Recent Job Market Trends and News in Alberta Province

Source: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_bulletin.do?cid=3373&EVENTCD=&INDUSTRYCD=&AREA=25262

Week of Oct 20 – Oct 24, 2014

• The Government of Canada is investing $1M in a research and development project by InLine Dewatering in Edmonton, aimed at reducing water and energy use in bitumen extraction
• C-FER Technologies has opened a $14M research and testing facility in Edmonton designed to service pipeline companies and other energy-sector clients
• Sonic Healthcare, an Australian company, has been selected by Alberta Health Services to provide laboratory services in Edmonton. The initial contract is for $3B over 15 years, with a renewal option.
• Enviroclean Drycleaners, an alternative to traditional dry-cleaning methods, opened on October 14, 2014 in Fort McMurray
• The City of Airdrie is seeking another 24 RCMP members for its detachment over the 2015-2017 period at a cost of $6M in additional wages
• The Town of Canmore and the Government of Alberta have agreed to a land swap that will allow expansion of the Bow River Senior’s Lodge in Canmore
• Canmore Business & Tourism is expecting over 600 delegates for Canada’s West Marketplace, an annual showcase of tourism products, set for November 17 to 21, 2014 in Canmore
• The Cochrane CookHouse, a local food initiative and business incubator, is closing permanently on October 30, 2014
• Cochrane Economic Development is making efforts to attract new businesses for a knowledge-based local economy, but on a regional level, labour shortages are a major concern for the group
• A recent report from CIBC World Markets has identified Alberta as the most favourable place in Canada for a small business to succeed, as it has the strongest projected growth, good demographics and an expanding labour force
• Gilead Sciences, a California-based biotech company, is spending $50M to add a second laboratory at its Edmonton facility and to hire 80 new full-time staff
• Telus is rolling out a range of fiber optic services in Drayton Valley by January 2015, for both residential and business customers
• The University of Calgary has secured $20M in funding for a research program aimed at the use of nanotechnology and materials science in oil sands development
• Aquaterra is moving up the date for a proposed $12M lift station to handle wastewater treatment for the Hamlet of Clairmont due to increased demands for the system, with construction possibly starting in early 2015
• Construction on The XII, a luxury condominium project in Calgary’s Mission neighbourhood, is expected begin in the spring of 2015, with occupancy slated for the beginning of 2017
• Brookfield Residential is expecting to start construction on the next phase of their Seton project, a retail shopping format with up to 20 stores, in May 2015, with completion in 2017
• The Government of Alberta is committing $180M to build 1,500 continuing care living spaces in both urban and rural sites across the province
• The Shoppers Drug Mart in Innisfail is closing, but will reopen under the I.D.A. banner, with most of the former employees being retained by the new owners
• Tricon Developments is moving forward with the development of nine eight-plex condominium units in Blackfalds following a decision by the Town Council
• The Chinook’s Edge School Division, based out of Innisfail, is seeking alternate school bus drivers to supplement their regular drivers for vacations and sick days
• The Town of Olds has passed a land use bylaw that will allow expansion of the commercial core of the Uptown area
• Boutique Jacob, a women’s wear retailer, is abandoning its restructuring efforts and closing all of its 92 stores in Canada
• Associated Medical Centre closed the walk-in clinic at St. Therese Hospital in St. Paul on October 14, 2014 due to a split in the physician group
• James Marshall Trucking has been awarded a $4.1M contract to supply gravel for the County of Stettler over the 2015 to 2019 period
• The Government of Alberta has recently launched their Small Business Strategy to support entrepreneurs and provide easier access to business advice and government information
• Mountain View Seniors’ Housing has started construction on the $26.6M housing facility in Sundre, with completion scheduled for July 2016
• The Wainwright Job and Career Fair is being held on November 27, 2014 in an effort to help local businesses deal with the current labour shortages in the area