Today, the City of Edmonton, Leduc County, the City of Leduc and the Edmonton International Airport (EIA) each signed the Inter-Jurisdiction Cooperation Accord to form a new partnership aimed at helping the EIA reach its full potential as a key economic driver bringing benefits to the entire Edmonton metropolitan region and all of Alberta.
In 2014, the EIA’s economic impact was valued at $2.2 billion, and that number continues to grow as the airport develops new passenger and cargo air service, as well as increases the number of commercial developments on its property.
“This partnership provides an unprecedented collaborative opportunity to innovate and advance the region and EIA as a competitive global investment destination. We can achieve more together than would otherwise be possible,” said Edmonton Mayor Don Iveson. “Our capacity to negotiate and manage shared investment and shared benefits is vital to ensuring our collective prosperity as a successful Edmonton metropolitan region.”
“We are proud of the collaborative spirit we’ve fostered both through the annexation process and the signing of this Accord,” said Leduc County Mayor John Whaley. “Regional collaboration is our greatest strength and is critical for the success of regional assets such as EIA. This partnership seeks to build on EIA’s position within the region’s economic and social fabric.”
“As EIA expands, it’s clear that its growth and prosperity are interconnected with growth and prosperity in the Edmonton metropolitan region,” said Leduc Mayor Greg Krischke. “This partnership adopts the true spirit of regional collaboration and is a crucial component to our overall competitiveness, whether at home or abroad – it’s about attracting jobs and investment to the entire region.”
“EIA is an integral part of the region's economy. We benefit from an excellent long-term relationship with all surrounding municipalities, something that has helped support an impressive track record of sustained passenger growth over the long-term, seven consecutive years of cargo growth and more than $750 million in commercial investment by EIA and our private industry partners,” said Tom Ruth, President and CEO of Edmonton International Airport. “As a not-for-profit entity that is mandated to drive economic growth for our region, we are committed to creating jobs, generating economic development and building relationships that will benefit all parties for many years to come. It is essential for us to work with partners who recognize and appreciate what EIA needs in order to achieve this regional mandate and provide the best travel experience for our passengers.”
The Inter-Jurisdiction Cooperation Accord prioritizes EIA as a key regional and provincial economic engine, and seeks to ensure decisions made about service provision, transportation linkages, infrastructure and land use planning are undertaken in a way that maximizes the airport’s role. The accord recognizes the essential role that EIA plays and sets even higher goals for cooperation – on costs and benefits – as it continues attracting more flights to more places and driving huge economic benefit for the Edmonton metropolitan region.
This Accord, which includes EIA as a full partner, creates a new model of inter-jurisdiction collaboration that starts from a premise of shared costs for shared benefits, recognizing that all parties benefit from EIA’s success. By prioritizing this success, the parties will not only contribute to the economic prosperity of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region but will also have the potential to set a new standard for such collaborations in the future.
