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Mayor Lee Pratt

On behalf of our City and Council, I would like to welcome you to Cranbrook. As Mayor, I am proud to represent and promote the City we call home. With a rich history and vibrant culture, Cranbrook is driven by people who care deeply about the growth and success of one another, which in turn drives the progressive development of our community.

In 2015, Cranbrook initiated a renewed focus into the economic development of our City and region. We forged new partnerships with every level of government and strengthened our commitments and cooperation with neighbouring communities. We have invested in the tools and resources we need to achieve our goals and have created an environment that attracts capital.

Cranbrook has experienced record-breaking growth, exemplified by building permit trends of six consecutive years of year over year growth, with $93 million in 2020. It is remarkable. We saw a 445% increase, resulting in $262 million of building permits in those six years!

We are seeing the development of good jobs, new housing, increases to our tax base, and reinvestment into our business infrastructure. What is more, all this is happening in the backdrop of the Rocky Mountains, offering its very own slice of paradise, with access to every outdoor activity you could imagine in a world-class setting.

Now is the time to invest in Cranbrook.

– Mayor Lee Pratt

Cranbrook Innovation Initiative

The purpose of the Cranbrook Innovation Initiative (CII) is to encourage and foster the growth of emerging technologies that utilize the vast Kootenay region’s capabilities.

Our goal is to be the largest innovation zone in the B.C. interior for commercializing the research and development of artificial intelligence, machine learning, autonomous vehicles (land and air), advanced optics, clean energy, data sciences, and other related technologies.

The CII is committed to growing our existing industrial sectors by revitalizing or repurposing existing lands and engaging sectors that have been affected by economic downturn. We are working with local stakeholders, business leaders, and government agencies to help support our city as a rapidly emerging 21st century economy.

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Mountains of Opportunity

International access by air, rail and highways make Cranbrook an ideal location for the CII program to be anchored. With several large parcels of serviced land, Cranbrook offers unlimited opportunities for those interested in establishing or relocating their business.

Currently available for development are:

  • 99 acres of heavy industrial land
  • 60 acres of industrial land
  • 52 acres of aerospace land

As a regional base, Cranbrook offers immediate access for industries such as:

  • Mining – metal and mineral exploration or geospatial
  • Forestry – lidar mapping, silviculture, reforestation, full life cycle utilization of fibre
  • Pipeline Infrastructure – monitoring, SCADA, and telemetry
  • Wildlife Management – monitoring, management and/or species at risk
  • Natural Disaster Mitigation – fire, flood and avalanche
  • Clean Energy – Biomass, geothermal, and hydro
  • Technology – Data centres, high performance computing, artificial intelligence, and analytics
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The Future of Tomorrow

Cranbrook offers a compelling opportunity for the research and development of advanced technologies. Located in a region that is geologically and atmospherically stable, Cranbrook provides a low-risk environment for sensitive data-centric operations.

Cranbrook also presents a world-class setting for the development of remote piloted vehicles, with many different types of terrain, varying elevations, and geography available to provide a broad testing environment. Along with its mild year-round weather, Cranbrook and area is well suited for businesses operating within this sector.

Located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, Cranbrook offers the ideal work-life balance. Its location also proves advantageous to the creation of technology clusters, such as:

  • Automation and robotics
  • Machine learning and unmanned innovations
  • Geospatial innovations
  • Advanced oilfield lab and digital twin
  • Infrastructure testing and maintenance
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Advantages of Doing Business Here

Canada is a country of choice for many business owners. The advantages include:

  • A stable political environment
  • Preferred access to major markets
  • State of the art public geoscience
  • A global hub for exploration and mining
  • Access to grants and funding.

Establishing your business in Cranbrook means your businesses will have access to a clean, sustainable source of energy that is hydropower. B.C. is Canada’s second largest producer of hydropower and the reliability of the province’s hydro system is recognized around the world.

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Known as the base camp of the Kootenays, Cranbrook is the largest urban centre and regional focal point in southeastern B.C. We are a business friendly community offering low taxes, competitive costs, a stable, growing business environment, and access to an educated workforce. We are the hub and economic engine for the Kootenays.

We provide support to help your business establish and grow in Cranbrook. We have access to important market research and business intelligence while working actively to facilitate local connections to help support the establishment of your business in the most dynamic and innovative city in the Kootenays.

In addition, local partners and stakeholders in the region recognize the need to remain competitive against other rural cities in B.C. in order to attract business. Your business can benefit from a number of incentives offered by the regional, provincial and federal organizations to help lower your costs and move your business to Cranbrook.

Community Brochure Investment Profile Year in Review