Editing Economy of Alberta (section)

==Sectors==

===Oil and gas extraction industries===
[[Image:Alberta oil gas drilling well 023.jpg|thumb|Drilling rig in Alberta.]]
{{See also|Petroleum production in Canada|Natural gas in Canada}}

In 2018, Alberta's energy sector contributed over $71.5 billion to Canada's nominal gross domestic product.<ref name="NRCAN_20190907" /> In 2006, it accounted for 29.1% of Alberta's GDP;<ref name="GovAB_2018" />{{rp|3}} by 2012 it was 23.3%;<ref name="occinfo_alis_alberta_2016" /> in 2013, it was 24.6%,<ref name="GovAB_2017407" />{{rp|6}} and in 2016 it was 27.9%.<ref name="GovAB_2018" />{{rp|3}} According to [[Statistics Canada]], in May 2018, the oil and gas extraction industry reached its highest proportion of Canada's national GDP since 1985, exceeding 7% and "surpass[ing] banking and insurance".<ref name="CBC_Fletcher_20180731" /> with extraction of non-conventional oil from the oilsands reaching an "impressive", all-time high in May 2018.<ref name="CBC_Fletcher_20180731" /> With conventional oil extraction "climbed up to the highs from 2007", the demand for Canadian oil was strong in May.<ref name="CBC_Fletcher_20180731" />

Alberta is the largest producer of [[petroleum|conventional crude oil]], [[synthetic crude]], [[natural gas]] and gas products in the country. Alberta is the world's 2nd largest exporter of natural gas and the 4th largest producer.<ref>[http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2003/tad/canada/canadaalberta.htm State of Alaska - Trade Report on Alberta] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061215031033/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2003/tad/canada/canadaalberta.htm |date=December 15, 2006 }}</ref> Two of the largest producers of [[petrochemicals]] in North America are located in central and north central Alberta. In both [[Red Deer, Alberta|Red Deer]] and [[Edmonton]], world class [[polyethylene]] and [[Vinyl group|vinyl]] manufacturers produce products shipped all over the world, and Edmonton's [[oil refinery|oil refineries]] provide the raw materials for a large [[petrochemical industry]] to the east of Edmonton. Since the early 1940s, Alberta had supplied oil and gas to the rest of Canada and the [[United States]]. The [[Athabasca River]] region produces oil for internal and external use. The [[Athabasca Oil Sands]] contain the largest proven reserves of oil in the world outside [[Saudi Arabia]].

The [[Athabasca Oil Sands]] (sometimes known as the Athabasca [[Tar sands]]) have estimated [[unconventional oil]] reserves approximately equal to the [[conventional oil]] reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be {{convert|1.6|Toilbbl}}. With the development of new extraction methods such as [[steam-assisted gravity drainage]] (SAGD), which was developed in Alberta, bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional [[surface mining|strip mining]] and non-conventional [[in situ]] methods to extract the [[bitumen]] from the oil sands. With current technology and at current prices, about {{convert|315|Goilbbl}} of bitumen are recoverable. [[Fort McMurray]], one of Canada's fastest growing cities, has grown enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.

Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the oil sands was the price of oil. The [[oil price increases since 2003]] made it more than profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss.

Alberta's economy was negatively impacted by the [[2016 oil glut|2015-2016 oil glut]] with a record high volume of worldwide oil [[inventory|inventories]] in storage,<ref name="Firzli"/> with global crude oil collapsing at near ten-year low prices.<ref name="G&M_Deloitte_2016"/><ref name="reuters_2016_Feb16"/><ref name="fortune_2016"/> The United States doubled its 2008 production levels mainly due to substantial improvements in [[tight oil|shale]] "[[fracking]]" technology, OPEC members consistently exceeded their production ceiling, and China experienced a marked slowdown in economic growth and crude oil imports.<ref name="G&M_Deloitte_2016"/><ref name="reuters_2016_Feb16"/><ref name="fortune_2016"/><ref name="NYT_2014">{{cite news |title=U.S. Oil Prices Fall Below $80 a Barrel |first=Clifford |last=Krassnov |date=November 3, 2014 |access-date=December 13, 2014 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/business/energy-environment/us-oil-prices-fall-below-80-a-barrel.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220101/https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/business/energy-environment/us-oil-prices-fall-below-80-a-barrel.html |archive-date=January 1, 2022 |url-access=limited |newspaper=The New York Times}}{{cbignore}}</ref><ref name=glut>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-12-04/opec-maintains-crude-production-as-group-defers-output-target-ihryzilb |title=OPEC Won't Cut Production to Stop Oil's Slump |publisher=Bloomberg News |date=December 4, 2015}}</ref>

Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction Industry (2017)<ref name="GOV_AB_Profile_Extraction_2018">{{cite report |series=Industry Profiles 2018 |title=Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction Industry |url=https://work.alberta.ca/documents/industry-profile-mining-oil-and-gas-extraction.pdf |date=February 2018 |isbn=978-1-4601-3781-9 |issn= 2292-8960 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190909194936/https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/f5a3586b-9fad-47a5-8741-e46cf5008d16/resource/9b026daf-1045-49bb-aad6-34996db59914/download/industry-profile-mining-oil-and-gas-extraction.pdf |archive-date=September 9, 2019 }}</ref>
 
{| class="wikitable"
! 
!Alberta
!Mining and Oil and Gas Extraction Industry 
|-
|Employment ||2,286,900 ||140,300 
|-
|Employment Share ||N/A ||6.1% 
|-
|Unemployment ||194,700 ||8,800 
|-
|Unemployment rate ||7.8% ||5.9%
|} 
*Data Source: Statistics Canada, Labour Force Survey, CANSIM Table 282–0008, 2017 "Employment share is obtained by dividing the number of employment in this industry by total employment in Alberta."<ref name="GOV_AB_Profile_Extraction_2018"/>

====Natural gas====
[[Natural gas]] has been found at several points, and in 1999, the production of [[natural gas liquids]] ([[ethane]], [[propane]], and [[butane]]s) totalled {{convert|172.8|Moilbbl}}, valued at $2.27 billion. Alberta also provides 13% of all the natural gas used in the United States.

Notable gas reserves were discovered in the 1883 near Medicine Hat.<ref>{{Cite web| title = Accidental Industry - Natural Gas - Alberta's Energy Heritage| access-date = September 9, 2019| url = http://history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/gas/creation-of-an-industry/accidental-industry/default.aspx}}</ref><ref name="energy">{{citation |url=http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/About_Us/984.asp |title=Alberta Energy: Energy Facts |url-status=dead |access-date=June 21, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080329091022/http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/About_Us/984.asp |archive-date=March 29, 2008 }}</ref> The town of [[Medicine Hat, Alberta|Medicine Hat]] began using gas for lighting the town, and supplying light and fuel for the people, and a number of industries using the gas for manufacturing.

One of North America's benchmarks is Alberta gas-trading price—the AECO "C" spot price.<ref name="GOV_AB_2019"/>

In 2018, 69% of the marketable natural gas in Canada was produced in Alberta.<ref name="NRCAN_20190908">{{Cite web| work = NRCAN| title = Natural gas facts| access-date = September 9, 2019| date = September 8, 2019| url = https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/natural-gas-facts/20067| archive-date = September 11, 2019| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20190911190044/https://www.nrcan.gc.ca/natural-gas-facts/20067| url-status = dead}}</ref> Forty nine per cent of Alberta's natural gas production is consumed in Alberta.<ref name="GOV_AB_2019">{{Cite web| title = Natural gas overview| access-date = September 9, 2019| url = https://www.alberta.ca/natural-gas-overview.aspx |work=Government of Alberta}}</ref> In Alberta, the average household uses {{convert|135|GJ}} of natural gas annually.<ref>{{Citation| title = Electricity and natural gas contracts | access-date = September 9, 2019| url = https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/2cda2fa1-21c4-45d8-8537-fae0c92de94a/resource/799a024e-4861-44f6-bb4d-d16cb63063b1/download/electricity-and-natural-gas-contracts.pdf |date=2018}}</ref> Domestic demand for natural gas is divided across sectors, with the highest demand—83% coming from "industrial, electrical generation, transportation and other sectors," and 17 percent going towards residential and commercial sectors.<ref name="GOV_AB_2019"/> 
Of the provinces, Alberta is the largest consumer of natural gas at 3.9 billion cubic feet per day.<ref name="NEB_20171207">{{cite web |title=NEB – Provincial and Territorial Energy Profiles – Canada |url=https://www.neb-one.gc.ca/nrg/ntgrtd/mrkt/nrgsstmprfls/cda-eng.html |website=www.neb-one.gc.ca |publisher=National Energy Board - Government of Canada |date=December 7, 2017}}</ref>

