It’s Small Business Week! We want to thank and celebrate all of the business in Ponoka for helping to make our community strong and vibrant.
Local businesses are a powerful engine that drives our economy by creating jobs and generating economic growth.
In 2023, the Town of Ponoka has issued 597 business licences to date. Of those, 35 are new businesses in town. Having so many new businesses opening their doors generates a great economic boost for Ponoka.
Shop local
An important way we can all support our local businesses is to shop local. By purchasing products and services locally, we can support our community and help drive more economic growth.
Supporting small businesses
Supporting businesses and economic growth remains a top priority for the Town of Ponoka. Some of the ways the town is doing this is by continuing to invest in improvements to Town infrastructure, including roadways and sidewalks throughout the community, our walking trails and our recreation facilities.
The town is also working to support existing businesses and attract new businesses through our Business Incentive Programs:
- Commercial New Build Incentive: The Commercial New Build Incentive offers property tax breaks over three years to new or existing businesses in the Town of Ponoka that build a new property on commercially-zoned land in the Town.
- New Business Grant: The New Business Grant offers a one-time-per-business grant payment of up to $1,000 for businesses that are new to Ponoka, are located in town and have not previously operated in the community. Please note that all available grant funding for 2023 has been distributed to new businesses that have located in town this year.
Attracting new residents to Ponoka
The town also continues to promote our Residential Incentive Programs to attract new residents to our community:
- Buyers or builders of newly-built homes in the Town of Ponoka. This incentive offers property tax savings over three years and is open to new and existing residents.
- Buyers of homes that have already been lived in who move into the home from a municipality outside of Ponoka. This incentive offers a family recreation pass to the Ponoka Aquaplex and Arena Complex.
- Residents who complete major renovations on their existing home which result in an increased property assessment value (excluding land) of at least 20 per cent. This incentive offers property tax savings over three years and is open to new and existing residents in the Town of Ponoka.
By attracting new businesses and residents, we can broaden Ponoka’s tax and assessment base and generate new revenue to help our community grow and thrive into the future. Attracting new residents also increases the number of people who shop at our local businesses, which helps build a stronger local economy.
Full details about the Residential and Business Incentive Programs are available at www.ponoka.ca/p/residential-and-business-incentive-programs.
All of Ponoka’s businesses contribute to our community and help to make Ponoka a place we are proud to call home.