Business Roundup
Nov. 6, 2026

Federal budget

• The federal budget released on Nov. 5 allocated billions of dollars to address affordability and sovereignty. The budget document says the Build Communities Strong Fund will benefit Arts Common 118 and the Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues.
• The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce said many of the measures in the budget aligned with its recommendations. "Budget 2026 recognizes that a stronger economy starts with businesses having the confidence and capacity to invest, innovate, and expand," president and CEO Doug Griffiths said in a statement. "The next step is turning these commitments into results for businesses here in Edmonton." The chamber was disappointed that the budget did not include investment in Highway 28 between Edmonton and Cold Lake, which it sees as key to military readiness and regional economic growth.

Economic development

• Aurora Cannabis has agreed to a takeover by Organigram Global in a deal valuing Aurora at $561 million. Shareholders could receive $7.80 in cash or 5.8626 Organigram shares per Aurora share, or a combination, subject to overall cash and share limits. The proposed deal needs German foreign-investment clearance, and CEO Miguel Martin said the future of Aurora's Edmonton office remains undecided.
• Industrial development is shifting from Edmonton to surrounding areas, particularly Nisku and Acheson, as businesses seek lower property taxes and transportation costs, according to an Avison Young report. Edmonton recorded more than 172,000 square feet of negative industrial absorption in the third quarter of 2026, while Nisku added nearly 220,000 square feet and Acheson gained 77,000 square feet. Leduc County's industrial tax rate is less than half of Edmonton's, a gap expected to widen with planned increases to the city's non-residential taxes.
• On the Built Here podcast from Alberta's Industrial Heartland Association, executive director Mark Plamondon and business development director Chris Malayney discussed how low-cost natural gas could help attract long-term industrial investment northeast of Edmonton.
• Porter Airlines is adding four new routes from Edmonton to warm-weather destinations ahead of winter. The airline launched its first flight to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, on Nov. 3, with service to Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Los Cabos, Mexico, scheduled to begin later this month. The two Mexican routes will be Porter's first international flights departing from Alberta.
• Farmfair International, which started on Nov. 5, will bring cattle shows, food tastings, and hands-on agriculture activities to Edmonton until Nov. 8. The event generated $20.4 million in economic impact and drew nearly 40,300 attendees last year.
• NAIT business student Garinder Singh is recruiting downtown Edmonton restaurant owners, managers, and staff for interviews about challenges facing independent restaurants. The 15- to 20-minute interviews run until Nov. 15.
• The Alberta 2SLGBTQI+ Chamber of Commerce will host a panel and networking event on Nov. 17 at EVO. The event starts at 5pm and includes a presentation of Beyond Barriers research supported by the City of Edmonton.
• Alberta Innovates released its 2025-26 annual report, highlighting that it expanded hydrogen testing capacity and connected more than 300 food and beverage organizations to opportunities, as well as opening a commercially accessible carbon-fibre processing facility through InnoTech Alberta.

Data centres

• Anthropic is in talks to lease the proposed Beacon Data Centers campus in Sturgeon County, The Globe and Mail reported, citing two unnamed sources. Both companies declined to comment. Meanwhile, Samson Cree Nation said it rejected a multimillion-dollar offer to withdraw its intervenor status on the project as opposition to data centres grows. Beacon said it would continue engaging with the First Nation. The Alberta Utilities Commission has approved the plant with conditions, despite Samson's opposition as the only remaining intervenor.
• Natural gas turbine shortages have shown early signs of easing, said Capital Power CEO Avik Dey in a call on the company's third-quarter results. He linked the shift to pauses in some U.S. data centre projects. Dey cautioned that prices remain high and it's too early to know whether the trend would last.
• Brookfield and CPP Investments have expanded their proposed Boreal Technology Hub in Parkland County to as much as 1,600 megawatts, Connect CRE wrote. The proponents have outlined more than $5 billion in first-phase investment for the site south of TransAlta's Keephills generating station.
• Fort Saskatchewan's administration recommended reducing the maximum lot size for data centres from eight to four hectares while it reviews their impacts and opportunities. The city will hold a public hearing on proposed amendments to its land-use bylaw on Nov. 10.

