Lac Ste. Anne—Parkland MLA Shane Getson recently joined legislators and industry leaders from across western Canada and the northwestern United States at the Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) 2026 Annual Summit in Edmonton.
This is the first time the city has hosted the annual gathering since 2006.
The summit is a non-partisan partnership between Alberta, British Columbia, Saskatchewan, the Northwest Territories and the Yukon, as well as the U.S. states of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Montana and Washington. It is meant to advance cooperation between those parties on issues of shared importance.
For Alberta, officials say PNWER provides a forum for building relationships with regional partners, addressing shared challenges and promoting policies that support investment, economic growth and expanded market access.
“PNWER is built on a simple idea: we accomplish more when we work together,” said Getson, who is also outgoing president of PNWER Canada and vice president of PNWER. “It was a privilege for Alberta to host this year’s summit and welcome partners from across the region. It was also an honour to hear the discussions on economic corridors, energy, trade, agriculture and education – just to name a few. Those discussions reinforced just how closely aligned our region is on the priorities that support economic growth, investment, and long-term prosperity.”
This year’s summit reportedly focused on strengthening cross-border trade, improving transportation and energy corridors, enhancing economic competitiveness and coordinating responses to challenges like invasive species and supply chain disruptions.
Throughout the summit, more than a dozen United Conservative MLAs joined meetings, panel discussions and site tours highlighting Alberta’s industries and research institutions. Tours included the Heidelberg Materials Edmonton cement plant, the University of Alberta, Edmonton International Airport’s sustainability campus, Alberta’s Industrial Heartland and the Cenovus Christina Lake oil sands operation, among others.
