Tilley

Welcome

The Village of Tilley – “A Great Place to Grow”

We are very proud of the community of Tilley and hope that you will enjoy our virtual tour as a business person, visitor, tourist, or resident. We welcome you to our quiet Village in the middle of a very diverse oil, gas and agricultural area. Irrigate farming surrounds Tilley, where an assortment of crops flourish and livestock are raised. Also working parallel with agriculture in our area, we have a very active Petroleum Industry.

The Village of Tilley is a community where neighbours support each other. We have volunteers from all walks of life that bring forward the true sense of looking out for your neighbour, which only exists in a small village. The Village of Tilley is a safe and healthy environment for all people, especially those raising families and starting up businesses.

In Tilley strangers are just friends we have not met yet. We welcome you to our Village. I am sure your time here will be most enjoyable and we look forward to meeting you.

John Timko, Mayor of the Village of Tilley

Area Overview

Presently, Tilley is a community of just over 400 people, with an additional population draw of over 99,000 from the Palliser Economic Partnership region. There are continuing plans for residential development and ample opportunities for industrial development. Tilley prides itself on being a small close nit community that supplies workers to surrounding larger cities. Tilley School accommodates children from Kindergarten to Grade 12 with a new pre-kindergarten program, as well the school supplies recreational activities for all.

Tilley’s easy access to primary highways and location on the main Canadian Pacific Railroad are benefits to the industries located in the region. The natural resources are supported by the Eastern Irrigation District (EID) water supply infrastructure which is fed by the Bow River.

Tilley was established with the construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). The CPR began a European advertising campaign to draw settlers into the Tilley region. The settlement area was marketed as potential for irrigated land and thus when first settling Tilley was extremely busy with the construction of the irrigation canals and the railway branch line. In 1910 the first hotel was built in Tilley to accommodate the CP Rail workers, and as a result of the CPRs marketing campaign many were Eastern European immigrants. The majority of the land was still on the market but there was plenty of CPR activity in the area at that time.

By 1928 fifty ready-made farms built by the CP Railway in Tilley had been sold and discussions began on opening up an additional one hundred farms for settlement. Finally, in 1929 people began pouring into the area and nearly every quarter was occupied within 2 years. As a result, agriculture really began in the spring of 1930.

In 1939 Fred Hankel drilled the first oil well just north of Tilley. When the well blew they had enough gas to supply the Village of Tilley. This discovery well in the Tilley area was the beginning of economic prosperity and is still producing gas today.

The Alberta Advantage
Alberta’s economy is thriving - it has the highest rate of economic growth in Canada at 3.8% in the last ten years! Alberta has also consistently been the province with the highest investment per capita (Source: Alberta Economic Development). Southeast Alberta in particular has a flourishing energy sector, agri-food (including value-added agriculture), research and development in the area of defence, engineering and construction, metal fabrication and machinery, non-metallic minerals, and tourism (Source: Palliser Economic Partnership).

Climate

Tilley and region is blessed with more sunlight than any other region in Canada – on average the region receives 2433 hours of sunshine a year. The irrigated land helps farms flourish in the warm, hot summers and the typically cold winters are broken up by warm Chinook winds. The climate and infrastructure provides an environment for growing anything, including: wheat, forage crops, oil seeds, beans, lentils, corn, flax, canola…

Community Services

Rural Crime Watch
Brooks and District Crime Stoppers (1-800-222-TIPS)

Municipal Office
The Canada Post Office and their services are now a private retail outlet and run out of the Municipal Office. The municipal office will assist you in all your municipal concerns, including taxes, business start-up and support.

Municipal Office
144 Centre Street
Tilley, Alberta T0J 3K0
Tel: 403-377-2203
Fax: 403-377-2234
Email: village.tilley@eidnet.org

Municipal Library
The school and public library are located as one and are extremely comprehensive to suit all research needs. Further, Tilley has recently joined the Shortgrass Library System which allows patrons to request books, DVDs, and other resources from other libraries around Alberta, providing residents with the educational benefits of larger centres.

