Bow Island

Welcome

Pinto Macbean and the residents of Bow Island welcome you to the Town of Bow Island information centre and invite you to learn about the great attributes we have to offer you as prospective resident or entrepreneur.

Bow Island is the "Bean Capital of the West" and is proud to be centered in agriclutural based area. The Bow Island area is recognized as having the Province's best climate for warm weather crop production. We enjoy long warm summers, the highest number of heat units, long sunlight hours and a long frost-free period. These attributes, coupled with over 110,000 acres of highly developed irrigation, mean that "Bow Island is the place to be for agri-processing".We are thankful for the committment that agri-processing companies have made to our community and our thrust is to attract more industry of this nature. We are receptive to discussing special incentives to attract new business/industry.

Now move forward through this information package and thank you in advance for taking the time to look at the fine ammenities Bow Island has to offer you!

Welcome to Bow Island!

Area Overview

Bow Island is surrounded by 110,000 acres of highly developed irrigated land and this,
coupled with the greatest number of frost free days and the longest growing season in
Alberta, provides the area with the ability to grow a wide variety of crops.

Bow Island is a community of 1,704 persons with an additional population draw of 2,000
persons in the immediate surrounding area.

The key advantages to living and doing business in Bow Island include: the quality of
life; the attitude of welcoming new business enterprises; the town's entrepreneurial
spirit; the low cost of residential, commercial and industrial land; and the overall warmer
weather than most areas of Alberta [long, warm summers and reactively shorter winters
by virtue of the Chinook winds].

Climate

Community Services

Municipal
Town of Bow Island
P.O. Box 100
Bow Island, Alberta
T0K 0G0
Tel: 403-545-2522
Fax: 403-545-6642

Public Works
Community Services
Municipal Library

Provincial
Medical Examiner-Coroner
Agriculture Irrigation Division

Federal
Canada Post Office
Royal Canadian Mounted Police

Community Lifestyle

Recreation
Local recreation facilities include an outdoor heated swimming pool, 2 tennis courts,
rodeo & equestrian grounds, 4 baseball/slowpitch diamonds, 4 horseshoe pits, a 9-hole
golf course [irrigated by buried sprinkler] with grass greens and a clubhouse, a
regulation size artificial ice hockey arena with a modern ice cleaning machine, small bore
& trap shooting range, 3-sheet artificial ice curling rink with a lounge, and a 6-lane
bowling alley. There are also 3 local parks: Jubilee Park and Funshine Park, which have
playground equipment; and Centennial Park, a 14-acre park with toilet facilities, group
camp area, beach volleyball court, and playground equipment.

Community Organizations
Chamber of Commerce
Lions
Lionesses
Royal Canadian Legion
Masons
Knights of Columbus
Fish & Game Association
Riding and Roping Club
Women's Institute
C.W.L.
U.C.W.
Bow Island Trap Club
Golden Age Club
Elks
Hospital Auxiliary
4H Clubs
Minor Baseball & Hockey Association
Bow Island & District Agricultural Society, etc.

Religious Services
Evangelical Free Church
St. Michael's Roman Catholic
Lutheran
Latter Day Saints
St. Andrew's United Church
Church on Centre
Church of God in Christ Mennonite Brethern

Special Annual Events/Attractions
Bow Island Children's Festival
Bow Island Bean Festival and
Rodeo Bow Island Chamber of Commerce Annual Trade Fair
Bow Island Pivot Country Annual Fair

Hospitality
Accommodation
Silver Sage Motel
Golden Bell Lodge

Restaurants
Island Inn
Jimmy's
Cucci's Restaurant & Lounge
Bow Garden Restaurant
Roxy's Grill
Mississippi Queen
Bobby's Bar & Restaurant
Road House Bar & Grill
Maggie's Restaurant

Economic Base

The economic base is predominately agriculture, with a wide variety of crops being
grown. The dry edible bean industry alone injects about 8-10 million dollars per year into
the economy of Southern Alberta. Other major products include sunflower seeds,
processed snack foods and essential oils. The area is also a key location for grain
production in the Province. The Agricore United elevators located here are the
Province's highest receiving points year in and year out.

The oil and gas industry is also important to the Bow Island area. A large field is located
north of the South Saskatchewan River, about 16 km from Bow Island.

