With $3 million in funding from Emissions Reduction Alberta, Azolla Hydrogen will be able to serve long-haul truckers in Calgary, a key step in making it plausible for fleets to be hydrogen-fuelled, said president and CEO Jared Sayers. "Expanding into Calgary is an important step in building the hydrogen infrastructure Alberta needs to grow the market," he said in a statement posted by the Calgary Region Hydrogen Hub. "We're connecting infrastructure, industry, and demand to build a stronger hydrogen corridor across Alberta."
Azolla's rapid deployment station is capable of delivering up to 300 kilograms of hydrogen per day and will help connect Edmonton and Calgary as part of Canada's longest heavy-duty hydrogen transportation corridor. "(This is) a major step on the path to a sustainable hydrogen economy, unlocking a new level of pilots and projects to push Canadian hydrogen innovation forward," the organization posted. The Edmonton Region Hydrogen HUB also celebrated the news: "By expanding access to reliable refuelling, (the ERA investment) can support vehicle deployments, strengthen the link between Calgary and Edmonton, where Azolla already has a strong presence, and create a foundation for longer-distance routes across Western Canada," mobility program director Mohamed Khaja told Taproot by email.
Shelly Nichol, the executive director of the St. Albert and District Chamber of Commerce, urged residents to buy local and Canadian products as federal countermeasures of 15% to 50% on about $27.6 billion worth of U.S. goods are set to take effect on Sept. 8. The measures match earlier U.S. tariffs on Canadian exports such as honey, tools, and toilet paper. Morinville Home Hardware manager Olivia Chevalier said the price of screws has already risen by about 20 cents.
West Edmonton Mall unexpectedly became a punchline in the Canada-U.S. trade dispute after U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent referenced the mall's long-removed submarines while dismissing the idea of a "tit-for-tat" trade war with Canada on CNBC. Bessent also accused Prime Minister Mark Carney of politicizing the dispute, ahead of a meeting of G20 finance ministers on Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 in North Carolina.
MacEwan University associate professor Subhadip Ghosh told Postmedia that Canada has little choice but to endure the trade war with the U.S. until this autumn's American midterm elections. Ghosh said Canada remains too dependent on the U.S. despite diversification efforts such as a Kitimat, BC, natural-gas export terminal, and pointed to the U.S.'s history of reopening signed trade deals with other countries as a reason it can't be trusted to honour any agreement it reaches with Canada.
Economic development
More than 12,500 people attended a virtual town hall where Premier Danielle Smith and cabinet ministers fielded questions about AI data centres, including Meta's proposed $13-billion facility and $4.6-billion natural gas plant in Sturgeon County. Attendees raised concerns about water use, safety setback distances from homes, and a Pembina Institute report estimating the Sturgeon County project could add up to $462 a year to household power bills, though Smith said data centres will have to bring their own power and pay transmission fees to offset costs for other consumers. The opposition NDP called for a pause on new data centre approvals until a framework addressing power costs and water use is in place.
The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce launched its first business sentiment index survey, asking businesses to rate their financial health, cost pressures, and how Alberta-federal tensions are affecting planning and investment decisions. The survey, open until Oct. 1, will shape the chamber's advocacy priorities ahead of a Sept. 29 event on Edmonton's municipal budget.
The Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute opened applications for its new Health Innovation Lab, a three-year, $10-million initiative with the Government of Alberta to fund AI and machine-learning healthcare projects. Funding tiers range from $50,000 for early-stage projects to $300,000 for near-market-ready ones addressing women's healthcare, chronic disease management, or administrative burden, with applications open until Sept. 28.
Startup TNT is accepting applications until Sept. 14 for its fall 2026 Edmonton investment summit. The summit connects early-stage companies in Edmonton and northern Alberta with angel investors through a structured, team-based due diligence process. The pitch night is set for Oct. 1, with the summit finale on Nov. 12.
GrowthX is accepting applications from Alberta tech founders for a go-to-market coaching program that pairs founders with expert sales coaches and provides an AI-powered sales planning platform. The deadline to apply is Sept. 28.
The federal government has renewed $50 million in funding for the Canadian Agri-Food Automation and Intelligence Network, an Edmonton-based not-for-profit that supports agri-food automation and innovation research. Over the past six years, CAAIN has committed more than $42 million to 56 projects with a combined value exceeding $133 million; new programming will launch this fall.
