Accessibility & infrastructure
Serviced by major north-south and east-west highways, two Class 1 railroads, Canada’s fourth busiest international airport and the nearby Port of Vancouver and Prince Rupert, a market of 50 million people can be reached from Calgary within 24 hours.
Road
Calgary is situated in the prime location at the intersection of the Trans Canada and CANAMEX highway systems. This enables road transportation from Alaska to Mexico, and Vancouver to St. John’s. Calgary is the ideal central location for placing a distribution centre for businesses that depend on rapid distribution of goods to Western Canada and other major North American markets.
Air
Doubling in size and passenger volume over the last 15 years, Calgary is now Canada’s fourth busiest airport by passenger traffic. Direct and connecting flights from Calgary International Airport (YYC) connect Calgary to practically every destination around the globe within 48 hours. Supporting current demand and future growth the Calgary International Airport is undergoing a $2 billion expansion with a new international concourse and 14,000 ft runway, scheduled to open in 2015 and 2014 respectively. Calgary is also hoe to one of Canada's major airlines and one of the world's most profitable airlines.
In addition to the volume of passenger flights, companies such as FedEx, Purolator and UPS have distribution hubs on site at the Calgary International Airport to service the distribution of goods and cargo. The Calgary International Airport is currently working on the second phase of a global logistics centre, which when complete will add an additional 3,000 jobs to the 2,500 employees that already work in the first phase of the centre.
Rail
For companies looking to transport cargo or goods, Calgary-based Canadian Pacific rail provides an alternate shipping method that offers direct access most provinces in Canada, along with a number of American states. Further partnerships with American and Mexican railways allow for companies to ship from Canada to Mexico. For Alberta’s energy industry, Canadian Pacific can transport energy (both conventional and renewable) across North America.
CN Rail also offers options to organizations for shipping and transportation. CN Rail’s extensive network covers Canada and 14 U.S. states, and as their website notes, “Whether you need rail shipping in Canada, intermodal and trucking in the U.S., or are shipping containers overseas, we have a full suite of shipping services to get your goods to your customers. CN Rail is the only Class 1 railroad to cross the continent east-west and north-south – linking the Atlantic, Pacific and Gulf coasts”. CN Rail transports everything from coal and consumer products to alternative energy and petroleum products and chemicals. Learn more about CN Rail.