Economic Facts

There is a considerable processed food industry in the Bow Island area. One local
processing plant receives, cleans, packages and markets area-grown beans to markets
worldwide. The acreage of beans planted in the area is over 40,000 acres. Another local
company processes and markets sunflower seeds throughout Canada, and in the United
States. A third company processes wheat, oats and sunflower seeds into snack food
items, salad topping, etc. The company sells their product throughout Western Canada.
A fourth local company utilizes crops such as spearmint, peppermint and dill, etc., to
produce a variety of essential oils. The company markets their products in Canada and
the United States.

Areas of potential industry include waste recycling, hydroponic greenhouses, agri-pulp
and agri-board production.

Major Businesses Products/Services
Bean Plant [Agricore United] Agriculture [beans]
Alberta Sunflower Processing Plant Agriculture [sunflowers]
Classic Grains of Canada Agriculture [snack foods]
St. Mary River Irrigation District Water Supply
Royal Sand and Gravel Sand/Gravel
P & H Grain Elevator Agriculture
Agricore United Agro Agriculture
Imperial Oil Fuel & Fertilizer
UFA Card Lock

Financial Institutions
Community Savings
ATB Financial

Education

Bow Island is part of the Prairie Rose Regional School Division #8, headquartered in
Dunmore [Tel: 403-527-5516], and the Medicine Hat Catholic Regional School Division
#20, headquartered in Medicine Hat [Tel: 403-527-292].

Public
Schools in Bow Island include Bow Island Elementary [K-3] and Senator Gershaw School
[4-12].

Separate
Bow Island Roman Catholic Separate School [K-12]

Private
Cherry Coulee Christian Academy [K-9]
Sun Country Christian School

Emergency Services

Fire Protection
Bow Island employs a full-time Emergency Services staff member that acts as Fire Chief
and Ambulance coordinator. There is a contingent of 24 volunteer staff members that
operate the Fire Department and Ambulance services for Bow Island and District [Tel:
403-545-2400] or 911.

Police Services
Bow Island/Foremost is served by a 5-member regional detachment of the Royal
Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP] [Tel: 403-545-2100] or 911.

Ambulance Services
Local ambulance service is provided by the Emergency Services staff [Tel: 403-545-
2400].

Health Care

Bow Island Health Centre is a 32 bed fully accredited Acute/Continuing Care hospital in the
Palliser Heath Region which provides health care for residents in the southeastern
part of Alberta. Two medical doctors provide service to the area within the County of
40 Mile as well as the Town of Bow Island, Village of Foemost and Hamlets of Burdett,
Etzikom and Manyberries. Medical clinics are located in the town of Bow Island as well
as Foremost. Homecare and Community Health services are also provided for this area.
Offices for these services as well as those for mental health services and addictions
counseling are located in the Provincial Building.
Twenty four hour/7 days a week health advice and information about local area services
can be accessed by calling the Healthlink number @ 1-866-408-5465 (LINK)
Alfred Egan Home is for people with developmental disabilities and provides care for 30 -
33 individuals. This facility is connected to the Bow Island Health Centre and is fully
accredited with medical and nursing service provided for the residents.

A fully equipped dental clinic operates two days each week in an office downtown Bow
Island.

Key Contacts for Business Development

Municipal (Edited November, 2002)
Town of Bow Island
P.O. Box 100
Bow Island, Alberta
T0K 0G0
Tel: 403-545-2522
Fax: 403-545-6642
terrybowisland@monarch.net
Alan Hyland
Mayor

Terrence Schneider
Town Manager
terrybowisland@shaw.ca

Alan Hyland
Vern Beck
Della Marie Woodruff
Economic Development Committee

Provincial (Updated December 2004)
Alberta Economic Development
109 Provincial Building
346 - 3 Street S.E.
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 0G7
Tel: 403-529-3630
Fax: 403-529-3140

Elvira Smid
Regional Manager
elvira.smid@gov.ab.ca

Gloria Filgas, Information Officer
gloria.filgas@gov.ab.ca

Leonard Mitzel
Member of the Legislative Assembly [MLA]
Cypress-Medicine Hat Constituency
423 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2B6
Tel: 780-427-2291
Fax: 780-422-6259

