The City of Grande Prairie, located 456 kilometres northwest of Edmonton, has emerged as the metropolitan service centre for all of northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia, one of Canada's most promising regions. The region contains an abundance of both renewable and non-renewable resources ranging from agriculture, and forestry, to oil and natural gas. Grande Prairie is a large City in northwest Alberta and has a population of over 40,000 people. The County of Grande Prairie, and the smaller towns of Sexsmith, Wembley, Hythe, and Beaverlodge, contribute an additional 20,000+ persons, for an overall total of more than 60,000 persons. As a service centre to northwest Alberta, the City serves a market area in excess of 200,000 people within a 200 km radius. The City of Grande Prairie serves as the regional centre for business, service and shopping for northwest Alberta and northeast British Columbia. Modern and vibrant, the City exudes a confidence and vitality that has consistently encouraged strong industrial, economic, and residential growth over the past 25 years. Excellent infrastructure, transportation, and communication links, and the easy availability of a well-trained work force, invite easy investment. Urban and sophisticated, the City provides the full range of education, cultural, and recreation opportunities desired for quality living. The City of Grande Prairie is located in the County of Grande Prairie #1, northwest Alberta. The distance from Grande Prairie to Edmonton, Alberta, is 45 minutes by air and 456 km [290 miles] by road, to Calgary is 90 minutes by air and 752 km [470 miles] by road and to Vancouver is 170 minutes by air and 1,320 km [825] miles by road. Grande Prairie is located along the Gateway to the Alaska Highway. There are excellent communication and transportation services to keep the area businesses and residents in close contact with the rest of the world. Grande Prairie and area has a vibrant economy which has been developed over years of steady growth. Major economic sectors include agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, retail services, service industry, and regional services. Grande Prairie is set amidst rolling prairie and aspen parkland forest. The prairie to the north, east, and west, contains good farmland. The aspen parkland forest to the south and west becomes coniferous as the land rises to the foothills and mountains. The forest serves as a vast reservoir for the local pulp and lumber industries. A healthy business climate is responsible for the strong economic position that the city and area currently enjoys. Businesses in Grande Prairie range from small, one-person operations, to world scale operations, employing hundreds of staff. The Grande Prairie area provides manufacturing components to each of the major industries [agriculture, forestry, oil & gas] and is the administrative centre for government and most industries in the Peace region. The area's economy is expected to grow substantially over the next five years, with employment opportunities increasing accordingly.