Startups and SMBs

• Six Edmonton companies will pitch for investment at Startup TNT's fall investment summit finale on Nov. 12: Aqtiva, which increases farmers' yields and reduces fertilizer use; MagnetaMR, which makes MRI scanning cheaper and more accessible; RECON Intelligence, which gives oil-and-gas drillers better data; Rosette Robotics, which speeds up accurate seed analysis; Sentir Technologies, which detects HVAC failures in commercial buildings; and Zylotex, which turns fibres such as hemp into replacements for cotton and synthetics.
• NiaHealth received the A100 One to Watch award at the Start Alberta Tech Awards. Kristina Milke of Sprout Fund won the award for Ecosystem Support of the Year. Graphite Ventures, which has an Edmonton team, was named Investor of the Year.
• Corol, Correct-AI, Enerbund, and Zylotex have been named to the Foresight 50 list as Canada's top cleantech ventures of 2026.
• FoundersBeta's 2026 Startup Awards recognized Sam Jenkins and Jillian McLaren of Punchcard Systems, as well as Marissa McNeelands of Circa Thermal Studio as an exited founder at Toast.
• Lifting Solutions, an Edmonton-based supplier to the oil and gas industry, has been acquired by Texas-based FlowCo for US$113 million. The deal was announced on Oct. 2, but Dentons, which advised Lifting Solutions on the deal, celebrated the news on Nov. 4.
• Wyvern said Dragonette-005 is operational, bringing its hyperspectral-imaging constellation to five satellites. The company said the satellite, built and operated with Loft Orbital, increases imaging capacity and revisit frequency. "This milestone is a major step forward in Earth observation, particularly for critical industries, like defence and AI developers building the future of Earth intelligence," the company posted.
• Matrix GEMINI has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Florida Space Institute to develop technology for lunar construction. The collaboration will explore strengthening unrefined lunar surface material using low-power technology, with testing planned at Exolith Lab.
• Zylotex co-founder Lelia Lawson discussed the company's evolution and her entrepreneurial journey on the Women in Leadership and Entrepreneurship podcast.
• River Cree Resort and Casino marked 20 years in business, with more expansion on the way after adding Canada's first Hell's Kitchen restaurant. "Good enough is not good enough," CEO Vik Mahajan told CTV. "Every time we do something, we strive to do even better, and we don't stop."
• Food businesses with growth in Edmonton include Pho Hoan Pasteur, which has opened its sixth Edmonton-area location in Sherwood Park, and Duchess Bake Shop, which is opening a third location in Keswick.
• Twist & Taste launched gift card incentives after it lost money to people pretending to be market organizers. The owners planned to put market proceeds towards opening a standalone Georgian restaurant in January; the restaurant has been operating inside Waffle Bird since last December.
• Café Bel Air is seeking donations to repair fire and smoke damage at its Old Strathcona restaurant. The owners are asking for help with replacement equipment and inventory and operating expenses, and hope to rebuild an emergency fund. The crowdfunding campaign has raised more than $10,000.
• Bean Gill of ReYu Paralysis Recovery Centre and CBC's Push described how mentorship can build confidence among people with disabilities on the Executive Wins podcast.