Key Contacts for Business Development
Entre-Corp Business Development Centre
#202 – 556 4th Street S.E.
Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 0K8
Tel: 403-528-2824
Fax: 403-527-3596
Toll Free: 1-888-528-2824
Email: bizinfo@entre-corp.com
www.entre-corp.com

Community Lifestyle

Recreation
Village residents are always busy with community events. There are three parks within the village, these include: the school playground, the Westside playground and the Ball Park Facilities. Each of these host numerous community activities throughout the year. Tilley also has an Arena, Curling Club and Community Hall to host large events within the region.

The Tilley region is known for its beautiful Provincial Parks, including United Nations World Heritage Site – Dinosaur Provincial Park. Here you will find many endangered plants, as well as beautiful badlands scenery and fossils. The Village of Tilley is located in the Canadian Badlands Region. Tillebrook Provincial Park is also only 24 km (15 miles) from Tilley, EID Rolling Hills Reservoir Campground is nearby, as well Lake Newell is only 18 km (11 miles) from Tilley. This region is recognized for its great hunting and fishing in Southeast Alberta.

Community Organizations
Tilley Community Centre
Tel: 403-377-2406
Tilley and District Agricultural Society
Tel: 403-377-2008
Tilley Friendship Society
Tel: 403-377-2590
Tilley Curling Club
Tel: 403-377-2033
Tilley Ball Park Association
Tilley Fire Hall
Tel: 403-377-2626

Religious Services
Tilley and area has many churches to suit all personal needs.

Special Events/Attractions

• Fire and Rescue Valentine’s Dinner Show - February
• Kiwanis Ice Derby at Lake Newell Reservoir – February
• Rodeo – June Canada Day Celebrations – July
• 1st Ride for Stars – Star Ambulance Motorcycle Fundraiser – June
• Terry Fox Run – September
• Pheasant Festival Week – October
• Christmas Train/Community Christmas – December

Hospitality
Tilley Restaurant – Western and Chinese Cuisine
Tilley Hotel – Western Style Cuisine

Accommodation
The Tilley Hotel has accommodations for travellers, as well there are many hotels located in Brooks and Medicine Hat.

Economic Base

Tilley and region are economically founded on their natural resources; from the irrigated land to the seemingly unlimited access to oil and gas wells.

The industry that has created the largest economic impact on the community of Tilley is the oil and gas industry. There is continuous drilling and exploration within the region as the oil industry continues to expand. There are also service companies that provide all goods and services needed for any oil and gas venture.

The secondary economic driver is agriculture. Within the region there are 285,000 acres of irrigated farm land in the Eastern Irrigation District (EID). Supporting businesses to the agriculture industry are also located within the region, assisting some 500 to 600 farms. Ranching is also a large sector within agriculture in the Tilley region. There are more than 260,000 cattle, as well as Tyson Foods (Lakeside Packers) which is Canada’s fastest growing beef producer in Canada.

The annual precipitation averages 300mm, with average rainfall during growing season 150mm. The growing season is approximately 137 days.

Economic Facts

Businesses:

There are many businesses within the community of Tilley. This is just a cross-section of what you will find.

• Alberta Treasury Branch Agency
• Astro Boiler
• Bantry Seed Cleaning
• Burton Custom Applicators Ltd
• Conventional Projects
• Darago’s Custom Grading Ltd. 
• Entire Tree Care
• Fabian Seed Farms
• Flatla Auto Wrecking
• Grasslands Express Deliveries
• Gray Graphics
• Iron A Welding
• Kee-Lyn Homes
• Multi-Tech Motorsports
• Rick’s Carpentry
• S & T Car Wash
• Shadow Oilfield Service Ltd.
• Sickels Fresh Meats
• Sterns Trucking
• Stroke Engine and Compresssor Ltd.
• The Store
• Wester’s Garage
• TI-Alta
• Tilley Hotel
• Tilley Restaurant
• Tirol Gas Co-op Limited

