On September 17, the Calgary Chamber hosted Premier Danielle Smith for a keynote address and fireside chat with Calgary Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin. The conversation focused on the Government of Alberta’s ambitions for the province, the diversification of Alberta’s economy and new investment opportunities taking place on both a provincial and national level.
Premier Smith discussed several upcoming provincial projects in her remarks, beginning with the recent launch of the Alberta Youth Incentive Program. This program aims to address the youth unemployment crisis in Alberta by providing financial incentives to employers to hire young people between the ages of 15 to 24. The intention is to bridge the gap for entry level jobs and create opportunities for those entering the workforce. Continuing in her discussion of financial support, Premier Smith also referenced the Government of Alberta’s plans to invest in skilled trades and apprenticeship training. This comes in response to a surge in demand for skilled workers across the province.
Alberta is conducting a review of its natural resources, and Premier Smith underpinned the importance of the oil and gas sector on the province’s economy. She stated that Alberta must maximize its oil and gas potential and access global markets, particularly economic corridors such as pipelines, across the country. This will increase Canada’s economic potential on a global scale. Expanding on this point, Premier Smith highlighted the ‘grand bargain’ that will need to take place, decreasing emissions – particularly through the Pathways Alliance to secure greater market access through a new pipeline, and see problematic federal regulations that are impeding energy sector growth dropped.
Premier Smith closed her remarks with an emphasis on ensuring the right infrastructure is in place to support newcomers and meet the challenge of keeping up with Alberta’s rapid growth.
The fireside chat with Chamber President & CEO, Deborah Yedlin, covered various initiatives from the federal government, upcoming projects related to energy production, and key priorities for Alberta businesses. These topics included:
The Major Projects list announced by Prime Minister Mark Carney last week and the economic potential these projects will unlock for Canada.
The Government of Alberta’s change to its TIER program, which will allow companies to receive a rebate on capital costs to put towards emissions reduction projects.
The development of new AI data centres and a functional model for success that will place emphasis on meeting demands and ensuring reliability.
Providing sufficient support to the construction industry and removing barriers to ensure the province can build new housing at an affordable rate.
We’d like to extend a special thanks to our presenting sponsor, Walmart, our thanking sponsor, CPA Alberta, and our supporting sponsors Pathways Alliance, Pembina, Enbridge, De Havilland Aircraft, TC Energy, CNRL, and Imperial Oil for making this event possible.