Federal (Updated May 2006)
Monte Solberg
Member of Parliament (MP)
Medicine Hat Constituency

Parliamentary Address
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-4516
Fax: (613) 992-6181
E-Mail: Solberg.M@parl.gc.ca

Constituency Address
24-419 3rd Street South East
Medicine Hat, Alberta
T1A 0G9
Telephone: (403) 528-4698
Fax: (403) 528-4365
TTY:
E-Mail:
6-403 2nd Avenue West, P.O. Box 640
Brooks, Alberta
T1R 1B6
Telephone: (403) 362-7677 1-800-565-4694
Fax: (403) 362-7055

Location

The Town of Bow Island is located in Southeastern Alberta, approximately 100 km from
the USA Border, 60km west City of Medicine Hat along Highway #3 and 320 km
southwest of the City of Calgary. It is an agricultural service centre for a large diversified
farming area, which includes dryland farming and extensive irrigation..

Post Secondary Education

Post-secondary schooling is offered at area colleges which link universities in Medicine
Hat and Lethbridge.

Taxation

	Residential/Farmland	Non-Residential
2005
Municipal Tax Rate	13.4180	13.4180
Education - Alberta School Foundation Fund Tax Rate	4.5766	6.9073
Education Opted Out Tax Rate	4.5766	6.9073
Seniors Lodge Accommodation Tax Rate	.3541	.3541

Mill Rates [2002]
Residential - Public 18.2652
Residential - Separate 18.2652
Non-Residential - Public 20.93739
Non-Residential - Separate 20.93739

Transportation

Air
A local airport provides use of a 3,000 foot paved, illuminated airstrip. Tie down facilities
are available. Regional airlines such as Air BC and Canadian are available in either
Medicine Hat [30 minutes east] or Lethbridge [60 minutes west].

International airlines can be accessed at Calgary or Great Falls, Montana [both are
located 200 miles from Bow Island].

Rail Service
Bow Island is located on the main rail line of the Canadian Pacific Railway. Spur trackage
is available.

Highways
Bow Island is situated on Provincial Highway No.3 [the southern route to the west
coast]. It has a load limit of 72,000 pounds and is never banned. Highway No. 3 is
referred to as the Crowsnest Pass

Secondary Highway No. 879 has a load limit of 59,000 pounds and experiences seasonal
bans.

Trucking Firms
Two trucking firms supply east and west transport service on a daily basis. Smaller
trucking firms provide individual service to business and industry.

Bus Services
Greyhound Bus Lines provides daily east-west bus service twice per day.

Couriers and Taxis
A complete range of companies supply service on a daily basis to Bow Island.

Utilities

Electrical Power
Aquila
821 - 4th Street East
Bow Island, Alberta
Tel: 403-545-2366

Natural Gas
ATCO Gas
102 5th Avenue E
Bow Island, Alberta
Tel: 403-545-2946

Telephone
Telus
Tel: 403-310-2255

Water Supply
The water supply is owned and operated by the Town of Bow Island. The raw water
supply is from the St. Mary River Irrigation District. The town has on-site raw water
storage in excess of 150 million gallons. Usage rates are as follows:

Bimonthly minimum of $65.56 for 8,000 gallons
$1.92 for each 1,000 gallons used between 8001 and 16,000 gallons
$2.88 for each 1,000 gallons used between 16,001 and 24,000 gallons
$5.76 for each 1,000 gallons used over 24000 gallons

Waste Management
Sewage is disposed through a lagoon system, which provides for 300 days of retention.
Engineering studies are underway for expansion to the water treatment plant.

Chemical can disposal is undertaken at the North Forty Mile Regional Land Fill site that is l
ocated 3 miles north of Bow Island.

Municipal garbage collection takes place 3 times per week for commercial and industrial
facilities and once per week for residential pickup. All disposals are at the North Forty
Mile Regional Landfill site.

Population

Total Population 1991-2001

Bow Island Population by Age Group (2001)

Education Statistics

Bow Island Highest Level of Schooling 2001

Labour Force

Bow Island Labour Force By Industry - 2001

Income

Building Permits

Total Housing Starts

Value of Building Permits

Dwellings

Projects

Summary of Projects in Bow Island as of September 2006

Value of Projects by Sector (as of September 2006)

Largest Projects in Bow Island as of September 2006