- Canada Boy Vinyl, one of only two record pressing plants in the country, is planning to cease operations in Calgary in the near future
- Gold’s Gym has closed two out of three locations in Edmonton. The West Edmonton Mall location will be filling the void left by Gold’s with a new fitness centre called WEM Fit.
- The Canmore Hotel is closing for renovations to its main and upper floors on January 16, 2017. The 19 employees on the hotel’s payroll will face a layoff according to the new hotel owner, but will be offered positions once the work is complete.
- Penn West Exploration has announced a capital spending budget of $180M for 2017, almost double its 2016 allocation. The company plans to drill 52 producing wells and 45 vertical injection wells.
- The County of Newell has decided to award a $1.67M contract to Scott Builders to construct a new equipment shed. The facility is designed to last up to 60 years and will house large county equipment.
- Cineplex is opening a new outlet in its food-and-entertainment chain at the West Edmonton Mall this summer. The Rec Room will have more than 100 amusement games and a restaurant.
- Bow Valley Regional Transit Services Commission has received $4.2M in GreenTRIP funding from the Government of Alberta, for bus service in the Banff-Lake Louise corridor. The service is expected to begin in 2018.
- ClearStream Energy Services Inc. has successfully renewed a five year maintenance contract with a major oil sands producer in the Fort McMurray region. The work is expected to generate approximately $390M in revenue over the term of the contract.
- Canadian Red Cross is starting the third phase of its small businesses support program in Fort McMurray. As of December 2016, a total of 2,422 applications were started for the municipal and Canadian Red Cross business aid programs.
- The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo recovery task force is planning to hire a four-person construction management team during the spring construction boom. The management team is intended to be fully in place by early April.
- The City of Calgary estimates that more than 18,300 full-time positions were lost in the city in 2016. Employment income in the region declined for the first time in 15 years, by $810M.
- School boards in Fort McMurray are using administrators and speciality staff to teach classes due to a shortage of teachers. Compared to 2016, the number of available substitute teachers has fallen by about 40% in public schools.
- Alberta Labour is conducting a Coal Communities Survey to collect information about employees in the coal industry and the business impacts of phasing out emissions from coal. The survey will also examine residents living in communities linked to coal.
- Whole Foods Market has cancelled its plans to open a store each in Calgary and Edmonton. When announced in 2015, the company said each store would create an estimated 150 jobs.
- The Lac La Biche County fire department is seeking new recruits. The department has been holding open houses and running recruitment drives in five districts in the county to attract younger members.
- The County of Newell has awarded the 2017 contract for studies, project management, inspection and geotechnical testing of rural paved roads and bridge designs to Amec Foster Wheeler
- Cold Lake Brewing & Distilling, a craft distillery, recently opened its doors in Cold Lake
- Lethbridge College is opening a regional campus in Pincher Creek. The campus officially became part of the college community last year after it signed a collaborative agreement with the college and five community partners.
- The Alberta Utilities Commission has approved construction and operation of the the Vulcan Solar Hybrid Energy Centre near Carmangay. The project is still conditional on approval by Vulcan County’s Municipal Planning Commission.
- The Wetaskiwin Diner held a grand opening on January 7, 2017
- The Calgary Airport Authority is now allowing ride-hailing services like Uber and TappCar to pick up travellers using their mobile phone apps. Previously only drivers with Associated Cabs could pick up fares at the terminal.
- source: http://www.jobbank.gc.ca/LMI_bulletin.do?cid=3373&AREA=25262&INDUSTRYCD=&EVENTCD=
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