Alberta's Economy To Lead Nation: TD Report - "Alberta's economy is forecast to lead the country this year and next year, according to a report by TD Economics.

The provincial economic update also sees employment growth in Alberta topping Canada for 2012 and 2013 as well.

The TD Economics report predicts Alberta will see real gross domestic product growth of 2.6 per cent this year and 2.9 per cent in 2013 compared with 1.7 per cent and 2.2 per cent respectively across the country."

This means that Alberta is going to see an increase in immigration as more and more people come to find high paying jobs. See the next article.



Alberta Rides Strong Job Creation Wave - "Province's unemployment rate remains lowest in country.

Alberta enjoyed a banner year for job creation in 2011, though new figures show employment changed little from November to December.

Data released by Statistics Canada Friday said the country added 18,000 jobs last month. Few of those came in Alberta, but the province tallied 77,500 new jobs for the calendar year of 2011. Of the past 15 years, more jobs were added only in 2006.

"There were job gains in just about every sector," said Darrell Winwood, public affairs officer with Alberta Human Services. "This was the second-best year for job gains since 1997." The main industries of growth, said Winwood, include construction, health care, social assistance, and both wholesale and retail trade."

Alberta's population is the youngest, we have the highest paying and lowest taxed job and houses are relatively reasonable. People want to come rent, then make their homes here.

Real Estate Market Healthy, Agents Say - "Edmonton wrapped up a stable year in real estate in December, the Realtors Association of Edmonton said Wednesday.

"It is a relief to report on the stability and health of the local real estate market," said Chris Mooney, association president for 2011. "With prices and sales varying within a small range, there is a solid base going forward into the 2012 market."

Mooney mentioned the European debt crisis and a depressed housing market in the U.S. as major concerns, but emphasized that the energy-based economy of Alberta in general and Edmonton in particular keeps the local housing market buoyant."

Housing prices are good for purchasing with the great mortgages available investors must take advantage of this market.

Keystone controversy highlights investors dilemma - Putting food on the table usually trumps ideology -

"Proposed construction of the $7-billion Keystone XL pipeline, from Alberta's oilsands to Port Arthur, Texas, has drawn protests from the beautiful people like actresses Margot Kidder and Daryl Hannah, plus Nobel peace prize winners Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama.

But conspicuous by their absence among the publicity-seekers were the 9.1 per cent of Americans who are unemployed, and the 46.2 million Americans now officially living in poverty, the highest number in 52 years of census-taking.

Therein lies the philosophical dilemma that investors face - will human employment and corporate revenue eventually prevail over ideology and the environment? Putting food on the table usually wins out."

Oilsands growth continues, with or without Keystone - Minister confident pipeline approval will come, but vows development will continue regardless -

"One way or another, more oilsands bitumen will leave Alberta, whether or not protests succeed in stopping TransCanada Pipeline's Keystone XL pipeline from Edmonton to Houston, Texas, Canada's Natural Resources Minister Joe Oliver says.

"If this project (Keystone XL) were to fail — and I don't believe it will — there would obviously be others that would be contemplated. So it is a certainty that the oilsands will be developed for the benefit of Canada," the minister said."

Clean tech funds key to Canada's low carbon future - "In Alberta, where energy is the backbone of our economy, the Conference Board of Canada predicts that between 2010 and 2014 it will invest more in clean technology to reduce greenhouse gas emissions than any other jurisdiction in Canada. Much of that investment comes through the Climate Change and Emissions Management (CCEMC) Corporation – a unique model that could be adapted for other jurisdictions.

 Enabled through regulation, the CCEMC is an independent not-for-profit organization that provides ongoing, dedicated funds to support the discovery, development and deployment of transformative technology"

-"The economic news south of the border is grim. While Alberta has an unemployment rate of roughly five per cent, the U.S. unemployment rate is a little over nine per cent.

That’s only part of the story. California had an August unemployment rate of 12.1 per cent. In Nevada, it’s 13.4 per cent. Florida, Georgia, Rhode Island, Michigan, North and South Carolina — all have double-digit unemployment.

Here, our economic issues are the opposite. Some 30 per cent of Albertans work in occupational categories that are already facing labour shortages. We’re shy of everything from long-haul truckers to nurses. Skilled trades shortages will only get worse as recently announced major construction projects, public and private, come on line.

We need workers. Americans need jobs. You’d think it would be a simple matter to move people from there to here, and solve two sets of problems."

Back Toward Black? Alberta projects smaller deficit in 2011-2012 due to oil profit - Alberta is on track this year to slash its multibillion-dollar deficit by more than half, but Finance Minister Lloyd Snelgrove admits the global debt crisis has put everything in flux.

"We're not immune from a global contraction," Snelgrove said Wednesday after revealing first-quarter figures for the 2011-12 budget year.

"(But) our economic outlook remains positive. We are in good fiscal shape and we will maintain our steady approach."

Snelgrove said the petro-powered province is in better shape to weather the global financial storm, which has seen stocks plunge dramatically in the United States and a debt crisis flare in Europe.

"A lot of what is going to go through a contraction are the money markets and the people who deal in share stocks or speculate on the value of currencies," he said.

"Ours are real products. That's a real barrel of oil. That's a real load of lumber. That's a real beef carcass going to somewhere."


Battlegrounds Canada: The race for PC leader Alberta's true election - "Everyone knows this is a chance to select the next premier, and people want to be involved in that process — I know a lot of NDP and Liberal voters who will [buy a Tory membership so they can cast a ballot],” said Mike Bayrak, an Edmonton-based blogger who was involved in Progressive Conservative campaigns until he became disenchanted with the party’s direction."

