Business Roundup

Economic development

• A new report from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab, in partnership with ATB and the Canadian Council for Indigenous Business, found that 150 to 170 Indigenous businesses in Canada export annually, generating revenues between $300 million and $400 million. Alberta accounts for roughly 15% of all Indigenous-owned exporting enterprises in Canada. The report includes a case study on Alexander Tubular, an Edmonton-based factory owned by Alexander First Nation that manufactures high-density polyethylene pipe for projects across North America.
• Aksis, an Indigenous business and professional association, shared how it supports urban Indigenous entrepreneurs and professionals through business development, economic participation, and cross-sector relationship-building. "The easiest way to explain Aksis is that it is focused on Indigenous prosperity in the economic development space," co-executive director Marnie Suitor told Alberta Native News. "The role of Aksis is to create safe spaces for non-Indigenous businesses and professionals to learn and share alongside Indigenous members, while increasing capacity to participate in the economy."
• Edify published a feature on Edmonton's defence-industry opportunity, arguing that Ottawa's plan to significantly increase defence spending represents the largest economic opportunity for the city in generations. Mayor Andrew Knack has become a vocal supporter of the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance, which is pushing Ottawa and defence contractors to invest billions in the region.
• RUNWITHIT Synthetics, SpectraCann, Elementiam, Phase Metron, and Vancouver-based M2M Tech will participate in a pitch competition during the Alberta Aviation, Aerospace & Defence Summit in Edmonton from May 3 to 5, organizers from Alberta Aviation, Aerospace and Defence told Taproot. "Great to watch this technology move from the Intelligent Wireless Technologies (IWT) and Centre for Applied Research in Defence and Dual-Use Technologies (CARDD-Tech) at the University of Alberta into a venue where operators, primes, and investors are in the room together," posted Rashid Mirzavand in response to Phase Metron's acceptance; Mirzavand leads the Intelligent Wireless Technology Group at the University of Alberta.
• The sold-out Upper Bound conference will feature federal Artificial Intelligence and Digital Innovation Minister Evan Solomon, Prairies Economic Development Canada minister Eleanor Olszewski, provincial Minister of Technology and Innovation Nate Glubish, and Canadian Institute of Advanced Research executive director Elissa Strome, the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute shared. Plus, staff from Google, Meta, Sony AI, and Electronic Arts will speak during the May 19 to 22 conference at the Edmonton Convention Centre.
• The Alberta government committed more than $2.7 million over three years to partner with the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute to develop AI learning kits for K-12 classrooms and resources to help teachers build their AI knowledge.
• The Alberta government released ATIS 2.0, an updated tech and innovation strategy that allows Alberta Innovates and the Alberta Enterprise Corporation to take minority equity stakes in Alberta startups. The strategy also established the Alberta Intellectual Property Office, an $8-million nonprofit housed within Alberta Innovates to help researchers commercialize and protect their IP.
• The Edmonton International Airport is testing hydrogen/diesel dual-fuel technology in runway snow sweepers, in partnership with Diesel Tech Industries and Alberta Innovates. The project is described as the first of its kind globally, aimed at demonstrating a practical pathway to decarbonize heavy-duty airport ground operations. Meanwhile, University of Alberta chemistry professor Steve Bergens has patented a process to create hydrogen from water and has licensed it to a clean-energy company called Cipher Neutron.
• BioWare alumni Casey Hudson, Trent Oster, Gregory Zeschuk, and Mark Darrah are among the speakers announced for the North American Games Industry Summit. The B2B-focused event will bring together leaders, creators, and investors in the gaming industry on June 18 and 19, in conjunction with Game Con Canada from June 19 to 21. Both take place at the Edmonton EXPO Centre.
• The Taste of Place Summit comes to The Westin Edmonton from June 15 to 16. "This national gathering brings together leaders in culinary tourism, destination development and agritourism to explore how food, place and storytelling can drive sustainable growth and meaningful visitor experiences," posted economic development specialist Lorie Watson.
• Explore Edmonton has appointed Teresa Spinelli, president of the Italian Centre Shop, to its board of directors. Spinelli is known for growing the family business into a multi-location organization and for championing inner-city revitalization and cultural initiatives.

