Trudeau Government Policies Blamed for Crushing Alberta Investment Growth
Canada's investment crisis has been ongoing for over a decade, and one of its main contributors is the lagging performance of energy-producing provinces such as Alberta.
A new study by the Fraser Institute found that from 1990 to 2014, the net stock of productivity-enhancing assets grew at an average annual rate of 2.4 per cent for Canada as a whole.
However, since 2014, this growth has declined significantly, with Alberta experiencing a particularly sharp decline in investment.
The study found that from 1990 to 2014, all 10 provinces experienced positive growth of their net stocks, led by Alberta (4.4 per cent annual average growth rate) and Saskatchewan (3.3 per cent).
However, from 2018 to 2025, three provinces - Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Newfoundland and Labrador - saw negative annual average growth, with Alberta suffering the worst hit: a minus 1.05 per cent 'growth' on an average annual basis.
The Trudeau government's policies have been criticized for discouraging investment in the oil and gas sector, which drives economic growth in these provinces.