Premier Danielle Smith will speak on July 20, with recent developments on pipelines, data centres, and carbon capture to tout. That comes shortly after Pete Hoekstra, the United States ambassador to Canada, gives a fireside chat at which trade and tariffs will likely come up. Eleanor Olszewski, the Edmonton Centre MP and minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, will be at the conference, too, as will Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish and other provincial ministers, as well as former Edmonton mayor Amarjeet Sohi, now with New West Public Affairs.
Indigenous business association Aksis is collaborating with RUNWITHIT Synthetics to map the urban Indigenous economy and better support more than 90,000 underserved Indigenous people in Edmonton. The project is seeking Indigenous entrepreneurs and organizations to participate.
Coun. Reed Clarke is working on a proposal for a business expansion credit to encourage companies to grow within Edmonton's borders rather than relocating to surrounding counties with substantially lower industrial tax rates. Real estate experts were divided on whether the incentive would meaningfully address the city's tax disadvantage. Bronwyn Scrivens of JLL called the idea "a Band-Aid, not a long-term solution," blaming high taxes on overspending. Coun. Aaron Paquette spoke about the consequences of Edmonton's diminished industrial tax base on Episode 364 of Speaking Municipally. "As Edmonton contracts, that is damaging for the region," he said. "This is an existential conversation for everyone."
Alberta, Ottawa, and five oilsands companies have agreed to advance the Pathways Project, a multibillion-dollar carbon capture and storage network tied to a proposed West Coast oilsands pipeline. The federal government will extend investment tax credits for carbon capture equipment to 2035, and both governments will pursue policies to spur bitumen production, ensuring the pipeline to southern British Columba can be filled. The project, estimated to cost between $20 billion and $30 billion, is targeted for first-phase operations by 2032.
The Alberta government is investing $37 million through Emissions Reduction Alberta's Drilling Technology Challenge to support 10 projects — worth nearly $179 million combined — aimed at improving drilling efficiency and safety in oil and gas, geothermal, and critical mineral development. Two Nisku-based projects received funding: $3.1 million for Calgary's Precision Drilling for a project to demonstrate robotic automation and pipe-handling to improve drilling, and $2.6 million for Ontario-based CleanDesign's project to demonstrate software that optimizes drilling power use. Edmonton's Phase Advanced Sensor Systems received $420,000 to develop and test high-temperature downhole pressure sensors for geothermal wells.
Some Sturgeon County residents are calling for greater public consultation on Meta's $13-billion AI data centre under construction in Alberta's Industrial Heartland. Mayor Alanna Hnatiw pointed to earlier rezoning processes as prior opportunities for input.
Capital Power CEO Avik Dey contributed to a publication about Canada's ability to fill a gap in the global supply of GenAI compute capacity. "AI infrastructure will be one of the most consequential assets of the next decade, and the world is not going to build enough of it. The deficit is a function of long lead times, constrained power and land in dense markets, and an appetite for compute capacity that is outrunning supply," the publication said. "For Canada, that gap is not a threat. It is a market." Capital Power will supply electricity to the Meta data centre before the new Greenlight Electricity Centre comes on-stream.
Amii received $1 million in Claude credits from Anthropic, which the organization will use to encourage AI adoption and support startups and businesses. "Access to AI technology is one of the biggest hurdles for growing companies," Amii's Mitchell McCaig said in a release. The news follows a provincial investment of $50 million into Amii.
Alberta accounted for nearly 80% of Canada's job gains over the past year, adding close to 80,000 of the 99,000 total jobs nationally, according to Statistics Canada. Economists largely attributed the gains to interprovincial migration driven by affordability. Healthcare and public administration led sector growth, while construction and natural resources remained relatively flat.
Annie Poirier created a dating app called Oops Social after becoming fed up with typical dating apps like Hinge and Tinder. "From my own experience with the dating apps, you go on there, and you get ghosted, and I think it's normal for people to ghost people — they don't care about you because they never felt anything," Poirier told Taproot. The app opened to about 160 beta testers in June after Poirier received coaching from Edmonton Unlimited to help her bring the idea to life.
Members of the family behind Ying Fat Foods told CBC Edmonton's Radio Active about what it's like to work with family to produce vast quantities of tofu and soy milk for restaurants across the city.
Above Average Drinks co-founder Warren Johnston questioned what local means in food and beverage, calling it "one of the most overused and under-defined words" in the industry." He argued that a collaboration between his company and Delavoye Chocolate Maker uses a byproduct of imported cacao, but their liqueur is a distinctly Edmonton product due to its creators' thoughtful work to process it.
Wally Smart Storage has expanded to Edmonton, offering a professionally installed, wall-mounted garage storage system paired with a smart app for searching stored items.
