December 2, 2025
Edmonton’s economy is growing, but growth alone does not guarantee long‑term success. What matters to businesses is whether the city remains a good place to invest, hire, and expand.
The Edmonton region supports about 740,000 jobs and exports more than $115 billion every year. It is one of the most diverse economies in the country and a major driver of Alberta’s overall economic performance.
When Edmonton does well, the province does well.
As Alberta prepares to release the 2026 provincial budget, the question is not whether the economy is growing. It is whether that growth can be sustained through stronger productivity, investment certainty, and competitive business conditions.
In 2024, Alberta’s economy grew by about 3 percent, reaching roughly $452 billion in GDP. The province’s population passed 5 million people as more workers and families chose to move here. That growth creates opportunity, but it also creates pressure.
More people means more strain on roads, transit, housing, and public services. Businesses are facing higher costs, tighter labour markets, and more uncertainty in global trade. These pressures shape decisions about where companies invest and how fast they grow.
Budget 2026 is an opportunity to reinforce the conditions that allow businesses to succeed.
The Edmonton Chamber’s priorities for the Alberta Provincial Budget 2026 focus on practical, high‑impact actions that improve competitiveness, unlock private investment, and support productivity growth. These recommendations are grounded in economic data, informed by direct consultation with our members, and aligned with the province’s broader goals of fiscal discipline and long‑term prosperity.
What the Data is Telling Us
In late 2025, the Edmonton Chamber released its inaugural State of the Economy report to better understand how Edmonton is performing and where risks are emerging.
The message from the data is clear. Edmonton remains a strong trade and employment centre, but its competitive position is under pressure.
Fewer people in Edmonton are working or looking for work compared to similar cities. This puts productivity at risk and means the region is not using its full workforce potential. At the same time, industrial property taxes are higher than in competing regions, which raises costs for employers and influences where businesses choose to locate. Edmonton also has fewer large company head offices, which limits reinvestment and long‑term stability.
These problems are connected. When costs rise, businesses become less competitive. When competitiveness drops, investment slows. When investment slows, productivity and growth suffer.
Budget 2026 is an opportunity to respond directly to what the data is telling us.
What Edmonton Businesses Need fro Budget 2026
1) Support a Coordinated Downtown Public Safety Response
The Edmonton Chamber appreciates the Government of Alberta’s leadership in bringing public servants back to the office, which is a gamechanger for downtown business. To sustain that momentum, people must feel safe getting to work, moving around downtown, and using transit throughout the day and into the evenings. Public safety directly affects whether employees return, whether businesses invest, and whether downtown activity continues to build.
Right now, efforts to improve safety are spread across different systems and are not producing consistent results. Budget 2026 should fund a coordinated provincial‑municipal approach focused on visible, measurable results in key business districts and transit corridors, including:
- Integrated downtown safety teams and additional transit peace‑officer presence during peak commute hours.
- Expanded mental‑health and addictions outreach with rapid response and better data sharing across agencies.
- Targeted environmental fixes in business districts, such as lighting, cleanliness, and public‑realm maintenance tied to clear service standards and beautification efforts.
A targeted partnership and investment will help reinforce the return‑to‑office momentum, strengthen confidence for employees and employers, and support downtown as a place to do business.
2) Support Applied AI Adoption in Construction and Engineering
The Edmonton Chamber State of the Economy data shows that productivity is a growing concern. Solving this is not just about adding workers. It is about helping businesses work smarter.
Edmonton is home to strong artificial‑intelligence expertise and a large construction and engineering sector. Using AI in these industries can improve project timelines, reduce costs, and increase output. Last year, we launched the AI x CE strategy in partnership with leading construction firms, innovators, academic institutions, and policymakers.
The Edmonton Chamber appreciates that the province is already considering our proposal for accelerating AI adoption and supporting this initiative. A multi‑year investment in this project would support workers gaining new skills, improve productivity, and attract private capital.
3) Establish World Trade Centre Edmonton
The Edmonton Chamber State of the Economy report shows that Edmonton has fewer large corporate head offices than comparable regions. This matters for long‑term growth, reinvestment, and economic resilience. Helping firms scale requires better access to markets.
The Edmonton Chamber has submitted a request to the province to re-establish the World Trade Centre Edmonton to support export readiness, interprovincial expansion, and market diversification when our city and country need it most. The Chamber is encouraged by the province’s engagement for this development and is looking forward to moving into creating a start‐up plan that directly supports business growth and interprovincial free trade to benefit both Edmonton and the province.
4) Partner to Advance Port Alberta as a Trade Gateway
The provincial government has been clear about its commitment to expanding Alberta’s trade capacity, reducing reliance on single markets, and strengthening supply chains. Supporting Port Alberta aligns with that vision and turns long‑standing work in inland trade development into tangible results.
For over 15 years, Port Alberta has been building the foundations of a more connected, resilient, and globally competitive Alberta, relaunching in 2022. The entire economic ecosystem of Edmonton and the region is aligned behind this initiative and working to bring it to fruition. With stable, multi‑year provincial partnership, Port Alberta can reduce trade friction, improve logistics efficiency, and help Edmonton businesses scale with greater confidence, reinforcing our position as a key trade and distribution hub.
5) Finalize and Fund the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program
Edmonton’s long‑term growth depends on unlocking large, capital‑intensive private investment. Today, significant carbon‑capture investment is on hold because businesses lack clarity on the Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program. Companies are ready to invest but need clear rules, timelines, and eligibility. Budget 2026 should fully implement the program so projects can move forward, with clearly defined eligibility, timelines, and retroactive application. This is not a new policy direction. It is about providing the certainty required to move capital off the sidelines and into projects that will anchor Edmonton’s next phase of growth.
The Bottom Line
The State of the Economy points to clear competitiveness gaps and investment risks that require action now. Edmonton’s business community and local partners will do our part to improve competitiveness, attract investment, and raise productivity. The Edmonton Chamber is asking the province to be a partner in this work through targeted, coordinated support in a few high‑impact areas. This budget must reinforce the conditions that allow Edmonton businesses to compete, grow, and invest with confidence.
To continue this conversation and engage directly on the priorities shaping Alberta’s economy, please join us on March 12th, when the Edmonton Chamber hosts Alberta’s Minister of Finance, Nate Horner for our annual provincial budget luncheon.
Have your say.
The Edmonton Chamber wants to hear from you. What are the top issues and priorities for your business? Start the conversation by writing to policy@edmontonchamber.com
