Advocacy & Policy

By Stavros Karlos – former Banff Councillor, Tourism Entrepreneur & Director of Policy and Government Affairs, TIAA After serving a decade on Banff town council, I can tell you this: most councillors genuinely want to do the right thing; but very few truly understand how property assessment works. And that really matters.   Because how councils see and understand assessments, is how they frame the economy under their care.   With municipal elections Monday, the coming weeks a

Outlook   Alberta’s economy is projected to grow in the coming budget cycle, albeit at a slower rate than seen in recent years. Budget 2026-27 calls for GDP growth of 1.8%, down from an estimated 2.2% for 2025. The government continues to observe that U.S. tariff uncertainty will act as a drag on Alberta’s investment climate and could continue to weaken demand while contributing to uncertainty around Alberta-U.S. trade flows. ​ Population growth is expected to retreat to 1.1%