For more information:
Tourism Development
Opportunities in
Rocky Mountain House, Alberta...
Agency Support:
• Alberta Tourism, Parks and
Recreation: www.tpr.alberta.ca
• Alberta Hotel and Lodging
Association: www.ahla.ca
• Travel Alberta Canada:
www1.travelalberta.com
• Travel Nordegg:
www.travelnordegg.com
• The Cowboy Trail:
www.thecowboytrail.com
Contact Information:
Dean Schweder,
Tourism & Economic Development Coordinator
Town of Rocky Mountain House
Box 1509
Rocky Mountain House, AB T4T 1B2
Ph:403-847-5260
Fx:403-845-1835
[email protected]
www.rockymtnhouse.com
www.whereadventurebegins.com
There is an opportunity for tourism related investments
in the West Country near Rocky Mountain House. This
area, known as the David Thompson Tourism Corridor,
has mountain ranges, emerald lakes, and wilderness
that rival Alberta’s other mountain resort areas.
With high visitation rates, a strong and growing
cluster of tourism amenities, and capacity for
further development, the Corridor is emerging as
Alberta’s next tourism destination of choice.
Opportunities identified include:
Campgrounds and/or RV Resorts
Accommodation facilities
such as lodges, rustic
four-season/ upscale resorts
Market Opportunity:
• Campers alone account for over 140,000 visitors annually to
the Rocky Mountain House area. Along the David Thompson
Highway, there are nearly 30 hotel/motel/resort facilities
in addition to about 50 campgrounds with 1,500 individual
campsites. Random camping on public land is also popular
in the West Country near Rocky Mountain House.
• Tourism numbers peak in the summer; several campgrounds
operate at 80% plus occupancy during the summer months.
Numbers remain steady in the fall, compared to other areas
of the province, due to hunting activity in the region.
• Over 2,000 acres of land is available for development in the
David Thompson Corridor. The developable land is available
in the region’s four nodes, which have been designated for
tourism and recreation development: Whitegoat Lakes,
Bighorn Canyon, Shunda/ Goldeye, and Sauders/ Alexo. The
opportunity to lease public land for tourism development
exists at all four nodes. See: http://tpr.alberta.ca/tourism/
tourismdevelopment/landdevelopment/default.aspx
• Over the past 5 years, recreational property lots in nearby Nordegg
sold very quickly with the demand exceeding the number offered.
• Rocky Mountain House’s central location is within a 120
minute drive to the majority of Albertans. According to the
Economic Impact of Tourism Study prepared for the Town
of Sylvan Lake (2006) a mere 60km from Rocky Mountain
House, 89% of visitors are from Alberta. Central Albertans
account for 33% of visitors, 22% are from the Greater
Edmonton area, and 18% are from Calgary and area.
• According to the Alberta Recreational Vehicle Campground Study
(2001) 37.5% of camping visitation nights in person nights
were to Central Alberta followed by 29.2% to Alberta’s Rockies.
Rocky Mountain House is part of the Central Alberta Tourist
Destination Region and borders the Alberta Rockies region.
Competition:
There is significant competition from more developed areas
in Alberta e.g. Canmore, Banff, Jasper, MD of Crowsnest
Pass. However, the West Country has a unique positioning
as being more rustic and natural and less developed.
• Relatively few barriers exist for new competition.
• Competitive advantage can be achieved through location
(near water or mountain vistas), amenities (resort style
with pools/ trails/ golf course/ activities for kids etc.),
and connection to other existing tourism infrastructure
such as popular sites, trails, hiking areas, etc.
