Business Roundup
May 15, 2026
As Edmonton's business community renewed its call to make municipal employees resume working downtown full-time, Mayor Andrew Knack remains unconvinced that such a move is the best path to revitalization. It would cost $5 million to $10 million to end hybrid work, Knack told reporters a his first State of the City address to the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce on May 14. "Is that money best spent on that, where you would bring in an additional 2,500 people back two more times a week? Or is it better to … use it towards the actions within the Downtown Action Plan?" In a fiscal environment where choices have to be made, Knack said, the "best bang for our buck is actually more people living downtown, 24/7, 365 days a year." He added during his address that hybrid work is part of the city's commitment to its unionized employees. "Our word still does have to matter," he said.
The Chamber sent a letter to Knack on May 11, calling for the city to phase out the pandemic-era work-from-home regime as part of an effort to recover the vibrancy that was lost. Alberta Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams co-signed it, alongside BILD Edmonton Metro, NAIOP Edmonton, BOMA Edmonton and North, the REALTORS Association of Edmonton, and the Edmonton Construction Association. Speaking at the Edmonton Real Estate Forum on May 13, Chamber president and CEO Doug Griffiths pointed to a shrinking downtown tax base as the driving concern. "Edmonton at its peak … about 10% of its tax base came from the 1% land mass downtown," he said. "Now, it's about 5.2%. That tax base has to be made up from somewhere, so it's critical that downtown gets rejuvenated."
The Chamber framed the ask as part of a coordinated push across orders of government. The Alberta government returned nearly 12,000 public servants to offices in February. Cushman & Wakefield's Q1 2026 Edmonton office report noted the shift "has contributed to increased foot traffic in Edmonton's downtown core, with locations such as Commerce Place and Edmonton City Centre experiencing greater activity and vibrancy." Federal public servants are set to return four days a week starting in July. "We're seeing this momentum," said Heather Thomson, vice president of economy and engagement at the Chamber. "It's not the only call to action that we need, but we need to see this."
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Economic development
- Government officials marked the official groundbreaking for the International Cargo Hub at the Edmonton International Airport on May 13. The airport described the project as a long-term trade and logistics investment, but it may also result in more defence presence here, Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon told a Chamber of Commerce luncheon. "The Edmonton airport will, in turn, play an important role in the Canadian Armed Forces going forward," he said. "I think an entire squadron will be based there. That means maintenance, that means hangars, that means people in uniforms, that means people in logistics and other kinds of roles who will be added to the complement of what's already an important part of the Canadian Armed Forces."
- NAIT is about to start building its Advanced Skills Centre, with PCL Construction leading the project. The institute shared renderings of the building.
- The Alberta government has launched the Building Indigenous Mentorship and Pathways Pilot Program with a $300,000 investment to support Indigenous youth entering the skilled trades sector. The initiative, run by Building Trades of Alberta, emphasizes mentorship, culturally informed guidance, and community outreach, and one of three Indigenous trades mentorship symposiums will be held in Edmonton.
- Inder Pal Singh of SBI Bio Energy and Eugene Lapotac of Global Indigenous discussed how on-site hydrogen production from ethanol could support energy independence, food production, and water access in remote and Indigenous communities on the Hydrogen 2.0 podcast from Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB. The conversation was recorded live at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention in Edmonton.
- Indigenous tourism is tied to economic development, storytelling, and community responsibility, said Chelsey Quirk, CEO of Indigenous Tourism Alberta, on the Settle Down podcast.
- Megan Dart, executive director of Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival, reflected on why the arts matter after participating in a panel discussion with Mayor Andrew Knack and Renée Williams, CEO of the Edmonton Arts Council. "The arts are city-building infrastructure," Dart wrote. "Not only do the arts create a vibrant Edmonton by driving economic impact; they also grow empathy, spark connection, and help transform a city into a community."
- Upper Bound organizer Stephanie Enders discussed the conference's growth since the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute started it five years ago. The sold-out conference runs from May 19 to 22.
- The Alberta government, the City of Edmonton, and Enoch Cree Nation announced a $27.9-million joint investment to expand Whitemud Drive from two to four lanes between Lewis Estates Boulevard and 231 Street. Construction is tentatively planned to run from 2026 to 2027, with the project aimed at easing congestion and improving connectivity for residents in west Edmonton and surrounding communities.
