Mr. Speaker, southern Alberta is home to the Foremost unmanned air systems test range.
The Foremost test range is 2,400 square kilometres of restricted airspace up to an altitude of 18,000 feet, set aside for drone research and testing. It is the only location in Canada to receive Transport Canada's authorization, and is one of a handful worldwide with comparable capabilities.
Although started as an economic development initiative by the Village of Foremost, the test range is now a national asset that benefits Canada's large and small companies alike. It enables the next generation of civil and commercial drone applications in agriculture, forestry, oil and gas, and the environment, where drone use will improve soil and water quality and create low-cost methods for monitoring pipelines and power lines.
The Foremost unmanned air systems test range gives Canadian companies a home to develop their technology in order to meet domestic requirements and those of the rapidly expanding global marketplace.