Premier Danielle Smith speaks during a news conference announcing new funding for a new route to JBS Foods in Brooks, Alta., on April 1, 2025. Eli J. RIdder/CHAT News

By Eli J. Ridder

ECONOMY

Brooks food plant receives $1.8M from Alberta government for new access road

Apr 1, 2025 | 12:51 PM

One of Alberta’s biggest food plants will receive a new access road built with $1.8 million in provincial funding part of a broader strategy to support the agrifood sector.

The planned route connecting JBS Foods Plant and Highway 873 will cut down commuting time and provide a safer option for thousands of JBS employees, Premier Danielle Smith said Tuesday

Currently, shift workers and transport trucks are funneled through an uncontrolled intersection on the Trans-Canada Highway that can add over an hour to travel time, Smith said.

Officials said such investments help develop critical Alberta agrifood corridors that ensure producers like JBS have better access to their markets.

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“It’s hard to overstate how important this operation is for Brooks,” said Smith, saying it’s important to invest in infrastructure as the province grows.

Celio Fritche, president of JBS Foods Inc., said the project will do more than just cut back on the drive to work.

“It’s not just the time saving, but it is the life savings…when you’re crossing that dangerous Highway 1,” Fritche said.

MapHub.net/CHAT News

He said the JBS facility has increased its workforce by over 1,000 employees in the last few years, heightening the need to improve safety.

Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

Design for the new access road has already been completed. Construction is scheduled to begin this spring and wrap up for use by fall 2025, according to a government timeline.

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