- The St. Albert Downtown Business Association will close part of Perron Street for its first annual Night Market on May 20.
Startups and SMBs
- The first cohort in Edmonton Unlimited's Wired for Potential program for women tech founders and leaders includes Aisha Abdul of Fairly Staffing; Jalene Anderson-Baron and Ela Dudek of Future Fields; Anne Halpin of Glycobead Diagnostics; Sarah Harper of My Fertility Labs; Catalina Vasquez of Nanostics; Nina Karpoff of RNARevive; Leyla Kara of SpectraCann; Angelique Loesel of Hi Finance; Natasha Delany of Indigenous Projects and Events; Nasim Morawej of Recon Intelligence Corp; and Meghna Singh of BuildBase. They'll meet with coach Lori-Ann Muenzer over the next year.
- TELUS will be the first official beta tester for wâsikan kisewâtisiwin, an AI tool to help improve education about Indigenous Peoples in Canada. The tool will be hosted on the TELUS Sovereign AI Factory.
- Mitsoh founder Ian Gladue celebrated winning a pitch competition at UNFI Canada's Innovation Showcase in Toronto. UNFI said partners contributed a $35,000 grand prize to support emerging food brands for the competition.
- Catalina Vasquez, co-founder and COO of Nanostics, has been accepted into NEXT Canada's NEXT Founders program. "No sugar coating, no empty buzzwords, just honest conversations pushing us to go deeper into the real problems, their causes, and what meaningful solutions actually look like," she posted about the first week in the program for growth-stage founders seeking to scale their businesses into world-class ventures. "A powerful reminder that real learning comes from making consequential decisions and being accountable for them."
- Gillian Thomson, founder of Skipper, is shifting her focus from manufacturing the shower cap she invented to selling the patent. "It's been 5+ years of dreaming, designing, sourcing, negotiating, spending, pitching, worrying, shipping, celebrating, deliberating, researching, trying this, trying that," she posted, adding that she's proud of what she accomplished and looks forward to sharing what she has learned.
- Simon Zhu of Greater Than Group is investing some of the US$100 million he has raised into Arcanaut Studios, which is led by Casey Hudson, a former BioWare executive who is working on Star Wars: Fate of the Old Republic.
- Bitcoin Well said in its first-quarter financial results that revenue rose to $34.9 million, while adjusted EBITDA was -$0.6 million, largely due to increased spending on advertising and marketing. It reported more than 71,000 unique users in its Bitcoin Portal. Founder Adam O'Brien opposes the federal government's plan to outlaw crypto ATMs. "I don't think that anyone thinking about this for more than two seconds is under the impression that getting rid of Bitcoin ATMs stops fraud in Canada," he told BetaKit. "Can you show me the logic here of how we're actually trying to prevent fraud and not just playing whack-a-mole?"
- Challenges such as a 10-month delay for smoker permits, COVID-19, road construction, and rising food costs spelled the end of the Transit Smokehouse & BBQ in the historic Transit Hotel on Fort Road, former co-owner Ray Pritlove told Global News. The concept is merging with Rooster Kitchen and Cafe under the new name Midnite Rooster at 10732 Whyte Avenue NW. Mayor Andrew Knack said the 118-year-old Transit Hotel building needs a new use and called for a broader "main street" plan to support the Fort Road area.
Real estate
- The federal and provincial governments announced $323 million for affordable housing on May 13 during the Housing Forward summit, hosted by the City of Edmonton. Of the 41 projects to get funding, 15 are in Edmonton, including two Civida projects in Caernarvon and Belmont.
- Edmonton Community Foundation CEO Tina Thomas discussed how making $20 million available to spur affordable housing through the Social Enterprise Fund on CBC Edmonton's Radio Active will help Edmonton. Meanwhile, Civida CEO Bree Claude also joined Radio Active to discuss ECF's investment and how upfront capital investments are essential to get projects started for Civida to help even more than the 27,000 people it currently serves.
- Edmonton's zoning and infill policies have helped keep housing comparatively affordable, but there's still work to do, former mayor Don Iveson wrote in an op-ed ahead of his appearance at Housing Forward. "Affordable housing demand continues to grow," he wrote. "Continued progress won't be possible without everyone coming to the table, regardless of political stripe."
