Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

Transportation systems are intrinsically linked to economic development. There is a growing trend in the transportation planning literature, and in the developed plans of both national and provincial organizations, to consider best-practice for this discipline in terms of multimodal transportation planning.

Municipal Affairs - Provincial Policy

Pressure on affordable housing across Alberta and Canada is growing. It is neither feasible nor sustainable for governments to address the issue on their own. P3 (Public-Private Partnership) models show the greatest potential to address the magnitude of the issue while creating a sustainable program.

Trade & Transportation - Federal

Despite recent trade agreements, many barriers continue significantly impede the movement of goods, services and labour between Canadian provinces and territories, creating ongoing uncertainty that harms Canada’s reputation as a secure place to invest and do business.

Transportation - Provincial Policy

The MELT program needs to be redesigned to increase the safety of new Class 1 drivers thereby giving insurers, and the broader public, confidence in the competence of drivers exiting the program.

Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

Alberta’s economic growth and competitiveness are hindered by interprovincial trade barriers and inconsistencies in labour mobility agreements. These barriers create inefficiencies in supply chains, increase costs for businesses, and limit opportunities for workers to move freely across provinces. By promoting stronger interprovincial partnerships, Alberta can foster a more seamless and competitive economy, ensuring businesses and workers benefit from a unified national market.

Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

Twinning construction of the remaining (approx.) 170 kilometers of Alberta Highway 3 known as Crowsnest Pass Highway, has been a concern for nearly two decades due not only to safety and efficiency concerns, but also concerns related to the stagnation of economic benefits and market access along this corridor. The main benefits that accrue from twinning Highway 3 include safety improvements, time savings for commercial and recreational travel, increased social and economic activities, tourism, and agricultural needs.

Trade & Transportation - Federal Policy

Although Alberta continues to have a very prosperous trading relationship with its neighbors in the U.S. it is the only province in Canada with access to only one 24-hour border crossing with a disparity to the trading relationship and access to adequate border facilities to facilitate efficient trade between Canada and the U.S.

Finance & Taxation - Provincial Policy

The current approach to taxation of corporate groups in Canada ignores the commonality of ownership principles and requires that owners undertake costly and complicated planning to allow for consolidation or transfers of losses and/or credits between members of a common corporate group.

Finance & Taxation - Provincial Policy

Alberta and Quebec are the only two remaining jurisdictions in Canada that have not consolidated their corporate income tax administration with the federal government. The duplication of filing requirements imposes an additional tax compliance burden through two returns and creates unnecessary compliance risks for Alberta businesses. From a tax compliance perspective, this continued duplication of functions, including reporting, auditing and returns, is a source of frustration and red tape.

Municipal Affairs - Municipal Policy

Excessive regulations in planning, building and development processes can slow the progress of development in our community. In order to encourage economic prosperity of our region, there are ways to reduce the regulatory burden on businesses and ensure the City of Medicine Hat is viewed as 'Open for Business."

Agriculture - Provincial + Federal Policy

A thriving pharmaceutical industry is growing poppies for medicinal use in the United Kingdom, Europe, and Australia, but not in Canada. This not only presents a large diversification option for the Southern Alberta agricultural sector but offers long term employment and growth opportunities for this and numerous other industries.

Municipal Affairs - Municipal Policy

Economic activity in our region is below the desired pace, and this slowed economic activity is having a noticeable local impact. Residents of Southeastern Alberta are earning some of the lowest average wages in the Province which, with the current economy and interest rates, leads quickly to a standard of living below that of our neighbors.

Municipal Affairs, Municipal, Provincial

The current process to discover, investigate, remediate, and redevelop brownfields is onerous, costly, and frustrating for local governments and does not encourage and incentivize the private sector to redevelop brownfields. While Alberta's Municipal Government Act enables local governments to cancel, defer, or reduce the municipal taxes on brownfields through a property tax bylaw, the provincial portion of education taxes remains on the property. In addition, legislation and regulations for remediation and reclamation.

Finance & Taxation - Municipal Policy

In 2011, Development & Infrastructure Division Fees and Charges were proposed to increase by as much as 185%. At that time the Chamber put forward recommendations to re-evaluate the increases and subsequent changes and concerns were addressed. On December 16, 2024, City Council approved planning and development services fees and charges for 2025 and 2026 with limited feedback from the development community, resulting in concerns once the fees and charges were implemented.

