Province provides funding to Foremost drone testing range

Posted on May 15, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

Southern Alberta Newspapers

A Medicine Hat-based non-profit is receiving funding from the government of Alberta to explore options to help support the long-term sustainability of the Foremost drone testing range.

Community Futures Entre-Corp is receiving $200,000 to support the development of a long-term operating model for the Unmanned Aircraft Systems Test Range in Foremost.

The test range has not been operational since September 2025. There were concerns the range would close after funding from the federal government ran out in September.

Sean Blewett, general manager of Community Futures Entre-Corp, says the Foremost UAS Test Range is a critical infrastructure asset that has facilitated the growth of the drone industry in southeast Alberta and beyond.

“With the recently accelerated focus on Canada’s domestic drone capabilities, now is an opportune time to reimagine how the range can be used optimally. We are grateful to the government of Alberta for funding that will enable us to evaluate sustainable new business models for the test range,” said Blewett.

The Foremost range is one of Canada’s two dedicated beyond visual line of sight flight-testing sites.

This new funding will be used to produce a feasibility study to explore opportunities for greater utilization of the range and increased revenue certainty. It will also seek to identify new potential roles as Canada looks to grow its defence sector.

Mayor of Foremost Larry Robinson says they look forward to implementing recommendations from the study.

“We always appreciate the ongoing support from Community Futures Entre-Corp to help the Village of Foremost in our efforts to support industry and diversify our rural economy,” said Robinson.

The $200,000 investment is part of the Alberta government’s new Leading Industry Forward Together, or LIFT, initiative. The program is investing more than $1 million to help Alberta-based businesses compete for national and international defence industry contracts.

The aerospace and defence sector is one of the key focus areas identified in the Southeast Alberta Economic Opportunity Strategy, a five-year economic development outlook developed jointly by six southern Alberta municipalities, including Medicine Hat and Foremost.

Director of economic development Selena McLean-Moore said the city identifies key sectors by evaluating the region’s existing strengths and assets.

“When we look at defence and aerospace, our region is really prime for these opportunities, mainly because of the Foremost UAS range, but also TRDC and CFB Suffield,” she said in a December interview with Southern Alberta Newspapers.

“The work that goes on in the work that goes on out there, as well as the available testing opportunities for defence and aerospace make us a prime location for companies to locate and expand.”

A 2025 survey conducted by Medicine Hat indicated that 80 per cent of defence and aerospace companies in the area were looking to expand within the next three to five years.

The LIFT initiative is expected to support a total of 40 small and medium-sized businesses across Alberta.