The federal government has announced new counter-tariffs on select U.S. products, effective September 8, along with a $7.5 billion support package for businesses and workers affected by trade disruptions. Businesses with U.S. supply chain exposure are encouraged to review potential impacts and available supports. Find out more and review the list of supports available.

Agriculture and agri-food remain cornerstones of Southeast Alberta's economy. That is why the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce continues to advocate for the removal of unnecessary interprovincial trade barriers and practical solutions that help producers, processors, and agri-food businesses grow.

Agriculture is one of Southeast Alberta's most important economic drivers, supporting producers, processors, transportation companies, equipment suppliers, and countless businesses throughout our region. As the industry faces increasing uncertainty from weather extremes, market volatility, rising input costs, labour challenges, and global trade disruptions, effective risk management has never been more important.

Recently, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce submitted recommendations to Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada as part of the federal consultation process. The submission emphasizes improving competitiveness, strengthening business resiliency, encouraging innovation, reducing regulatory burdens, addressing workforce challenges, and ensuring Canadian agriculture remains globally competitive.

At the Alberta Chambers of Commerce 88th Annual General Meeting and Policy Plenary, held May 27 - 28, 2026 in Whitecourt, chamber leaders from across the province came together to shape the policy direction that will guide advocacy efforts over the coming year.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce recently submitted recommendations to the federal government as part of consultations to strengthen labour relations and better support workers. At the core of the Chamber’s message is a clear concern: Canada’s economic performance and investment climate are increasingly tied to predictability and stability in labour relations.

The City of Medicine Hat is developing a long-term Water Management and Adaptation Strategy (WMAS) to guide how water is managed across the community through to 2050. This initiative reflects a growing recognition that water is not just an environmental issue - it is a core economic driver that supports business operations, growth, and long-term community resilience.

2026 State of the Region

Business leaders had the opportunity to hear directly from municipal leadership about the forces shaping our region’s economic future at two recent events. Across both sessions, one message stood out clearly: regional collaboration, infrastructure investment, and forward-thinking planning are central to long-term business success in Southeast Alberta. The first session was themed 'From Planning to Prosperity: City Insights on Development Infrastructure and Growth', followed by the inaugural State of the Region address.

The Chamber of Commerce was able to attend the Public Information session on April 27 at the Medicine Hat College to review the Government of Alberta’s 2026 update on Highway 3 twinning. The Government has confirmed its multi-year capital commitment and continued design engagement, reflecting meaningful progress, and showing that regional voices are being heard.

In a recent op-ed, Canadian Chamber of Commerce President and CEO Candace Laing reinforces a clear message: a strong private sector is the foundation of Canada’s economy and the quality of life Canadians expect. Businesses drive investment, innovation, job creation, and productivity - and they generate the revenues that fund public services and community infrastructure.

The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce has submitted 11 comprehensive policy resolutions to the Alberta Chambers of Commerce for consideration at their annual policy plenary session in May, representing one of the most extensive policy advocacy packages in the organization's recent history.

Declining market share means that we are leaving agri-food potential untapped, translating to billions of dollars in lost economic opportunity.

At the WTO’s 14th Ministerial Conference in Yaoundé, Cameroon, ICC Secretary General John W.H. Denton AO presented WTO Director-General Ngozi Okonjo‑Iweala with the Global Business Statement on behalf of over 230 business organizations, including chambers of commerce and business associations from every region of the world.

WestJet’s recent announcement that it will discontinue service between Calgary and Medicine Hat on June 24, 2026 has created significant concern for travelers, businesses, and the regional economy. After nearly 8 years of service, WestJet stated that the Calgary-Medicine Hat and Calgary-Lethbridge routes will end due to sustained low demand and challenges with route viability. The decision affects both WestJet Encore routes and triggers formal notice under the Canada Transportation Act.

As Alberta’s government opens the 2026 spring sitting this week, the policy direction is clear. The focus is on strengthening the economy, reducing barriers to growth, and protecting the people and communities that make Alberta competitive. These are priorities that align closely with the work our Chamber is driving across Southeast Alberta.

This month, we met with one of our agricultural producer groups to discuss the issues shaping their operations, workforce needs, regulatory environment, and long-term competitiveness. These conversations continue to strengthen our advocacy priorities and ensure the voice of agriculture remains front and center in provincial and national policy discussions.

