I’m very pleased to report back on the success and outcomes of ACR’s milestone 90th Anniversary Conference and Awards Banquet held in Banff, April 9–10, 2026, under the theme: *Canada’s Resource Moment: Achieving Success in the Build Canada Era.*

To those who were at the Conference, our sincere thanks for both your attendance and your positive feedback. The ambitious program, calibre of speakers, degree of engagement among participants, and the Awards Banquet all combined to deliver valuable insights into:
The scale of opportunity for our resource sector in the Build Canada era;
Essential things the sector needs to understand and do to fulfill that opportunity; and,
ACR’s role in helping achieve success.

Public Opinion as a “Transformational” Opportunity

*Nik Nanos speaking at ACR’s 90th Anniversary Conference*

Nik Nanos, Chief Data Scientist & Founder at Nanos Research, highlighted the significant degree of public support for both the Build Canada agenda and resource sector development in reaction to the unprecedented trade disruption with the United States and the resulting consensus that Canada must develop greater economic resilience and independence.

This level of support presents a “transformational” opportunity for the resource sector to gain policy and regulatory alignment with policymakers, provided industry adheres to the conditions underlying that support — including environmental responsibility, meaningful Indigenous engagement, and community consultation.

Government Imperatives

*Panel discussion at ACR’s 90th Anniversary Conference. Left to right: Dale Friesen, Hon. Sonya Savage, Randy Pettipas*

Randy Pettipas, CEO, Global Public Affairs, and Sonya Savage, former Alberta Minister of Energy and Minister of Environment, discussed what the sector needs to understand about the decision-making constraints, priorities, and challenges governments face with respect to their shareholder — the voter.

Such understanding will help companies and associations like ACR work with policymakers to advance the Build Canada agenda. Takeaways included working diligently with the civil service prior to ministerial engagement (including providing technical expertise), maintaining discretion in the public realm (not lobbying through the media), and ensuring public advocacy has the voter’s interests in mind.

Importantly, attendees were strongly encouraged to work through associations wherever possible as the most effective way to convey and achieve policy needs. Policy changes on behalf of a collective sector are easier to explain to voters than individual company interests.

Market Opportunity & Urgency

*Guest Speaker at ACR’s 90th Anniversary Conference. On stage left to right: Robert Johnston, Brian Humphreys*

Robert (RJ) Johnston, Director of Energy and Natural Resources, presented the scale of the opportunity for the various industries within the sector across international markets.

Importantly, however, he also highlighted the need to act urgently. The world needs our resources, but it is not waiting for them, as our resource competitors are actively pursuing global opportunities as well.

RJ concluded with an overview of how Canadian resource market growth and diversification will support other industries and local supply chains across Canada, underpinning our longer-term prosperity and independence.

Advanced Thinking on Indigenous Engagement

*Steve Saddleback speaking at ACR’s 90th Anniversary Conference*

Steve Saddleback from the First Nations Major Projects Coalition explained how achieving success at this pivotal moment will depend on advancing our thinking on Indigenous engagement — not just as a fundamental duty, but as a driver of opportunity and innovation in resource development.

The Increasing Importance of Associations & Collaboration

Panel of Associations at ACR’s 90th Anniversary Conference. Left to right: Brian Humphreys, Sheila Harrison, Adam Legge, Kendall Dilling, John Rhind

Five associations — the ACR, Alberta Forest Products Association, the Oil Sands Alliance, the Business Council of Alberta, and the Canadian Institute of Mining — came together to explore the overdue need and opportunity for greater coordination and collaboration to enhance the effectiveness and outcomes of industry advocacy and engagement.

Echoing earlier discussions at the conference, to the extent the sector can act with the widest collective voice possible, the more likely we are to achieve effective policy outcomes for resource development.

ACR’s Differentiated Value Proposition

The conference provided a fitting opportunity to discuss ACR’s strategy for renewed relevance and growth at various junctures. More specifically, how that strategy provides a highly differentiated and non-duplicative value proposition to our members and stakeholders amidst the opportunity before us.

The strategy was well received — one that will focus on unified core principles that should guide policy and regulatory development on behalf of the sector, rather than duplicating detailed policy and regulatory engagement that our members already aptly undertake with government.

Consensus priority issues will be determined by our committees, and a set of shared policy principles that reflect common ground across the sector will be developed for each of those issues.
We will use our convening power to bring government and industry together to engage in conversations around these principles as early as possible, setting clear starting points that support more coordinated, constructive, and effective policy and regulatory dialogue between industry and government.
Finally, we’ll play a more active role in shaping public discourse by increasing our presence in media and public forums and contributing constructively to conversations about the sector’s future.

To paraphrase feedback from government: the public can better understand and agree on principles of policy and regulation more than the details. Therefore, to the extent we can educate the public on these principles on behalf of an aggregated sector (versus a single company or industry), the better the conditions for their work.

A simple, disciplined, and differentiated value proposition.

Pivotal Leadership Address by Ian Anderson

The conference concluded with the Awards Banquet, where Emily Hicks received ACR’s Young Resource Leader Award and Steve Saddleback received our Indigenous Resource Leadership Award, culminating with the presentation of ACR’s first-ever Resource Leadership Legacy Award.

Established in recognition of ACR’s 90th Anniversary, the Resource Leadership Legacy Award was designed to celebrate someone whose career has left a profound and enduring contribution to the future of Canada’s resource sector, and whose leadership serves as a model for the future success of the Build Canada era and the future economic and social well-being of Canadians overall.

Ian’s acceptance speech was among the most important moments of the entire conference, during which he provided compelling insights and advice for future resource leaders in Canada to consider in our collective effort to realize the transformational opportunity before us.

The recording of the award presentation and Ian’s speech can be viewed on our post-conference webpage through this link:
90th Anniversary Conference & Banquet — Alberta Chamber of Resources

Once again, to those who attended the Conference, our sincere thanks for both your attendance and your positive feedback on the unique value of the program and the insights gained.

And to all our members, committee chairs, and volunteers — thank you for being the foundation of our emerging renewed relevance, growth, and ability to help ensure the resource sector succeeds in the transformational opportunity before us.

Sincerely,
Brian Humphreys
President
Alberta Chamber of Resources

Transformational Opportunity & Strategies for Canada’s Resource Future in the Build Canada Era- Reflections from ACR’s 90th Anniversary