By August 2019, the ''Financial Post'' said that "AECO daily and monthly natural gas prices" were at the lowest they have been since 1992.<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20190809">{{Cite web| title = Alberta natural gas producers struggle through worst prices in 26 years, but outlook is improving |work= Financial Post| access-date = September 9, 2019| date = August 9, 2018| url = https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/alberta-natural-gas-producers-struggle-through-worst-prices-in-26-years-but-outlook-is-improving |first=Geoffrey |last=Morgan}}</ref> Canada's largest natural gas producer, [[Canadian Natural Resources Ltd.]], announced in early August that it had "shut in gas production of 27,000 million cubic feet per day because of depressed prices.<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20190809"/> Previously natural gas pipeline drilled in the southern Alberta and shipped to markets in Eastern Canada. By 2019, the entire natural gas industry had was primarily operating in northwestern Alberta and northeastern B.C., which resulted in strained infrastructure. New systems will not be complete until 2021 or 2023.<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20190809"/> In September 25, 2017 Alberta's benchmark AECO natural gas prices fell into "negative territory – "meaning producers have had to pay customers to take their gas".<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20171012">{{Cite web |first=Geoffrey |last=Morgan| title = Natural gas prices are so bad in Alberta producers are having to pay customers to take it |work=Financial Post| access-date = September 9, 2019| date = October 12, 2017| url = https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/canadian-natural-gas-prices-enter-negative-territory-amid-pipeline-outages}}</ref> It happened again in early October with the price per gigajoule dropping to -7 cents.<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20171012"/> TransCanada (now TC Energy Corp)—which "owns and operates Alberta's "largest natural gas gathering and transmission system, interrupted its pipeline service in the fall of 2017 to complete field maintenance on the Alberta system.<ref name="FinPo_Morgan_20171012"/> In July 2018, RS Energy Group's energy analyst Samir Kayande, said that faced with a glut of natural gas across North America, the continental market price was $3 per gigajoule.<ref name="CBC_Edwardson_20190718">{{cite news| last=Edwardson| date = July 18, 2019| first =Lucie | title = Energy analyst weighs in on Alberta natural gas producers seeking government intervention |work= CBC News | access-date = September 9, 2019| url = https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/natural-gas-alberta-production-cuts-1.5215816}}</ref> Alberta is "awash" with natural gas but faces pipeline bottlenecks.<ref name="CBC_Edwardson_20190718"/> CEOs of nine Alberta natural gas producers requested the Kenney government to mandate production cuts to deal with the crisis.<ref name="CBC_Edwardson_20190718"/> On June 30, the AECO price of gas dropped to 11 cents per gigajoule, because of maintenance issues with the pipeline giant TC Energy Corp.<ref name="FinPo_20190716">{{cite news| title = Alberta natural gas producers propose limiting production in exchange for royalty credits |work= Financial Post| access-date = September 9, 2019| date = July 16, 2019| url = https://business.financialpost.com/commodities/energy/alberta-natural-gas-producers-propose-limiting-production-in-exchange-for-royalty-credits}}</ref>

In 2003 Alberta produced {{convert|4.97|Tcuft}} of marketable natural gas.<ref name=GOV_AB_2004>{{citation |work=Government of Alberta |url=http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/docs/aboutus/pdfs/Alberta_Energy_Overview.pdf |title=Energy Overview |date=2004 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061004154020/http://www.energy.gov.ab.ca/docs/aboutus/pdfs/Alberta_Energy_Overview.pdf |archive-date=October 4, 2006 }}</ref> That year, 62% of Alberta's natural gas was shipped to the United States, 24% was used within Alberta, and 14% was used in the rest of Canada.<ref name=GOV_AB_2004/> In 2006, Alberta consumed {{convert|1.45|Tcuft}} of natural gas. The rest was exported across Canada and to the United States.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Royalties to Alberta from natural gas and its byproducts are larger than royalties from crude oil and bitumen.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} In 2006, there were 13,473 successful natural gas wells drilled in Alberta: 12,029 conventional gas wells and 1,444 [[coalbed methane]] wells.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} There may be up to {{convert|500|Tcuft}} of coalbed methane in Alberta, although it is unknown how much of this gas might be recoverable.{{citation needed|date=September 2019}} Alberta has one of the most extensive natural gas systems in the world as part of its energy infrastructure, with {{convert|39000|km}} of energy related [[Pipeline transport|pipelines]].{{citation needed|date=September 2019}}

===Coal===
[[File:Atlas coal mine.jpg|thumb|Remains of the former Atlas Coal Mine, near Drumheller, now a [[National Historic Site of Canada]].]]
{{See also|Coal in Alberta}}
[[Coal in Alberta|Coal has been mined in Alberta]] since the late 19th century. Over 1800 mines have operated in Alberta since then.<ref name="energy" />

The coal industry was vital to the early development of several communities, especially those in the foothills and along deep river valleys where coal was close to the surface.

