With the final night of fireworks behind us and another Calgary Stampede rounded up this year’s festivities were ten days of rodeo culture and collaborative business, with visitors from far and wide stampeding into the Blue Sky City.
At Invest Alberta, we welcomed our national and international clients and partners into our province for an assortment of events embracing the Team Alberta spirit, forging stronger partnerships and stimulating conversations that are likely to lead to greater economic prosperity.
This year we brought back a Stampede classic: our Stampede Breakfast and Partner Showcase. The Showcase brought together key members of the Global Partnership Network in finance, consulting, real estate, and law, alongside government officials, selected investors, regional economic developers, board members, and executives. Through networking and curated programming, the event aims to establish and further develop relationships with organizations that support the growth of Alberta’s economic goals.
This year at the Showcase, we welcomed for speaking remarks, former Alberta Premier Alison Redford, as well as Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration, the Honourable Joseph Schow, and Invest Alberta’s Chief Corporate Development Officer, Denis Painchaud. Denis spoke on how connections drive investment attraction and that “no matter your role – mayor, lawyer, investor, innovator, we all have a stake in Alberta’s growth story”.
The Belt Buckle Presentation at the Showcase is an opportunity to congratulate partners who went above and beyond in their efforts to promote and support Alberta as a prime place for business growth and expansion. Led by our CEO Rick Christiaanse, and Invest Alberta Board Chair Scott Hutchenson, the 2025 Belt Buckle Presentation saw five partners receive recognition for their pivotal role in supporting Alberta’s growth in the past year.
First to be awarded was Sarat Maharaj from Dentons, who aided in building the global component of our Partnership Network. By working with their offices internationally, they helped us in the push towards signing some significant MOUs across the world.
Evan Menzie from Crestview Strategy was the next to be awarded, who’s storytelling helps bring Alberta to the global stage and shape narratives. The Crestview team were an important part of working with Canadian Gypsum Corporation, which led to $210 million towards a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility out in Wheatland County.
Mayor Jean Barclay was recognized with a belt buckle for her role in the landing of the DeepSky project: $110 million in the form of a carbon removal innovation centre, of which it is the first of its kind in the world. Mayor Barclay showed how important local leadership and community collaboration is in propelling Team Alberta into the future.
Mayor Jack Van Rijn accepted an award for his work for the Town of Coaldale, with his rapid action contributing to the success of the NewCold storage facility, generating new local jobs and long-term economic opportunity. Mayor Van Rijn’s leadership led to land being rezoned and a critical rail spur being implemented within the space of 7 days. His decisiveness is a reminder that Alberta gets things done quickly and efficiently.
The final buckle recipient was Leann Hackman-Carty of Economic Developers Alberta, with whom we have partnered to strengthen the momentum behind the Team Alberta approach. With the creation of the Community Investment Readiness Tool and the EDA/Invest Alberta Golf Tournament, EDA has supported the platform on which economic developers provincewide can grow.
In 2024, the Partner Showcase was the first of its kind, where we rewarded four of our partners for their role in Team Alberta’s successes. This included Nitin Sathawane for his work with Mphasis, Tracy Deihl and Meaghan Pelton of the Trade Commissioner Service, and Amber Link with Wheatland County. Each received a custom belt buckle to help channel their inner cowboy.
Invest Alberta also hosted its signature Investor Forum, and after the success of last year’s events programming, our newly ideated Investor Connect. Both aimed to provide unique opportunities for networking and facilitate learning about Alberta’s industrial strengths.
Alberta is a clear destination of choice for many investors, and we are proud to be part of the investor journey for many companies interested in the province. The Calgary Stampede is an important opportunity to showcase Alberta to investors from various industries, to explore and learn about the advantages offered by our province.
Return to Index