Startups and SMBs

• SketchDeck.ai, Gummy Nutrition Lab, Innovotech, and Mitsoh are among the Edmonton companies named as finalists for the 2026 ScaleUP Awards. The awards gala takes place on June 10 in Calgary. ScaleUP will also host a breakfast in Edmonton on June 12.
• The Ad Club of Edmonton held its 47th Annual ACE Awards, recognizing creative excellence across Edmonton's advertising industry. FKA won Best in Show for its "Time Store" project with the Alberta Cancer Foundation. The Fellowship Award went to Dennis Lenarduzzi.
• Antigoni Studios is planning to open a coworking space for women with childcare as one of its first acts since launching as Canada's first femtech venture studio. Co-founders Riya Ganguly and Kate Ellis said the studio aims to connect researchers, entrepreneurs, and end users in women's health innovation.
• CANDLE Lithium has completed its pilot project for Direct Lithium Extraction technology, recovering lithium from unconventional brines at 200 litres per hour in a live field demonstration. The company said the results exceeded expectations and confirm the technology can be integrated into existing oil-and-gas operations. The pilot was part of Venture Pilots: Built World Tech, a project by Edmonton Unlimited.
• Four Edmonton tech companies — Firesafe Analytics, AIRMarket, ELIXR Simulations, and Wyvern — discussed how collaboration has helped them tackle wildfires and earn trust in a challenging industry. "We wouldn't be able to provide the value we deliver if we tried to build everything ourselves," Firesafe CEO Nafaa Haddou said at the event at Edmonton Unlimited.
• Pe Metawe Games, an Indigenous-owned board game store at 118 Avenue and 94 Street, celebrated five years in business with an open house. Owner David Plamondon named the store after the Cree phrase meaning "come and play," with a goal of making everyone feel welcome.
• The Edmonton Riverboat is preparing to open for the 2026 season on May 7. Owner Eric Warnke said annual attendance has grown from 15,000 to roughly 35,000 since he took over two years ago. Executive chef Shane Loiselle told CTV the season features new menus emphasizing local produce and producers.
• Peter Keith of Meuwly's, The Hub, and Scale Kitchens is launching a food and beverage entrepreneurship course at the University of Alberta through the eHUB Entrepreneurship Centre, where he is the director.
• Punchcard Systems shared its work on Arvo, a digital platform that connects local farmers' market producers with consumers. Sam Jenkins of Punchcard and Whitney Shaw of Arvo sat down with RealAgriculture to explain the need the service can fill.
• Artificial Agency has made its first acquisition, bringing in Reflection Tree, an on-device collaborative planning system for the game development software Unreal Engine 5. Founder Alando Ballantyne will join the team as the technology is folded into Artificial Agency's generative behaviour engine.
• The Executive Wins Podcast heard from Amir Shami, president of Rotaflow, to discuss leadership, diversification, mentorship, and the value of a "less is more" approach to decision-making in the industrial sector.
• The Rosanova family has opened a franchise of Fix Auto in north Edmonton. The business traces its roots through more than three generations of automotive work.
• Pharmacy Brands Canada has launched OpenRx, a zero-fee model giving independent pharmacy owners access to national-scale purchasing power while maintaining control over their operations.
• The DEI-ving In podcast featured Erin Davis of Erin Davis Co. on systemic change and the future of inclusion.
• GPLANN Event Rentals has launched in Edmonton as a new event rental provider, offering professional setup services for weddings, parties, and corporate gatherings.

Real estate

• The In Development podcast by the Infill Development in Edmonton Association sat down with Mayor Andrew Knack to discuss his vision for the city, his perspectives on infill, and what inspires him.
• Third places such as neighbourhood cafés, pubs, and bookstores are returning to Edmonton as infill development brings more residents within walking distance of local businesses, wrote Ranon Soans of the Infill Development in Edmonton Association, or IDEA. Soans cited places such as Stopgap Coffee and Iconoclast Coffee Roasters as examples. "There is something that happens to a city when enough of this accumulates," Soans wrote. "It is difficult to describe precisely but easy to recognize — a sense that the street belongs to the people on it, that you care about your city's future, and that something worth sticking around for is happening."
• Edmonton city council voted to cut the maximum wall height for new infill housing in the city's mature neighbourhoods. The new limit for developments in RS zones is 9.5 metres, reduced from 10.5 metres. The change addresses concerns about the overall bulk of new builds, though structures with pitched roofs can still reach 10.5 metres at their highest point if the design slopes down.
• Edmonton city council is reviewing a nearly $64-million shortfall tied to the Quarters Downtown Community Revitalization Levy, a financing program launched in 2012 to fund infrastructure through projected future property tax growth. A city report said revenue expectations for the 20-year levy have fallen to $92.8 million, leaving a projected $63.6 million gap that could be repaid by 2041 if future municipal tax revenues in the area are redirected. The levy has already funded about $100 million in projects, including streetscape upgrades, drainage work, Kinistinâw Park, and conversions of city-owned buildings into arts spaces, while attracting more than $450 million in private developments that are completed, underway, or planned.
• CBRE is overseeing the relocation of Canadian Utilities Limited, an ATCO company, to 10303 Jasper Avenue. CBRE noted it was one of the largest office moves in downtown Edmonton in more than a decade. ATCO will begin transitioning employees to the renovated former Canadian Western Bank building starting in 2028.
• MoneySense has named Secord among its top picks for real estate investment in 2026, citing high homeownership rates and long-term stability. Meanwhile, a Zoocasa study found that Edmonton buyers who purchased in May 2020 saw a $26,400 return per $100,000 of invested equity, ranking in the middle of the pack among major Canadian cities but notable for blending growth with stability.
• The Alberta government announced a $400-million investment to fund 11 shovel-ready projects that will create more than 1,100 continuing care spaces. These new spaces, part of a larger provincial plan, will be available within 18 months to address growing senior populations. Edmonton projects include Golden Age Meadow Continuing Care ($75.3 million), Belle Rive Multi-Generational Housing ($62.3 million), and Beverly Heights Seniors Community Conversion ($19.5 million). Leduc's Salem Manor Society Continuing Care will receive $45.9 million.

