The organization that manages the Edmonton International Airport is lobbying federal and provincial government officials to discuss defence and economic development amid Ottawa’s renewed commitment to the armed forces.
Records show the Edmonton Regional Airports Authority hired three lobbyists in March to garner government support for the authority as it navigates “changes and opportunities” in defence, including how to align operations with Canada’s defence industrial strategy and get funding through existing programs.
“Defence and security represent a significant and timely opportunity for our region and for Canada,” EIA spokesperson Justin Draper told CBC News in an email.
“With billions in national defence spending planned … there is a clear need for co-ordinated infrastructure, logistics and workforce readiness.”
The lobbyists are another effort to benefit from the multibillion-dollar defence strategy Prime Minister Mark Carney announced in March.
EIA is also already part of the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance, a new coalition of various institutions and organizations that aims to bring defence funding and jobs to Alberta’s capital city region.
The Edmonton airport is also one of the members of the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance, which formed earlier this year. This photo shows representatives of the alliance’s members. From left, Brent Jensen, Edmonton Global; Margeaux Maron, Edmonton International Airport; David Howe, Alberta’s Industrial Heartland; Edmonton Mayor Andrew Knack; and the University of Alberta’s David Bressler and Ian Smith. (Natasha Riebe/CBC)
The lobby effort
Lobbying is a legal, established practice where organizations communicate with government officials — both elected politicians and public servants — to advocate for action on a cause.
Information about these efforts is publicly available, as lobbyists are required to disclose their communications with public officials, including subject matters and government agencies they’re targeting.
The Federal Lobbyists Registration System is managed by Canada’s Office of the Commissioner of Lobbying. Most provinces maintain separate registries for provincial-level lobbying; Alberta’s is managed by the province’s Office of the Ethics Commissioner.
Records show the three lobbyists hired by the Edmonton airport authority include:
Hal Danchilla, a long-time political strategist and former adviser to Jason Kenney, an ex-MP and Alberta’s former United Conservative Party premier.
Andre Corbould, a long-time public servant at the provincial and municipal levels, which included time as Edmonton’s city manager.
Malcolm Bruce, former CEO of Edmonton Global, a non-profit that focuses on promoting business in the region. It’s also part of the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance.
Federal records show each of them declared intentions to meet with people in several agencies, including the Department of National Defence (DND) and Prairies Economic Development Canada. Two of them, Bruce and Corbould, have each already communicated with Lt.-Gen. Michael Wright, commander of the Canadian army and Chief of the army staff.
Provincial records show they will try to meet with officials in Alberta’s Trade and Economic Corridors ministry until the end of June. In addition to seeking support for aligning with federal defence initiatives, they’ll advocate for “dual opportunities” for investment and growth with the airport, Edmonton region and Alberta, the records said.
‘Well-positioned to be a major player’
Karim Jamal, a business professor at the University of Alberta, considers the lobbying a savvy move.
“The Edmonton airport is an obvious partner in this ecosystem…. They are well-positioned to be a major player,” he told CBC News.
Airports have a lot of fixed costs, Jamal said, and they want to attract passenger and cargo traffic.
Defence-related traffic, he said, could make Edmonton’s airport a bigger economic asset in the region through higher use and more efficient operations. It could also lead to cheaper flights.
Christian Leuprecht, a political science professor at Canada’s Royal Military College and Queen’s University, in Kingston, Ont., agreed.
He said Ottawa’s new spending, as well as current international conflicts, present an opportunity for the authority to reimagine what the airport could be, which “can completely change a city.”
A recent North Atlantic Treaty Organization report stated Canada spent two per cent of its gross domestic product on defence last year — the first time in decades it has hit that mark.
The latest federal budget also earmarked $81 billion for national defence, including $6.6 billion over five years for the defence industrial strategy, a plan released this year that details how Ottawa aims to build up defence businesses.
There are thousands of military personnel spread around several bases in central and northeastern Alberta, including bases in Edmonton, Wainwright and Cold Lake. The former air facility at CFB Edmonton is now largely unused.
DND has also proposed building a new facility in the region: the main operating base in the west for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s CC-330 Husky fleet — new planes that serve multiple roles, such as in-flight refuelling of other aircraft, medical evacuations and transporting federal officials. The department and Edmonton airport started negotiations on this project in 2024.
Northern advantage
But the city’s size and geography, including access to cheaper fuel and northern Canada, have already made the Edmonton airport a logistical military hub, Leuprecht said.
EIA, located south of the city in Leduc County, also has room to grow, unlike urban airports in cities like Toronto and Vancouver, or even the country’s largest military airport in Trenton, Ont.
“[Edmonton]is the key airport when it comes to the North, and when it comes to the Arctic,” Leuprecht said.
“There’s great opportunity to scale on the freight side, but there may also be — if Edmonton is ingenious — opportunity to scale on the passenger side,” he said.
Federal lobbyist records show consultants have been hired to lobby on behalf of the Edmonton Region Defence Consortium, made up of many of the players in the Edmonton Region Defence Alliance, including the Edmonton airport authority.
The lobbyists are working to engage with officials about funding opportunities through the defence industrial strategy, but records show no reported communications as of publication.