Alberta is still a major coal producer, every two weeks Alberta produces enough coal to fill the [[Sky Dome]] in Toronto.<ref name="energy" />

Much of that coal is burned in Alberta for electricity generation. By 2008, Alberta used over 25 million tonnes of coal annually to generate electricity.<ref name="energy" /> However, Alberta is set to retire coal power by 2023, ahead of 2030 provincial deadline.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Healing |first1=Dan |title=Alberta set to retire coal power by 2023, ahead of 2030 provincial deadline |url=https://globalnews.ca/news/7502144/alberta-coal-power-ahead-of-schedule/ |agency=Canadian Press |publisher=Global News |date=December 4, 2020}}</ref>

Alberta has vast coal resources and 70 per cent of Canada's coal reserves are located in Alberta. This amounts to 33.6 [[Gigatonnes]].<ref name="energy" />

Vast beds of coal are found extending for hundreds of miles, a short distance below the surface of the plains. The coal belongs to the [[Cretaceous]] beds, and while not so heavy as that of the [[Coal Measures]] in England is of excellent quality{{Citation needed|date=June 2008}}. In the valley of the [[Bow River]], alongside the [[Canadian Pacific Railway]], valuable beds of [[anthracite]] coal are still worked. The usual coal deposits of the area of [[bituminous]] or semi-bituminous coal. These are largely worked at [[Lethbridge]] in southern Alberta and [[Edmonton]] in the centre of the province. Many other parts of the province have pits for private use.

===Electricity===
{{See also|Electricity policy of Alberta}}

{{As of|2016|6}}, Alberta's generating capacity was 16,261&nbsp;[[Megawatt|MW]],<ref name="energy.alberta.ca">{{cite web| url = http://www.energy.alberta.ca/electricity/682.asp| title = Energy| access-date = November 7, 2016| archive-date = August 26, 2010| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100826084312/http://www.energy.alberta.ca/Electricity/682.asp| url-status = dead}}</ref> and Alberta has about {{convert|26000|km|-2}} of transmission lines.<ref>{{cite web| url = https://www.aeso.ca/grid/about-the-grid/| title = About the grid » AESO}}</ref>

Alberta has 1491 megawatts of [[wind power]] capacity.<ref name="energy.alberta.ca"/>

Production of electricity in Alberta in 2016 by source:
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Generation !! GWh !! Share by Fuel
|-
| Coal || 42,227 || 50.2%
|-
| Natural Gas || 33,184 || 39.4%
|-
| Hydro || 1,773 || 2.1%
|-
| Wind || 4,408 || 5.2%
|-
| Biomass || 2,201 || 2.6%
|-
| Others || 338 || 0.4%
|-
| Total || 84,132 || 100%
|}

Alberta has added 9,000 MW of new supply since 1998.<ref name="energy.alberta.ca"/>

Peak for power use in one day was set on July 9, 2015&nbsp;– 10,520&nbsp;MW.<ref>{{cite web| url = http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/power-consumption-record-set-as-temperature-soars-in-alberta-1.3145637| title = Power consumption record set as temperature soars in Alberta {{!}} CBC News}}</ref>

===Mineral mining===
Building stones mined in Alberta include [[Rundle stone]], and [[Paskapoo sandstone]].

Diamonds were first found in Alberta in 1958, and many stones have been found since, although to date no large-scale mines have been developed.<ref name="energy" />

===Manufacturing===
The Edmonton area, and in particular [[Nisku, Alberta|Nisku]] is a major centre for manufacturing oil and gas related equipment. As well Edmonton's [[Refinery Row (Edmonton)|Refinery Row]] is home to a petrochemical industry.

