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Feb. 20, 2026

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Edmonton region defence alliance aims to steer defence investment into local industry

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We notice the Edmonton region is gunning for a central role in strengthening Canada's defence and security sector with the formation of the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance. "We are the closest major metropolitan area to key strategic locations in the Arctic and the North," Mayor Andrew Knack said at the Feb. 18 announcement. "But it's more than just location — Edmonton is a leader in AI, research, advanced manufacturing and life sciences … As Canada's fastest growing region, we also have the labour force necessary for the future." The announcement follows federal plans to increase defence spending, with a goal of $180 billion in procurement spending and $290 billion in capital investment over the next 10 years.

The "core conveners" of the consortium are Edmonton Global, the University of Alberta, NAIT, Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, and the Edmonton International Airport, with several other network partners on board. ERDA says the two post-secondary institutions provide the right mix of innovation and workforce training, the Heartland is home to vast manufacturing capabilities, and YEG is the closer to the Arctic than any other major city's airport. "ERDA leverages the Edmonton region's strategic location, industrial readiness, resources, talent and the grit it is known for to protect Canadian sovereignty," says the announcement.

Technology companies are already seeing funding from the federal initiative. Eleanor Olszewski, Edmonton Centre MP and the minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, announced $6.5 million from the Regional Defence Investment Initiative for two companies on Feb. 19. Zero Point Cryogenics will receive $5 million to advance the commercialization of its cooling technologies for quantum computing. Logician Technologies, which manufactures electronics for defence clients, will receive $1.5 million. Defence and dual-use technologies will continue to be the topic of interest at the next MIT REAP Town Hall on March 3 at Edmonton Unlimited, where Stephanie Enders of the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute will moderate a discussion among founders.

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Economic development

Startups and SMBs

Real estate

  • An Alberta judge overruled the Carruthers Caveat for the first time, determining the century-old covenant that restricts development to single-family homes or duplexes in Glenora conflicted with current zoning that requires a minimum density of 10 dwellings on a property near a future LRT station. "This is really a milestone, I would say for the neighbourhood, for housing in Edmonton, for our city as a whole," said Chelsey Jersak, strategic director of Situate, which helps infill developers with permitting. Glenora residents plan to appeal the decision.
  • Edmonton city council voted 8-4 to maintain the maximum number of units for new infill developments at eight dwellings, rejecting a motion from Coun. Karen Principe to reduce it to six. Council also voted 10-3 to direct administration to prepare bylaw amendments that would limit new infill to 9.5 metres in total height, and voted 11-2 to instruct administration to draft a private tree protection bylaw. The bylaws will be debated and voted on at a public hearing. A feasibility study found that approximately 292 homes were issued permits to be redeveloped into six- to eight-unit buildings, amounting to 0.5% of the city's housing inventory.
  • A wetlands dispute over a property near the planned River's Edge neighbourhood in southwest Edmonton has left landowner Gaurav Mann with 30% of his property designated as protected wetlands. A remote survey by Stantec found 2.58 hectares of wetlands on the property, but when Mann commissioned an in-person survey by ecologist Andrew Forrest, it found that only 0.04 hectares met provincial wetland criteria. Edmonton city council approved the River's Edge neighbourhood structure plan despite the dispute, after a motion to delay for updated projections was defeated 7-6.
  • James Mabey, a member of the REALTORS Association of Edmonton and past chair of the Canadian Real Estate Association, discussed the association's advocacy role in housing policy on the RAEdio Podcast. Mabey emphasized the importance of data-driven policy and collaboration among stakeholders in addressing zoning and housing supply challenges.
  • Chandos Construction said in a news release that okimaw peyesew kamik (King Thunderbird Centre), which opened in December, has achieved Zero Carbon Building Design v3 certification and features on-site renewable power generation through 360 solar photovoltaic panels and a geothermal energy system. The centre "is a space deeply rooted in Indigenous culture and practice," said Diana Elniski, executive advisor at Boyle Street Community Services. "That means being good caretakers of the land we live on and honouring it as Treaty 6 people. The solar and geothermal energy systems allow us to provide a place for healing, dignity, and safety to everyone who enters while minimizing our environmental footprint."
  • A HouseSigma report shows that a $350,000 Edmonton-area home could be a two-bedroom Wîhkwêntôwin condominium with 1,000 square feet, a three-bedroom townhome exceeding 1,300 square feet in the suburbs, or a single-family detached home in Leduc, demonstrating buyer dollars stretch further than in most major Canadian real estate markets.

More headlines

  • Taproot looked at the past, present, and possible future of the decommissioned Rossdale Power Plant as the City of Edmonton seeks submissions for adaptive reuse. Paul Collis, who worked in the plant for 30 years, said he just wants the now gutted building to stay a fixture in our river valley. "Hopefully, they will save what is there," he said. "I would hope that they would have public tours."
  • Capital Power has appointed Kevin MacIntosh as chief financial officer, effective March 16. MacIntosh has more than 30 years of experience in the global energy industry, most recently serving as vice-president and controller for Suncor Energy.
  • About 30 people attended the Edmonton stop of the provincial nuclear review committee's consultation on nuclear power generation on Feb. 17 at NAIT. The timeline to get nuclear energy online is probably longer than data centres eager for electricity can wait, chair Chantelle de Jonge acknowledged to Postmedia. The panel's report is due on March 31.
  • Andre Tremblay returned to his role as administrator and interim CEO of Alberta Health Services in late January after a temporary leave of absence that began in December.
  • The City of Edmonton will institute fees for large patios on public land on April 1, after previously offering permits for such patios at no charge. "With reduced funding as a result of the 2024 Fall Supplemental Operating Budget Adjustment, the city is shifting to a shared-investment model," a city spokesperson told CBC. Large year-round patios that spill onto sidewalks will cost $6,900 per year, while seasonal ones will cost $3,700. Small sidewalk patios remain free to operate.
  • Wheat prices for Alberta farmers fell to $276 per tonne in December 2025, down from $521 in June 2022, according to ATB Financial. Canola and barley prices have also declined from record highs, with strong global supplies expected to keep downward pressure on prices this year.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.

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