Edmonton: Canada's new industrial powerhouse

Edmonton, the capital city of Alberta, has a diverse and thriving economy. As the service and supply center to huge gas deposits and the Athabasca oil sands - the world's third largest supply of oil - Edmonton is now one of the world's strategic industrial powerhouses.

Behind the scenes, the Edmonton region is Canada's largest hydrocarbon processing center, home to 15 world-scale facilities accounting for 43 percent of Canada's total basic chemical manufacturing. A further $181 billion is expected to be invested here by 2025.

With a population of 1.3 million, the Edmonton region is now the fifth largest metropolitan area in Canada. Forecasts indicate that Edmonton will continue to lead Canadian cities in GDP growth.