News, Policy

February 29, 2023 

EDMONTON, AB – Today, the President of the Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, the Honourable Nate Horner tabled the 2024 Alberta provincial budget in the Alberta Legislature titled A Responsible Plan for a Growing Province. The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce (ECC), the official voice of the Edmonton business community, is feeling optimistic about the investments outlined in Budget 2024 to build an Edmonton where business can flourish and where Edmontonian’s can thrive. 

“Edmonton is growing at a rapid pace because our city attracts the best and the brightest. But a growing city means growing demands and while Budget 2024 is on the right track, we are hopeful to see further announcements that prioritize Edmonton,” said Doug Griffiths, CEO & President of the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce. “As our population rapidly increases and our labour market grows, we need to see the right investments in the housing market and key infrastructure projects to make sure they meet the needs of our growing economy.” 

When government creates a competitive environment that makes it lucrative for businesses to operate in our city, our business leaders and consumers alike benefit. This is why we welcome the several commitments in Budget 2024, such as:  

• The introduction of the new Alberta is Calling Attraction Bonus. This one-time initiative, over multiple years, will provide a $5,000 refundable tax credit to individuals, working in eligible occupations, who move to Alberta to help address critical labour shortages. 
• The introduction of the new Local Growth and Sustainability Grant, through the Local Government Fiscal Framework, to help enable municipalities to fund infrastructure to build safer and more resilient communities.  
• Investments in several infrastructure projects that support a growing population and promotes talent attraction, such as investments in our MacEwan’s Business Centre, NAIT’s Advanced Skills Centre, a standalone Stollery Children’s Hospital, and continued investments in housing through the Alberta Stronger Foundations strategy.  
• Continued investments into the Safe Streets Action Plan to build safer environments for our businesses and consumers to operate in. We are also happy to see the continued investments in the Plan into the Police and Crisis Teams (PACT) to pair police constables with mental health therapists.  

“Alberta is facing a tough economic reality and decisions in this budget were necessitated by challenging times. But no one knows that better than our business community," said Aziz Bootwala, Chair of the Edmonton Chamber Board, “We are cautiously optimistic with the investments this government is making in areas such as post-secondary, capital infrastructure, and the newly announced Alberta is Calling Attraction Bonus, all which help embolden our business community." 

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce looks forward to continued collaboration with the provincial government to help continue to foster a healthy business ecosystem and build a resilient Edmonton economy. 

On Tuesday, March 12th, the Edmonton Chamber of Commerce will host Minister Nate Horner for a post-budget keynote address breakfast, presented by CPA Alberta. We look forward to engaging the business community for this important conversation. Limited tickets are available to purchase. 

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ABOUT THE EDMONTON CHAMBER OF COMMERCE 

The Edmonton Chamber of Commerce has been the official voice of business in the Edmonton region for over 130 years. With over 1,900 member companies that employ more than 110,000 people, we are one of the largest and longest standing Chambers in Canada. Our member companies represent small, medium, and large businesses, and every sector of the economy, from heavy industry and manufacturing to retail and non‐profit organizations.   

 

MEDIA CONTACT

Akanksha Bhatnagar 

Director, Communications & Marketing
780-616-7153
abhatnagar@edmontonchamber.com