Real estate
Office occupancy is improving downtown while restaurants and retailers flee, Mark Anderson of CBRE Edmonton told Postmedia. While employers such as National Bank of Canada, ATCO, ATB, and AIMCo have pledged to bring workers back downtown, several restaurants have closed. "The problem is our Downtown is so gosh darn big," Anderson said, noting the relative health of the areas near the ICE District and Edmonton City Centre.
Avison Young's Cory Wosnack wrote that Edmonton's suburban office market is approaching an inflection point, with only 17 buildings across the suburbs offering about 20,000 sq. ft of available space, not all of it competitive. He forecasts the third quarter of 2026 as a turning point where rental rates begin to rise, incentives shrink, and new office construction becomes viable again.
The federal government has unveiled its first net-zero-emissions-ready apartments for Canadian Armed Forces members at CFB Edmonton, marking the first delivery under a national military housing construction program. The 36-unit, $22.5 million development is part of a $1.4-billion commitment to modernize housing for armed forces members, with CFB Edmonton expected to receive approximately 1,100 new units by the mid-2030s.
Elev co-founder Jean Bruce Koua gave the Audacious Rebuilders YouTube channel an inside look at the affordable student housing development The Hive. Koua recently told Taproot that The Hive is ready for move-ins after delays.
Construction began on a $23.6-million affordable housing project at a former surplus school site in Mill Woods. The Kiniski Gardens development will create 68 affordable homes, split evenly between townhouses with three-bedroom and single-bedroom units. Overseen by the Right at Home Housing Society, the project aims to maintain rent at 60% to 80% of market rates for at least 40 years.
Residents on a Laurier Heights cul-de-sac are taking the City of Edmonton to the Alberta Court of Appeal over an infill development with nearly 30 rooms, arguing they missed the appeal deadline because signage about the project was not prominent enough. The case is set for late October, and is prompting broader questions about how the City notifies residents of new development permits.
Concert Infrastructure and the Government of Alberta have reached financial close on a public-private partnership to build seven new schools, including three in Edmonton.
Royal LePage reports that Edmonton's aggregate home price dipped 0.4% year over year to $482,400 in the second quarter of 2026, while the luxury segment is gaining momentum as buyers pay a premium for homes in established neighbourhoods. Broker Tom Shearer of Royal LePage Noralta Real Estate forecast a busier fall market as pent-up demand from a slow spring carries over.
Edmonton's housing price growth slowed to 1% year over year in June, down from highs of 7% in mid-2025, as resale listings compete with newly built homes eligible for GST rebates and interprovincial migration to the city slows, according to data from Wahi and Real Property Solutions. The average detached home price did surpass $600,000 for the first time, while listings are up 10% and sales are running 4% slower year over year.
BILD Edmonton Metro has named Paul Lanni, president and CEO of Averton, as its new chair, bringing a decade of volunteer leadership across Edmonton's residential development industry.
The Jaffer Group of Companies announced that Alim N. Somji has been appointed president and CEO as founder Nizar J. Somji transitions to the role of founder and chair. Salima Mawani and Rahim Ali will take on expanded executive roles.
More headlines
Alberta's new iGaming market launched with 22 operators on July 13, offering online casino games and sports betting through approved platforms. Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally said strict standards are in place, warning operators against exploiting Albertans. The initiative aims to channel gambling from offshore to regulated sites. The province expects $76 million in first-year revenues, with percentages allocated to First Nations and gambling treatment programs. Meanwhile, sports industry executive Victor Cui asked why 1% of the iGaming budget has been earmarked for addiction treatment while nothing has been put towards prevention of problem gambling. "We funded the treatment for the addiction after it lands," he wrote. "We put nothing behind stopping it from landing."
Valleyview IGA is hiring ahead of its apparent reopening at 9106 142 Street NW. L'OCA Quality Market had replaced Andy's IGA at that location after longtime owner Andy Taschuk retired, but L'OCA closed the store and its Sherwood Park location in March. Sobeys, which owns IGA, has not commented.
TELUS World of Science - Edmonton will remain closed until about November due to substantial flood damage, which has resulted in the temporary layoff of nearly 70% of its workforce. The severity of the flood requires extensive cleaning and repairs. CEO Constance Scarlett noted the financial strain caused by the shutdown, as the centre relies heavily on admissions for revenue. The centre is working on a phased reopening plan and has begun discussions with Civic Service Union 52 on staff recall processes.
NorQuest College president and CEO Carolyn Campbell was featured on the Futuro Health WorkforceRx podcast to discuss how the college grew enrollment and revenues by more than 50% by prioritizing inclusion and aligning programming with labour market needs in healthcare and the skilled trades.
CPA Alberta is the professional organization for more than 30,000 Chartered Professional Accountants (CPAs) across the province. CPAs are known for the experience, expertise, and business acumen they bring to organizations everywhere. CPAs are leaders, entrepreneurs, business advisors, personal financial advisors, management consultants, financial analysts, and so much more!