Real estate and construction

• Mayor Andrew Knack asked the Alberta government to expand Edmonton's enforcement powers against builders who repeatedly break rules. He wants the city to revoke business licences and impose fines above the current $10,000 maximum. Knack also sought sanctions to prevent builders from reopening under new company names.
• Edify's 2026 Top 40 Under 40 list includes Qualico's Christine Lee, Rohit Group's Coleen Smith, and Jaffer's Alim Somji, among others.
• Edmonton's infill housing boom has had drivers beyond zoning changes, said Chelsey Jersak of Situate, citing population growth and federal mortgage insurance incentives as factors that go beyond what the province is trying to do by undoing Edmonton's zoning bylaw. Meanwhile, Tegan Martin-Drysdale of RedBrick Real Estate Services suggested that Edmonton is partly a victim of its own success when it comes to infill. "Edmonton has leapfrogged so far forward that it's kind of starting to wade into territory where things are being done that might not be done elsewhere — or there's things that are new to the Edmonton context that set it apart from other cities," she told Taproot, adding that iteration and caution may be warranted.
• Paul Chaput offered an update on Canada's multifamily real estate market from an investor's point of view on Real Estate Development: The Curtis Way, a podcast from The RMS Group's founder.
• BILD Edmonton Metro called on Edmonton city council to authorize planning for lands south of 41 Avenue SW when the issue returns in early 2027. In a press release, BILD, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce, and CREDA Edmonton Region said planning for the suburban area outside of Anthony Henday Drive could strengthen Edmonton's economy and tax base. Welcoming residents can take a decade after community planning begins, said BILD CEO Kalen Anderson. Edmonton annexed the lands from Leduc County in 2019 and identified them for future growth in The City Plan. Authorization would assess demand, infrastructure, servicing costs, funding, and potential returns, not permit construction, which would require further planning and approvals.
• The Wîhkwêntôwin property known as the Jameson pit has been listed for sale for $4 million after sitting excavated since 2021. Brokers said building permits were ready to be issued for the approved 22-storey development.
• Downtown Edmonton's commercial property market continued to lag behind the suburbs, said Murtaza Haider of the University of Alberta's Cities Institute. Commercial realtor Shiva Narayan identified grocery-anchored retail and suburban office space among stronger segments.
• Enoch Cree Nation has begun construction on 166 affordable single-family homes for its members, aiming to address a housing waiting list of about 350 families. The development west of Edmonton is backed by a $30-million loan from the Canada Infrastructure Bank, its largest investment in an Indigenous housing project to date. Construction of 110 homes is expected to be completed by summer, with another 50 lots scheduled for completion in early 2028.
• Avenue Living has won BOMA Canada's Pinnacle Award for Innovation for The Sunrise in Edmonton. Scandinavian Building Services also received the Pinnacle Award for Customer Service.
• Construction is underway on Century Square, an eight-bay commercial development at 14 Westwind Drive in Spruce Grove. The city expects completion in May 2027, with spaces intended for retail, offices, clinics, and restaurants.

More headlines

• The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce called for consistent services in return for property taxes as city council considers its proposed four-year budget.
• NAIT is seeking 20 small or medium-sized businesses to participate in its Entrepreneurship & Innovation Co-op Program, instructor Scott Riddell posted. Successful applicants will receive 50% wage support for a student to help with market research, business development, automation, process improvement, strategic planning, or innovation projects next summer.
• Leduc County declared a municipal state of agricultural disaster after excessive rainfall damaged crops. It is the 13th Alberta municipality to do so this year, with Sturgeon County and Strathcona County among them.
• Aurinia Pharmaceuticals reported 14% year-over-year revenue growth in its third quarter.
• The Edmonton Elks have extended Ed Hervey's contract as vice-president of football operations and general manager. After missing the playoffs in the past five seasons, the team is heading to the Western Conference Final on Nov. 7.
• The Alberta Emerald Foundation is accepting nominations for the 2027 Emerald Awards. Recipients will be named on June 3, 2027, at Edmonton's Triffo Theatre.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up soon:

• Nov. 6: 37th Annual ASTech Awards Gala and Innovation Showcase starting at 5pm at Westin Edmonton
• Nov. 9: Let There Be Light! starting at 11:30am at InnoTech Alberta
• Nov. 9: Green Drinks starting at 7pm at The Buckingham Pub
• Nov. 12-13: Robotics & Intelligent Systems Expo starting at 8am at University of Alberta (Electrical and Computer Engineering Research Facility)
• Nov. 12: Post-Federal Budget Breakfast with the Hon. Eleanor Olszewski starting at 9am at Fairmont Hotel Macdonald
• Nov. 12: Set Up Your Business in Alberta starting at 12pm online
• Nov. 12: 2026 Nurse Practitioner Week Edmonton Social starting at 6pm at MKT Fresh Food | Beer Market
• Nov. 13: Money and You - Part 2+3 starting at 10:15am at ATB Entrepreneur Centre

And here are more to keep in mind:

• Nov. 16-17: InWithForward Workshops Thick Data & Design Research for Donors at Action Lab
• Nov. 18: 2026 State of the Economy at Westin Edmonton
• Nov. 19: Building It Better: Lessons from Calgary and Edmonton Luncheon at Royal Glenora Club

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