Thinking of starting your own business in the Nordegg & Abraham Lake region? Here are a few of the questions we get asked about our experience.
Is there commercial space available?
The short answer is no. Commercial space in Nordegg is currently very limited. This should start to change in 2022 when Clearwater County makes commercial lots available for sale in the new downtown core. You can find out more about their plans for Nordegg here.
Depending on what you are looking at doing, subleasing space from existing businesses or on properties in the industrial park may be an option.
Are business licenses required?
No, but business approval from Clearwater County may be required. If that sounds confusing it’s because it kind of is.
Clearwater County does not issue business licenses the way many other communities do but instead requires a development permit for any business to operate within the County. This only applies to businesses with a physical location, however, which means that if you operate a guiding company from outside of the municipal boundaries then no municipal approvals are required.
Contact Jerry Pratt, the economic development officer for Clearwater County to find out more.
What about public land leases?
The development nodes that were identified previously for commercial tourism development in the region have been under review for the past decade. Information on the development nodes is available on the Clearwater County website.
Are permits required for guiding tours and activities?
Yes. Permits are required for commercial activities, including guided tours, on public lands. Information for activities in areas managed by Alberta Parks is available here. The rest of the region falls under the public land use zones and permits for guiding in those areas are issued by the land managers at Alberta Environment.
Is support available?
Travel Alberta is often your best option to find out more about the various tourism programs available from the Government of Alberta.
Want to find out more?
Send us an email at info@explorenordegg.ca and tell us a little about yourself. We’ll be happy to get you in touch with locals who can share their experience building tourism businesses in the region.
Contact Jerry Pratt, Economic Development Officer for Clearwater County, at 403-845-4444 or jpratt@clearwatercounty.ca to find out more about starting a business in Nordegg.