Adam Legge is the President of the Business Council of Alberta. Legge has spent over two decades building and leading high-performance teams and organizations in business, public policy, and economic development. He previously served as the 18th President and CEO of the Calgary Chamber, a director at the Haskayne School of Business, and Vice President and Chief Economist at Calgary Economic Development. He is the author of Making Remarkable.

M&W asked him about the current state of the economy.

M&W: How would you describe 2025 in one word? Why?

AL: I think we lived two years in one year – the first six months the word was “chaos” due to the work and uncertainty created in the U.S. Trade relationship, while as things settled down in the second half the word was “renewal” as governments (provincial and federal) focused on trying to build budgets, investments and MOUs that would create a renewed set of opportunities for Canada to generate investment and economic activity.

M&W: What is the one thing Canadians should be looking for in 2026?

AL: A federal government and public service that can meet the moment with speed and scale of project reviews, and getting money out the door. Recent budgets are full of big promises and commitments (e.g., infrastructure, AI, defence) but can they execute. That is what will determine Canadian prosperity.

M&W: Which underrated public policy should governments address to grow the economy in 2026? Why?

AL: Major project regulatory and permitting reform — the government did not do enough to fix C-69 when the Supreme Court of Canada deemed parts of it unconstitutional. Bill C-5 is an admission of the failures of the current C-69 process, but we still do not have enough speed or certainty under even C-5 to give companies the certainty or confidence to make major investments. And there is still too much potential for political interference at the 11th hour. The U.S. is talking about project approvals in terms of weeks, not years. We need to match that, while ensuring adequate environmental protections and Indigenous engagement.

M&W: What is the best economic or public policy book of the year?

AL: Chokepoints by Edward Fishman

M&W: What is keeping you up at night?

AL: That the unity and urgency we felt as a nation in the first half of 2025 to do better and supercharge our economy is fading and that we will once again become complacent as a nation.