SouthGrow – Your community partner

Posted on August 22, 2024 by Sunny South News

By Nerissa McNaughton
Southern Alberta Newspapers

SouthGrow is a regional economic development alliance in Southern Alberta, comprised of many different local communities. Its mission is to enhance the quality of life, development, and sustainability in the region. SouthGrow focuses on strategic collaboration, marketing, communication, and economic development to create opportunities and unite a shared vision among its member communities. The organization is driven by a dedicated team and works on various projects, such as promoting Southern Alberta’s offerings, implementing branding strategies, and enhancing community websites. SouthGrow routinely partners with other organizations to achieve regional goals.

Peter Casurella, Executive Director, is excited about his role and how SouthGrow enhances the region.

“I work for 29 communities, 13 associates, and business members,” he says. “We all work together on regional economic projects, taking on big things that every municipality needs, but not one municipality can handle by itself.”

He explains some of the projects where SouthGrow is a pivotal partner. 

“We worked with public and private entities to bring better broadband to the communities. We were involved in the twinning of Highway 3. We work on scholarships to help local students pursue careers in agrifoods, are involved in trials of new technology that empowers agriculture, and for years have promoted Southern Alberta on the global stage as a marketable destination.”

A current project sees Southgrow helping with access to electric vehicle stations across the province. With funding from Natural Resources Canada, the SouthGrow zero emission vehicle infrastructure program will provide a rebate of up to 46 per cent for businesses and other organizations installing EV charging stations. The program aims to expand the existing Peaks to Prairies network, which already includes 20 fast-charging stations. As EV adoption grows, the program seeks to ease the transition by making charging infrastructure more accessible, benefiting locations like hotels, car dealerships, and large apartment buildings. Interest in the program has been strong since its launch.

Another program seeks to preserve the Blackfoot language and educate locals and visitors about the region’s rich history. This pilot project, a collaboration between the Kainai Nation, SouthGrow Regional Initiative, Community Futures Lethbridge, and Tourism Lethbridge, offers funds for constructing new Blackfoot signs. The initiative aims to revive Blackfoot names and highlight the deep historical roots of the area, beyond its recent European history. If successful, the program hopes to expand across all Blackfoot Confederacy territories in 2024.

“It is fun work. That is where I have the coolest job! I get to work on so many interesting projects!” says Casurella.

Another project that he is very excited about is one that brings information to a central location so investors can quickly see the attributes of the region. This program is in partnership with Invest Alberta, who was looking for a better way to access information such as labour, land, and utility statistics.

“We got a grant, hired a consultation, and built out sheets for all of the communities. Now those sheets are available through SouthGrow and Invest Alberta. When an investment lead comes along, instead of investors having to look to multiple sources for information, they can call me or my colleagues. We provide on-the-ground intelligence that is reliable and detailed.”

In many ways, SouthGrow is Southern Alberta’s best kept, yet highly visible secret. Many know that the entity exists, but few know the incredible depth of the programs, research, and partnerships SouthGrow undertakes in support of growing a thriving region. From education to labour retention, from ag to sustainability to tourism – and more – if it will help the region, SouthGrow is likely involved.

Learn more about this multifaceted organization at https://www.southgrow.com/. Online access to resources and studies are found at  https://www.southgrow.com/resources and https://www.southgrow.com/southgrow-studies.