Editing Economy of Alberta (section)

==== Calgary and Edmonton ====
The Calgary and Edmonton regions, by far the province's two largest metropolitan regions, account for the majority of the province's population. They are relatively close to each other by the standards of Western Canada and distant from other metropolitan regions such as Vancouver or Winnipeg. This has produced a history of political and economic rivalry and comparison but also economic integration that has created an urbanized corridor between the two cities.

The economic profile of the two regions is slightly different. Both cities are mature service economies built on a base of resource extraction in their hinterlands. However, Calgary is predominant in hosting the regional and national headquarters of oil and gas exploration and drilling companies. Edmonton skews much more towards governments, universities and hospitals as large employers, while Edmonton's suburban fringes (e.g. [[Fort Saskatchewan]], [[Nisku, Alberta|Nisku]], [[Strathcona County]] ([[Refinery Row (Edmonton)|Refinery Row]]), [[Leduc, Alberta|Leduc]], [[Beaumont, Alberta|Beaumont]], [[Acheson, Alberta|Acheson]]) are home to most of the province's manufacturing (much of it related to oil and gas).<ref name="edmontonjournal_Lamphier_20161210">{{cite news| last = Lamphier| first = Gary| newspaper = Edmonton Journal |title=It's a wrap, folks: thanks for a great run | access-date = September 5, 2019| date = December 10, 2016| url = https://edmontonjournal.com/opinion/columnists/gary-lamphier-its-a-wrap-folks-thanks-for-a-great-run}}</ref>

===== Calgary-Edmonton Corridor =====
The [[Calgary-Edmonton Corridor]] is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. Measured from north to south, the region covers a distance of roughly {{convert|400|km}}. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).<ref name="CECorridor">{{cite web|url=http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Highlights/Page9/Page9d_e.cfm|title=Calgary-Edmonton corridor|work=[[Statistics Canada]], 2001 Census of Population|date=January 20, 2003|access-date=March 22, 2007|archive-date=February 23, 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070223191204/http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Highlights/Page9/Page9d_e.cfm|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is also one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by [[TD Bank Financial Group]] found the corridor was the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S. level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian-style quality of life, offering universal health care benefits. The study found GDP per capita in the corridor was 10% above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40% above other Canadian cities at that time.{{Citation needed|date=August 2008}}

===== Calgary–Edmonton rivalry =====
{{See also|Battle of Alberta}}
Seeing Calgary and Edmonton as part of a single economic region as the TD study did in 2003 was novel. The more traditional view had been to see the two cities as economic rivals. For example, in the 1980 both cities claimed to be the "Oil Capital of Canada".