Albertans positive about economy despite wider market problems - "Last week's international market mayhem and plunging commodity prices may bruise but likely won't puncture buoyant consumer and business confidence in Alberta, experts say.

A dramatic 11th-hour deal to avert a debt default by the United States was followed by the biggest stock market plunge on Wall Street since late 2008 as fears of another global economic slowdown swirled.

But on Friday, Statistics Canada reported that Alberta's July jobless rate improved slightly to 5.5 per cent, second best behind Saskatchewan, as 12,400 new jobs were created."

Job Gains In Alberta Top Numbers For Entire U.S.

Province Added 22,000 Jobs In June

By Kim Guttormson, Calgary Herald. July 9th 2011

Alberta's brisk employment growth continued in June as the province added 22,000 jobs, more than were created in the entire United States.
But with more people re-entering the job hunt and moving here in search of work, Alberta's unemployment rate actually climbed slightly, to 5.6 per cent.

"They're really strong," ATB Financial economist Dan Sumner said of the Statistics Canada job numbers released Friday. "It's a little bit surprising how strong."

The variety of jobs across a number of sectors also speaks to the health of the Alberta economy, he pointed out. FOLLOW THIS ARTICLE


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Husky Bets Big On Northern Canada Oil Drilling Rights

TEDx A Showcase of Edmonton Innovators

By Jeffrey Jones, Reuters July 5th 2011

CALGARY, Alberta, July 5 (Reuters) - Husky Energy Inc (HSE.TO) has opened its wallet to grab the lion's share of C$534 million ($556 million) of winning bids for oil-drilling rights in the central Mackenzie Valley area of Canada's far north, sparking speculation it may be chasing a rich prospect.

In the 2011 government auction of drilling rights in northern lands, Husky bid C$376 million for two parcels near Norman Wells in the Northwest Territories, vastly outspending some of the world's largest oil majors, the government announced on Monday. READ MORE HERE

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Energy Drives Alberta To #1 Growth

By Mario Toneguzzi, Calgary Herald July 7th, 2011


An improving energy sector will fuel economic growth in Alberta, which Scotia Economics predicts will be the strongest in the country this year and next.

In a report released Wednesday, the bank said real GDP growth in the province will be 4.2 per cent this year, the highest in the nation, followed by 3.3 per cent growth in 2012, which will tie Saskatchewan at No. 1.

Scotia Economics is forecasting Canadian economic growth of 2.7 per cent this year and 2.5 per cent in 2012. GRAB THIS STORY

Edmonton International Airport Terminal Expansion Under Budget, Ahead of Schedule

Original $1B Budget Reduced By 25% As Recession Reduced Cost Of materials

By Bill Mah, Edmonton Journal. June 8th 2011

EDMONTON - Construction of a massive terminal expansion at the Edmonton International Airport is coming in under budget and faster than expected.
Adding more than 480,000 square feet — roughly the size of eight football fields — to the existing terminal building was originally budgeted at about $1 billion. GET THIS STORY


TEDx A Showcase of Edmonton Innovators

By Codi Wilson, Postmedia News June 11th 2011

EDMONTON -- Of all the video games former programmer Aaryn Flynn enjoys playing, Scrabble on his iPad is a favourite.

“It’s fun to play with your friends,” Flynn said. “It’s good for travelling too.”

Flynn, the studio general manager at BioWare, an Edmonton-based video game developer, spoke at the TEDx event Saturday inside the Citadel Theatre to a crowd of approximately 200. TEDx is a conference of ideas lead by technology and design industry leaders around the world. READ THIS NOW

Calgary Rental Company Offers Free Apartments For Slave Lake Fire Victims

By Clara Ho, Calgary Herald. May 24th 2011


CALGARY — A Calgary-based apartment rental company is offering 50 Edmonton suites to Slave Lake fire victims free of charge for up to three months.

“When I was watching TV, I saw many guys sleeping in gyms, sleeping bags, in cars, and my heart bled for them,” said Bob Dhillon, CEO of Mainstreet Equity Corp., which owns 8,000 apartment units across Calgary, Edmonton, Saskatoon and Vancouver.

“What we can offer is accommodation. We want to give them an opportunity to get their life together.”

READ MORE
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Expect To Pay More For Food, Power This Summer: National Energy Board

By Dina O'Meara, Calgary Herald May 20th 2011

CALGARY — Be prepared to pay more for power and fuel this summer in Alberta, according to the latest price outlook by the National Energy Board.

Although gasoline prices have eased somewhat since jumping earlier in the month, oil prices averaging $100 US per barrel to $120 US per barrel over the summer likely will cause renewed pain at the pump, the board said Thursday.

Unrest in the Middle East, the crisis in Japan and China’s growing demand for energy all factored into the boards expectations of continued high prices for oil. READ MORE HERE

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Armed With White Stetsons, Calgary Invades China

Carolynne Wheeler: The Globe and Mail, May 27th, 2011

There will be an estimated 150 million outbound Chinese tourists by 2015. Alberta is hoping a few hundred thousand of them will be inspired to take a look at some of Canada’s natural wonders.

Armed with a new Mandarin-language tourism website and dozens of white Stetsons to give away to business leaders, Calgary’s largest-ever trade delegation has just landed in Beijing for a week of selling its city to a Chinese audience. GRAB THIS STORY