Regional Roundup
July 1, 2026

Economic development

• Champion Petfoods has officially opened its $32-million Global Innovation and Discovery Centre in Acheson. The new centre "strengthens Champion's ability to develop, evaluate and refine new recipes, proprietary technologies and product concepts," the company said in a release, noting that the centre "reinforces Champion's commitment to its Alberta roots by leveraging the region's world-class agricultural network."
• The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund has invested up to $368,000 in Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation to expand the company's Calgary team and establish a life sciences commercialization centre at the Biohubx facility. The funding is expected to support 16 companies and create two high-skilled jobs over two years, and will also establish a graduation-pathway partnership with the Life Sciences Innovation Hub.
• Teledyne MEMS has expanded its Edmonton manufacturing operations with support from a $620,000 provincial grant, reinforcing Alberta's growing role in the global semiconductor supply chain. The expansion adds wafer processing, inspection, and automation equipment to the company's production facility for micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) sensors and microfabricated semiconductor devices. The expansion is "a powerful vote of confidence in our region's talent, infrastructure, and innovation ecosystem," Edmonton Global posted in response to the announcement.
• Representatives from the Edmonton region visited Eurosatory 2026, one of the world's largest defence and security exhibitions, which took place in Paris earlier this month. Participants from the University of Alberta, the City of Leduc, Sarcomere Dynamics, and RUNWITHIT Synthetics showcased the Edmonton region's advanced manufacturing and defence ecosystem.
• Bryanna Kumpula-Yung of Bar OA Farms and Eiblis Doherty of Strathcona County Tourism delivered a presentation on what they've learned about making agritourism work at the Global Agritourism Conference in Aberdeen, Scotland. "The question is no longer whether agritourism matters, it's how communities can support it effectively," they said in their talk, noting the efforts Strathcona County has made to enable farmers to diversify as part of its tourism strategy.
• The Alberta Utilities Commission has approved a proposal for the Greenlight Electricity Centre, a 1,864-megawatt power plant northeast of Edmonton in Sturgeon County. This facility, a joint venture between Pembina Pipeline and Kineticor, aims to power the province's burgeoning data centre industry. Construction is set on 98 hectares in Alberta's Industrial Heartland and may employ 1,500 workers at its peak. While touted as a boost for local industrial growth, the project has raised environmental concerns due to its reliance on natural gas, prompting calls for renewable alternatives. Completion is targeted for 2031.
• Calgary's PlasCred Circular Innovations is moving closer to commercializing its advanced plastic recycling technology through a new supply partnership with Edmonton-based Circular Materials, which will provide material for a new facility. Alberta Innovates supported the advancement of the facility as part of broader efforts to accelerate cleantech commercialization in the province.
• Sherritt International Corp. is shutting down operations at its Fort Saskatchewan refinery after running out of feed material from its Moa mine in Cuba, which suspended operations due to fuel shortages caused by U.S. sanctions cutting off Venezuelan oil. The company says no jobs were lost and that it is continuing to produce fertilizers and sulphuric acid using existing inventory. The refinery is the only producer of battery-grade cobalt in North America, Richard Hiller of the Energy Futures Lab told The Canadian Press.

Municipalities

• The City of Leduc is among the Alberta municipalities considering annexation to manage rapid population growth, CBC News reported. Leduc aims to annex land from Leduc County, as it anticipates its population, currently around 40,000, to quadruple by the 2080s. Joshua Culling of BILD Edmonton Metro said annexation is a good option for cities dealing with rapid growth. Sandeep Agrawal, a professor at the University of Alberta, noted that annexation often benefits mid-sized municipalities but can be a drain on larger cities like Edmonton or Calgary.
• Alberta has paused its ambulance contract overhaul for seven municipalities with integrated fire and ambulance services — including St. Albert, Strathcona County, Leduc, and Spruce Grove — pushing the new benchmark pricing to 2028-2029. The City of Leduc said it is engaging with the province and EHS Alberta to understand the implications for its integrated service model. Spruce Grove Mayor Jeff Acker said in a statement that this doesn't change the city's position that ambulance and health services are a provincial responsibility that should not be subsidized by municipal ratepayers.
• Beaumont city council approved its 2026-2030 strategic plan, focused on resident-centred services, community safety and well-being, and thoughtful growth. The plan, described by Mayor Lisa Vanderkwaak as built on community feedback, includes re-establishing a school resource officer program, enhancing bylaw enforcement, and completing infrastructure for the Innovation Park.
• Spruce Grove introduced a city centre tax incentive program to encourage commercial and mixed-use redevelopment in its downtown core. The program offers a municipal property tax abatement during the early years after redevelopment for qualifying projects within the First Avenue and McLeod Avenue precincts.
• St. Albert's housing needs assessment identified gaps in the diversity of options for homeownership, the supply of purpose-built rentals, and the amount of non-market housing for seniors and people of all abilities. The report will inform an affordable housing strategy to be developed in the coming months and satisfies a new federal requirement for infrastructure grant eligibility.
• Stony Plain has opened outdoor sport courts in Old Town South, featuring four pickleball courts, one tennis court, and two basketball nets available free to the public without booking. The courts are part of the broader Old Town South Redevelopment project.
• The City of Leduc's Youth Council presented its 2026 annual update to city council, highlighting its youth ambassador program, a community clothing drive, and summer engagement activities for residents aged 16 to 22. The city's Family and Community Support Services Advisory Board also reported on efforts to strengthen preventive social services through organizational outreach and a review of the municipal grants process.

