Business Roundup
Nov. 13, 2026

Future funding uncertain for downtown district energy system

Edmonton city councillors are set to discuss whether to involve a private partner to make the downtown district energy system work economically. The system — which provides heating to the current Winspear Centre and its future expansion, Chancery Hall, and Century Place — was conceived as a way to reduce the city's CO2 emissions, but changes to federal policy regarding emissions have altered the utility's business case. Administration said "financial constraints and changing policy conditions" have forced the city to pause and consider how to proceed with the planned Phase 1A expansion to the Stanley A. Milner branch of the Edmonton Public Library, the Citadel Theatre, and City Hall, as well as the preliminary design work for Phase 2, which was expected to bring the system to up to 20 mostly private buildings and two new developments.

Administration is asking council to choose between three options: continuing with the status quo and completing Phase 1A; looking for alternative ways to expand with a minimal amount of city funding; or stopping the expansion. Coun. Ashley Salvador introduced a motion directing administration to go with the first option; Coun. Reed Clarke unsuccessfully moved to amend the motion to go with the second option; and after a long in-camera session, Salvador moved another motion that seemed to be a bit of a blend of the two. The motion called for Phase 1A to proceed; for the city to work with EPCOR to find options to expand the utility through partnerships; and to proceed with a request for information for connections to the Exhibition Lands, Edmonton City Centre, River Crossing, Village at ICE District, and Station Lands developments. However, councillors on the committee eventually requisitioned the decision to the Nov. 25 city council meeting without making a recommendation.

Several representatives of the Vancouver area's private and public district energy sector paid (virtual) visits to the committee meeting to give their two cents. Luke Gillies of Lonsdale Energy, a municipally owned community energy system in the City of North Vancouver, said its success is due to council support, which is not only financial but also regulatory, as it requires buildings to hook up to the utility. Creative Energy, a private utility that serves more than 200 buildings in downtown Vancouver, echoed that strong municipal development and environmental policy is essential to make viable business cases. Jason Owen of clean-energy developer Corix urged councillors to consider partnering with the private sector because it can help secure equity and scale the system. Sonja Wilson, a partner with Reshape Infrastructure Strategies, urged councillors to go with the first option, as it's one of the few ways a municipality can directly reduce emissions. All speakers agreed, though, that council should stay the course on district energy and keep long-term goals in mind. "These are generational investments that have many benefits over the long term," Owen said.

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Economic development

RECON Intelligence, which gives oil-and-gas drillers better data, earned at least $175,000 in investment at Startup TNT's fall investment summit finale on Nov. 12. MagnetaMR, which makes MRI scanning cheaper and more accessible, and Rosette Robotics, which speeds up accurate seed analysis, received side deals at the event held at the Citadel Theatre. The remaining finalists were Aqtiva, Sentir Technologies, and Zylotex.
Canada's goal continues to be to rely less on trade with the U.S., notwithstanding the midterm elections that saw Democrats take control of Congress, Edmonton Centre MP Eleanor Olszewski told the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce on Nov. 12. The minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada said the federal budget will be good for business. "The Pacific Link pipeline, that's certainly one way that we'll be able to take Alberta resources to market in a more efficient way that builds on Alberta's economy and creates high-paying jobs for people for the years to come," she said. Meanwhile, protesters gathered at the minister's office to express their concerns about the environmental consequences of the federal budget and the Building Canada Strong Act.
Oxford Economics shared a closer look at its index of Canadian cities, which ranked Edmonton at sixth and designated it as a City to Watch. "While not quite at the same level as Canada's other major metros, partly due to its dependence on oil refining, Edmonton is a city we believe is primed to move up the rankings at pace, through a process of self-reinforcing economic growth and business development," the economic advisory firm said, citing high disposable incomes and relatively affordable housing.
The City of Edmonton's proposed budget includes $1 million to renew the Edmonton Edge Fund. Meanwhile, administration has proposed keeping Edmonton Unlimited's funding allocation stagnant for another four years. City council is set to debate the budget starting on Nov. 23, with a final vote expected by Dec. 18.
In a construction season update, the City of Edmonton said that of its 219 active projects, 81% were on schedule and 93% were on budget. It expects to complete about 65 projects by year-end, including completed construction at Hawrelak Park and the Coronation Park Sports and Recreation Centre. The city said it used full or partial road closures in an effort to compress multi-year construction into one season.
Capital Power CEO Avik Dey and TransAlta CEO Joel Hunter said Alberta's data centre policies will draw projects to the province and help to avoid the kind of public backlash that has been seen in American municipalities and counties. Dey told analysts that Alberta is "in an enviable position today relative to other markets."
Stantec's new CEO, Susan Reisbord, said the company will continue to advance data centre development under her leadership, despite growing public backlash. Stantec is part of the team building Meta's $13-billion data centre in Sturgeon County, and it is involved in Walton Global Investments' bid to make it possible to put data centres in the Edmonton Energy and Technology Park.
Edmonton entrepreneur Colin Campbell is hosting a free three-day festival downtown from Nov. 13 to 15, featuring Canadian musicians and performers at three venues. Organized by CIVIQ Labs, Bringing the Nation is part of Campbell's effort to bring arts and cultural events to underused downtown spaces, particularly in The Quarters. The project has received $78,000 in city grants.
Edmonton Chamber of Commerce CEO Doug Griffiths discussed the challenges facing Alberta municipalities a year after the municipal election on the Municipal Affairs podcast. Community-building is the key to everything, he said.
Flair Airlines began selling vacation packages from Edmonton and Calgary to Puerto Vallarta and Cancún. The launch came 10 days later than planned, the travel-business site OpenJaw reported.