DON'YA Ukraine's Kitchen will close its Little DON'YA downtown outpost on Sept. 11 — perhaps temporarily. The news follows a sustained campaign by co-founder and CEO Janice Krissa for better parking, less invasive construction, and crime reduction. "This location will remain closed until the construction downtown wraps up and parking becomes easier and safer for all our customers, especially our seniors," she wrote. DON'YA's other restaurant at 12153 Fort Road NW remains open, and its products are available at many retailers and restaurants.
Arcadia Brewing posted reflections on a tough summer for businesses and customers alike. In an effort to ease the pain, it's reducing its pint prices by $1. "One thing that really stuck out to us was that a lot of the conversations were about why people need to support local businesses, rather than why they aren't," the post reads. "It doesn't take too many conversations to realize that it's gotten really expensive to go out these days, let alone support local small businesses."
Agtech company TrustBIX reported a third-quarter net loss of $172,321 for the period ended June 30, on revenue of $16,000. CEO Hubert Lau said the company is focused on strategic acquisitions after closing its purchase of cybersecurity consultancy Zen Cyber on Aug. 4.
AutoCanada has acquired Doug's Place Southgate, an Edmonton collision repair shop with about 7,540 square feet of capacity and certifications across 10 vehicle brands. The deal builds on AutoCanada's 2025 purchase of the original Doug's Place location in Strathcona.
Real estate
The historic former Downtown YMCA is nearing the end of a $35-million redevelopment after almost nine years of work. Renamed Williams Hall, the building at 10030 102A Avenue NW will open 90 affordable one-bedroom units in late fall, along with commercial and office space. Beljan Development acquired the property around 2018, but construction was delayed by the pandemic before resuming in 2023 with $15.05 million in government funding. "The idea is to live, work, sleep, study here, and support the core as a whole," Beljan's Leah Kinsella told Postmedia.
The former Edmonton Journal building is up for sale as an investment or owner-user property, with the listing describing it as suitable for adaptive reuse or redevelopment. The five-storey, 148,640-square-foot building, constructed in 1990, sits on a 0.86-acre site at 10006 101 Street NW and is currently vacant. CBRE has listed the building with an asking price of US$3.25 million.
The Connaught Armoury in Old Strathcona — a century-old building that once housed a military regiment, then a nightclub, and most recently a Youth Empowerment and Support Services drop-in centre — is listed for sale for $2.47 million. Provincial and municipal historic designations protect it from demolition.
The City of St. Albert has scheduled a Sept. 15 public hearing on a bylaw to amend land use that would shrink minimum lot widths in several low-density neighbourhoods, cap secondary suites on smaller lots, and allow taller buildings and higher density along St. Albert Trail. The changes, proposed to allow the city to access money from the Housing Accelerator Fund, would also create a new mixed-use transit-oriented district near future rapid transit stations, permitting buildings up to 50 metres tall.
Edmonton city council's urban planning committee approved higher road-closure fees during a meeting on Sept. 1, with the changes taking effect Jan. 1, 2027. The daily permit fee will rise to $32 from $25, while residential builders will pay a standard $185 fee. The changes aim to shorten construction-related disruptions, and BILD Edmonton Metro supported the revised system, saying daily fees should encourage builders to stay on schedule.
More headlines
The Prospect Art Collective store at Kingsway Mall will help former AISH recipients and others get work experience in a supportive environment through Prospect's Retail Mental Health Program as Alberta's disability support system changes. "We recognized that there was going to be an awful lot of people going into an employment situation that they weren't necessarily prepared for," program manager Lorraine Henderson told Taproot. "(ADAP) was one of the reasons why we came up with this program."
Integrated Strategic Partners has announced four new senior appointments, deepening its bench in health policy, municipal governance, and defence. New hires include Robyn Henwood, who joins from Roche Canada and brings experience in health policy and government relations; Aileen Giesbrecht, Edmonton's former city clerk; Marty von Wuthenau, previously of Earnscliffe Strategies; and J'lyn Nye, a former broadcaster, Royal Canadian Air Force honorary colonel, and director of marketing and digital content with the Edmonton Police Service.
Aurora Cannabis urged shareholders to reject a hostile takeover bid from Curaleaf Holdings, saying the US$4-per-share offer undervalues the company. Aurora said it is debt-free with about C$149 million in cash, while the debt-laden Curaleaf would gain control of that cash without paying fairly for it.
AIMCo said its assets under management surpassed $200 billion this year, reaching $210.7 billion as of June 30, up from $194.7 billion at the end of 2025. Chief investment officer Justin Lord said the fund's balanced portfolio returned 7.2% in the first half of the year, with more than 40% of its assets invested in Canada.
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