Edmonton, Alberta, June 25, 2026 – Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, met with trade and industry leaders from the Business Council of Alberta.
For more than a century, Alberta’s business leaders have built this country. In an increasingly uncertain world, it is more important than ever that we work together. While Canada is building big again, Albertans will play an essential role in ensuring that we build a stronger Canadian economy, and Alberta economy, for all.
During their meeting, the Minister spoke about his most recent engagements with U.S. counterparts and highlighted the importance of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in maintaining a strong and predictable trading relationship with the United States and Mexico. He noted that preserving an integrated North American market is critical to supporting jobs, investment, and long-term prosperity on both sides of the border, particularly for export-oriented sectors such as energy, manufacturing, and agriculture which are central to Alberta’s economy.
The Minister noted that in this time of economic uncertainty and shifting global trade relationships, Canada needs to focus on what it can control to strengthen its economy, attract foreign investment and make it easier for international businesses to expand into the Canadian market. He noted the importance of governments working together to make this happen.
The Minister thanked Alberta business leaders for the leadership they showed in advocating for greater collaboration to build a stronger economy for Alberta and for Canada. The recently announced implementation agreement for the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding is a direct result of collaboration between the two governments that will unlock the province’s vast natural resources and solidify Canada’s position as a world leader in clean and conventional energy.
Business leaders in Alberta have advocated for greater regulatory certainty to attract the investment needed for major projects in Canada. The Minister agreed with the importance of advancing major projects and attracting investment to drive Canada’s long-term growth and pointed to the efforts the Government of Canada is deploying to that effect. He highlighted the initiation of the process towards the potential listing of three projects under the Building Canada Act and the creation of the Major Projects Office (MPO) to drive forward major projects by creating a more efficient regulatory environment and giving proponents and investors the certainty they need to invest and build in Canada. The MPO is advancing 23 nation-building projects and strategies, supporting more than 155,000 jobs and representing over $135 billion in new investment – including right here in Alberta.
The Minister also highlighted the efforts that governments are undertaking together to remove unnecessary barriers and red tape to the movement of goods, services and skilled workers across Canada. Creating a unified domestic market is key to fostering a stronger, more resilient economy, and he discussed how the business community can benefit from greater interprovincial trade to create new opportunities to expand, generate quality jobs, and support sustained economic growth.
The Minister thanked the Business Council of Alberta for its leadership, reiterating that Canada is using all the tools as its disposal to get major infrastructure projects built at scale and at speed.
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