Startups and SMBs

Cara Bedford, the founder and CEO of Infinite Marketing, died of cancer on Nov. 10 at the age of 39. Jared Smith will serve as interim CEO. "Ambitious, creative, fiercely determined and wonderfully unconventional," he posted in tribute. "I was incredibly proud to be her friend, advisor and co-founder." A GoFundMe campaign has been posted in support of her husband and 10-year-old son.
Jobber has opened an office in downtown Vancouver so that its 100 or so employees in the city can get together in real life. The Edmonton-founded home-services software company told Vancouver Tech Journal that the new space has 70 desks and will operate on a hybrid basis. "AI is compressing the time between idea and execution, and being in-person has the potential to make those iteration loops even faster — and arguably more fun," said Lynsey Thornton, vice-president of experience design.
Delavoye Chocolate Maker and Strathcona County's Pierogerie Polish Foods are developing visitor experiences with support from ÉCONOMUSÉE's Artisans at Work network. The businesses became the network's first Edmonton-region members in June. Pierogerie's Agnes Kulinska said she wants to expand winter programming to attract visitors beyond the farm's spring-to-fall season.
Edmonton-area winners at the ASTech Awards by Technology Alberta on Nov. 6 included several businesses: Aqtiva, Zero Point Cryogenics, Jones Microwave, 10Alytics, and DrugBank. Here's the full list of winners.
Sabor is Edmonton's only entry on OpenTable's 2026 list of the Top 100 Restaurants in Canada. "We've hosted thousands of first dates, business dinners, birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and celebrations of life," the restaurant posted in celebration.
Settle Down, a podcast about entrepreneurship with Vanessa Marshall of Jack59, Mallory Yawnghwe of Indigenous Box, and Shani Gwin of pipikwan pêhtâkwan and wâsikan kisewâtisiwin, is back for a second season. On the season's first episode, Marshall discusses what it was like to pitch on Dragons' Den.
The Colombian's founders, Santiago Lopez and Kristin Panylyk de Lopez, said on their Confluence podcast that they paused opening new cafés to strengthen existing ones after opening three in one year. The episode explores financial discipline, operating systems, and workplace culture.
Well by Design founder Steven Langer told the Executive Wins podcast that unpaid conference talks helped him build credibility and secure paid engagements. He described shifting from pitching in-depth consulting to offering talks and workshops that let organizations get to know his work.
The plan to close the High Level Bridge to vehicle traffic in the summer of 2027 drew mixed reactions from Edmonton businesses along the south side's 109 Street. Cliff Vallentgoed of redbike told CBC he wasn't too concerned, given that most customers ride their bikes to the shop, but Beth Rawles of M Hair Salon was worried about getting staff to and from work.
Duchess Bake Shop dropped its Harry Potter gingerbread theme after public criticism over author J.K. Rowling's anti-trans views. The bakery apologized and said it was building a festive holiday village instead. The display will be used to raise money for the Pride Centre of Edmonton.

Real estate and construction

Fillmore Construction has been selected to build a dual-brand Hilton hotel at the Edmonton International Airport. The proposed development would combine a Hilton Garden Inn and Home2 Suites, with a total of 168 guest suites.
Boardwalk Real Estate Investment Trust sold three Edmonton apartment complexes for $106.5 million in gross proceeds. The properties were Riverview Plaza, Northridge Estates, and Parkview Estates.
Kennedy Towers tenants in Old Strathcona protested a proposed rent increase of up to 60%, saying it could force residents out. Residents proposed a 5% increase across all units and said they were not yet planning a rent strike. The building's new owner, Platinum Properties Group, did not respond to reporters' requests for comment.
Coun. Michael Janz plans to propose a principal-residence requirement for short-term rentals in Edmonton. Urban planning committee will consider two reports on Nov. 17, including options for platform licensing, minimum stays, and taxation.
A supportive housing development in northwest Edmonton opened with 40 permanent, affordable studio units for veterans. Officials said nine units were occupied, and full-time staff would provide professional support or help residents access community supports. All three levels of government provided funding for the roughly $15-million project by Veterans' House Canada.
WIN House began site preparation for a 64-unit transitional housing development in northeast Edmonton for women and children fleeing violence. The $34-million Miller Project received funding from all three levels of government and is expected to open in early 2029. It will house more than 150 people for stays of two to three years.
Curtis Way, founder of The RMS Group, joined the Canadian Urban Institute's Mary Rowe to discuss housing challenges in Western Canada.
Remax Canada reported that luxury home sales in Edmonton rose 15.9% in the first nine months of 2026, ranking fourth in Canada behind Burlington, ON, St. John's, and Calgary.
Cory Wosnack of Avison Young commented on the shortage of office space in fast-growing parts of the city. "There's no new office inventory in the pipeline," he posted. "Even if a new development were approved in the next six months, tenants likely wouldn't be able to move in until 2029. This creates a challenge for companies looking to expand their teams."
Cozey is opening a 5,400-square-foot furniture store at West Edmonton Mall this month.
Kristi Dubeau of NAIT's continuing education outlined the path to becoming a licensed realtor in Alberta on the RAEdio podcast.