Current campground and resort providers in the region include:
»» Aurum Lodge: www.aurumlodge.com
»» Camp n Fun: www.thecowboytrail.com/campfun.html
»» Cheechako Cabins: www.cheechakocabins.com
»» David Thompson Resort: www.davidthompsonresort.com
»» Frontier Lodge: www.frontierlodge.ca
»» Goldeye Centre: www.goldeye.org
»» HeLa Ventures: www.helaventures.com
»» Outwest Camping and RV Park: www.outwestcamping.com
»» Pioneer Ranch: http://pioneercamps.ab.ca
»» Prairie Creek Inn: www.theprairiecreekinn.com
»» Riverview Campground: www.riverview-campground.com
»» The Centre for Outdoor Education: www.coe.ca
»» Tudor Country Cottages: www.tudorcountrycottages.com
»» Wilderness Village: www.wildernessvillage.ca
RV Resorts in Central Alberta include:
»» Coyote Creek Golf and RV Resort (Sundre):
www.coyotecreekresort.ca
»» Gleniffer Lake Resort & Country Club
(Innisfail): www.mylakeresort.com
»» Carefree Resort, Gleniffer Lake (Innisfail):
www.carefreeresort.com
»» Whispering Pines Golf and Country Club Resort
(Pine Lake): www.whisperingpines.ab.ca
Investment:
In the tourism development nodes, annual land leasing costs
are $450 for the first acre, $50 per acre for next 2-5 acres,
and $10 per acre after 5 acres. For example, an annual lease
on a 10 acre parcel is $700 per year. Most leases are 25 year
terms. Some land purchase opportunities may be available.
Minimum Standards for Approved Campgrounds available
through the Alberta Hotel and Lodging Association
(www.ahla.ca). Minimum standards for serviced sites include:
Set-up costs include: planning/surveying land,
clearing trees, creating roads/sites, structures (e.g.
administration and maintenance buildings, washroom
facilities), and utility infrastructure (electricity,
water, waste water, etc.). Recreational facilities such
as pools, equestrian areas, etc. are additional.
• Service and auxiliary buildings
Operating costs include: Staffing, maintenance
vehicles, utilities, septic/sewer.
• Electrical services
Estimated cost for RV site with power and water: $3,000/site.
• Maintenance
»» Raymond Shores on Gull Lake: www.raymondshores.com
Tourism Assets:
Natural scenery and attractions which include: majestic
mountains, lakes, rivers, streams, waterfalls, picturesque
valleys, forests, and an abundance of wildlife. Wildlife includes:
bighorn sheep, mountain goats, deer, moose, elk, and sport
fish. The West Country is popular for hunting, camping, fishing,
hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking, snowmobiling,
cross-country skiing, and ATVing/off-road driving.
Rocky Mountain House is rich in history and the
Town and neighbouring community of Nordegg
are home to two National Historic sites:
• Rocky Mountain House National Historic Site
• Nordegg Brazeau Colleries Industrial Minesite Museum
The David Thompson Highway is Central Alberta’s gateway
to the Rocky Mountains. As a less traveled route to into
the Banff and Jasper National Parks, unique opportunities
abound for backcountry camping and hiking, wildlife viewing,
and other adventures in the unspoiled wilderness.
Numerous provincial parks and recreation areas and reserves
in Central Alberta including: Cow Lake, Crimson Lake, Ram
Falls, Crescent Falls, Kootenay Plains Ecological Reserve,
Abraham Lake, Jackfish Lake, and Goldeye Lake.
The North Saskatchewan River Park, at Rocky
Mountain House, is a potential future tourism asset.
The Rocky Mountain House Airshow, which features
Canada’s famous air demonstration team, The
Snowbirds, attracted 9,000 spectators in 2008.
Standards:
Natural scenery and attractions which
include: majestic mountains, lakes, rivers,
streams, waterfalls, picturesque valleys,
forests, and an abundance of wildlife.
Site & Utility Needs:
Standard housing utilities (power, water, sewer).
Exercise facility/recreational room, eating/
canteen area, swimming pool/hot tub/sauna,
and ATV staging area may be included.
The West Country has a unique
positioning as being more rustic
and natural and less developed.
• Site planning and improvements
• Roadways, walkways, lighting
• Washroom fixture requirements
• Water supply and sewage disposal
• Hot water demand rate allowances
• Refuse handling and disposal
• Playgrounds
Standards for RV Parks and Campgrounds available through
the Recreational Vehicle Industry Association (RVIA):
www.rvia.org
Information on Land Planning and Regulatory
Approvals may be found at:
http://tpr.alberta.ca/tourism/tourismdevelopment/
landdevelopment/default.aspx
If developing a commercial tourism or recreation facility
on public lands, the Alberta Tourism Recreational
Leasing process (ATRL) will assist. See:
http://tpr.alberta.ca/tourism/tourismdevelopment/
landdevelopment/docs/atrl.pdf