce Bartlett, CEO of Bartlett Group, said he prioritizes creating long-term jobs. "We employ thousands of employees in our U.S. operations, with a few hundred dedicated to our fabrication services. Our goal is to have the same level of success in Canada, especially in the creation of new jobs in manufacturing and fabrication," Bartlett said.

This potential for growth is exciting for the county, McRitchie said. "Given the reason that they chose to make this investment here with the projects and the customers that are in this area, as we see further investment in the broader energy space in the Edmonton region, specifically in Strathcona County, I think you're going to see lots of opportunity for this company to really get involved and grow," McRitchie said.

Strathcona County is attractive for investment because of its proximity to Edmonton, McRitchie said, and because it has created competitive regulations and taxes. "We've done a lot of work to ensure that we are competing, not just from a low tax environment, but making sure we have utility infrastructure that can support these types of investments," he said.

This isn't the first time a company has chosen the region for a Canadian headquarters, or for a place to set up a strong presence. In the 1980s, U.K.-based Shell established the Scotford Complex in Strathcona County. Calgary-based Suncor and Imperial Oil both operate refineries in Strathcona County, which combined process 346,000 barrels of crude per day. Outside of petrochemicals, last year Ciba Health chose Edmonton as its Canadian headquarters, citing the city's strong health-innovation ecosystem. Norwegian company Green Transition Holdings established Varme Energy in the Edmonton region in 2022 and will build a waste-to-energy project in Strathcona County.

Photo: Bartlett Group has chosen Strathcona County as its Canadian headquarters. (Strathcona County)

Correction: This story has been corrected to indicate the location of the Shell Scotford plant.

• With temperatures expected to drop over the coming days, the City of Edmonton has launched its snow and ice control program, with several updates for the 2024-2025 season. The changes include adjustments to the priority system for snow-clearing and the addition of active pathways to the City's live map of snow-clearing vehicles. Postmedia published an explainer on Edmonton's snow clearing plan this year.
• CUPE Local 3550, which represents approximately 3,150 Edmonton Public Schools education support staff, voted 97% in favour of strike action, with a voter turnout of 92%. Once the Alberta Labour Relations Board approves the vote results, the union can provide the school board with 72-hour strike notice. The union says its members make "poverty wages" that haven't kept up with the cost of living. CUPE Local 474, which represents 950 custodial staff at Edmonton Public Schools, was scheduled to hold its strike vote on Oct. 17 and Oct. 20.
• To get in the Halloween spirit, Postmedia highlighted some Edmonton buildings believed to be haunted, including the Firkins House in Fort Edmonton Park, the Princess Theatre and the Strathcona Hotel in Old Strathcona, and several buildings on the University of Alberta main campus.
• Edmonton is the only Alberta city to make Airbnb's list of top 10 most popular Canadian winter travel destinations in 2024. "Coupled with its vibrant downtown, diverse dining options, and easy access to the nearby river valley for winter sports, Edmonton is becoming a go-to spot for both locals and visitors looking for a lively winter escape," said Airbnb.
• Alberta had a net increase of 518 registered doctors over the last year, according to data from the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Alberta. Health Minister Adriana LaGrange said the numbers show "promising progress," but the Alberta Medical Association said the numbers lack context because it's unclear how many of the doctors are full-time and working in Alberta, rather than just maintaining their licence in the province. Meanwhile, the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees says frontline workers are concerned about how their jobs will be affected by Primary Care Alberta, one of the province's four new healthcare agencies, which is set to officially launch Nov. 1.
• Premier Danielle Smith said she plans to replace the province's online continuing care directory with a new online platform, which she compared to Uber, an analogy she later said shouldn't be taken too far. "What we're talking about is creating a portal so that those (providers) who have spaces available can easily post them, and those who need a space can easily find them," Smith said.

Here are some events happening this weekend in the Edmonton area.

• Oct. 18: Navigating Non-Dilutive for Startups starting at 10am at Edmonton Unlimited
• Oct. 18: Reading and Conversation with Marjorie Beaucage starting at 12pm at University of Alberta — Rutherford Library South
• Oct. 18: Potent Potables Party starting at 6pm at Enterprise Square
• Oct. 18: Orlando starting at 7:30pm at Timms Centre for the Arts
• Oct. 18: Edmonton Design Week Closing Party starting at 7:30pm at Ortona Armoury Arts Building
• Oct. 19: Shakers and Makers Quality Craft Market starting at 9:30am at the Southminster-Steinhauer United Church
• Oct. 19: Reuse Centre Swap Events: Halloween Costumes starting at 10am at City of Edmonton Reuse Centre
• Oct. 19: LitFest Masterclass — Sparking a Personal Essay starting at 10am at Edmonton Public Library (Stanley A. Milner)
• Oct. 19: Matt Hoven Book Signing starting at 12pm at Audreys Books
• Oct. 19: Human Library starting at 1pm at Citadel Theatre
• Oct. 19: The Woman in Black starting at 7:30pm at Varscona Theatre
• Oct. 20: Fall Colours Bike Tour starting at 10:30am at Terwillegar Park
• Oct. 20: Edmonton Underground Film Festival starting at 1pm at The Aviary

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• Oct. 25: Charcuterie & Craft Beer Pairing at Meuwly's
• Nov. 2: Opening Reception at Bleeding Heart Art Space
• Nov. 6: Finding Common Ground in Polarized Times at TELUS International Centre

Visit the beta version of the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.