High Level

Welcome

Mayor Mike Mihaly welcomes you to this High Level site. We are the friendly Gateway to the South. Whether you are a resident, a visitor or potential resident we know you will find this information helpful, as well as the detailed material on our own Web Page at www.highlevel.ca

Area Overview

The Town of High Level is a young vibrant community with a history linked to the Aboriginal population, logging, the Mackenzie Highway and the oil and gas industry.

Tradition called it a crossroads, a pasture; the construction of road access to the north in 1942 created the small settlement on the crossroads, later to blossom as saw mills were built, the railroad arrived and then oil and gas was discovered in the area. Today it is known as the Gateway to the South.

There are over 4,000 people living in High Level (2004 Census), and approximately 50% of the population are under 25 years old.

It is a young town, celebrating its 40th Anniversary in 2005! The town is a well-planned community providing land for residential, commercial, and industrial development. High Level contains a variety of residential options -- low, medium, and high density residential lots in modern subdivisions -- which feature paved streets and underground utilities.

High Level provides a solid base of community services. A government building houses branch offices for a number of provincial departments which serve the regional population. There are several educational facilities available in High Level, including three public schools, a private school, and a post secondary college.

In addition, the energy and commitment of the people of High Level is demonstrated by a long list of community organizations and service groups that are active in the town.

Climate

Residents enjoy an abundance of sunshine, from 2000 to 2400 hours per year, which makes for long, relaxing summer days and excellent opportunities in the agriculure industry.The Mackenzie region gets an average snowfall of 40 inches in a winter season.

Community Services

Municipal

Town of High Level
9813 102 Street
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Tel: (780) 926-2201
Fax: (780) 926-2899

Municipal Public Library
(780) 926-2097

Provincial

Crown Prosecutor
Fish & Wildlife
Forestry
Job Corps
Provincial Court
Public Lands
Branch Social Services

Federal

Canada Post Royal
Canadian Mounted Police
Human Resources Canada - Canada Employment Centre 

Community Lifestyle

Recreation

High Level offers a wide range of outdoor recreational amenities. Interesting species of plant life, geological phenomena, as well as numerous birds and game are just some of the natural attractions of the region. For the outdoor enthusiast, High Level and its surrounding area offer opportunities for bird watching, photography, cross country skiing, hiking trails, snowmobiling, fishing and hunting. Unspoiled remote territory is still accessible for those seeking a unique wilderness experience, making for good potential in today's growing tourism industry.

High Level is centered in a vast wilderness area with many lakes and rivers for fishing. The grain fields attract numerous game birds which migrate from their northern breeding grounds. The High Level area has an abundance of black bears and moose which provide a challenging opportunity for hunters or photographers.

The variety of recreational facilities offered in High Level include: an indoor arena with artificial ice, an outdoor ice rink, an indoor swimming pool, a skateboard park, a curling rink with 3 sheets of artificial ice, 3 tennis courts, 4 ball diamonds and 3 gymnasiums. Also, the High Level Fox Haven Golf Course is located approximately 5 km north of High Level on Highway #35. This 9-hole course with grass greens also boasts a new clubhouse, completed in 1991.

There are several nearby recreation areas. Watt Mountain is a scenic attraction located northwest of High Level. There is a picnic site and lookout point just below the peak; Hutch Lake Recreation Area is a campground and day-use area located approximately 35 km north of High Level. This area has lease-lot development for RVs and cabins, and features a trail system for hiking or cross country skiing, a reservoir and a man-made beach and boat launch. Aspen Ridge Campground is a private campground located on Highway #35, approximately 1 km south of town. Lions Campground is a public facility located at the north end of town, approximately 1/2 km east on Highway #58.

