Economic Resilience For Edmonton

During last year’s State of the City, I said I felt Edmonton was on the verge of something extraordinary. Work has continued on building a new economic future for our city, building a more competitive region, and on attracting and keeping the kind of talent who’ll ensure Edmonton doesn’t stand still. And during last fall’s election, I promised that writing a new economic development plan for Edmonton would be my top priority. One of the most important questions our kids will need an answer to is: where will my job come from, and what kind of economic opportunity can I count on in the future in Edmonton?

Right after the election, my office got to work on convening community and business leaders from across the Edmonton metro region for an Economic Development Summit. This was a first step in uniting business, research and government partners across the region around a shared vision for lasting prosperity. The roundtable discussions that day offered tremendous insights, not only for me as a leader but for our economic development partners as well.

I’m now pleased to share the report, findings and recommendations from the summit. Some of the themes summarized in this report I have already taken action on. But others will need the support and energy of many other leaders to drive forward.

I’ve often said that economic development is a ‘team sport’ and through our united efforts, we’ll help shape a new economic future for Edmonton. This document is a starting point. You’ve heard me say before that Edmonton’s economic environment has changed significantly. Volatile commodity prices, changing government regulations, trade protectionism, and geopolitical upheaval have all transformed our economy – likely permanently. Next week, I will deliver my annual State of the City address inspired by the themes of this report, our current economic climate and the challenges we are facing. Edmonton must adapt to ensure that its economy remains resilient in the face of change. I hope you’ll tune in to hear more about this on May 24th. You can set a reminder to tune in live via Facebook here.