Over 2,000 construction, design, and real estate pros gathered in Calgary for BUILDEX Alberta – a two-day showcase of innovation and industry leadership. Backed by ICBA & ICBA Alberta, the event underscored the industry’s crucial role in Alberta’s growth and the challenges needed to keep Canada’s building economy competitive.
State protected monopolies – think utilities, railways and legacy telecoms – may enjoy legal shields, but they’re not immune to the benefits of competition. Fresh rivals drive down prices, spark innovation, and keep public service providers accountable to the citizens they serve.
Every October, Canada honours the entrepreneurs who power our economy during Small Business Week. With over 1.1 million employer businesses nationwide and 135,978 small firms in Alberta alone, this celebration highlights the vital role of local enterprises. AEG calls on citizens, policymakers, and business leaders to support, advocate, and celebrate these innovators, turning a week of recognition into lasting action.
Carney’s groundbreaking fiscal redefinition reshapes public finance, unlocking fresh avenues for government borrowing. By redefining “deficit” and “debt sustainability,” the new framework promises greater fiscal flexibility. Stakeholders can now navigate a clearer path to financing large‑scale projects while maintaining transparency and confidence in sovereign creditworthiness.
Governments don’t build industries – they set the policy groundwork that lets innovators thrive. That truth is on display in the fast moving Small Modular Reactor (SMR) sector. While Canada navigates its regulatory path, led by pioneers like GE Hitachi, the United States is racing ahead. The winners aren’t legacy nuclear giants, but agile SMEs reshaping nuclear power into something smaller, safer, and scalable. Alberta can adopt this playbook.
Just as Canute’s legendary humility taught a kingdom that power must be tempered by pragmatism, Canada’s trade strategy under Stephen Carney needs a similar balance – leveraging global markets while safeguarding domestic resilience.
Canada’s unemployment rate is rising faster than in the U.S., and many blame Prime Minister Carney’s extended foreign trips and lack of decisive domestic action. Critics are demanding an end to his “unearned vacation” and urging swift progress on Canada’s energy‑superpower goals, renewed tariff negotiations, and the removal of red‑tape that stalls vital projects from Alberta to the Prairies.
Premier Danielle Smith’s West Coast pipeline plan puts Canada’s federation to the test. With the world’s third largest oil reserves in Alberta, unlocking this market could deliver billions in jobs, tax revenue, and national prosperity – provided the federal government and provinces work together. At AEG we back this partnership as the cornerstone of a stronger, unified Canada.
Alberta Next Panels gave everyday Albertans a seat at the table, sparking candid, province‑wide conversations on sovereignty, prosperity and Canada‑Alberta relations. The result: a citizen‑driven model that builds trust, stabilizes policy and creates the certainty businesses need to invest confidently in Alberta’s future.
Jack Mintz argues that Ottawa should put tax simplification at the forefront of the budget, slashing compliance costs for small businesses and taxpayers while preserving services – a win win for growth and fairness.