Financial Institutions:

Located in Tilley:

• Alberta Treasury Branch (ATB) Financial – 403-377-2275

          Located in Brooks:

• Bank of Nova Scotia – 403-362-3375 BMO
• Bank of Montreal – 403-362-3375
• Brooks Savings and Credit Union 403-362-4233
• Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (CIBC) 403-362-5511
• Chinook Credit Union – Brooks Savings 403-362-4233
• Scotiabank – 403-362-3491
• Toronto Dominion Bank – 403-362-6333
• Treasury Branch Agency – 403-641-3041
• RBC Royal Bank – 1-800-ROYAL11

Market
Alberta’s economy is thriving. Businesses are growing and there is increasing focus on all sectors. Southeast Alberta in particular has a flourishing energy sector, agri-food (including value-added agriculture), research and development in the area of defence, engineering and construction, metal fabrication and machinery, non-metallic minerals, and tourism (Source: Palliser Economic Partnership).

Workforce
The workforce is drawn from the County of Newell, which, as of the last census, has a population of over 22,000 and the Palliser Region which has a population of more than 99,000. The average cost of a home in Tilley in 2004 and 2005 was $83,500 and the average cost of a residential lot during this period was $22,500.

Natural Resources/Research
Extensive agriculture research is conducted at the Crop Diversification Centre South where their mandate is “To promote the development and growth of crop diversification in Alberta through applied research and technology transfer.”

Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) Suffield is a military research centre where focus is directed on military engineering, mobility systems, weapons systems evaluation and on scientific activities surrounding the defence of chemical and biological warfare. DRDC Suffield is 45 km (28 miles) from the Village of Tilley.

Education

The Village of Tilley is served by the Grasslands School Division #6, with the main office in Brooks, Alberta. Tilley School caters to all children Kindergarten to grade 12.

Daycare/Nursery
New preschool starting in September of 2006 called Tilley Tiger Cubs getting kids ready for kindergarten. It is partially funded by Family and Community Support Services (FCSS).

Separate/Alternative Schools
Tilley Mennonite School

Catholic Schools
There are two Catholic schools available in Brooks: St. Joseph’s Collegiate and Holy Family Academy.

Post Secondary Education
Medicine Hat College Brooks Campus is only 20 minutes away from the Village of Tilley. This campus opened in 1991 and has recently developed on campus student housing.

Corporate Education Network (CENetwork)
The CENetwork is a comprehensive website that promotes a “one-stop-shop” of training services available to individuals and businesses in Southeast Alberta. Users of the CENetwork can research, compare and register for training courses, events, and facilities, all in one centralized online location.

This initiative was made possible through a partnership with Entre-Corp Business Development Centre, Medicine Hat College, Palliser Economic Partnership and Office of Learning Technologies – Human Resources and Social Development.

Visit the CENetwork website at www.cenetwork.ca.

Emergency Services

Fire Protection
Tilley has a 16 member Fire Department which is run by volunteers who are also trained in emergency response. There is also 1 rescue unit and 1 pumper.

Police Services
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) provide policing and highway patrol for the region.

Health Care

The Village of Tilley is included in the Palliser Health Region. The City of Brooks has a full scale hospital facility and emergency ward. The Brooks Health Centre is also equipped with a helipad to support transfers via the STARS Air Ambulance for patients needing critical care not available at the Health Centre. Ambulances are available through the Brooks Health Centre and are staffed by both Paramedics and EMT’s. Also, within the Tilley Fire Department four volunteers are medically trained and registered with the Alberta College of Paramedics and one volunteer is an EMT. Tilley is only 20 minutes from Brooks and 40 minutes from Medicine Hat via ambulance. The Town of Bassano, only 73 km (45 miles) from Tilley, has recently renovated their hospital. A helipad has been added, along with improvements to their extended care facilities.

Tilley also has a seniors/low income housing residents available.

