Picture Butte welcomes visitors with lush fields and farm machinery. The southern Alberta town is approximately 27 kilometres north of Lethbridge, and has a population of just over 1,500, with all the amenities of a larger community.
“We have a lot of services here in the town of Picture Butte that a lot of small municipalities can’t offer,” Mayor Wendy Jones said.
But it’s been more than a decade since the community has seen a new subdivision.
A new development on the west side of Picture Butte dubbed Sunset Park is the first development undertaken by the town. Residential developments in the community have previously been completed by private developers.
“We knew it was time. If we want our community to grow, we knew it was time to develop our last parcel of land we had,” Deputy Mayor Cathy Moore said.
Town officials said the town has offered to pay for property taxes for two years to attract potential buyers.
“It’s a very big portion and a good incentive–plus we are offering larger lots,” Jones said.
The mayor said it’s difficult to attract people to Picture Butte if they are not in the agriculture industry.
“It’s on a highway to nowhere. There are not a lot of industries besides farming.”
There are around 60 lots available, with half sold so far. The mayor said it’s an extremely exciting time for the small rural community.
“We offer a small, safe, friendly, close-knit community that you can be sure your kids can play at any playground by themselves.”