One of the most interesting aspects of Alberta is that it has very few thriving city centres that are well-known to the public. Calgary, Edmonton, and Fort McMurray are known nationally if not globally, but hidden among those notorious cities are the true gems, unique Albertan towns that are far more interesting because of their mystique—and because enormous population rushes have re-sculpted the towns from their traditional and historic roots and authentic appearance. These unique towns form fascinating and picturesque glimpses into a past that has led to Alberta’s formation as it stands today, but because they are so unique and so unlike the big city centres that feature a surplus of industry and corporate attention, their needs on the energy front are unique as well—especially when it comes to selecting plans from Alberta energy providers.
Nanton, Alberta is one such interesting town that had a truly unique beginning.
Nanton began in the late 1800s and for a while was known as “Tap Town.” The northbound highway featured a stand tap that would supply free water to motorists as they passed by. The water was supplied by the foothills, and was one of the first to be bottled and sold in Canada. This led to the community’s main industry, Nanton Water & Soda, Ltd, a business that is thriving in Nanton to this day. In 1902, the first school was developed, in 1903, Nanton was incorporated as a village, and in 1907, the town that was named after Winnipeg’s Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton, became a town. Sir Nanton had been responsible for directing financing firms for ranches and farms throughout the west, and that was precisely the form of industry that gave Nanton its start. Nanton was destined to be a farming and ranching community, but while farming is still a big part of Nanton’s economy and culture, its major industry today is tourism—an industry that creates a lot of unique needs throughout the town when it comes to choosing among Alberta’s energy providers.
The biggest challenge created by an economy that is largely supported by the tourist dollar is one that is particularly prominent in Canada.
Most tourist towns are seasonal, but Canada takes that seasonality to the extreme. Unless you are a skiing town, much of your tourism revenue comes to a standstill when the snow hits, and even within skiing towns, those charming local shops and museums are going to experience an entirely different dynamic of attention during those seemingly endless Canadian winter months. And that dynamic of a seasonal surge of revenue followed, more or less, by a seasonal lapse creates a challenge when it comes time to pay the bills. Unlike tourism revenue, the bills don’t fall into a lapse period once business slows down, which means you need to plan ahead for the bills you will need to cover in those winter months. That isn’t always easy with something like energy, though, especially when your Alberta energy provider’s rates fluctuate throughout the year based on the oil and gas economy.
There is a solution, though: finding an Alberta energy provider who offers rates and plans that cater to your town’s unique energy needs.
That could mean finding a provider who offers a low, fixed rate that would enable you to budget your energy needs and predict how much you will need to set aside to cover those slower winter months.
The solution is out there; you just need to compare rates offered by Alberta energy providers to find the plan that will work for you and your town’s unique needs.
