By Leah Murray

Business community buzzing with news of major development

Apr 18, 2018 | 5:43 PM

MEDICINE HAT – The Medicine Hat Chamber of Commerce says local businesses are excited about a major new development in the city.

Aurora Cannabis is planning to build the worlds largest medicinal marijuana productions and processing facility.

It will create an estimated 700 construction jobs and 450 permanent positions, and the potential for future expansion.

“A city is going to prosper when there’s growth, a growth at this level is awesome,” said Chamber president Perry Deering.

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There’s no estimate on the economic impact for the city, but with Aurora investing over $130 million dollars, the impacts are expected to be far reaching.

“The economic benefit of all these trades in here for over a year, with hotels and restaurants and all the beautiful things in Medicine Hat, it’s going to be a good experience for you,” said Terry Booth, CEO of Aurora Cannabis.

Deering agrees and said even small business is expected to benefit.

“Right from home building to small convenience stores, it’s a ripple in the water,” he said.

With the job creation, the City of Medicine Hat expects that there will be people moving to the city for work. The Medicine Hat Real Estate Board said that could give a boost to the real estate and rental markets.

“Even the attitude that people have that things are happening in Medicine Hat, is a great plus for our housing market,” said President Tim Seitz. “Just for people buying different houses, bigger houses and investing, it’s really exciting.”

Aurora is the second big announcement in the last month. In March, Hut 8 announced it’s opening a $100 million bit coin mining operation that will create an estimated 42 permanent positions in the city.

Invest Medicine Hat said they have another two companies involved in the final stages of negotiation. One is a manufacturing business, the other deals with petrochemicals.

Business instructor Glen Allan said part of the reason the city has attracted these developments is because the city owns it’s own utilities and can offer better deals on things like power.

“We have a competitive advantage in terms of sunshine, low cost electricity and cheap land,” Allan explained. “If you’re lower cost or can provide services that other jurisdictions can’t, yeah you’re the [place to be].”