The Mayor of the town of Drumheller, Alberta, Heather Colberg is truly invested in the betterment of her community. Nearing the end of her second term, Mayor Colberg reflects less on her achievements and more on the Administration members who have played a crucial role in laying the groundwork for the future. After eight years, her passion for Drumheller remains as strong as ever.
“I can’t even put it into words,” said Mayor Colberg to the Drumheller Mail when she was first elected in October 2017 in a landslide. “It’s such a surreal feeling. I wanted the best job in Drumheller, and I got it.” She secured a second win in 2021, and the next municipal election will be held this October.
Saying that she didn’t have an agenda when she was first elected into office, Mayor Colberg—who comes from an entrepreneurial family—immediately tapped into her business skills, people skills, and years of community involvement to make Drumheller an ideal place to live, do business, and become “the Cleanest, Friendliest, Most Sought-After Community in Alberta,” Every day she strives to reach this vision.
And it seems all her efforts, and those of the Town’s six councillors and staff, are paying off.
“I was actually giving back on behalf of my family,” says Mayor Colberg. “We are all part of this incredible adventure, and I can say I have the best job in the valley, and I truly do. What we have set up for the future of this community—this Administration, and these past two Councils—is a great roadmap, so there are things in place for the next five years. We set the future up for great success, and that’s the one thing I’m most proud of.”
Past meets present
For decades, coal mining was the area’s main economic driver and made Drumheller what it is today. Active from 1936 until its closure in 1979, the Atlas Coal Mine is today a National Historic Site. Welcoming thousands of visitors annually, the mine—Canada’s most complete historic mine and home to the nation’s last remaining standing coal tipple —is famous for its exciting tours and exhibitions.
In addition, last year saw the reopening of the Star Mine Suspension Bridge. Originally built for coal miners in 1931, the 383-foot-long (117 m) pedestrian bridge is an important part of the area’s history.
An enormously popular tourist destination, Drumheller boasts the historic mine and many other attractions. The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is the country’s sole museum dedicated to studying ancient life and has a massive collection of over 160,000 catalogued fossils. Standing high above the Drumheller Valley is Tyra, the world’s biggest dinosaur. Measuring 86 feet (25 m) tall and 151 feet (46 m) in length, Tyra is big enough to hold a dozen people at once in their formidable jaw.
“We pride ourselves on being the ‘Dinosaur Capital of the World,’” says Drumheller’s Manager of Economic Development, Reg Johnston. “That started with the Royal Tyrrell Museum, a world-class museum that continues to add exhibits.” To promote the area, the Town works closely with Travel Drumheller and Travel Alberta.
Not to be outdone, Drumheller is also home to the Badlands Amphitheatre. Better known as the Badlands Amp, it remains Canada’s largest outdoor stage. On a site spanning over 400 acres (1.62 square km), it is home to rock and classical concerts, and events like the Roots, Blues & Barbecue festival, the Badlands LightFest complete with fireworks, and many more.
“We are so full in the summer that we swell from 8,000 people to a million, and we are trying to encourage people to our shoulder seasons because we are so blessed to be as congested as we are in the summer,” says Mayor Colberg, adding that one out of every 6.7 jobs in the region is related to tourism.
A place to grow
With a population of 8,430 and rising, the Town of Drumheller is fast becoming popular with new residents and businesses alike. In 2017, the Town had 171 listings on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service); this past December, there were just 26 houses for sale.
“It’s a sellers’ market now,” says Johnston. “Our current vacancy rate for rentals is under one percent. We’ve been working hard on housing strategy for about two years, trying to encourage new building, and have seen lots of growth.” Today, it isn’t uncommon to see bidding wars and prospective buyers making sight unseen offers.
“People really want to live here,” adds Communications Officer, Erica Crocker. “We’ve had young couples and families move out of city centres to our Valley to increase their quality of life. They purchase these homes with smaller mortgages and can transform them into the home of their dreams.”
