READOUT - Minister LeBlanc meets with municipal and business leaders in Red Deer

RED DEER, AB, June 24, 2026 /CNW/ - Today, the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, visited Red Deer, Alberta. The Minister met with the Mayor of Red Deer, Cindy Jefferies, and with trade and industry leaders at the Red Deer District Chamber.

For more than a century, Alberta's business leaders and communities have built this country. The Minister underscored that, in an increasingly uncertain world, it is more important than ever that we work together. While Canada is building big again, Albertans will play an essential role in ensuring that we build a stronger Canadian economy, and Alberta economy, for all.

When meeting with Mayor Jefferies, the Minister highlighted the importance of collaboration across all orders of government to build a more resilient and competitive economy that delivers tangible results for Canadians. To support municipalities like Red Deer, the Government of Canada is making long-term investments in infrastructure, including the $51 billion Build Communities Strong Fund.

With members of the Red Deer District Chamber of Commerce, the Minister discussed how the Government of Canada is supporting a strong and resilient economy. He emphasized the importance of the Canada-Alberta Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), which will unlock the province's vast natural resources and solidify Canada's position as a world leader in clean and conventional energy, and the agreement recently reached with the province on its implementation. He highlighted this as an example of what can be achieved when governments work together.

The Minister also noted how the Government is focused on the urgency of getting Canadian resources to domestic and world markets, and highlighted the important role that the Major Projects Office (MPO) is playing to help coordinate and streamline federal processes and get major infrastructure projects built. This includes support for 23 nation-building projects and strategies that will support more than 155,000 jobs and represent over $138 billion in new investment – including right here in Alberta.

Getting resources to market requires governments to work together to diversify both domestic and international trade. The Minister spoke of the need to continue efforts to eliminate interprovincial barriers to trade and labour mobility so that small and medium-sized businesses, in Red Deer and across the country, can take advantage of a unified domestic market and build a more resilient economy. In particular, he highlighted the recently established Domestic Trade Commissioners Network to support businesses and workers access new markets in other parts of the country. Collaborative efforts between federal, provincial and territorial governments such as this Network will enable Canadians to work together to build strength at home in the face of global uncertainty.

The Minister also highlighted the importance of the Canada-United States-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) in maintaining a strong and predictable trading relationship with the United States and Mexico. He noted that preserving an integrated North American market is critical to supporting jobs, investment, and long-term prosperity on both sides of the border, particularly for export-oriented sectors such as energy, manufacturing, and agriculture which are central to Red Deer and Alberta's economy.

The Minister thanked the Red Deer District Chamber for its steadfast advocacy and leadership, reiterating that a resilient Canada depends on continued cooperation amongst all orders of government.

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SOURCE President of the King’s Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs and One Canadian Economy

For more information (media only), please contact: Jean-Sébastien Comeau, Director of Communications, Office of the Honourable Dominic LeBlanc, President of the King's Privy Council for Canada and Minister responsible for Canada-U.S. Trade, Intergovernmental Affairs, Internal Trade and One Canadian Economy, 343-574-8116, [email protected]; Media Relations, Privy Council Office, 613-957-5420, [email protected]