More headlines

The Edmonton Transit Service has launched an online merchandise shop, proceeds from which will go to the City of Edmonton. Carrie Hotton-MacDonald also announced a new partnership with the Transit app, which will see Edmonton riders get access to the premium version for the next four years.
The Edmonton Elks' Grey Cup berth helped boost ticket sales in Calgary, Calgary Stampeders president Jay McNeil said. The CFL reported at least 1,000 tickets sold immediately after the Western final, ahead of the Nov. 15 championship game. Tourism Calgary forecast about 30,000 visitors and more than $50 million in economic impact from the festival and game.
Former K97 host Terry Evans will return to Edmonton radio as a host on Cruz 95.7, which is relaunching with a "sports talk rock" format. His first show will air on the day after the Edmonton Elks play in the Grey Cup.
Former broadcaster and sports commentator Mark Connolly received an honorary doctorate from MacEwan University on Nov. 10. "His commitment to journalism, amateur sport and community service reflects the kind of leadership that strengthens our communities and inspires the next generation," said president Annette Trimbee.
End Poverty Edmonton calculated Edmonton's 2026 living wage at $22.65 an hour, up 35 cents from last year. Alberta's minimum wage remains $15 an hour and has not increased since 2018. The organization said that higher benefits and a methodology change helped limit the increase despite rising household costs. End Poverty Edmonton will explore the challenge further at The Future We Can Afford on Nov. 19 at the Pendennis Building.
The Pembina Institute said federal budget investments in electrification could improve affordability and energy security. It highlighted $634.2 million for electric-vehicle charging infrastructure and related programs.
BioWare will be the subject of Massive Effect: The BioWare Story, a documentary that started filming two years before its closure, Engadget reported. "It's the story of how a group of underdogs from the Alberta prairies built one of the most beloved studios in gaming, told by the people who were there," producer Shane Fennessey said in a statement on X. "Now, with the shocking news of the studio's closure, we carry the responsibility of telling how the story ends."
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce elected Carman McNary as chair of its board. McNary is senior counsel at Dentons and previously served as managing partner of its Edmonton office.
The latest exhibition at Musée Heritage Museum, called What's Underneath? Mining in St. Albert, tells the story of coal, gold, and oil extraction in the region. Curator Martin Bierens said he got the idea for the exhibit during Corb Lund's Water Not Coal campaign.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up soon:

Nov 14-15: 2026 Canada International Textile & Apparel Expo at Evario Events Centre
Nov. 17: Edmonton Safety Connect November Social starting at 4:30pm at Canadian Brewhouse (Edmonton Ellerslie)
Nov. 17: The Walrus Talks: North of Now starting at 7pm at Rogers Place (Ford Hall)
Nov. 17-18: Alberta Co-operative Conference 2026 at Westin Edmonton
Nov. 18: Talent Development Symposium 2026 starting at 8:30am at Chateau Lacombe Hotel
Nov. 18: 2026 State of the Economy starting at 11:30am at Westin Edmonton
Nov. 18: TOPONA - On the Road in Spruce Grove starting at 4pm at Spruce Grove Community Social Development
Nov. 18: Top 40 Under 40 Celebration starting at 5pm at Winspear Centre
Nov. 18: Exmerce Fireside Experts Networking and Panelist Event starting at 6pm at Grand Villa Casino
Nov. 19: Building It Better: Lessons from Calgary and Edmonton Luncheon starting at 11:30am at Royal Glenora Club
Nov. 19: Indigenous Ignite Link-Up Luncheon starting at 11:30am at Wyndham Edmonton Hotel and Conference Centre
Nov. 19: Greater Purpose Impact Circle: Business as Un-usual starting at 5pm at Brighton Block
Nov. 19: A Frank Discussion: About AI starting at 5pm at Frank's Community Pub
Nov. 19: Built In Edmonton starting at 5:30pm at Pub 1905

And here are more to keep in mind:

Nov. 27: Coffee with the Chamber at Edmonton Humane Society
Dec. 4: The Unachievable at ArtsHub Ortona
Dec. 10: Winter Mixer for BILD Edmonton Metro at Premier Built Garages

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

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Business Roundup Nov. 13, 2026