Calgary and neighbouring Rocky View County have formalized a new step toward building what municipal leaders hope will be one of Canada’s largest inland trade, logistics and manufacturing hubs.
Partnership aims to move project from design to construction
The memorandum of understanding signed this week links the City of Calgary, Rocky View County and the Canada Infrastructure Bank (CIB). Officials say the agreement is intended to speed the Prairie Economic Gateway from engineering and planning into actual construction activity near the city’s southeast limits.
The project, commonly described as an "inland port," would occupy roughly 1,300 acres along 114 Avenue S.E. and be anchored by the Canadian Pacific Kansas City rail network. Proponents contend it will be a major regional node for trade, logistics and manufacturing once complete.
- Parties to the MOU: City of Calgary, Rocky View County, Canada Infrastructure Bank
- Planned site footprint: 1,300 acres on Calgary’s southeast edge
- Rail anchor: Canadian Pacific Kansas City (CPKC)
The MOU establishes a framework for the three organisations to assess the commercial, technical and financial feasibility of public off‑site infrastructure required to enable future development on the site. That work is a prerequisite to moving toward detailed design and the construction stage.
“This is about moving from regional potential into coordinated action,”
said Oyin Shyllon, the City of Calgary’s project manager for Prairie Economic Gateway, in comments reported by Global News. The city previously signed an earlier MOU with the CIB in early 2025 to explore the bank’s potential participation.
Investor due diligence and regional coordination
Rocky View County officials described the CIB as a critical partner for investor confidence. Ben Manshanden, the county’s manager of intergovernmental services and economic development, said the bank’s expertise represents the "gold standard" of due diligence.
“I characterize it as the gold standard of due diligence that would allow all parties the comfort they would need to proceed,”
The bank’s involvement does not, by itself, commit public funds to construction. Rather, it creates a process for evaluating how public off‑site infrastructure — roads, services and connections to rail and highways — could be funded and delivered to unlock private development on the site.
For Calgary taxpayers and area landowners, that distinction matters. Public infrastructure costs for large greenfield logistics projects can be substantial, and municipal leaders must still decide how to allocate responsibility for costs, timing and permitting as project plans firm up.
Economic implications for Calgary and region
Planners and business advocates argue a successful Prairie Economic Gateway would boost Calgary’s capacity to capture growing Western Canadian trade flows and create a clustering effect for manufacturing, warehousing and distribution. Anchoring the site to the CPKC rail network is part of the argument for regional competitiveness.
At the same time, the scale of the site — more than a thousand acres adjacent to Calgary’s municipal boundary — raises questions about land use transitions, municipal servicing and traffic impacts along key corridors. Those matters will be central as the feasibility work under the MOU proceeds.
The MOU signals momentum, but it is an intermediate step: the parties will now evaluate commercial, technical and financial matters before any commitment to construction. The timeframe for that work and the nature of future funding agreements were not released with the announcement.
| Stakeholder | Role under MOU |
|---|---|
| City of Calgary | Local planning, approvals, coordination |
| Rocky View County | Regional coordination, economic development partnership |
| Canada Infrastructure Bank | Financial and technical feasibility assessments; investor due diligence |
For Calgarians watching the city’s economic recovery and diversification, the Prairie Economic Gateway is being pitched as a long‑term bet on trade and value‑added industry. The MOU with the CIB shifts the conversation from concept to concrete evaluation — a move municipal leaders say will clarify costs, risks and timelines for the community.
As the parties undertake detailed feasibility work, residents and regional stakeholders should expect further public updates on funding models, environmental assessments and municipal servicing plans that will determine whether the vision will become reality.