Community Organizations

Community and recreational organizations in High Level include;
the Agricultural Society, Brownies, Guides, Scouts, Cubs and Beavers, B.P.O. Elks, Catholic Women's League, Christian Men's Fellowship, High Level Figure Skating Club, High Level Golf and Country Club, High Level Motor Sport Club, High Level Slow Pitch League, Hospital Auxiliary, Adult Learning Council, Community Radio Club, Curling Club, Royal Canadian Legion, Lion's Club, Lumberman's Association, Minor Hockey, Oilman's Association, Order of the Royal Purple, Northern Intermediate Hockey League, The theatre troup, Minor Ball, Cadets and the High Level Rod & Gun Club.

Churches

• High Level Full Gospel Church
• High Level Christian Fellowship Church
• High Level Evangelical Church
• Mackenzie Highway Baptist Church
• Our Lady of Good Counsel Roman Catholic Church
• St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church
• Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
• Northlight Lutheran Fellowship Church
• The Kingdom Hall of Johovah Witnesses

Special Annual Events/Attractions

Attractions in the High Level area include the Eleske Shrine, Native Friendship Centre, Mackenzie Crossroads Museum and Visitors Centre, and High Level Forest Products. Also, local artists have created beautiful murals on many of the local commercial buildings, depicting northern scenes and historical events.

• Spring Fling Community Dance and Auction -- May
• Midnight Golf Tournament -- 3rd weekend in June
• Children's Festival [hands-on activities and entertainment aimed strictly at youngsters] -- June
• Canada Day Celebrations -- July 1
• High Level Rodeo -- July
• High Level Summer Hummer [business promotional event] -- July
• High Level Trade Show [an opportunity for businesses/organizations to promote their products/services] -- September 16-17 2005
• Midnight Madness [business promotional event] -- November

High Level also plays host to a variety of ball, golf and hockey tournaments, curling bonspiels and other sporting events throughout the year. Many bingos are organized throughout the year, with the busiest time being in the winter. Also there is a T.V. bingo which operates once a week on the community television channel.

Accommodations

• Family Motel
• Four Winds Hotel
• Our Place Motel
• Stardust Motor Inn
• Frontier Motor Inn
• Sweet Dreams Motel
• Best Canadian Motor Inn
• Sahara Motor Inn
• The Super 8
• The Flamingo Motor Inn

Restaurants

• A & W
• Canton Restaurant
• Family Chinese and Western Restaurant
• Four Winds Restaurant
• Kentucky Fried Chicken
• The Juke Box Cafe
• Aspendos
• Stardust Pizza and Steak House
• Subway
• Boston Pizza
• Frontier Restaurant
• Gramma Lees
• Quiznos
• Traditions Garden Restaurant
• Flamingo Family Restaurant

Economic Base

The main economic base of High Level is forestry, oil and gas, and agriculture. Firstly, as the distribution point for a majority of the harvested coniferous timber in the region, High Level has become the main service and processing centre for the region's logging industry. Secondly, the development of the Rainbow Lake, Zama and Virgo oil fields in the sixties, and the continued exploratory drilling and seismic activity in the area, have made High Level a strategic location as an oil and gas service centre. Thirdly, High Level has the most northerly grain elevators in Canada and is the grain terminal for a large agricultural area. There are approximately 350,000 cultivated acres of farm land in the region and farmers truck their grain from up to 120 km away.

High Level's central location within the northern Peace region has allowed the town to emerge as the dominant retail and professional service centre for the area. There are approximately 285 trade establishments providing a large array of goods and services including numerous motels and restaurants, as well as a selection of department and specialty stores.

Economic Facts

High Level has one of the most modern and productive dimension lumber mills in Alberta, with more than 250 million board feet of lumber processed and exported annually. High Level Lumber Division of Tolko Industries.Ltd continues to grow, excel and overcome challenges since being acquired in 1999. Having completed an 18 - month, $42 million modernization in the summer of 2005 the mill contributes significantly to the town's economic base, providing over 300 on-site jobs with numerous other contracts [for activities such as harvesting and reforestation] providing jobs throughout the area.