According to a 2016 Statistics Canada report Alberta's manufacturing sales year-over-year sales fell 13.2 per cent, with a loss of almost four per cent from December to January. Alberta's economy continued to shrink because of the collapse of the oil and gas sector. The petroleum and coal product manufacturing industry is now third— behind food and chemicals.<ref name="CBC_manufacturing_2016">{{cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/alberta-manufacturing-sales-1.3493988 | title=Alberta manufacturing sales plunge 13% in year as most provinces see upswing StatsCan says sales rose in 16 of 21 industries across Canada while Alberta saw 4% drop last month | publisher=CBC | date=March 16, 2016 | access-date=March 16, 2016 | author=Gibson, John}}</ref>

===Biotechnology===
Several companies and services in the biotech sector are clustered around the University of Alberta, for example [[ColdFX]].

===Food processing===
Owing to the strength of agriculture, food processing was once a major part of the economies of Edmonton and Calgary, but this sector has increasingly moved to smaller centres such as [[Brooks, Alberta|Brooks]], the home of [[XL Foods]], responsible for one third of Canada's beef processing in 2011.

===Transportation===
[[File:WestJetHQ.jpg|thumb|400px|Headquarters of the airline [[WestJet]], in Calgary.]]
Edmonton is a major distribution centre for northern communities, hence the nickname "Gateway to the North". Edmonton is one of [[CN Rail]]'s most important hubs. Since 1996, [[Canadian Pacific Railway]] has its headquarters in downtown Calgary.

[[WestJet]], Canada's second largest air carrier, is headquartered in Calgary, by [[Calgary International Airport]], which serves as the airline's primary hub.<ref>[https://archive.today/20120707101103/http://c3dsp.westjet.com/guest/contacts/contactUs.jsp;jsessionid=g7RhKJ4H9Rvpn1VJBLFv4GZpJFpLFY1THj2vRHZJPSdwKyRB1mPG!-1091378010 Contact Us]. ''[[WestJet]]''. Retrieved on May 20, 2009.</ref> Prior to its dissolution, [[Canadian Airlines]] was headquartered in Calgary by the airport.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.cdnair.ca/eng/corp/01corp/index.html |title=Investor & Financial Information |url-status=deviated |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000303181624/http://www.cdnair.ca/eng/corp/01corp/index.html |archive-date=March 3, 2000 }}. ''[[Canadian Airlines]]''. March 3, 2000. Retrieved on May 20, 2009.</ref> Prior to its dissolution, [[Air Canada]] subsidiary [[Zip (airline)|Zip]] was headquartered in Calgary.<ref>Pigg, Susan. "[https://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/421016591.html?dids=421016591:421016591&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+22%2C+2003&author=Susan+Pigg&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Zip%2C+WestJet+in+fare+war+that+could+hurt+them+both+%3B+Move+follows+competition+bureau+ruling+Battle+could+intensify+when+Zip+flies+eastward&pqatl=google Zip, WestJet in fare war that could hurt them both; Move follows competition bureau ruling Battle could intensify when Zip flies eastward] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130207091041/http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/thestar/access/421016591.html?dids=421016591:421016591&FMT=ABS&FMTS=ABS:FT&type=current&date=Jan+22%2C+2003&author=Susan+Pigg&pub=Toronto+Star&desc=Zip%2C+WestJet+in+fare+war+that+could+hurt+them+both+%3B+Move+follows+competition+bureau+ruling+Battle+could+intensify+when+Zip+flies+eastward&pqatl=google |date=February 7, 2013 }}." ''[[Toronto Star]]''. January 22, 2003. Business C01. Retrieved on September 30, 2009.</ref>

===Agriculture and forestry===
[[Image:Grain Elevator 047.jpg|thumb|200px|left|Grain elevator in [[southern Alberta]]]]

