An Edmonton-area bedroom community is hoping a new innovation park will spur economic development. The mayor of the City of Beaumont, located just south of Edmonton east of Highway 2, says the park is expected to attract investment from the health sciences, technology and safety sectors, while creating long-term economic opportunities for the city and region. “I believe once this starts to get going, it’s going to have a spin-off effect of other investors wanting to come in, other complementary businesses and organizations that want to come alongside,” Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak said Friday during a media availability outside city hall, where the province announced it will invest $38.5 million over three years in a proposed safety campus for the Alberta Motor Transport Association. “It’s going to open up opportunity for jobs (and) for more opportunities for investment.” The provincial funding will cover the construction of roads, underground infrastructure and utilities on the 160-acre site in Beaumont’s southeast corner, south of Highway 625 between Highway 814 and Range Road 241. The proposed safety campus, which would provide specialized training for commercial transportation workers and law enforcement, is being positioned as the innovation park’s anchor tenant. A construction start date has not yet been set. Beaumont council has been working to diversify the city’s tax base, which remains largely residential. With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Jeremy Thompson
