Town of Penhold

Penhold’s location and access to Alberta’s busiest highway (QEII) is midway between Edmonton and Calgary and only 5 minutes from the City of Red Deer has excellent rail access and a business-friendly attitude to take your business and life to the next level.  

Business in Penhold

Modern community facilities including schools, recreation centres, paved pathways and pump track/skate parks add to the convenience and charm of small-town living.  New home buyers can take advantage of a municipal tax reduction for the purchase of new homes while businesses enjoy being connected to fellow entrepreneurs through regular business networking get togethers.

Home based businesses flourish in Penhold as the Town provides cooperative advertising and shares information on grant referral programs to ensure that business owners take full advantage of supports that are available for their operations here 

If you need help starting your business check out: 

BizPal is a collection of information assembled by the Province of Alberta which will tell perspective business owners what information/permits they will need from all levels of government - a one stop shopping list.

For additional economic information, refer to the following: 

Town of Penhold Potential Development Areas

Town of Penhold Commercial/Industrial Overview

Town of Penhold Community Profile

Town of Penhold Future Land Use 

Town of Penhold 2021 Competitive Land Analysis

Town of Penhold 2021 Off-site Levy Report

For more information contact info@townofpenhold.ca.

 Transportation

Penhold holds a unique advantage of being centrally located 10 kms south of Red Deer and 4 kms south of the Red Deer Regional Airport. Penhold parallels the QEII and the CP Rail line providing access to major urban centres. 

Neighbouring Communities within 30 minutes proximity

Canadian Grants Business Centre

Canadian Grants Business Center helps small and medium businesses with Government grants, loans, subsidies and financing assistance needs.

Don't be overwhelmed by the information at your disposal. CGBC makes sense of all the information available and will point you in the right direction.

Canadian Grants Business Center educates Canadians on funding programs that are offered through Government services that most businesses are unaware of. We can show you what funding programs, subsidies, and government grants are available and how to go about obtaining them. There are programs in many forms of Government grants, loans, subsidies and resources which you can apply for and many "never have to be paid back!"

CGBC, let our highly trained counselors act on your behalf by aiding you in your endeavor of researching all funding possibilities to meet your business needs. Committing ourselves to enable Canadian entrepreneurs to enjoy the successful financial freedom they deserve! The Government sets aside Billions yearly to inspire the Canadian dream and to enhance the economy.

Digital Economy Program grant

Set yourself up for digital success. Learn how to use and operate essential digital tools to help your small business succeed in today's competitive environment.

Receive professional support - get paired with a digital marketing consultant, free of charge! Learn new skills, master digital tools, and take your business online.

Put your business on the map - get support setting up your Google My Business profile! Add your business to Google Maps. Let thousands of people know you exist.

Build your social media presence - get your products and services in front of millions of social media users worldwide! Develop a social media plan. Start getting followers, likes, and comments.

Why Penhold?

Penhold is a vibrant family oriented community nestled between the QEII HWY and HWY2A just south of Red Deer, AB. As per 2021, Alberta Treasury Board, Penhold's population is 4,037 and growing. Our growing commercial sector makes it simple for residents to shop local. Local merchants include grocery store, pharmacy, medical clinic, dentist, veterinary clinic, bank, coffee shops, restaurants, fast food retailers, hardware store, gas stations, hair salons, convenience stores, liquor and cannabis retailers. 

Welcome to Penhold

Penhold Brief Overview

Penhold, A Great Place to Call Home

Quality of Life

Penhold is a great place to call home. Our vision is to provide a vibrant, thriving and welcoming community while working together to support positive growth to create a safe and healthy environment. Opportunities await for those seeking small town connection with large centre amenities like quality K-12 education, accessible walking trails, playgrounds, including an inclusive accessible playground, splash park and outdoor recreation areas catering to active lifestyles. The Penhold Regional Multiplex offers a bright, spacious Fitness Centre, indoor walking track, arena, gymnasium and meeting rooms alongside the Town Office and the Penhold and District Library. Situated on the Multiplex Recreational Lands is a 67-unit, fullyserviced RV Park, ball diamond, soccer pitches, and Pump Track/Skate Park. Further development of the area in 2022/2023 will see trails, a concession area, washrooms, gazebo, lighting, and gathering space.

Amenities

* RV Park

The Penhold RV Park is located adjacent to the Regional Multiplex. There are 67 fully serviced sites for you to choose from, lots of room for tenting and 80 plus acres of land for
recreational play.

The Town of Penhold RV Sani Dump is also located at the Penhold Regional Multiplex for convenient use on your way home from the Penhold RV Park.  Cost for sani dump is $5 for Penhold residents, $10 per visitors. Sani dump accepts credit card & token payment only. 

