Alberta

25 Best Communities for Business in Western Canada

From Alberta's International Region to Sturgeon County get the details on the most business friendly locales west of Manitoba >

Canada’s innovation hotbed is….Quebec?

Why productivity gains and government involvement may not be mutually exclusive concepts. >

Sights Unseen: Alberta’s Undiscovered Tourism Treasures

From gopher museums to train robberies explore our unconventional attractions >

Stelmach to business: It’s your turn

By Paul Marck

Almost lost amidst the flotsam and jetsam surrounding Premier Ed Stelmach’s announced departure has been his message to business. And rest assured, the premier has  a distinct message  to deliver, along with a challenge — and a warning. Alberta’s corporate sector would do well to pay heed, if our province is to enjoy any degree of economic prosperity.

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2011: Time to buck up

By Paul Marck

It simply would not do to close out the year without offering comment on a couple of things: oil sands and government. I do not believe there has ever been a time when Alberta’s greatest natural resource has been under the spotlight more than it has been in 2010. And in three-plus decades as a journalist, I have not been as disappointed in or as angered by our elected officials as during this past year. A few observations:

– The ENGOs are not completely wrong about their clarion call for industry and government needing to do more — and a lot more — to clean up the air, water and soil from the oil sands that has resulted in massive disturbances, pollution and potential risks to human health and animal habitat.

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Ditching Alberta’s Expo bid is a costly political mistake

Harper’s Tories can kiss their fortunes goodbye

By Paul Marck

So long, Rona Ambrose. See ya later, Laurie Hawn. Sayonara, James Rajotte. Been nice knowing you, Tim Uppal, Brent Rathgeber, Peter Goldring, Mike Lake, and maybe Rob Merrifield. Your leader, Stephen Harper, the prime minister of Canada, has just made you  collateral damage in next spring’s federal election, courtesy of the government’s cowardly decision not to back the Edmonton Expo 2017 bid.

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Advisory councils not always a good idea

Having insider status with the Alberta government sends the wrong message

By Paul Marck

I sense a creeping takeover. When Alberta’s energy minister, Ron Liepert, said last week that he has an informal kitchen cabinet of advisors for the energy sector — and then refused to name them, I was offended as an Albertan and as a journalist. That complete and utter lack of transparency spoke to many things about the way our government operates and raised plenty of questions about such things as motives, influence, rewards, perceptions — the list goes on. >

Lessons learned? Maybe. Or not

Did the last boom teach Alberta anything?

By Paul Marck

I was asked this week if there are any lessons to be learned from the last boom, the one that begat an orgy of spending in the oil sands, with companies overpaying for everything from labour to materials to hotel rooms. My fervant hope was that we have learned something. But I cannot help but get an uncomfortable feeling that maybe we have not learned anything at all.

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Business conditions breakfast draws crowds

Experts dust off crystal ball at Edmonton, Calgary events

By Paul Marck

Nothing creates buzz like talk about the future. And there was quite a buzz the mornings of Oct. 6 in Edmonton and Oct. 7  in Calgary, as we debuted our Business Conditions Survey, published in the October issue of Alberta Venture.  A total of about 200 business professionals in each city came out for a hearty breakfast, and even heartier discussion with a panel of business and academic experts on the direction of Alberta’s economy at the Canadian Western Bank-Alberta Venture Business Conditions Breakfasts.

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