Headlines

• The City of St. Albert warned people to stay away from the Sturgeon River on June 30, with water levels continuing to rise. Heavy rains resulted in extensive flooding in two mobile home parks in Strathcona County and numerous road washouts in the region as Edmonton broke the record for June rainfall on the final weekend of the month.
• St. Albert's annual Run for Reconciliation will not take place on July 1 due to flooding in the St. Albert Healing Garden and Lions Park. "We hope that we can find a day somewhere later in the summer where we can still do the orange ribbon ceremony and honour it still," Coun. Amanda Patrick, who founded the event, told CTV News.
• St. Albert RCMP reported a surge in complaints about e-bikes and electric dirt bikes, primarily related to dangerous operation on roads and sidewalks in the urban core. Officers are focusing on targeted enforcement and in-school presentations, and have issued violation tickets to youth riding non-compliant electric dirt bikes.
• Sherwood Park teenager Logan Formaniuk has risen to the top five in North America in the under-14 pickleball division, competing regularly on the Professional Pickleball Association circuit across the United States. He trains five to six days a week and uses online schooling to accommodate his tournament schedule.
• Beaumont has unveiled community murals at the Chantal Bérubé Community Youth Centre, completing a project shaped by input from youth and residents. Edmonton artist Josh Harnack led the work, which moved through engagement sessions and youth workshops before the murals were permanently installed.
• The Devon community raised $27,000 during Tim Hortons Smile Cookie Week, taking first place in the Edmonton region. Proceeds benefit the Devon General Hospital Foundation, funding lab equipment, a multipurpose hygiene chair, and a hospital courtyard designed to support mental health and recovery.
• The fifth annual Tri-Region Mayors' Golf Classic raised $22,500 for a CT scanner at WestView Health Centre in Stony Plain.
• When Damien Uzelman stopped visiting his Sherwood Park gym after more than a year of regular attendance, Planet Fitness staff noticed — and gave him a signed card when he returned during a difficult period with depression and anxiety. Uzelman shared the story on social media to highlight the impact of small gestures on men's mental health; the suicide rate among men is nearly three times that of women, according to Statistics Canada.
• The expansion of the Strathcona Community Hospital will only be successful if the province takes into account the staffing needs, says a commentary published in The Gateway. "If Alberta expands Strathcona, it has to be a capacity plan, not just a construction plan," wrote Sara Sunderji.
• Gallery@501 is presenting Wonderpool: Portals to Imagined Worlds, a summer exhibition featuring three Edmonton-area artists working with stickers, quilted textiles, and hybrid sculpture. It runs from July 8 to Aug. 22.
• Amplify's fourth annual Artist Alley takes place at St. Albert Place on July 4, featuring a youth night market with 25 vendors, an art battle, craft workshops, and a buskers' stage. The free event is open to young vendors from Grade 7 to age 25.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

• July 1: Canada Day Family Fun Activities starting at 8:30am at Leduc Heritage Grain Elevator
• July 2: Set Up Your Business in Alberta starting at 12pm online
• July 2: Fort Saskatchewan Farmers' Market starting at 4pm at Legacy Park
• July 2: St. Albert Gallery Walk starting at 6pm at Visual Arts Studio Association
• July 2: Plaza Series: Kickin' Brass and Fiddle Sass: Zach Moostoos-Willier and Brasstactics starting at 7pm at Arden Theatre
• July 4: Summer at the Centre starting at 4pm at Spruce Grove City Centre
• July 7: Strathcona County Library: Growing Through the Years – Smeltzer House History & Garden Tour starting at 7pm at Smeltzer House

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• July 16-19: Alberta Summer Games in Strathcona County
• July 24-26: Fête au Village in the Town of Legal
• July 25-26: Sherwood Park Highland Gathering at Broadmoor Lake Park

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