This campground is equipped with a washhouse, shower and laundry facilities for your convenience. Each campsite has a picnic table, and 20 of the sites have fire pits. Power outlets range from 30 - 50 amps.

Only a 10 minute walk from a grocery store, liquor store, restaurants, and other shopping opportunities. Local recreation areas include splash park, pump track/skate park, ball diamonds, playgrounds, and walking trails.

Reservations:

An affordable, secure, online reservation platform has been selected for reserving a campsite at our RV Park. This online system will be our primary source for reserving individual campsites though out the camping season. You will need to create a traveler account in order to make a reservation online.

Reservations for the annual camping season, May to September can be completed by visiting: Camp Reservations. The online system accepts Visa/Mastercard and American Express. A valid email address is required in order to receive your electronic reservation confirmation and receipt.

 Education (Kindergarten - Grade 12; Chinook's Edge School Division)

Jessie Duncan: Pre-K - Grade 3

Penhold Elementary: Grades 4 - 6

Penhold Crossing: Grades 7 - 12

Town of Penhold Schools

Fire & Protective Services

 Penhold Fire Department

The Penhold Fire Department is apprised of highly dedicated and trained personnel who volunteer, and are proud to be part of Alberta’s emergency services team. We respond to all fire, rescue, and medical emergencies in Penhold and outlined mutual aid areas. Even though we are volunteers we are a full service fire rescue department and receive an honourarium for training time and time spent on emergency calls.

Our core responsibilities include fires, (structural, vehicle, grass etc.) rescues (vehicle accidents, ice/water, industrial/work place etc.), medical (trauma or sickness), fire prevention (business and home inspections on request), public education (school visits, special events, parades, fire hall tours etc.) fire code enforcement, hazardous material incidents, and natural disasters.

We exist under the authority of the Town of Penhold and operate using a rank structure. The Fire Chief manages the department and delegates tasks to his/her officers and front line firefighters. Currently the department consists of 30 members on the qualified list: 1 Fire Chief, 1 Deputy Fire Chief, 1 Assistant Deputy Fire Chief, 2 Captains, 4 Lieutenants, 18 Firefighters, and 3 Probationary Fire Fighters.

In partnership with ATCO, we offer a Fire Cadet program, Futures on Fire, where students at Penhold Crossing School can join. These cadets commit hours of training and volunteer time and often become volunteer fire fighters.

Our department does not only protect the town, but we also work in conjunction with other departments in our vicinity. Penhold entered into mutual aid agreements with both Red Deer County and Innisfail which sees support and sharing of resources at any time. We are very proud of these partnerships and believe they ensure the best service and responses available for residents and people situated within the designated areas.

We thive on community engagement and take every opportunity to serve the community at town events, fundraisers, and Spray Days in the summer. 

Penhold Community Peace Officers

The main objective of Peace Officers is to enforce Provincial Statutes of Alberta, as per their appointment, as well as municipal bylaws to ensure the safety of local citizens and property throughout the municipality. 

The Town of Penhold’s Community Peace Officers (CPOs) are committed to serving and protecting the Town of Penhold and its residents. The Peace Officers are permitted to enforce by witness complaint, observation of the  infraction or direction from another agency.

Community Peace Officers are appointed by Alberta’s Solicitor General and Ministry of Public Security under the Alberta Peace Officers Act to enforce Provincial Legislation and Municipal Legislation within the Town of Penhold. 

The Town employs two Community Peace Officers, who strive to establish relationships with town residents and businesses, provide public education and resources and enforce regulations as required. 

Peace Officer duties and responsibilities include, but are not limited to, encouraging, educating, and enforcing compliance of Provincial Statutes (Traffic Safety act, Gaming and Liquor Act, Trespassing Act, etc…) and local legislation (Bylaws – Traffic, Land Use, Community Standards, Utility, such as excessive noise, parking infractions, unsightly premises, etc.).

Peace Officers work closely with a number of other agencies, RCMP/Police services / EMS / Fire and other Peace Officers in the province for joint operations/events and training. The enforcement carried out by the Peace Officers is recognized as supplemental to, and not a replacement for, the police service. 

Our Peace Officers provide the following programs:
* Town of Penhold Bike Rodeo * Streetwise
* Graffiti Hurts Everyone * Halloween
* Safe & Secure Vehicles * Speed Awareness
* Toys for Kids  * Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design

To report animal abuse or neglect, please contact the SPCA at 1.800.455.9003 or https://cahumane.com

Penhold & District Library

Established in 1981 Penhold & District Library has gone from a humble 340 square foot space to 6,230 square feet in the Penhold Multiplex.  By 2009, the Penhold & District Library was again experiencing the need for growth as the walls were literally bursting with resources and the building was a hub of activity offering programming for youth, young families and working and retired adults. The Library collection included 11,733 resources serving a membership of 696 individuals in of a community of 2,114.  It had successfully connected with the community and was making a difference in creating a healthy neighbourhood in fulfillment of its motto “Fun for the Whole Family.”

