Page 11 - XperienceAlberta-EDA-2025

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE
SADDLE HILLS COUNTY
INVEST IN PEACE
Why Saddle Hills County is the prime rural location for re-location
and growth
Now more than ever, people are seeking
respite from the noise, confinement and
cost of urban living, choosing to move
out of cities and large urban centres in
increasing numbers for the solitude and
space of picturesque rural living.
If peace, space, an improved quality
of life and maybe a chicken or two are
what you seek, Saddle Hills County
is the perfect location to take root in.
Community-driven and family-oriented,
with competitive housing prices, high-
paying job opportunities and endless
outdoor recreation, it is ideal for young
families, professionals and retirees alike.
While rural living often implies a lack
of connectivity or services, in Saddle
Hills County, this just isn’t the case. A
progressive rural municipality focused
on sustainability and growth, it offers
a range of unique opportunities and
incentives for residents and businesses
alike. Project Aurora, a collaboration
with Northern Lights Fiber, offers free
internet hook-ups to properties in the
County, with 787 residents currently
eligible to be connected. The project is
one of the biggest of its kind, with Saddle
Hills County being one of the first rural
municipalities in the world to bring a fiber
internet network of this scale to a typically
underserviced area.
While rural living
often implies a lack of
connectivity or services,
in Saddle Hills County,
this just isn’t the case.
A progressive rural
municipality focused
on sustainability and
growth, it offers a range
of unique opportunities
and incentives
for residents and
businesses alike.
• County Size: 5,837 sq. km
• 381 Farms with over 535,279
Acres of Farmland
• Centre of the Montney Play Gas
Formation
• Average Home Price of $315,000
(1,500-2,000 sq. ft.)
• Tax Incentives: Small Business
Bylaw and Carbon Capture Tax
Incentive
• Saddle Hills County Health Clinic
• Project Aurora – High Speed
Affordable Fiber Internet
• Rural Potable Water Network
and Central Peace Regional
Water Project
Another unique offering is the County-
run and funded Saddle Hills County Health
Clinic, operated by Nurse Practitioner,
Palvi Sharma. One of only two of its kind
in Alberta, it offers residents access to
routine health care needs, relieving the
stress on overburdened doctors and
ERs in neighbouring communities. This
is accompanied by the state-of-the-art
senior facility Pleasant View Lodge, in Spirit
River, funded in part by the County. This
allows residents to grow old in their home
communities. Both incentives help to reduce
the overall need for families to move to larger
urban centres to receive vital care, retaining
skilled workers and growing families.
Creating sustainable water sources for
residents, industry and businesses is a
crucial step towards future growth and
prosperity. With this in mind, the county has
invested heavily in its Rural Potable Water
Network, connecting the majority of its rural
residences to a reliable water source at no
cost to the owner. Over 150 connections
and 320 kilometres of pipeline have been
installed to date. This is bolstered by the
ongoing Central Peace Regional Water
Project, which is scheduled to see over
$40 million invested in providing a reliable
source of water not just to Saddle Hills
County, but throughout the Central Peace
Region for many years to come.
With the abundance of resources, natural
beauty and endless incentives, why not
invest in peace in Saddle Hills County?
For more information, contact:
Cary Merritt, CAO
(780) 864-3760 | cmerritt@saddlehills.ab.ca
saddlehills.ab.ca
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