Lloydminster is a vibrant, young and fast-growing community. Truly unique, it is the only city located in two provinces – Alberta and Saskatchewan! As of 2016, approximately 31,400 people call Lloydminster home roughly 27 per cent of those are between the ages of 20-34.
Lloydminster is one of the most entrepreneurial communities among mid-sized cities. As of 2015, Lloydminster was the sixth best city in Canada to start a business based off of: an absence of business tax, low municipal taxes and special Saskatchewan PST exempt status.
Lloydminster has a healthy economy and strong ties to both the oil and gas energy sectors. Lloydminster also holds the distinction of being the Heavy Oil Capital of the World. The history of oil and gas in this area goes back to the arrival of the Barr Colonists in the late 1800s. Today, Lloydminster remains the home of Husky Energy's Canadian heavy oil operations with an asphalt refinery, ethanol plant and the Lloydminster Upgrader.
Agriculture also has a rich history in Lloydminster. Wheat, barley and canola account for over 30 per cent of the total acreage sown in the Lloydminster area. Specialty crops such as alfalfa for seed, oats, lentils, field peas and canary seed are also grown. Home to one of Canada's largest canola crushing facilities and Canada's largest bio-diesel plant, both owned and operated by ADM, Lloydminster has long been a manufacturing and value added destination for the agriculture and the oil industries.
Located on the TransCanada Yellowhead Highway and Highway 17, Lloydminster is well connected coast to coast. The Lloydminster Airport is capable of landing a Boeing 737 and is one of only five communities in Alberta to have both CN and CP Rail. Situated directly between Edmonton and Saskatoon, Lloydminster has an estimated trade area of 130,000 to 150,000 people and is a regional service hub with a workforce of 70,000 within an hour's commute.
An ever-growing inventory of national retailers, local boutiques and dining options has helped create a vast retail network in Lloydminster and cemented our community as the midwest service centre. Voted as third-best to live in Canada by Money Sense Magazine in 2015, Lloydminster offers a small town feel with big city amenities; stores and services are easily accessible often within only a seven minute drive. With over 1,400 hotel and motel rooms and a wide range of facilities and parks, Lloydminster has also established itself as an event and meeting destination.