==== Agriculture ====
[[File:Gartly Alberta Grain Elevator (9873577605).jpg|frameless|right]]
[[File:Red Barn (9242561429).jpg|frameless|right]]
[[File:Iconic Barn and Hay Bale - panoramio.jpg|frameless|right]]
[[File:Canola in Alberta Canada.jpg|frameless|right]]
{{See also|Agriculture in Canada}}
In the past, [[cattle]], [[horse]]s, and [[domestic sheep|sheep]] were reared in the southern prairie region on ranches or smaller holdings. Currently Alberta produces cattle valued at over $3.3 billion, as well as other livestock in lesser quantities. In this region [[irrigation]] is widely used. [[Wheat]], accounting for almost half of the $2 billion agricultural economy, is supplemented by [[canola]],<ref name="Canola" /> [[barley]], [[rye]], [[sugar beets]], and other [[mixed farming]]. In 2011, Alberta producers seeded an estimated total of {{convert|17900000000|acres|e9ha sqmi|abbr=off}} to [[spring wheat]], [[durum]], barley, oats, [[mixed grains]], [[triticale]], canola and [[dry peas]]. Of the total seeded area, 94 per cent was harvested as grains and [[oilseeds]] and six per cent as [[greenfeed]] and [[silage]].<ref>{{citation |url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sdd14009 |title=Alberta 2011 Greenfeed and Silage Production Survey Results |date=2011 |work=Department of Agriculture, Government of Alberta}}</ref> [[Saudi Arabia]] is a major export target especially for wheat and processed potato products. SA having decided to phase out their own [[forage]] and [[cereal]] production, Alberta expects this to be an opportunity to fill [[livestock feed]] demand in the kingdom.<ref name="SA-Alberta">{{cite web | title=Saudi Arabia {{ndash}} Alberta Relations | date=2016 | url=http://open.alberta.ca/dataset/64be57f1-fa85-4e10-bd38-ca98564535a3/resource/7c281e43-7fc8-4239-a77a-ea49650a41bc/download/saudiarabia-ab.pdf | author=[[Alberta Ministry of Economic Development and Trade]]}}</ref>

[[Agriculture]] has a significant position in the province's economy. Over three million [[cattle]] are residents of the province at one time or another,<ref>{{citation |url=http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/rsb11006 |title=Alberta Livestock Inspections |date=August 2006 |work=Department of Agriculture, Government of Alberta |access-date=November 5, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110815131438/http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/rsb11006 |archive-date=August 15, 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> and Albertan beef has a healthy worldwide market. Although beef could also be a major export to Saudi Arabia, as with wheat and potatoes above, [[market access]] is lacking at the moment.<ref name="SA-Alberta" /> Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the prime producers of plains [[American Bison|buffalo (bison)]] for the consumer market. [[domestic sheep|Sheep]] for [[wool]] and [[Lamb (food)|lamb]] are also [[sheep farm|raised]].

[[Wheat]] and [[canola]] are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production, with other [[cereal|grains]] also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common [[grain elevator]] is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreased and farmers now truck the grain to central points.

Clubroot (''[[Plasmodiophora brassicae]]'') is a costly disease of ''[[Brassicaceae]]'' here including [[canola]].<ref name="Canola" /> In several experiments by Peng ''et al.'', out of [[fungicide]]s, [[biofungicide]]s, [[inoculation]] with [[beneficial microbe]]s, [[cultivar resistance]], and [[crop rotation]], only [[crop disease resistance|genetic resistance]] combined with more than two years rotation worked {{endash}} ''susceptible'' cultivars rotated with other crops did not produce enough improvement.<ref name="Canola">
   {{Unbulleted list citebundle
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | date=2014 | volume=36 | issue=sup1 | publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada]]) | journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] | issn=0706-0661 | last1=Peng | first1=Gary | last2=Lahlali | first2=Rachid | last3=Hwang | first3=Sheau-Fang | last4=Pageau | first4=Denis | last5=Hynes | first5=Russell K. | last6=McDonald | first6=Mary Ruth | last7=Gossen | first7=Bruce D. | last8=Strelkov | first8=Stephen E. | title=Crop rotation, cultivar resistance, and fungicides/biofungicides for managing clubroot (''Plasmodiophora brassicae'') on canola | doi=10.1080/07060661.2013.860398 | pages=99–112 | bibcode=2014CaJPP..36S..99P | s2cid=85013123}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | date=2014 | volume=36 | issue=sup1 | publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Canadian Phytopathological Society]]) | journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] | issn=0706-0661 | last1=Hwang | first1=S.-F. | last2=Howard | first2=R. J. | last3=Strelkov | first3=S. E. | last4=Gossen | first4=B. D. | last5=Peng | first5=G. | title=Management of clubroot (''Plasmodiophora brassicae'') on canola (''Brassica napus'') in western Canada | doi=10.1080/07060661.2013.863806 | pages=49–65 | bibcode=2014CaJPP..36S..49H | s2cid=85393051}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | year=2018 | volume=101 | publisher=[[Elsevier]] ([[European Society for Agronomy]]) | last1=Hegewald | journal=[[European Journal of Agronomy]] | issn=1161-0301 | first1=Hannes | last2=Wensch-Dorendorf | first2=Monika | last3=Sieling | first3=Klaus | last4=Christen | first4=Olaf | title=Impacts of break crops and crop rotations on oilseed rape productivity: A review | doi=10.1016/j.eja.2018.08.003 | pages=63–77 | bibcode=2018EuJAg.101...63H | s2cid=92683017}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | issue=1 | date=2018 | volume=9 | publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] | journal=[[Virulence (journal)|Virulence]] | issn=2150-5594 | last1=Pérez-López | first1=Edel | last2=Waldner | first2=Matthew | last3=Hossain | first3=Musharaf | last4=Kusalik | first4=Anthony J. | last5=Wei | first5=Yangdou | last6=Bonham-Smith | first6=Peta C. | last7=Todd | first7=Christopher D. | title=Identification of ''Plasmodiophora brassicae'' effectors — A challenging goal | doi=10.1080/21505594.2018.1504560 | pages=1344–1353 | pmid=30146948 | pmc=6177251 | s2cid=52090181}}
      |{{*}} {{cite journal | publisher=[[Taylor & Francis]] ([[Canadian Phytopathological Society]]) | journal=[[Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology]] | last1=Gossen | first1=Bruce D. | last2=Carisse | first2=Odile | last3=Kawchuk | first3=Lawrence M. | last4=Van Der Heyden | first4=Hervé | last5=McDonald | first5=Mary Ruth | title=Recent changes in fungicide use and the fungicide insensitivity of plant pathogens in Canada | volume=36 | issue=3 | date=2014-07-03 | issn=0706-0661 | doi=10.1080/07060661.2014.925506 | pages=327–340 | bibcode=2014CaJPP..36..327G | s2cid=85040709}}
   }}
</ref>

