The Business Retention and Expansion - Industry Specific program, also known as BREIS, marks a departure from traditional business retention and expansion assessments. Instead of taking a broad approach, we're diving deep into one industry at a time. Our intention with BREIS is to gain a deeper understanding of the current state of key sectors in our region by gathering data through surveys and business visitations as we aim to build relationships and stronger ties with our business community, cultivate industry specific benchmarking and actionable data, and develop projects that will help support the industry’s sustained growth and success over the long term.

The City of Medicine Hat, in partnership with other municipalities and organizations in the region, is conducting an employer survey for Medicine Hat and the surrounding area. Applications Management Consulting Ltd. has been contracted to conduct the employer survey on behalf of the City. The purpose of this survey is to collect pertinent, up-to-date, and precise labor market information from diverse organizations within the region, focusing on their employment practices, challenges, and needs.

As part of a 2024 Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) grant, the City of Medicine Hat, along with partner municipalities the Village of Foremost, the Towns of Bow Island and Redcliff, the County of Forty Mile, and Cypress County, were awarded with $200,000 to secure funding to develop a comprehensive, five-year regional economic development strategy. Our goal is to align the efforts among municipalities, stakeholders, and partners, optimizing business attraction, retention, and expansion opportunities across our region.