Canada, it appears, is finally realizing how much it needs Alberta.
The province continues to boast the nation’s strongest per-capita economy, despite federal initiatives around “Net Zero” hampering the energy-focused region’s ability to grow over the past decade.
Backpedaling a bit, the federal government spent a week in Alberta, where trade minister Dominic LeBlanc met with chambers of commerce to discuss efforts to eliminate interprovincial barriers to trade and noted ongoing government collaboration to remove red tape and barriers to the movement of goods, services, and skilled workers across Canada.
“Alberta is at the heart of Canada’s economic future,” admitted LeBlanc.
The minister points to “the largest carbon capture project in the world” and “nation-building pipelines and major projects that are already supporting tens of thousands of jobs.”
“Albertans are proving that we can build big and build clean at the same time,” he stated.
“Our government is cutting red tape, attracting investment, and tearing down internal trade barriers, because a stronger Alberta means a stronger Canada,” said LeBlanc. “I am more convinced than ever that when we work together, there is nothing we cannot build”.
During his visit, the Minister heard from local business, civic, and municipal leaders. He reaffirmed Canada’s commitment to the recently announced implementation agreement for the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding, which could “unlock Alberta’s vast natural resources and solidify Canada’s position as a world leader in clean and conventional energy,” according to a statement.
Caanda’s new Major Projects Office is already advancing 23 projects and strategies, which support more than 155,000 jobs and represent over $135 billion in new investment.
Alberta-based cleantech innovators with ambition include Eavor, which is developing a geothermal energy system that keeps fluids contained by sending water into deep underground wells to heat then drawing it up through a separate well.
Eavor is the only Canadian company to make the annual ranking of the World’s Top GreenTech Companies twice in a row.
Other recent accolades for the Alberta firm include being named “Overall CleanTech Innovation of the Year.”
Calgary’s Carbon Upcycling also made TIME’s list. The 2026 Global Cleantech 100 company had a “momentous” 2025, raising substantial capital and breaking ground on its first commercial facility before securing further funding in April.