Post Event | A conversation with Premier Danielle Smith

On June 13, the Calgary Chamber hosted the Hon. Danielle Smith, Premier of Alberta, for a keynote address and fireside chat sharing the accomplishments of the provincial government’s first year in office and the future-focused goals for a thriving economic landscape in Alberta.

The Premier began remarks by celebrating Alberta’s credit upgrade from AA- to AA and highlighting Alberta’s long-term economic picture as a resilient economy that’s anchored by heavy industry and small business alike. The Premier emphasized the importance of the dozens of major projects in development across a wide range of industries representing a total of $150 billion in investments.

The Premier’s keynote highlighted initiatives critical to economic growth in Alberta, including:

• Skilled trades: Supporting and funding partnerships to get more people interested in skilled trades with the “Alberta is Calling” attraction bonus.  
• Post-secondary: Investing in our post-secondary system to increase the number of spaces for skilled trades in sectors like technology and other high demand occupations.  
• Energy innovation: Initiatives to support Alberta as a global leader in energy innovation and production while prioritizing sustainability and Indigenous partnerships.  
• Homelessness and addiction: Addressing homelessness and addiction by creating publicly funded addiction treatments spaces and therapeutic living units in corrections facilities.  

The fireside chat with Calgary Chamber President & CEO Deborah Yedlin sparked engaging discussions on critical topics and issues shaping Alberta’s sustainable growth, from economic development and access to capital for small businesses, to housing affordability and growth management.

• Affordability: Concerns about affordability in Calgary were discussed, along with potential investment strategies that include reviewing services offered and their ability to meet the needs of the community. 
• Hotel shortage: The Premier indicated an interest in supporting hotel construction in Calgary and across Alberta, with a preference for broad-based programs accessible to all industries. 
• Housing crisis: Proposed measures including removing property taxes for affordable housing projects, using community revitalization levy for scalable housing projects and streamlining permits for faster development approvals. 
• Small modular reactors (SMRs): Both the federal and provincial government are keen on nuclear development, but implementation may take over ten years according to business community expectations. 
• Increasing apprenticeship spaces: The government aims to increase apprenticeship spaces by 50%. They are also exploring ways to fast track assessments and credentialling for newcomers. 

A special thank you to our sponsors, including our presenting sponsor, Walmart Canada, our thanking sponsor, CPA Alberta and our supporting sponsors, Air Canada, Canadian Natural, Imperial Oil and Intact Insurance.