Alberta is the leading [[beekeeping]] province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering [[Beehive (beekeeping)|hive]]s indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the [[Peace River (Alberta)|Peace River]] valley where the season is short but the working days are long for [[Western honey bee|honeybee]]s to produce honey from [[clover]] and [[fireweed]]. [[Hybrid (biology)|Hybrid]] [[canola]] also requires [[bee]] [[pollination]], and some beekeepers service this need.

==== Forestry ====
{{see also|Pulp and paper industry in Canada|Alberta Forest Products Association}}

The vast northern [[forest]] reserves of [[softwood]] allow Alberta to produce large quantities of [[lumber]], [[Oriented strand board|oriented strand board (OSB)]] and [[plywood]], and several plants in northern Alberta supply North America and the [[Pacific Rim]] [[nation]]s with bleached [[wood pulp]] and [[newsprint]].

In 1999, [[lumber]] products from Alberta were valued at $4.1 billion of which 72% were exported around the world. Since forests cover approximately 59% of the province's land area, the government allows about {{convert|23.3|e6m3}} to be harvested annually from the forests on public lands.

===Services===
Despite the high profile of the [[extractivism|extractive industries]], Alberta has a mature economy and most people work in services. In 2014 there were 1,635.8 thousand people employed in the services-producing sector. Since then, the number has steadily increased to 1754.8 thousand jobs by August 2019, which is an increase of 16.7 thousand jobs from August 2018<ref name="statcan_2016_services">{{cite web|url=https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/t1/tbl1/en/tv.action?pid=1410035501|title=Employment by industry, monthly, seasonally adjusted (x 1,000)|date=June 27, 2018 |publisher=Statistics Canada|access-date=September 26, 2019}}</ref> This includes wholesale and retail trade; transportation and warehousing; finance, insurance, real estate, rental and leasing; professional, scientific and technical services; business, building and other support services; educational services; health care and social assistance; information, culture and recreation; accommodation and food services; other services (except public administration) and public administration.<ref name="statcan_2016_services" />

====Finance====
The [[TSX Venture Exchange]] is headquartered in Calgary. The city has the second highest number of corporate head offices in Canada after Toronto, and the financial services industry in Calgary has developed to support them. All major banks including the [[Big Five (banks)|Big Five]] maintain corporate offices in Calgary, along with smaller banks such as [[Equitable Bank|Equitable Group]]. Recently there has also been a number of [[Financial technology|fintech]] companies founded in Calgary such as the [[National Digital Asset Exchange]] and [[Neo Financial]], founded by the [[SkipTheDishes|Skip-the-Dishes]] team.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Neo Financial|url=https://www.neofinancial.com/}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|last=Stephenson|first=Amanda|title=Calgary companies breaking ground in hot fintech sector|work=Calgary Herald|url=https://calgaryherald.com/business/local-business/calgary-companies-breaking-ground-in-hot-fintech-sector}}</ref>

