Rocky View County has joined a new alliance linking Western Canadian inland ports, adding another partnership to plans for an industrial and transportation hub east of Calgary.
The Canadian Inland Ports Alliance was established through a memorandum of understanding signed Oct. 26 in Ottawa. Calgary and Rocky View County are participating as the municipal partners behind Prairie Economic Gateway.
For Chestermere and surrounding communities, the regional connection is the proposed Gateway development in neighbouring Rocky View County. The project would provide industrial land with direct rail access for businesses involved in manufacturing, processing, distribution and freight handling.
The alliance brings those plans into discussions with other transportation centres across the Prairies. Its members include CentrePort Canada, Global Transportation Hub Authority, Leduc County, Edmonton Global and Edmonton Airports, alongside Calgary and Rocky View County.
The partners intend to coordinate planning, pursue investment priorities and advocate for improvements to Canada’s trade routes. They also plan to measure results and review their progress each year.
The stated aim is to improve connections between coastal ports and inland destinations, helping businesses move shipments as trade patterns change and transportation networks face congestion and disruption.
Rocky View County Reeve Sunny Samra said closer coordination could improve the movement of goods for Western Canadian businesses and help attract investment to the region.
Prairie Economic Gateway would use the existing Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway network to connect industrial development with markets elsewhere in Canada and beyond.
The county projects more than $7 billion in economic activity and over 30,000 jobs across the Calgary region over 10 to 12 years. Those figures describe the county’s expected economic impact over the course of the development.
Planning and infrastructure work remain central to moving the project forward.
On Aug. 11, Calgary, Rocky View County and the Canada Infrastructure Bank signed a separate agreement to examine the public infrastructure needed to support Gateway. That work includes assessing technical requirements, financial feasibility and options for delivering the infrastructure before construction decisions are made.
Municipal land use approvals were completed in 2025. Next steps include securing land for public infrastructure, completing detailed engineering studies and preparing servicing arrangements for the proposed industrial development.
Calgary’s published schedule identifies roads, water, wastewater and stormwater systems among the planning priorities for 2026. It places commercial readiness work between 2027 and 2030, with business operations beginning in 2031 and further development responding to market demand.