- Daily Hive reported that Edmonton was the only major Canadian city where housing supply kept pace with population growth.
- A new podcast series by The John Bosco Child and Family Services Foundation is intended to serve as a catalyst for a potential housing project on Bosco's land in northeast Edmonton. The Bosco Neighbourhood Podcast includes speakers from Amiskwaciy Cultural Society, Aboriginal Head Start, Sinkunia Community Development Organization, Bent Arrow Traditional Healing Society, and the City of Edmonton.
- Geoff Spero and Milka Vujanic of Servis Realty shared how they built leadership practices around trust, communication, and operational changes on the Executive Wins podcast.
- Real estate lawyer Asa Hagel discussed common legal misconceptions in property deals, including conditions, inspections, and post-closing issues for buyers and sellers on the latest RAEdio podcast from the REALTORS Association of Edmonton.
- Sturgeon County residents got a first look at plans for the West Rail Outline Plan, a proposed 48-hectare development east of Sturgeon Road in the Sturgeon Valley South area that could include about 600 homes and up to 2,000 residents. The development plan is yet to be approved by Sturgeon County council.
- Leduc has received a second $1.9-million installment of its $7.6-million federal Housing Accelerator Fund grant, having achieved 76% of its housing unit targets. The city has completed three of seven planned initiatives, including a housing incentive program, a project to streamline approvals, and a parking and public transportation study.
- Josan Properties is now offering third-party property-management services in Northern Alberta.
- Investment and residential growth have started to shift momentum in downtown Edmonton, but vacancy, safety, and street-level activity still need attention, wrote Robynn Holstein, executive director of NAIOP Edmonton.
- Edmonton's falling rents are encouraging, but don't tell the full affordability story, wrote Harsha Maheskumar in The Gateway, urging the city to invest in roads, transit, and public services alongside housing supply growth.
More headlines
- Edmonton Transit Service is introducing a shuttle service from Churchill Square to enhance accessibility for fans attending Edmonton Riverhawks baseball games. The season opens on May 29.
- The Edmonton Oilers have fired head coach Kris Knoblauch and assistant coach Mark Stuart following a first-round playoff exit to the Anaheim Ducks. Knoblauch had a 135-77-21 regular-season record with Edmonton and led the team to back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances.
- Former CKUA CEO Marc Carnes has been appointed as CEO of the Adelaide Fringe in Australia, following a global search. Carnes previously chaired the Edmonton International Fringe Theatre Festival and served on the board of Explore Edmonton.
- Alberta's information and privacy commissioner has raised concerns about Bill 31, which allows Alberta Gaming, Liquor, and Cannabis to sell personal customer data from its Play Alberta platform. The legislation bypasses the Protection of Privacy Act prohibition on selling personal data, which privacy commissioner Diane McLeod said sets a dangerous precedent. The province said customers can opt out before any data is sold. Meanwhile, 49 companies are interested in Alberta's online gambling market, which opens to private firms in July.
- Alberta Blue Cross published a guide for small and mid-sized businesses on using flexible health benefits to recruit and retain tech workers.
Happenings
Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:
- May 15: Friendly Fridays - May Edition: Collaboration by Design starting at 2:30pm at Reimagine Architects
- May 18-22: Business in Blue Jeans in St. Albert
- May 20: Advanced Manufacturing Summit starting at 7:30am at NAIT
- May 20: ITS Canada Conference & Trade Show starting at 8am at Delta Hotels by Marriott Edmonton South Conference Centre
- May 21: Product Regulations in Canada: What You Need to Know Before You Launch starting at 12pm online
- May 22: Coffee with the Chamber starting at 8:30am at Sawmill Prime Rib & Steakhouse
And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:
- May 26: Safety in Transition: A Half-Day Speaker Series and Industry Panel at Chateau Louis Hotel & Conference Centre
- May 26: ERIN Community Initiatives Session #3 online
- May 27-28: CIC Forum: Built by People, Powered by Technology at University of Alberta
Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.
Correction: This file has been updated with the correct date of the Edmonton Riverhawks' home opener.
This roundup was sponsored by CPA Alberta.
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