Alberta has always been at its best when opportunity meets determination. The recent Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between Alberta and Ottawa, aimed at advancing major energy and infrastructure projects, offers one of those rare moments when political promises and economic potential align. While the details remain and challenges need to be overcome, any initiative that brings investment, jobs and major projects back to Alberta deserves our support.
At the Alberta Enterprise Group, our message is straightforward: AEG members stand ready.
Ready with the workers, trucks, cranes, equipment, steel and supplies. Ready with the know-how built over generations of getting big projects done safely and efficiently.
If there is a genuine opportunity to build, we are here to help build it.
A Chance to Rebuild Momentum
After years of delays, stalled approvals and abandoned investments, the MOU signals a genuine chance to reset. Ottawa’s step back from a decade of jurisdictional overreach opens the door to better collaboration. However, we know that optimism must be paired with realism. The same risks that have driven investors away still exist, which is why this moment matters.
Major projects need certainty: clear rules, stable policy and construction timelines that don’t shift with political cycles. Capital will only return when governments align, remove obstacles and commit to building instead of debating. If pursued seriously, the MOU can begin restoring that trust.
Alberta’s workforce knows how to build world‑class projects quickly and safely. What matters now is speed. For too long, we’ve measured progress against our own past performance; the real benchmark is the jurisdictions that are building major projects today, at the pace the world now demands. AEG members are not interested in another cycle of studies, consultations and cost overruns. The U.S. is building at record speed. The Middle East completes megaprojects in years, not decades. Alberta needs to match that urgency.
Putting Politics Aside and Getting to Work
Premier Danielle Smith captured the spirit of this moment perfectly: Albertans aren’t looking for conflict, we are happiest when we are hard at work, getting things done, solving problems and building our province and our country.
We acknowledge that challenges remain, and they must be addressed honestly. Not all provinces support new pipelines or major infrastructure; B.C.’s premier has already expressed firm opposition. Canada also faces global competition for capital, rising construction costs, labour shortages in key trades and the ongoing risk of policy reversals each election cycle. These are real barriers, not theoretical ones.
However, the economic impact of getting major projects built is not theoretical; Canadians are living it. The TMX expansion is already delivering real, measurable benefits. By opening access to international markets instead of relying almost exclusively on U.S. buyers, Alberta producers are receiving stronger netbacks. That means higher royalties for Albertans and increased tax revenue for every Canadian.
This is why speed, discipline and alignment between Alberta and Ottawa matter more than ever. For the MOU to succeed, governments must act quickly. The bureaucracy must move at the speed of the real economy.
When governments act with urgency, capital follows. When they do not, capital moves elsewhere. We need political will to turn this MOU into real projects.