Footner Forest Products' Oriented Strand Board (OSB) Plant produced its first panel in October 2000. This world class facility is a joint ownership between Grant Forest Products and Ainsworth Lumber. At peak production the plant will produce one 4x8 panel every second. It boasts the world's largest continuous press. The panels are sold internationally. The manufacturing of OSB is a clean process with minimal environmental impact.

At peak production the combined mills harvest and process almost 2 million cubic meters of logs annually.

Some of the the Major Businesses

Products/Services

• Tolko Industries Ltd: Manufactures finished dimensional lumber
• Footner Forest Products: Oriented strand board plant
• Formula Transport: tank trucking, vaccuum trucks pressure trucls, hot oilers
• Garden River Logging: Stump to dump logging operation.
• Dechant Logging Ltd: Logging
• Dechant Construction Ltd: Road service, construction, oilfield construction.

Financial Institutions

• Bank of Montreal
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce
• Alberta Treasury Branch

Education

Fort Vermilion School Division #52, with head office in Fort Vermilion [Tel: 780-927-3766] provides K-12.

Florence McDougall School, Grades K-3 Tel: (780) 926-2331

Spirit of the North Grades, 4-6 Tel: (780) 841-7200

High Level Public Grades, 7-12 Tel:(780) 926-3706

High Level Christian Academy, Grades K-9 (780) 926-2360

Munchkins Playschool (780) 926-4966

There is no Separate School Board in High Level or the Mackenzie Region.

Northern Alberta Institute of Technology (NAIT) High Level Campus (780) 841-3600

Emergency Services

Call 911 for All Emergency services.

Fire protection is provided by a modern and well-equipped volunteer department with a full time Fire Chief. Tel: (780) 926-3141.

RCMP Detachment for both in Town and rural. Tel: 911 for emergencies or (780) 926-2226 for administration.

Ambulance Services, both air and ground provides Advanced Life Support services [paramedic] throughout the entire region. Tel: 911 in emergencies or (780) 926-2545 for administration.

Emergency Services (Disaster Services). Tel: 911. It is led by the Town in conjunction with the Fire, RCMP and Ambulance services, and related organizations.

Health Care

The Northwestern Health Centre (hospital) and all health related services are run by the Northern Lights Health Region. Tel: (780) 841-3200

The High Level Medical Clinic services High Level and some of the outlying communities Tel: (780) 926-2286

The Blue Sky Dental Clinic Tel: (780) 926-2660

High Level Optometry, Dr. Lisa Logan Tel: (780) 926-4188

Northern Vision (from Grande Prairie) Tel: (780) 926-2776

Chiropractic Life Centre, Dr. Marty Thompson Tel: (780) 926-5566

Massage Clinic

Key Contacts for Business Development

Municipal

Town of High Level
9813-102 Street
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Tel: (780) 926-2201
Fax: (780) 926-2899
town@highlevel.ca

Mike Mihaly
Mayor
Tel: (780) 926-0209
mtmihaly@telusplanet.net

Dianne Hunter
Chief Administrative Officer
Office: (780) 926-2201
Cell Tel: (780) 926-0204
dhunter@highlevel.ca

High Level and District Chamber of Commerce
Box 202
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Tel: (780) 926-2470
hlchambr@incentre.net
www.highlevelchamber.com

Regional Contact

Mackenzie Economic Development Corporation
Box 210
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Tel: (780) 926-4233 or 1-888-922-4233
Fax: (780) 926-2162
info@medc.ab.ca
www.medc.ab.ca

Regional Economic Development Initiative for Northwest Alberta
Box 210
High Level, Alberta T0H 1Z0
Tel: (780) 926-7314
Fax: (780) 926-2161
info@rediregion.ca
www.rediregion.ca

Provincial (Updated March 2006)

Michael Cheeks, Regional Manager
Alberta Economic Development
Postal Bag 900 - 3
105 Provincial Building
9626 - 96 Avenue
Peace River, Alberta T8S 1T4
Tel: (780) 624-6114
Fax: (780) 624-6490
michael.cheeks@gov.ab.ca