The cost of living is also lower than that of larger centres like the cities of Chestermere and Calgary, which are only an hour to an hour and a half away. Indeed, affordability, accessibility, reduced congestion, and a laid-back, stress-free lifestyle are just some reasons why young and old alike are coming to the area. Seniors are coming for the many amenities, including a first-class hospital with a cancer clinic and dialysis, a golf course suitable for older persons, and the Drumheller Pioneer Trail Senior Centre for persons 50 and over.
Stating publicly that there is a need for developments like condos or townhouses designed for people to transition out of their homes, the Town of Drumheller is also making way for future development. This includes cleaning up the site of an old hospital, the former public works yard, and an old school.
The Mayor and Council are specific on who they want to build on these lots, since tax dollars paid for the property and clean-up. “We want to make sure that anything that goes there is very dense,” states Mayor Colberg. “We want the right investors and builders to develop the sites.”
Setting the stage for business
The area is home to two business parks, the Rosedale Industrial Park Subdivision—for which the Town is a developer—and Hy Grade Industrial Park. Both have seen plenty of momentum, with vacancies under five percent. Recently, two businesses, including an energy sector company, purchased lots in Hy Grade for development.
“Once we’ve got an established business in our industrial areas, they tend to stick around quite a long time,” says Crocker. “Our tax rates for businesses are competitive, and we have some incentives for new development as well. Drumheller is a thriving and wonderful community with a lot of family-operated businesses, and people who are not from the area fall in love with its charm and plant roots. We don’t see a massive turnover in our industrial areas; once they are here, they stick around, which is amazing.”
In Drumheller, business retention is not an issue. The Town is home to a hotel headquarters, a strong manufacturing sector including a plastics cluster, a transportation and logistics company, agriculture, energy sector companies, and many others, all providing a steady and diverse employment base. And much like the historic downtown area, vacancy rates are low because of strong demand.
Two years ago, Drumheller embarked on a major downtown revitalization and is now almost midway through the five-year plan, which will include a five-star hotel targeting the discerning traveller. “Over the past two councils, we have set the groundwork to get everything into play and programs ready to go,” says Mayor Colberg. “There are exciting years ahead, that’s for sure.”
Planning for the future, the downtown revitalization coincides with an $80 million flood mitigation program and the Rails to Trails project. The downtown and area improvements, which include beautifying roads into the valley, erecting new signage, and cleaning up derelict buildings, will be the culmination of all these efforts, and this summer will also see the connection of a major highway to the downtown core.
Harmony of life
At 108 square kilometres total (41.5 square miles), Drumheller is Alberta’s largest town. Covering such an extensive area has presented some issues with service and Internet connectivity, particularly in rural areas, but Drumheller was one of the first communities in Alberta to get 5G fibre-optic technology. This positions the Town to serve as an important technological hub, making it easier for work-at-home residents and businesses alike to stay connected. “Telus is a big supporter of us,” says the Mayor. “They’ve actually done commercials with Drumheller involvement.”
For many, Drumheller is synonymous with a superior, stress-free quality of life. A former Ontario resident, Drumheller’s Communications Officer Crocker moved to the Town 11 years ago and began working for the municipality. Like others, Crocker recognized Drumheller’s potential and work/life balance (which allows her to get to work in just three minutes!).
“It is such a great, harmonious size,” she says. “Everything you need is here. Anything outside the Valley walls is an adventure in the best of ways. This is the shortest commute to a job I have ever had, and I wouldn’t trade anything for it.”
To be sure, Drumheller is a year-round destination to live, work, and play. In the summer, you can get home quickly, go for a bike ride around the Valley, or go tubing on the river. In the winter, skiing and snowshoeing are at your doorstep.
Now, with less than a year remaining in her term, Mayor Colberg is excited to see the plans her administration has worked on over the years come to fruition. “The beauty is, we take these plans—they don’t go on a shelf and get dirty—and we go through them,” she says. “We make sure things are getting done, and that’s why it will be so great for the future council and administration—they don’t have to reinvent the wheel. It is super exciting. I really love my job.”
