Water supply and transportation system to be reviewed in light of McCain’s plans to double Alberta processor’s capacity
McCain Foods is making a huge splash in Alberta’s burgeoning potato sector with its largest ever investment, which is expected to double the size of the processing facility near Coaldale.
“The development in Alberta marks our largest global investment in our 65-year history, totalling $600 million while underscoring our commitment to the future of agriculture and innovation in Canada,” said Max Koeune, president of McCain Foods, in a statement. “This will fuel continued growth for the business, allowing us to serve key markets further by bringing customers high-quality potatoes that begin with our dedicated local farming community.”
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The expansion will include wind turbines and solar panels to provide all the facility’s power needs while utilizing biogas for steam boilers.
In addition to doubling the facility’s processing capacity, the plant is expected to see an additional 260 jobs on top of the 225 that already exist there.
Lethbridge County Reeve Tory Campbell characterized the expansion as a huge win for producers, the municipality, region and province.
While McCain’s Coaldale plant secured water rights for the expansion more than 20 years ago and piggybacked water conveyance infrastructure from increased needs in Coaldale, more projects will be needed to convey water in the future.
“We’re going to have to again go through that infrastructure process of making sure we can supply them the water they need to process those potatoes,” said Campbell.
The plant uses 3.8 million litres of water per day, which is expected to double. Waste-water requirements also must be addressed, along with additional impact on transportation infrastructure.
There is also going to be an impact on transportation infrastructure, he added.
“It’s something we’re obviously going to be bringing up with the province and continue to stress the help we need to ensure that we can get those goods to market,” said Campbell.
“This is Canada’s premier food corridor with our partners who are involved with the CPSC (Canadian Pulse and Special Crops Trade Association). I think we’d love to see this corridor take off and be that agri-food processing hub for Canada.”
With agri-food processing plants becoming more dependent on internet, that infrastructure will also need to be addressed.
Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn calls the proposed project a big win for southern Alberta.
“Having a significant employer like McCain’s on Coaldale’s doorstep brings a number of important spinoffs to our community,” he said. “This expansion will benefit our retail and service sectors, supportive industries like trades and manufacturing and our housing developments.”
The expansion will also move forward the economic development goals in southern Alberta, including the development of a food-processing corridor between Medicine Hat and Lethbridge.
McCain has operated the Coaldale facility since 2000. It expects to begin the expansion project later this year.