Frank Oberle
Member of the Legislative Assembly [MLA]
Peace River Constituency
Constituency Office
P.O. Box 6299
10003 - 99 Avenue
Peace River, AB T8S 1S2
Phone: (780) 624-5400
Fax: (780) 624-5464
peace.river@assembly.ab.ca

Legislature Office
513 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5K 2B6
Phone: (780) 427-1843
Fax: (780) 427-1835

Federal

Chris Warkentin
Member of Parliament [MP]
Peace River Constituency

Parliamentary Address
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 992-5685
Fax: (613) 947-4782
E-Mail: Warkentin.C@parl.gc.ca

Constituency Address
207 - 10605 West Side Drive
Grande Prairie, Alberta T8V 8E6
Telephone: (780) 538-1677
Fax: (780) 538-9257

Location

The town is located on the Mackenzie Highway, 738 kms (461 miles) north of Edmonton, and 725 kms (453 miles) south of Yellowknife. High Level is a transportation and service centre for a vast area of northwestern Alberta, serving a trading area of more than 20,000 people. Rainbow Lake is 137 kms (82 miles) west on Highway 58, and historic Fort Vermilion (established in 1788) is 87 kms (52 miles) to the east.

Post Secondary Education

NAIT Tel: (780) 841-3600 offers Business Administration and Office Administration Certificate programs, Business Computer Operations, U.C.E.P. [University and College Entrance Preparation], Academic upgrading, Pre-Carpentry and some evening courses depending on the enrolment.

Chinchaga Adult Learning Council Tel: (780) 841-3604, offers non-credit courses.

Taxation

	Residential/Farmland	Non-Residential
2005
Municipal Tax Rate	10.3000	12.8750
Education - Alberta School Foundation Fund Tax Rate	4.1719	6.1002
Seniors Lodge Accommodation Tax Rate	.2054	.2054

Transportation

Air Service

The High Level Airport has a 5,000 foot paved and lighted air strip. It is served by Delta Helicopters Charters, Highland Helicopters Ltd, Little Red Air Service. Scheduled flights from Edmonton on Central Mountain Air and Peace Air , one or two flights per day each from Sunday to Friday, no flights on Saturdays. High Level to Grande Prairie through Peace Air.

Rail Service is for industrial supplies only by Mackenzie Northern Railway.

Highway 35 gives direct access to High Level from both north and south, with Highway 58 going east and west, joining Highway 88 to Ft Vermilion and La Crete.

Many of the transportation companies are listed in the Chamber of Commerce Web Page.

Greyhound Bus Lines provides passenger and freight bus service 6 days a week, connecting Hay River to the north and Edmonton to the south.

Courier services through Greyhound Courier Express, DHL (Loomis), and Purolator. Arrangements for UPS and FedEx are also provided.

Taxi services and bus charter services are in town.

Utilities

Direct Energy
Box 2429
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 4M7
Tel: 1-800-668-2248

AltaGas
P.O. Box 207, 9804 - 100 Street
High Level, Alberta
Tel: (780) 926-3338

Telus Communications
Box 2422
Edmonton, Alberta T5J 2S7
Tel: (780) 310-2255

Water, Sewer and Garbage services are through the Town of High Level, Tel: (780) 926-2201.

The source of water is the Footner Lake. Treatment is by a state of the art new water treatment plant. High Level has 3 reservoirs and 1 storage tank, with a total capacity of 145,000,000 gallons.

High Level has scheduled pick-up for garbage collection, weekly for residential. Commercial bins are provided through private companies. The landfill is open to the public as per the posted hours.

Population

Total Population 1991-2001

High Level Population by Age Group (2001)

Education Statistics

High Level Highest Level of Schooling 2001

Labour Force

High Level Labour Force By Industry - 2001

Income

Family Expenditure

High Level Family Expenditures (1996)

Building Permits

Total Housing Starts

Value of Building Permits

Dwellings

Projects

Summary of Projects in High Level as of September 2006

Value of Projects by Sector (as of September 2006)

Largest Projects in High Level as of September 2006