ALBERTA TRIES TO LURE TECH COMPANIES NORTH

Alberta’s minister of economic development and trade Deron Bilous was in California last week with Calgary Mayor Naheed Nenshi and Calgary Economic Development president Mary Moran to woo tech companies north. “I can tell you companies were very interested to hear what Alberta and Calgary have to offer,” Bilous says. “We have a very talented pool, we’re the youngest province, fastest growing province, we have the most competitive tax regime, no payroll ( tax), no PST, no health care premiums. We’ve got a quality of life that’s second to none and one of our best selling features at the moment is affordability.” Another huge competitive advantage is proximity: “They love that, versus, say, Ontario cities, which are much further from the valley.” The partnership between the province and the city is another strong incentive. “Because competition is fierce, we needed to be down there,” Bilous says. “I will be back there in two months, and we’re going to continue to have a presence on the ground there.”