Finance & Taxation - Municipal Policy

The off-site levy bylaw #4721 was adopted on November 22, 2022 under the Corvus model with levy rates reviewed each year commencing in 2023 and adjustments made annually based on that same model. With the economy and businesses just starting to recover from challenging financial and regulatory circumstances an incentive program should be implemented to ensure maximum benefit for development in our community and to ease the process and create stability and predictability.

Municipal Affairs - Municipal Policy

An economic development strategy plays a key role in directing and focusing economic development efforts within a region. Currently, several initiatives and organizations are involved in contributing to economic development within the Southeast Alberta region; however, there is no overarching strategy to provide direction to these organizations or to address their role and guide their activities.

Energy & Environment - Provincial Policy

Health Canada has guidelines for domestic reclaimed water use in toilet and urinal flushing but Alberta does not follow these guidelines as our province does not use reclaimed (grey) water.

Advanced Education - Provincial Policy

There is a need for the continuance of provincial investment in Dual Credit Opportunities for high school and post-secondary students to assist their transition from secondary to post-secondary education and journeyperson apprenticeship programs.

Agriculture - Federal Policy

In order to reduce food waste, and to keep beef stock off the black market, producers and licensed abattoirs need the ability to work with the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) and veterinarians to assess both compromised and unfit animals for possible transport to slaughter facilities

Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

Canada’s largest export market is the United States of America for raw materials, manufactured goods, and many other products. Particularly in Alberta, most of our crude oil is exported to the United States for refinement. Alberta and Canada must diversify their export customer base by building the infrastructure required to ship in greater volume to other markets in the Asia-Pacific and Europe to be better insulated against any singular, large customer taking their business elsewhere.

Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

Alberta is one of Canada’s most robust provincial economies with the highest GDP per capita and an economy driven by its ability to export products and services. As a result, transportation and logistics plays a critical role in our economy, as it supports a variety of industries across the province. Yet, with one of the best transportation systems in Canada, we still have only one full-service commercial port of entry between Alberta and the U.S. There is a need for better access and hours at our border to facilitate e

Agriculture - Provincial Policy

The agriculture industry significantly contributes to Alberta’s economy and enhancing the strength of the sector is an important priority. It is particularly important for Alberta’s agri-food industry to market their products in a way that reflects the link between ‘Grown-in-Canada’ product and a supply chain, environment, standard, and identity that is uniquely and 100% Canadian.

Agriculture - Provincial Policy

With greater attention around food sustainability and the environmental foot print of agriculture, there is a need to raise awareness and provide fact-based education focused on where our food comes from, recognizing the sustainability of agribusiness and its vitally important role in our economy as a natural resource.

Trade & Transportation - Provincial Policy

The Regional Airports in Alberta are left to primarily rely on a single air service provider for passenger flights. This situation imposes several barriers to increasing load capacity for flights, including airfare premiums; wait times for connecting flights; flight frequency; flight consistency and reliability; limited destination options.

Agriculture - Provincial + Federal Policy

Current risk management programs are not meeting the changing needs and requirements within agriculture. Furthermore, the lack of education and awareness around risk management strategies is limiting the growth and success of agriculture producers.

Federal Policy

There are concerns with the changes being imposed by Health Canada on the Self-care Framework related to the imposition of additional new fees, labelling requirements, new regulatory burdens on natural health product businesses; and inequitable authority over the natural health product community.. The new regulatory burdens and costs on natural health product businesses will make it difficult for small producers to comply and will force them to scale back the variety of their offerings or cease production altogether.

Workforce Development - Provincial Policy

There is a need for integrated, effective, and efficient mental wellness support in the workplace for Alberta businesses. Mental health issues and concerns continue to cost businesses and the economy in both financial and human terms. Traditional solutions are not addressing the increasing need, and new and innovative approaches are needed to assist in dealing with the acceleration of mental health issues.

Transportation - Provincial Policy

Global commerce is increasingly reliant upon the ability for goods to reach local, regional and international markets. As such, it is imperative to consider the crucial role that transportation networks play in economic development. Current infrastructure in and around Southern Alberta requires serious upgrades and advancements to maintain and leverage a competitive edge in advancing business success in Southern Alberta.

