Crime and disorder are taking a toll on many local businesses. According to a recent Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) report, the share of Alberta small businesses directly affected by crime and safety issues almost doubled between 2023 and 2024, jumping from 24 to 54 per cent.
Prior to Mr. Horner’s election, he was a rancher with a cow-calf mix farm operation and an avid volunteer in local community organizations. Mr. Horner has his agriculture business diploma from Olds College and his Bachelor of Science in Agriculture from the University of Lethbridge. He was the Canadian Intercollegiate Rodeo Association saddle bronc champion in 2002 and 2004. Hon. Nate Horner was sworn in as the Minister of Finance on June 9, 2023. He previously served as the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Rural Economic Development and Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.
This time of the year I usually like to speculate on what may lie ahead for Alberta in 2025. However, Canada turned out to be ‘the neighbour who isn’t paying our share’ and everything got sidetracked by talk about the implementation of USA tariffs as high as 25 per cent on Canadian goods.
As Alberta businesses grapple with the dual pressures of evolving global trade policies and persistent interprovincial trade barriers, a balanced approach is essential to navigating this challenging terrain. With the incoming U.S. President placing tariffs back in the spotlight, and Canada still contending with barriers within its own borders, the time is ripe to explore the opportunities that lie within
these challenges.
At the end of each year, I try to encapsulate what I consider the three components of the past year into what was ‘good, bad and ugly’ for Canadians that year. This year I am having difficulty finding what was ‘good’ but have many ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ categories. I find very little change in people’s actions regardless of a rapid falling of ‘feeling good things are on the near horizon for Canada’.
Honourable Pete Guthrie, ECA Biography
Minister of Infrastructure
The Honourable Pete Guthrie was re-elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly for Airdrie-Cochrane on May 29, 2023. On June 9, 2023, Mr. Guthrie was sworn in as Minister of Infrastructure. He previously served as Minister of Energy.
Cathie is an innovative award-winning professional in the glass industry. As an active co-founder, she has been a key member of the Goldray family since 1985. During this time, Cathie has managed all facets of the glass manufacturing business at Goldray – from research and development to finance, operations, marketing, and communications.
Demetrios Nicolaides was sworn in as Minister of Education on June 9, 2023. He previously served as the Minister of Advanced Education
When people think of innovation, their minds often go to cutting-edge software, artificial intelligence or tech startups. While those advancements are undeniably transformative, Alberta is proving that innovation doesn’t just belong to Silicon Valley or the digital world. Instead, Alberta has positioned itself as a leader in non-traditional innovation—where creative solutions to real-world challenges drive economic growth, job creation, and community revitalization.
A history related publication that I read called ‘What If’ focuses on events that could have occurred in the past that would have changed the direction of the world or a country. Two that come to mind include ‘What if the U.S. had invaded Canada and we became the 46th state?’ And ‘What if communism hadn’t failed?
