With the 2025 Canadian Federal Election just a few weeks away the leaders of each major party are coming west. Both Liberal Leader Mark Carney, and Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held events in Alberta engaging with Building Trades of Alberta (BTA) members.
Today, Prime Minister Mark Carney visited the hall of BTA affiliate, Ironworkers Local 725 to announce his plans to turn Canada into “an energy superpower.”
The Liberal leader also said that is elected, his government would establish a “major projects office” to cut the review process of major infrastructure projects from 5 to 2 years. The PM said that the federal government would also begin to recognize provincial assessments on projects.
Carney was welcomed by Local 725 Business Manager Jason Smart. Local 725. Jasmine Smith, an Indigenous Journeyperson Ironworker and graduate of the Trade Winds to Success program delivered the land acknowledgement at the event. You can learn more about Jasmine and how the BTA’s Path Forward initiative helped her grow an incredible career in the skilled trades here.
Canada’s Building Trades Unions Executive Director Sean Strickland addressed the event and the values the Building Trades stands for. “We are a non-partisan organization whose mission is to improve the lives of Canada’s skilled trades construction workers.”
Click here to watch the event on CPAC’s YouTube channel.
Mark Carney wasn’t the only leader to visit Alberta. Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre held a “Canada First” rally yesterday in Edmonton.
Mr. Poilievre took aim at “global elites,” who stash funds in offshore tax havens. He announced plans to close loopholes in Canada’s tax code that allow for exploitation, beginning with naming a “Bring it Home” task force to develop solutions that allow offshore profits to be taxed.
Among those in attendance at the event was Billy Morin, the Conservative Candidate for the Edmonton-Northwest riding and a friend of the BTA.
The BTA’s Executive Director, Terry Parker says he looks forward to working with all elected Members of Parliament across our province to ensure that the priorities of Alberta’s skilled trades workers are represented in Ottawa. The BTA calls on each federal party to work to address the exploitation of undocumented workers and Temporary Foreign Workers, to expedite the approval process of major projects to put our members to work and to maintain the Investment Tax Credits and Prevailing Wage put in place thanks to the work of Canada’s Building Trades Unions.
The BTA encourages all of its members across its 18 affiliated union locals to engage in this important election on the issues that matter most to them. This means asking important questions to candidates running in each electoral district (find out which riding you live in and who your candidates are here).
About the BTA
The Building Trades of Alberta coordinates and promotes the interests of 18 local Alberta trade unions whose more than 60,000 members work in the residential, commercial and industrial construction, maintenance, and fabrications industries.