Lloydminster's Costco has a date.
A manager at the new warehouse confirmed at a pop-up membership event on the city's west side on June 24 that the store is on track to open in the second or third week of November 2026. "Unless something drastic happens in construction, the plan is to open in November," the manager said.
Costco has not issued a formal press release confirming the timeline. The confirmation came at the pop-up membership drive the clearest public statement anyone from the company has made about timing since the project began.
Seven years in the making
Lloydminster residents have been waiting for this since 2019, when local media first reported on the possibility of a Costco coming to the border city. The rumours circulated for years. An April Fools' Day front page in 2021 ran a digitally manipulated Costco sign photo — because the joke landed so well in a community that genuinely wanted it.
The sign went up for real in February 2026. Mayor Gerald Aalbers issued a formal welcome statement. The building permit had been in place since late 2025. Now, for the first time, management is talking about a specific opening window.
Where it is and what it looks like
The warehouse is going up at 75 Avenue and 19 Street on Lloydminster's west side, on a 19.6-acre parcel next to the ATCO substation. Approximately 160,000 square feet with around 900 parking stalls a full-size Costco, not a smaller format store.
The City of Lloydminster committed approximately $3.3 million on road infrastructure along 75 Avenue before the store has even opened widening the road between 12 Street and 19 Street, installing new traffic signals, and repaving the full stretch. That is how seriously the city is taking the traffic the store will bring.
A Tim Hortons is also going in next door on the same corridor. Retailers follow Costco. It is already happening on 75 Avenue.
The gas bar
Confirmed at the June 24 pop-up: diesel, gas, and propane. For a border city with significant commercial truck and agricultural traffic between Alberta and Saskatchewan, the diesel option matters. Lloydminster drivers have been making two-hour trips to Edmonton or Saskatoon for Costco fuel. That ends in November.
Local hiring
100 to 150 local hires, with the process expected to start around September. Internal Costco employees from across Canada have already applied to transfer standard practice when a new warehouse opens. The majority of the workforce will come from Lloydminster and the surrounding region.
Watch costco.ca/careers for job postings when hiring opens in the fall.
What the membership drive means
The pop-up membership location on the city's west side is Costco's first public presence in Lloydminster ahead of the opening. Sign up now and you can shop on day one. Annual Gold Star membership starts at $65, valid at all Costco locations in Canada and the United States immediately. If you already hold a membership from another location, it transfers automatically.
Community giving
Management confirmed Costco has been meeting with city officials and local non-profit organizations ahead of the opening. The manager cited the recent death of a child in Medicine Hat as one example where the store donated supplies for a community gathering in support of the family, and noted the Medicine Hat food bank receives regular Costco donations.
Why this is a bigger deal than just a new store
Lloydminster's retail sector hit $3 billion in annual spending in 2025. The city issued 1,941 business licences that year, up from 1,845 in 2023. The heavy oil economy that anchors the region has stayed relatively stable. Population is growing.
The city sits at the midpoint between Edmonton and Saskatoon, straddling the Alberta-Saskatchewan border, drawing shoppers from Wainwright, Vermilion, Battleford, North Battleford, and dozens of smaller communities that do not have major retail locally. The new Costco will serve members from both provinces under the same membership. For that regional trade catchment, a 160,000-square-foot warehouse at the centre of 75 Avenue is a different kind of anchor than what Lloydminster has had before.
"A retail development of this scale has the potential to be transformative for our city," Aalbers said when the sign went up. "It will complement the strong range of local businesses and services already operating here, while attracting increased regional traffic and investment."
Jackie Tomayer, president of the Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce, put it plainly. "Costco's move to Lloydminster shines a brighter spotlight on our city, reinforces confidence in our market, and encourages additional businesses and entrepreneurs to see the potential here."
Sources:
Alberta Major Projects Registry, Costco Lloydminster (majorprojects.alberta.ca/details/Costco-Lloydminster/10909)
City of Lloydminster, building permit records, late 2025
City of Lloydminster, road upgrade contracts, 75 Avenue, 2025-2026
Mayor Gerald Aalbers, public statement February 2026
Jackie Tomayer, Lloydminster Chamber of Commerce president, statement February 2026
Costco manager, verbal confirmation at pop-up membership event, Lloydminster, June 24, 2026, as reported by Border Pulse
