Alberta Fact Check: Alberta CEOs don’t share Calgary Chamber of Commerce’s morose outlook on the future

A recent survey shows most business leaders are optimistic about the province's future.

Cory Morgan
  |   July 17, 2026   |   News Analysis   |   2 Comments

 

The Calgary Chamber of Commerce, headed by writer Deborah Yedlin, has been releasing almost apocalyptic predictions for Alberta’s future due to the upcoming referendum. They imply business is already fleeing and that many others are considering doing so. Most of Yedlin’s statements are based on an internal survey conducted among 7% of their members.

Despite unity being the top news item in Alberta for a year and with a referendum looming, the provincial economy is doing very well. The province is leading the country in economic and job growth while new multi-billion-dollar projects are being announced regularly. If the referendum is having an impact on the provincial economy, it appears only to be in strengthening it.

The Business Council of Alberta (BCA) conducted a CEO Pulse Survey and found that corporate heads in the province are bursting with optimism about Alberta’s future. Of the survey respondents, 65% predicted economic conditions would improve in Alberta within the next year. Only 8% expected conditions to deteriorate.

Of the things Albertan business leaders were pessimistic about, it was found that 74% saw regulatory barriers as a threat to prosperity. There are no barriers causing more threat and damage to Alberta’s future than those applied by Ottawa.

There's no indication that the CEOs are supportive of Alberta’s independence, but it’s clear they don’t see the movement as a threat to the economic well-being of the province. Business leaders tend to look at the dollars and cents of issues rather than the political ideologies attached to them.

Calgary’s Chamber of Commerce has been offside with real business sentiment in the city for years. That’s why 96% of Calgary’s businesses aren’t members of the organization. Perhaps if they got a leader who actually had business experience, the Chamber would be able to reach out and represent a broader number of businesses out there. As long as Ms. Yedlin continues to release exaggerated and questionable statements, the organization’s credibility and membership will continue to fade.

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Cory Morgan

Cory Morgan is an Alberta-based columnist, political commentator, and longtime advocate for Western Canadian independence. He is the author of the recently updated book The Sovereigntist’s Handbook, a grassroots guide for independence supporters and political activists.

http://sovereigntistshandbook.com/

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  • Bruce Atchison
    commented 2026-07-17 21:13:46 -0400
    More Project Fear propaganda that denies the facts. Alberta is booming while the rest of Canada languishes.
  • Bernhard Jatzeck
    commented 2026-07-17 17:48:08 -0400
    It would be nice if organizations such as the Chamber of Commerce was run by somebody who actually paid attention to business news.