As Canada navigates an increasingly complex global trade environment, one message from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce has become unmistakably clear - it’s time to think bigger about Mexico. The combination of a historic trade mission, renewed political cooperation, and a surge in bilateral business interest is ushering in a new era of opportunity for Canadian companies.

We had the opportunity to hear from Prairie Can in an Alberta Chamber of Commerce network call on February 3 and to learn more about the Government of Canada's Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI). This is a targeted program designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and supporting organizations adapt, diversify, and grow in a rapidly changing global trade environment.

In response to the announcement of a strategic partnership between Canada and China focused on energy, agri-food and trade, the Canadian Chamber has published the following statement.

Canada has long been a standout among global food producers. Over the past half-century, Canadian agriculture has enjoyed significant productivity growth due to better farm management, input efficiency, and technological innovation.

At the recent Brooks-Newell Leadership Breakfast held on November 5, recently elected Mayor of Brooks, Reeve of the County of Newell and Deputy Mayor of Rosemary, along with municipal CAOs outlined key priorities and local progress.

The Southeast Alberta Chamber had the opportunity to hear from experts through various sessions that were focused on sharing best practices, collaboration strategies, and practical solutions in the Southeast Alberta region. Through the mix of timely topics and presentations, from current economic conditions and regional activity updates to new exciting opportunities, we noted various takeaways that will help our Chamber of Commerce and our business community thrive into the future.

The Canadian Chamber of Commerce sent their first 100-day Mandate Letters to Prime Minister Carney and the Cabinet to highlight key priorities that can be actioned within the first 100-days of being in office. In addition, the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce issued its first letters to the federal Government, including local MPs, Alberta Liberal MPs and key cabinet Ministers responsible for areas of interest to the Chamber's local members.

“We know this budget was made in a time with global tensions, economic uncertainty, volatile commodity prices and the threat of tariffs putting a lot of pressure on Albertans, businesses, and government revenues coupled with the ongoing challenge of reducing the provincial deficit and debt.” Steven Pudwell, Chamber of Commerce President

Tariffs are the most urgent threat facing Canadian and American businesses today. Modelling from the Canadian Chamber of Commerce's Business Data Lab suggests that these tariffs would come at a huge economic cost, reducing real annual income by $1,900 CAD per Canadian and $1,300 USD per American.

The 30-day delay means more time for Canadian businesses and governments to drive home the point that tariffs between the two closest allies the world has ever known make no sense. The Canadian Chamber, our local Chamber, the Chamber Network across Canada, and businesses across the country will spend every day of it fighting hard to secure this historic, robust trading relationship. Visit the Trade Tracker

Alberta’s government has begun a provincewide study looking at more than 100 locations across the province for water storage. This study will be used to help the government plan long-term ways to maximize Alberta’s water supply, reduce the risk of future droughts and floods, and support thriving communities. Dams, reservoirs and other water storage infrastructure play a vital role in irrigation, drought management, water security, flood protection, and supporting a healthy environment.

A sneak peek of our past 2023-2024 year: We’ve spent over 1200 dedicated hours in our advocacy and lobby efforts over the past year, including over 70 meetings with Government representatives and hosting 26 different advocacy events, along with meetings on issues specific to the business community. We were pleased to see this work pay off in the progress we are starting to see.

The Temporary Foreign Worker (TFW) program has allowed Canadian employers to hire foreign workers to fill temporary jobs when qualified Canadians are not available. The TFW program was created in 1973 and has four main streams: low and high wage, primary agriculture and global talent. There has been a lot of controversy around the program more recently in the media and there have been recent change to the program.

We were pleased to see that Alberta’s government is improving Class 1 licensing and training with a new, made-in-Alberta learning pathway for professional truck drivers. Mandatory Entry Level Training (MELT) became a new pre-licensing requirement for Class 1 commercial drivers in Alberta on March 1, 2019. Since then, insurance claims have risen for Class 1 drivers and MELT has been identified by the trucking industry as one of the leading factors contributing to the ongoing commercial driver shortage...

In Alberta, we know that Agriculture is vital to our economy...but most Albertans don't quite know how it all works. We are currently advocating for a policy to include ag education in our school curriculum.