Membership Spotlight | Town of Innisfail
Find out what makes the Town of Innisfail such a great community. This small town is conveniently located just 25 minutes south of Red Deer. We interviewed Gordon Shaw, from the Town of Innisfail below:
1. Tell us about your municipality?
Innisfail is a tremendous community with a high quality of life, low cost of living, a strong industrial base, excellent transportation infrastructure, and unique expertise in community energy generation and distribution.
The land where Innisfail is located was the traditional territory of the Blackfoot Confederacy, sometimes referred to as the Blackfoot Nation or Sikiskaitsitapi, comprised of three indigenous nations, the Kainai, Piikani, and Siksika. The people of the Blackfoot Nation refer to themselves as Niisitapi, meaning “the real people’, a generic term for all indigenous people, or Siksikanitsitapi, meaning “Blackfoot-speaking real people.” Innisfail derives its name from Inisfail, a poetic name of Ireland, from Irish Inis Fail.
Our location along the QEII in relation to Red Deer, Calgary, or Edmonton, positions us for growth as it is expected the highest growth in Alberta will occur within this corridor between 2022 and 2046. With all the great opportunities available in Innisfail, it’s not hard to see what makes this community a great destination for you and your family.
2. What makes you different, unique, or stand out?
Trains, planes, and automobiles makes Innisfail stand out as a destination community within central Alberta. The QEII, HWY 54, and HWY 2A, the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline between Edmonton and Calgary, and, of course, the Red Deer Regional Airport only 15 minutes away, the Calgary International Airport just 60 minutes away, or the Edmonton International Airport a mere 95 minutes away. There are major educational facilities in Olds and Red Deer, both only 25 minutes from our community. If you love fishing, boating, or nature watching, there are 37 lakes and 52 rivers within 50 km from your front door, including Gleniffer Lake and Pine Lake.
There are so many indoor and outdoor recreational and educational activities for the whole family. Innisfail is home to the Daines Pro Rodeo, Anthony Henday Campground, Dr. George Kemp House museum, a beautiful historic downtown with unique stores, the DINOs Centre, the Jungle Farm, the Innisfail Ski Hill, the Innisfail Golf Course, Edgar Farms, our skatepark, the Discovery Wildlife Park, the Historic Markerville Creamery Museum, Dickson Dam, Stephansson House Provincial Historic Site, Bowden SunMaze and Eagle Creek Farms, and Red Lodge Provincial Park. You’ll never get bored living here, there’s too much to see and do.
3. What can guests (local or visiting) expect to experience?
Whether it’s spring, summer, fall or winter, Innisfail has something for everyone to fall in love with. Innisfail has all sorts of eclectic experiences to either wet your taste buds or dive right in ranging from food experiences, historical experiences, educational experiences, nature experiences, and everything in between. The DINOs Centre is a unique recreational and learning centre that features indoor mini golf, laser tag, an exceptional collection of artifacts, a driving range, and an escape room.
Hungry? Try out our Market on Main available during the summer where a wide range of vendors are available to you right on main street. Check out the other eateries in town ranging from national brands to locally owned. You’ll find a wide range of eating experiences available in Innisfail. Have a thirst? Innisfail has two craft breweries, Dark Woods Brewing and Field & Forge Brewing Company. Both breweries are locally owned. Whether you enjoy a coffee, craft beer, or really good food, these are perfect places to bring your friends and family.
After lunch, connect with wildlife at the Discovery Wildlife Park where you will find unique wildlife experiences that will create lasting memories for you and your children. A new attraction in 2022 is, Winter Light the Night, a drive-through display like no other you have seen. Check it between November 19 to January 15.
Are you a golfer? Check out the Innisfail Golf Club, three prestigiously crafted and masterfully maintained nine-hole golf courses that offer unique challenges for every type of golfer. Like to ski, check out the Innisfail ski hill during the winter months. A history buff, well then check out the Innisfail and District Historical Village, where the past comes to life where you can take in events like a vintage auto show & pancake breakfast, Canada Day celebrations, day camps, ghost walks and talent shows.
4. What is new or upcoming?
A bold approach to community economic development is encapsulated within the Power of Place, a community economic development strategy and tactical plan recently adopted by the Town. It is a bold vision intended to inspire the community to come together, believe and shape the next chapter around shared economic prosperity. At its core is taking action to connect the forces of supply and demand like connecting electrical wires. The result is the power to change the future to reflect the aspirations of our residents.
Energy is at the core of this strategy. Whether its harnessing the rays of the sun through a 22 MW solar array on land owned by the Town that provides the community with benefits from lease revenue, property tax, and a community benefits agreement to constructing a 48 ac industrial subdivision adjacent to HWY 54 and the QEII or participating in the Energy Futures Roadshow as the Innisfail Energy Transition Lab, Innisfail is building relationships to the future defined by the synergies of the community, economy, and capacity.
Click here to learn more about the Town of Innisfail and follow them on social media to keep up to date on all their happenings and events.
