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NewsThe Heart of the Peace” region is at the very center of the Peace Country, approximately halfway between the City of Grande Prairie and Town of Peace River. Fairview area is a key commercial and services center for Agriculture, Oil & Gas sector and Commercial retailers, with a total estimated trade population of 11,000. In addition, Fairview is home to a campus of the Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) offering animal sciences, trades and the only authorized Harley-Davidson Motorcycle Mechanic program in Canada. Additionaly offered is the ThinkBIG Service Technician Diploma. The ThinkBIG Service Technician program is a unique partnership between GPRC, Caterpillar Inc., and Finning Canada, Caterpillar’s largest dealership worldwide. GPRC is the only post-secondary institution in Canada to offer this globally recognized training program, which is custom-formulated to meet Alberta Apprenticeship examination requirements.
The Heart of the Peace is a perfect location for professionals and families looking for safe, uncongested and affordable living with all the amenities, yet still enjoying the beauty and the tranquillity of the country lifestyle. The Town offers affordable subdivisions and the Municipal District has plenty of farmland and acreages in a rural environment as well as urban community living in the hamlets of Whitelaw and Bluesky. Local amenities include schools, subsidized daycare, hospital, seniors lodge, churches, Fairplex Arena, indoor aquatic center, fitness centers including racquetball and squash courts, curling rink, golf course, baseball diamonds, soccer pitches, equestrian centre (closed ATM), ultra-light flight school at the Airport, downhill and cross country ski facilities, and walking trails and other recreational areas on the Peace River including, The Maples Day-use Picnic Area, Pratt’s Landing Recreational Area and Provincial Historical Dunvegan.
The hamlet of Bluesky offers an outdoor skating rink, ball diamonds and outdoor stage facility. Whitelaw offers an outdoor skating rink as well as a curling rink.
There are many opportunities for industrial and commercial development; high water capacity and raw land is available and could be easily rezoned to meet your needs. There are three industrial parks within the town limits as well as sand and gravel operations in the Municipal District. The Municipal District offers cable and wireless internet solutions. Untapped opportunities for expansion can be found within value-added agriculture, transportation, manufacturing, clean energy, technology, and tourism sectors. A retail gap analysis concluded that the area has a demand for an additional 27,000 sq feet of floor space for new businesses, and there are affordable storefront locations to meet that demand. Some premium highway lots are also currently available. The specific areas of interest are within franchises and specialty stores, groceries, food and beverage, furniture and appliance, clothing and Auto / RV.
Heart of the Peace Economic Development (HOPED) and Fairview and District Chamber of Commerce are dedicated to providing a pro-business environment, business start-up events and other resources to make your venture a reality.
Fairview is truly the Heart of the Peace Country; long summer days, open spaces, beautiful northern lights and tons of potential. Located in northern Alberta at the junction of Highways 2, 64A and 732, the region covers a land area of 1398.94 km2 (540.134 sq mi). Within this area, there is the Town of Fairview and two hamlets, Whitelaw and Bluesky, both located in the boundaries of the M.D. of Fairview No. 136. The M.D. of Fairview No. 136 is approximately 100 km north of the City of Grande Prairie on the north bank of the mighty Peace River. The Town of Fairview is located approximately 115 km from the City of Grande Prairie, 80 km southwest from the Town of Peace River, 151 km from Dawson Creek, BC and 191km from Fort St. John, BC. Fairview’s Daily Annual Traffic Counts amount to roughly 5,000 vehicles per day.
The Heart of the Peace is an ideal location, providing easy access to three major airports offering commercial flights; Grande Prairie, Peace River, Fort St. John and Dawson Creek. The M.D. of Fairview operates the Fairview Municipal Airport, which is set up to utilize a cargo service. The Fairview Municipal Airport is approximately two miles west of the Town of Fairview. The elevation is 2166 ft., runway dimensions are 3492′ x 75’ (1065m x 22.86m) with an automated lighted runway, GPS landing and weather station to enhance the airport service. The new 2000 sq. ft. terminal was built in 2015 and offers accessible washrooms, pilots lounge area, public waiting area and a meeting room to rent for up to 15 people. There is a fuel cardlock system available at the airport for sale of AV gas fuel and jet fuel. The Fairview Municipal Airport allows under-wing camping and has 10 hangar lots available for lease. Approximately 280 acres of land surrounding the airport is vacant and leased for farming, however, portions of the land that is owned by the M.D. may be suitable for an airport-related development.
Access to rail is within close proximity, as near as 48 km, available at the Village of Rycroft, the Town of Grimshaw and the Town of Peace River.
Fairview is also near the Peace River Oil Sands and at the very center of the Montney Formation. The Montney Formation’s potential for Canada’s natural gas market is strong. The output from the Montney has doubled since 2012 and now comprises a third of Western Canada’s natural gas production. By 2040, the NEB projects it will make up more than half of the country’s production.
The Fairview area is the “Heart of the Peace” region; with plenty of opportunities it is at the very center of a vast region and a truly strategic location being the service center for agriculture, oil & gas sector and commercial retailers.
The Total Trade Area (PTA + STA) population is estimated for 2017 to be approximately 11,000. This population is forecast to generally remain in and around that level over the foreseeable future. Within the Total Trade Area, the Primary Trade Area (PTA) is estimated to have a population around 7,500 residents, while the Secondary Trade Area (STA) is comprised of an additional 3,500 residents.
Fairview’s retail floor space is comprised of approximately 103 retail premises that range from grocery stores to restaurants to personal services such as optometrists and salons. Clearly, the Town of Fairview is the dominant retail area with 92 businesses totalling 383,158 sq ft. Total new retail space demand by the year 2022, without new population growth, is predicted to be up to 27,300 sq ft.
Household income over the 5-year period 2016 to 2021 is an estimated average $95,000 and there is a relatively large component of the Total Trade Area (16%) that has an average household income over 125,000.
The Total Trade Area is estimated at $124.6 million (2017 year-end estimate).
The top five retail spending categories for the Total Trade Area are:
The retail gap analysis shows a demand for franchises and specialty stores.
There are several opportunities within the retail sector such as:
grocery store, flower shop, clothing store, locksmith, butcher, baker, dry cleaner, automatic car wash, furniture and appliance, coffee shops, restaurants, entertainment, and audiologist
If you have any questions, or suggestions, or would like to get involved with the Town of Fairview Economic Development Committee, please feel free to contact us. We are always open to new ideas and partnerships that contribute to the economic well-being of our community.