Energy & Environment - Provincial Policy

In order for Alberta to compete on the global stage, we need to address issues such as regulatory uncertainty and cost competitiveness so that industry has the tools it needs to maintain a competitive advantage and so that the province and regions can attract new investment opportunities.

Trade & Transportation -Municipal Policy

The Medicine Hat Airport (YXH) has a single air service provider for passenger flight departures from and arrivals to Medicine Hat. The current standards and practices are imposing barriers to increase load capacity for flights from the Medicine Hat catchment area.

Finance & Taxation - Provincial Policy

The Government of Alberta regulates the Alberta Registry Agents’ (ARAs) Regulation by capping the fee amounts for most of the services they provide. In addition, Registry Agents are eager to develop a modernization plan to enhance services, including online registry services to Albertans in conjunction with Service Alberta and other stakeholders. The Government of Alberta should support these modernization efforts and review regulations to ensure Alberta Registry Agents can continue their vital work effectively.

Trade & Transportation - Federal

Current federal legislation does not allow for meat, poultry, eggs, dairy products, fruits and vegetables to cross provincial/territorial borders, or to be exported out of Canada unless these products are processed in a federally licensed facility. The new Safe Food for Canadians Act will expand this to include all foods shipped out of province/territory. The Canadian government claims that this is required to ensure that Canada fulfils its commitments under current world trade agreements.

Agriculture - Federal Policy

With greater attention around food sustainability and the environmental foot print of agriculture, there is a need to raise awareness and provide fact-based education focused on where our food comes from, recognizing the sustainability of agribusiness and its vitally important role in our economy as a natural resource.

Finance & Taxation - Provincial Policy

Since corporate income tax represents a very large percentage of pre-tax income, decisionmakers are highly sensitive to corporate income tax rates. It is in Alberta’s best interests to reduce and keep corporate income taxes low to attract business to Alberta and retain them in our province.

Agriculture - Federal Policy

Through regulations enacted federally in 1991, selling raw milk in Canada has been illegal due to public health threats. However, increased consumer interest in unpasteurized dairy has renewed discussions on a range of issues linked to its benefits, challenges and risks with a call for a more robust regulatory environment for the production and sale of raw milk in Canada.

Energy & Environment - Provincial Policy

Literature has long suggested that Alberta has the natural assets and technical feasibility to support further renewable energy development. Alberta’s renewable energy generation is low compared to the other provinces. Alberta's largest source of renewable energy is wind power, generated from turbines often built together at wind farms on rural land, producing roughly 20% of total electricity in the province.

Finance & Taxation - Provincial + Federal Policy

There is a relationship between the size of government and economic growth. While government spending is needed, there are studies that have shown that when government grows beyond a certain size it can hinder economic growth and lead to lower living standards for citizens.

Energy & Environment - Provincial Policy

Government needs to strike a balance between achieving its emission reduction goals and preserving the competitiveness of the economy using pragmatic, flexible and innovative solutions.

Provincial - Municipal Affairs

Communities across Alberta are facing increasing challenges related to crime, homelessness, and property damage, particularly in their business cores. These issues not only threaten the safety and security of residents and business owners but also undermine economic vitality and community cohesion. Addressing these challenges is crucial for ensuring sustainable growth and enhancing the quality of life in rural areas.

Agriculture - Federal Policy

To feed the world, we have to grow 10,000 years' worth of food in the next thirty years, which means agriculture producers worldwide must increase food production by 60 to 70 percent. This demand is met with finite resources in agriculture including land, people, and investment coupled with the high costs of technological adoption and implementation, environmental and regulatory burdens and a lag in specialized education and skill development.

Finance & Taxation - Municipal Policy

Non-residential properties continue to pay a greater proportion of property taxes than residential rate payers, even though it is not clear that they use a greater proportion of the benefits received from property tax revenues.

Energy & Environment - Provincial Policy

Canada has been facing significant pressure on its water resources, both surface and ground water. There are ever-increasing demands for the water resource. The limits of available water have been reached in the southern portion of the province, and concerns are rising about the adequacy of water resources to support continued economic development in the central and northern parts of the province.