Heartland 101

It is that time of year again when facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland take advantage of warmer weather. For many companies, spring signals the start of turnaround season and the continuation of or start of construction projects.

Most facilities operating in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland need an approval to construct, operate and ultimately reclaim their site. This is required from the province of Alberta as one way to manage the environment. Once an approval is granted, a renewal is necessary every ten years.

All communities have a plan in place to respond to emergencies, whether it’s a transportation incident, fire, flood, weather event or loss of utilities. When an industry cluster is part of the community, it is critical that municipal and industry emergency response departments communicate, coordinate and collaborate on an ongoing basis to know one another and work together to keep our community safe.

The quality of the water we use is vitally important to all community members living in the Heartland region. Additionally, the availability and consumption of water—both by residents and industry—is equally concerning for all who live and work in the Capital Region and Industrial Heartland.

Every year, Clean Air Day is celebrated the first Wednesday of June as part of Environment Week in Alberta. The day is a reminder of the importance of clean air and that everyone has a role to play in keeping local air quality as healthy as possible.

Authorities call for evacuations only when there is a risk to resident safety. Evacuations can be complex endeavours and there are steps you can take to be prepared should it happen to you.

It is that time of year again when facilities in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland take advantage of spring weather. For many companies, spring signals the start of turnaround season and the continuation of construction projects.

Alberta’s Industrial Heartland region has seen some very cold weather in recent weeks, keeping even those who love wintertime bundled up and indoors. A drop into the deep freeze often restricts our activities, and it can also affect the quality of the outdoor air.

Fort Air Partnership’s recent addition of a permanent continuous air monitoring station in the Town of Redwater in October and a portable continuous air monitoring station slated to be operational by 2018 is enhancing regional air monitoring in and around Alberta’s Industrial Heartland.

From concept to completion, it might take 20 to 35 years or more for a major piece of transportation infrastructure. This timeline can vary depending on the size of the project. For a project with major bridges, interchanges, and flyovers, it takes decades of planning.