Key Contacts for Business Development

Municipal (updated March 2006)

John Timko
Mayor

Jeannette Zahn
Chief Administrative Officer

144 Centre Street
P.O. Box 155
Tilley, Alberta T0J 3K0
Tel: 403-377-2203
Fax: 403-377-2234
Email: village.tilley@eidnet.org

Molly Douglass
Reeve
P.O. Box 301
Gem, Alberta T0J 1M0
Tel: 403-362-3266
Fax: 403-362-8681

Provincial (updated August 2007)

Honourable Dr. Lyle Oberg
Member of Legislative Assembly (MLA) and Minister of Finance
#408 Legislature Building
Edmonton, Alberta T5K 2B6
Tel: 780-427-8809
Fax: 780-428-1341

Constituency Office
P.O. Box 873
403 2nd Avenue West
Brooks, Alberta T1R 1B7
Tel: 403-362-6969
Fax: 403-362-5923
Email: Strathmore-brooks@assembly.ab.ca

Alberta Economic Development / Palliser Economic Partnership (PEP)
109 Provincial Building
346 – 3rd Street S.E.
Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 0G7
Tel: 403-529-3630
Fax: 403-529-3140

Elvira Smid, Regional Manager
Email: elvira.smid@gov.ab.ca

Gloria Filgas, Client Service Representative
Email: gloria.filgas@gov.ab.ca

Federal (updated March 2006)

Monte Solberg
Minister of Citizenship and Immigration
Member of Parliament (MP)
Medicine Hat Consituency
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario K1A 0A6
Tel: 613-992-4516

Constituency Office:
P.O. Box 640
Brooks, Alberta T1R 1B6
Tel: 403-362-7677

Location

Location

The Village of Tilley is located in Southeast Alberta within the County of Newell and was founded on its great access to transportation corridors.

Tilley’s Proximity to Other Locations

 Miles

Taxation

2006 Mill Rate

Residential = 9.14%

Non-residential/Commercial = 11.64%

Transportation

Air Service
Tilley is a short distance away from three all-weather airport facilities, Brooks, Medicine Hat and Calgary.

Rail Service
Canadian Pacific Railway has a east-west artery going through the Village of Tilley.

Highways
Direct access to Highway #1 the Trans-Canada Highway east-west and direct access to Highway 876 north-south.

Trucking Firms
There are numerous trucking companies surrounding the area, alone there are 22 trucking companies in the parameters of Tilley and Brooks.

Bus Services
Greyhound Bus Service goes through Tilley, as well there is a Mini-Bus supplied through the County of Newell.

Couriers and Taxis
Purolator Courier, Wild West Courier and Brooks’ Taxi service the Tilley region.

Utilities

Electrical Power

EPCOR – Customer Service
Tel: 310-4300 (local call anywhere in Alberta)
http://www.epcor.ca/

UTILICORP Networks Canada
Tel: 1-800-332-1002

Natural Gas

Tirol Gas Co-Op Limited
Tel: 403-964-3653

Dinosaur Gas Co-Op Limited
212 1st Ave West
Brooks, Alberta
Tel: 403-362-5323

Telephone

Telus Communications Inc.
456 – 5th Street S.E. Medicine Hat, Alberta T1A 0N1
Tel: 403-529-3311

Telecommunications

Tilley is now supplied by the SuperNet.

Water Supply

Water is acquired from a slow sand filtering system, which raw water is stored in reservoirs and obtained through the EID canal system. There is a $41 charge on residential water usage and each home is allowed 50 cubic metres of water between November 1st and April 30th, while in the other months the limit is 65 cubic metres.

Waste Management

Garbage is picked up weekly for all residents with a cost of $11 per month.

The Newell Recycling Depot is located on Centre Street in Tilley.

Population

Total Population 1991-2001

Tilley Population by Age Group (2001)

Education Statistics

Tilley Highest Level of Schooling 2001

Labour Force

Tilley Labour Force By Industry - 2001

Income

Dwellings