The Government of Alberta is investing $30 million to expand the Red Deer Regional Airport. The airport’s development is believed to not only provide further opportunity in the central Alberta area but also offer high-paying jobs.  

“Thanks to the Government of Alberta, this expansion will be generating an estimated 200 jobs during construction and nearly 350 jobs after the development of over 20 acres of affordable airside commercial land,” Ken Schulzke, Board Chair of the Red Deer Regional Airport Authority.  

Schulzke was joined by Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, Devin Dreeshen, Red Deer County Mayor, Jim Wood, and Red Deer Mayor, Ken Johnston for the announcement that was made at the airport this morning (March 15, 2023).  

The funding will support the development of a shipping and receiving hub in central Alberta and create emergency access to the airport and the Hamlet of Springbrook.  

“The Red Deer Regional Airport will use it to build critical infrastructure that will allow the airport to track new investment and also have new passenger services and new cargo services and new cargo opportunity as well. The specifics of the 30 million will have road construction, water sanitation, stormwater, and fiber optic installation and improvements to Township Road 374 to make sure that they can support new business opportunities on the North End of the airport,” said Dreeshen.  

The Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors says the province is also looking to expand the number of airports in the province.  

“I know as Economic Corridor Minister and as every Albertan knows that that we're landlocked... We don't have access to tidewater ports, but we do have access to airports and it is something that we are looking strategically as a province,” he added.  

Both Mayors are very excited about the opportunities ahead for central Alberta.   

“Every community in central Alberta this morning, Blackfalds, Rocky Mountain House, etcetera is going to be touched by what we're doing here over the next few,” said Johnston.  

“There's a tremendous opportunity in this region and this infrastructure will see the opportunity like we've never seen before, an opportunity for so much expansion at this airport and sometimes we think of the people that might fly out of here but it's far more than that. It's the logistics. It's the manufacturing,” said Wood.  

The new funding builds on a $7.5-million grant from Alberta’s government in 2022 for the airport to repair and upgrade its runway.