Policy & Advocacy in Action: The Chamber’s 2024 Impact on Calgary’s Economy

This past year was challenging for business growth and resilience. Marked by persistent inflation and affordability concerns for both businesses and consumers, labour disruptions impacting critical supply chains, an increasingly complex policy environment and global geopolitical shifts – not the least of which has been the re-election of President Trump – this year has tested our adaptability and resilience as a business community. It, however, also has highlighted the importance of thoughtful and strategic policy and strong communications.

As the voice of Calgary’s business community, the Calgary Chamber advocates for policies that ensure Calgary businesses and Calgarians can prosper and thrive. Our Policy team is at the table with governments of all orders reflecting the concerns, challenges and opportunities of our members.

As we reflect on 2024, we’re proud of how we’ve advocated for our members this year. From small businesses to multinationals, and whether energy, agriculture, retail, tech, or tourism, we’ve been at the forefront of business in Calgary, developing and advocating constructive and concrete recommendations for governments to empower Calgary’s business community to advance prosperity for us all.

Leading through strong policy, thought leadership & advocacy

This year was characterized by an increasingly complex policy and economic landscape.

While Canada’s GDP continued to grow, GDP per capita declined six quarters in a row, exacerbating the affordability challenges consumers are facing. While businesses reported being optimistic, they faced mounting cost pressures, driven by inflation, high interest rates, supply chain uncertainty, local infrastructure challenges and labour disruptions. Federal policy also took centre stage with the proposed emissions cap, Clean Electricity Regulations, amendments to the Competition Act and President Trump’s proposed tariffs.

All of this has created a unique environment for businesses to navigate. The Calgary Chamber undertook considerable work to develop strong, non-partisan and member-informed policies that support the business community and bring them to policymakers at all levels of government through targeted advocacy, keynote events and member roundtables.

Key Highlights:

• Publishing a quarterly assessment of Calgary business community’s optimism and core challenges
• Helping ease affordability challenges for businesses by calling for the elimination of the 2 per cent provincial small business tax, asking for increased access to capital for small businesses and urging City Council to maintain its property tax ratio shift
• Urging the federal government to withdraw the emissions cap and other punitive polices like the Competition Act amendments and Clean Electricity Regulations and work with industry on regulations that create certainty and attract investment
• Analyzing the impact of the U.S. election on Canada and sharing recommendations for Canadian governments to respond
• Advocating for policies to increase homebuilding in Calgary to ease housing affordability
• Advocating for investment in decarbonization initiatives through competitive incentives
• Advocating for the affordability, reliability and availability of electricity
• Supporting businesses in addressing labour shortages and attracting talent
• Enhancing safety in Calgary’s downtown and asking for support for businesses to access resources to protect their establishments
• Ensuring business issues and member priorities are top-of-mind as policymakers set public budgets
• Convening the business community for critical conversations on natural resources, immigration, mental health, small business, affordability, agriculture, regulatory barriers and more
• Hosting elected leaders at all levels of government and across the political aisle, including Premier Danielle Smith; Mayor Jyoti Gondek; Hon. Champagne, Minister of Science, Innovation & Industry; Hon. Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board & Minister of Finance; Hon. Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation & Economic Corridors; and Hon. Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability & Utilities, among others.

The Chamber deepened its relationships with both elected leaders and civil service to advance many of these priorities, and this year we saw:

• City Council vote to maintain the property tax shift in its mid-cycle budget adjustments
• The passing of investment tax credits and Canada Growth funding to support investments in CCUS, hydrogen, clean electricity, geothermal and more
• Clean Electricity Regulation’s “What We Heard” report implemented feedback shared by the Calgary Chamber
• Progress on housing affordability including funding for Calgary from the federal Housing Accelerator Fund, and the passing of the Calgary Housing Strategy with amendments to reduce red tape for the development of housing
• Changes to the Local Access Fee legislation to support utility costs in Calgary
• Alberta Carbon Capture Incentive Program passed in Budget 2024, in addition to investments through Emissions Reductions Alberta, to support the development of decarbonization technologies
• Downtown Safety Leadership Team’s recommendations were approved and adopted into an implementation plan
• Tourism and Hospitality Immigration Stream announced, with discussions about other streams, including for the construction industry in development

Amplifying advocacy through public discourse and media

The Calgary Chamber is the voice of Calgary’s business community. We regularly speak to media on the policy, political and economic trends that shape our business community. Through our communications work, we amplify business concerns, push for policy changes, ensure that the business community's voice is heard by decision-makers at all levels and raise awareness of policy decisions with Calgarians, Albertans and Canadians.

In 2024, we conducted nearly 200 interviews with media outlets across the country, reaching over 2.6 billion people; issued over 80 statements and press releases on topical issues facing Calgary business; and did over a dozen speaking engagements on critical topics that impact the business community such as:

• The impact of the U.S. election on Canada’s economy, particularly the impact of proposed tariffs, and emphasizing the importance of a stable bilateral trade relationship
• Ongoing affordability challenges for consumers and businesses, highlighting policies to alleviate challenges such as the elimination of the small business tax
• Impact of frequent labour disruptions from rail strikes to port strikes to postal strikes – and the impact of these disruptions on our supply chains, reliability as a trading partner and cost increases for small businesses
• The criticality of small business to our economy and the importance of supporting them
• The real economic and social impact of punitive regulations such as the emissions cap, capital gains inclusion rate and others in Calgary, Alberta and Canada
• The importance of stable infrastructure and the need to invest in building infrastructure such as housing, transit and water for a growing population
• Macro-economic trends that impact our business community and membership, reflecting their stories, concerns and challenges

Shaping 2025 with innovation, collaboration and optimism

The challenges of 2024 have not been small. Persistent inflation, high interest rates and the ongoing affordability crisis have stretched businesses thin, testing their ability to remain competitive while managing rising costs. At the same time, disruptions in global supply chains, domestic labour supply and geopolitical shifts have added layers of complexity to the already challenging environment.

Yet, in this climate of uncertainty, Calgary’s business community has also displayed remarkable adaptability, driven by a commitment to growth, innovation and optimism.

The Calgary Chamber has played a pivotal role in advocating for policies that ease these pressures. Whether calling for the elimination of the provincial small business tax, pushing for strategic investment in decarbonization technologies or advocating for regulatory changes to ensure Calgary’s competitiveness, we have been focused on creating an environment where businesses can thrive despite the challenges.

In the coming year, we will need to continue adapting, as we face the dual challenge of navigating a complex policy environment and preparing for the municipal and federal elections. However, these elections present a unique opportunity for Calgary businesses to shape the policy agenda and ensure that the voices of business owners, workers and consumers are heard.

In the years ahead, we must continue to champion a strong and resilient Calgary that is ready to face whatever challenges come our way. Through strategic advocacy, a commitment to collaboration and a focus on innovation, we can ensure that Calgary remains a competitive, vibrant place to do business. The lessons learned from 2024 will guide us as we move into 2025, with a shared vision of continued growth and prosperity for Calgary’s business community.

We work on behalf of Calgary’s business community, and we want to hear from you. Share what is important to you for 2025 at policy@calgarychamber.com.