Economic Development

The Town of Black Diamond established the Economic Development Committee (EDC) in 2003 to respond to the town's growing needs for attention and support in areas such as business and tourism development. The Town is committed to ensuring long-term growth and prosperity in our business community, which in turn reflects on the quality of life for our residents. We encourage a working relationship with business owners and operators and value their input. We focus on our tourism based attractions and work to promote our town as a destination for visitors world wide. We welcome new opportunities for business expansion and investment attraction, we network with other communities and we study best practises in search for successes that can be used in our own town.

The EDC meets at 7:30pm on the 4th Wednesday of every month, from September through June, at the town office. These meetings are open to the public for observation purposes and we welcome anyone interested in looking at joining our board. An agenda is presented and followed, with the goal of organizing and completing tasks and projects designed to support and expand local business, and promote tourism. We continuously work to improve the quality of life in Black Diamond by:

  • Building and maintaining partnerships
  • Increasing our assessment base
  • Ensuring that our infrastructure and services are in place
  • Ensuring business sustainability
  • Raising the profile of the Town of Black Diamond

Since we advocate for diversity in our economy, Black Diamond offers new and existing businesses and industries a positive environment that encourages growth and expansion. The result is an exciting and progressive place to grow as a business and as a community.

The EDC, under the leadership of Town Council, consists of the following volunteer voting and non-voting members:

  • Brian Cunning, Chair & Black Diamond Member At Large
  • Sharlene Brown, Black Diamond Council Member
  • Barb Froud, Diamond Valley Chamber of Commerce Member
  • Betty Paul, Black Diamond Business Owner/Operator
  • Ken Newington, Black Diamond Member At Large
  • Todd Curran of the Gateway Gazette

Currently, we are looking for more members to volunteer on our board. We have a vacancy for:

  • a Black Diamond Home-Based Business Owner

Assistant to the EDC is Cathy Hutcheson, who works in the Town office, implementing the tasks and projects set in motion by the EDC and who works as a liason in the business community.

About Our Economy
Our economy is fueled by various industries and related services. Among these are:

  • farming
  • ranching
  • oil and gas
  • residential housing
  • tourism
  • service-based industry

Home-based businesses are growing rapidly in Black Diamond, complementing the commercial and retail business community and allowing residents to shop locally more for their needs. Working from home and shopping locally also contributes to "green" solutions by minimizing evironmental footprints, of which meets the Town's vision of a sustainable future.

Our Unique Character
Strategically situated on Highway 22 - also known as The Cowboy Trail - Black Diamond and our business community actively promote our unique historic character. Restoration of our downtown through the Alberta Main Street Project encourages and preserves the original Boomtown storefronts, adding to the sense of vibrancy and character that defines our town.

Our Trading Area
Though our population is just hovering over 2300, our residents are very supportive of local business. We are also located in the heart of the Diamond Valley region, with a trading area of more than 50,000. Add to that the fringe shoppers drawn from Calgary, which has a population of more than 1,000,000 people, and you can understand why our business community is so dynamic.

Investment & Business Site Selection Guide
As part of a business development initiative of the Alberta Foothills Region, Black Diamond partnered up with the M.D. of Foothills, Turner Valley, Okotoks and High River to create an on-line resourse called the RISE Project to promote the attraction of commercial and industrial investment to the Foothills Region. Stats, figures and valuable information required to make an educated decision around starting up a business in the area can be found in this guide. 

For more information, please contact:

Cathy Hutcheson, EDC Assistant
Ph: 403.933.4348
Email: edc@town.blackdiamond.ab.ca