One of Canada's largest [[Accounting network|accounting firms]], [[MNP LLP]], is also headquartered in Calgary.<ref>{{cite web |title=Head Office |url=https://www.mnp.ca/en/offices/head-office |website=MNP LLP |access-date=March 12, 2022}}</ref>

Edmonton hosts the headquarters of the only major Canadian banks west of Toronto: [[Canadian Western Bank]], and [[ATB Financial]], as well as the only province-wide [[credit union]], [[Servus Credit Union]].

====Government====
Despite Alberta's reputation as a "small government" province, many health care and education professionals are lured to Alberta from other provinces by the higher wages the Alberta government is able to offer because of oil revenues. In 2014 the median household income in Alberta was $100,000 with the average weekly wage at $1,163—23 per cent higher than the Canadian national average.<ref name="CBC_2015_wages">{{cite web | url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/alberta-wages-almost-25-higher-than-canadian-average-1.2981768 | title=Alberta wages almost 25% higher than Canadian average: Economists, politicians and business leaders seek ways to bring wages down | publisher=CBC | date=March 5, 2015 | access-date=March 16, 2016 | author=Johnson, Tracy}}</ref>

In their May 2018 report co-authored by [[C. D. Howe Institute]]'s President and CEO, [[William B.P. Robson]], evaluating "the budgets, estimates and public accounts" of 2017/18 fiscal year that were tabled by senior governments in the Canadian provinces and the federal government in terms of reporting financial information, appropriately, with transparency, and in a timely fashion, Alberta and New Brunswick ranked highest.<ref name="cdhowe_20180501">{{cite report |url=https://www.cdhowe.org/sites/default/files/attachments/research_papers/mixed/Commentary_511.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/https://www.cdhowe.org/sites/default/files/attachments/research_papers/mixed/Commentary_511.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live |date=May 1, 2018 |title=The Numbers Game: Rating the Fiscal Accountability of Canada's Senior Governments|publisher=[[C. D. Howe Institute]] |location=Toronto, Ontario |pages=24 |series=commentary |number=511 |first1=William B.P. |last1=Robson |first2=Farah |last2=Omran |isbn= 978-1-987983-66-1 |issn= 1703-0765}}</ref>{{rp|1}} The report also said that, prior to 2016, Alberta had scored poorly in comparison with other provinces, because of "confusing array of "operating," "saving" and "capital" accounts that were not [[Public Sector Accounting Standards|Public Sector Accounting Standards (PSAS)]] consistent."<ref name="cdhowe_20180501"/>{{rp|12}} but since 2016, Alberta has received A-plus grades.<ref name="cdhowe_20180501"/>{{rp|12}} The report said that Alberta and New Brunswick in FY2017 provided "straightforward reconciliations of results with budget intentions, their auditors record no reservations, and their budgets and public accounts are timely."<ref name="cdhowe_20180501"/>{{rp|12}}

===Technology===
Alberta has a burgeoning [[high tech]] sector, including prominent technology companies [[iStockPhoto]], [[Solium|Shareworks]], [[Benevity]], and [[Attabotics]] in Calgary, and [[Bioware]] and [[AltaML]] in Edmonton.<ref>{{cite news |last=Legge |first=Adam |title=Opinion: To stimulate innovation and growth in Alberta, we need the A-Prize |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/opinion-to-stimulate-innovation-and-growth-in-alberta-we-need-the-a-prize |newspaper=Calgary Herald |date=January 13, 2020 |access-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref> Growth in Calgary's technology sector, particularly at [[Benevity]], fueled predictions of a modest economic recovery in February 2020.<ref name="Varcoe">{{cite news |title=Varcoe: 'It's a little bit of a comeback story' as modest economic recovery expected in 2020 |url=https://calgaryherald.com/opinion/columnists/varcoe-new-year-will-ring-in-renewed-optimism-for-alberta-economy |last=Varcoe |first=Chris |newspaper=Calgary Herald |date=December 20, 2019 |access-date=February 15, 2020}}</ref>