More headlines

• MacEwan University has renamed its School of Business the Triffo School of Business following a major gift from Ron Triffo, a business leader and philanthropist who helped grow Stantec. The donation is the largest to date in MacEwan's ongoing fundraising campaign.
• Alberta unions and government representatives marked the National Day of Mourning on April 28 in Edmonton, remembering 144 workers who died from work-related illness or injury in 2025. This year, the event highlighted psychological health in the workplace, addressing stress, harassment, and burnout. Gil McGowan of the Alberta Federation of Labour said that psychological injuries are preventable and should be seriously addressed, noting only 44% of WCB psychological injury claims are accepted.
• Fertility Alberta partnered with Rachael Pettigrew of Mount Royal University on a new study of how Albertans navigate fertility care and work. Many employees fear disclosing a fertility journey, Pettigrew told CBC's Edmonton AM, and better support could be provided, said Michelle Chidley, chair of Fertility Alberta.
• CTV Edmonton visited Caraway students at the Argyll Centre school to see their miniature world economy, built over three months, complete with small businesses, a stock market, bank accounts, and their own currency.
• No Frills opened a new store in Edmonton's Westwood community, with donations made to Edmonton's Food Bank and Coronation School at the grand opening.
• PCL Construction has been named one of Canada's Greenest Employers for 2026 for the fifth consecutive year, recognizing its sustainability initiatives across operations, projects, and culture.
• Capital Power reported a steep drop in first-quarter earnings, with net income falling to $15 million (four cents per share) from $151 million ($1.03 per share) in the same quarter a year earlier. Adjusted funds from operations also declined, dropping from $218 million to $154 million.
• The Walrus published an excerpt from Tyler Dawson's book The Republic of Alberta, arguing that separating from Canada would be an economic disaster for Alberta. The analysis challenges separatist claims about tax savings and equalization, noting Alberta's deep economic integration with Canada and the complex, costly nature of any transition. Yet Spruce Grove resident Stacey Innes, who has struggled to find work, told Dawson she welcomes separation. "Honestly, I hate this country right now. If I could leave, I would," she said.

Happenings

Here are some events coming up over the next seven days:

• May 1: Federal Spring Economic Update Luncheon with Minister Olszewski starting at 12:30pm at Edmonton Chamber of Commerce
• May 1: The Unachievable starting at 6pm at Flight Deck Sports Bar
• May 3-5: Alberta Aviation, Aerospace, and Defence Summit at Edmonton Convention Centre
• May 5-6: Indigenous Trailblazers Summit at Edmonton Convention Centre
• May 5-6: Clean Fuels Canada Summit at Strathcona Community Centre and County Hall
• May 7: How to Build a Small Business Website with AI – From Setup to Growth online
• May 7: BOMA Connects: District Energy Series - Session 1 starting at 3pm at Citadel Theatre
• May 7: YEG Startup Community Awards starting at 5:30pm at The Standard
• May 7-8: Hong Kong-Canada Business Association National Conference at Chateau Lacombe Hotel

And here are some upcoming events to keep in mind:

• May 11-14: Housing Forward: 2026 Prairies Affordable Housing Summit at Edmonton Convention Centre
• May 14: State of the City Address at Edmonton Convention Centre
• May 20: ITS Canada Conference & Trade Show at Delta Hotels by Marriott Edmonton South Conference Centre

Visit the Taproot Edmonton Calendar for many more events in the Edmonton region.