The current chapter in the Penhold & District Library’s history is being written in the Penhold Regional Multiplex.  The Library expanded to 6,230 square feet of space when it relocated to the southwest corner of the multiplex facility in July 2010.

The new home boasts a warm and welcoming environment with a fireplace lounge, comfortable seating, a program room for activities and a media centre with a large screen
television and a Wii. In addition to fiction and non-fiction books for children and adults, the Library collection includes DVD’s, magazines, large print and audio books and newspapers. This reality was made possible by cooperation between the Town of Penhold Council and the Town of Penhold Library Board through the joint recognition and commitment to the value of library services to the community and district. In 2014 the Library expanded further, providing public library service to Penhold Crossing Secondary School.

Our Library offers many adult interest programs including: Book Clubs, Seminars, Crafts, Soups & Simmers and Emergency Preparedness. Our children and family programs are always filled well before programs start. Examples of programs are: preschool literacy and music, celebrations, gym & story time, Mother’s and Father’s Day crafts, family games and Community Christmas.

The Library builds partnerships with the Town of Penhold by holding programs that compliment each other and support events such as Fall Festival; FCSS and Community Services; Red Deer County in order to provide literacy and family programs to our rural families. Our Library is integral to the cultural and social life of the community.

Libraries are important cornerstones of a healthy community. Penhold & District Library focuses on providing effective service to all citizens of Penhold and region by connecting people of the community through programming, partnerships and the efficient use of resources.

 Penhold & District Library is passionate about community, literacy and lifelong learning.

 New Home Buyer Incentive Program runs until December 2023 and offers a reduction on Municipal Property Taxes for new home buyers. Check out a great variety of homes from one of the local builders offering homes in the new developments of Hawkridge Estates, Oxford Landing and The Palisades.

Check out our New Home Buyer Incentive Program  and many other reasons why Penhold is a great place to call home.

Penhold’s Economic Strategy

Smart and sustainable economic growth is one of Penhold’s biggest priorities.  This starts with the creation of supportive tax and development policies that attract and retain businesses that serve the local and regional economy.  

Economic Benefits of Moving to Penhold

Penhold has a growing population that increasingly relies on local business initiatives to meet the market needs of residents while also serving the growing business to business markets in commercial and industrial development.

Future opportunities will also have close ties to strategic links to transportation including proximity to the QEII highway and the main Canadian Pacific rail service. 

Opportunity Identification

Penhold has good potential for the development of future retail, hospitality, alternative energy, residential housing, construction, aerospace, support services, vertical farming, logistics and transportation businesses.

Direct contact of businesses within these sectors will increase awareness about Penhold while laying the foundation of future investment. This is an active process.  The Town has been engaging with businesses within Alberta and across Canada to provide information about the advantages of locating in Penhold.

Additional information gained through these discussions will qualify investment interest levels.

Business Expansion and Retention

Knowing that 80% of local business is grown from within, means that the Town of Penhold pays close attention to the needs of local businesses by checking-in with business owners and managers regularly and making sure that businesses are aware of grants to provincial and federal government grants that assist with various aspects of their operation and expansion. 

Business Networking

When people regularly connect, the result is not just a sense of better connectedness, but often results in the sharing of ideas and opportunities amongst fellow entrepreneurs.  An interest in regular (quarterly) business networking events is a great way for businesses to share success with their colleagues while exchanging information that can lead to future business opportunities.     

Investment Attraction 

The development of various Business Cases for Investment makes it possible to present messaging around the general benefits of establishing certain business types in Penhold. Discussion about the “right” businesses should occur regularly so that investors have a good awareness of the best opportunities to consider early in the process.   In Penhold, examples may include Microbreweries, niche agricultural processing and any other “gaps”in the local market  that could be served as the population continues to grow or other gaps in the regional market that are not being met elsewhere.

Tourism and Special Events

Penhold has several important community special events throughout the year that attract the attention of locals and friends from other parts of Central Alberta and elsewhere. These events also provide opportunities to showcase the excellent community recreation facilities that are available in Penhold and the high quality of life that is enjoyed by residents.  When Penhold hosts visitors, it’s a great opportunity to introduce new people to what we have to offer.  Tourists get a first taste of what it’s like in a new place and if they like what they see, they may have future thoughts about living in a new community.  This is one more value that special events bring to communities that are good hosts.