“Canada needs more Calgary!”
Balanced Scorecard
Calgary Economic Development uses a Balanced Scorecard to apply structure to our annual business plans, add greater ambition to our corporate goals, and measure our progress in key areas of focus. The Scorecard was introduced in 2016 and has evolved to provide more comprehensive reporting to ensure we deliver on our mandate.
Download 2021 Annual Report
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
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Enhanced Stakeholder & Government Relations |
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Non-core revenue | $2.95M | $2.76M | $3.8M |
Core shareholder funding | $9.9M | $10.0M | $9.8M |
Stakeholders see progress on economic strategy | N/A | 66% | 80% |
Build Strong & Recognizable Brands |
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Favourable impression of Calgary Economic Development | 78% | 77% | 85% |
Canadian workers/leaders familiar with Calgary | 71/88% | 67/83% | 67/89% |
Canadian business leaders who say Calgary has a diverse economy | 64% | 68% | 71% |
Deliver Client Excellence to Accelerate Sector Development & Diversification |
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Companies attracted and retained (excludes Film, TV, IDM*) | 61 | 43 | 30 |
Companies attracted and retained (Film, TV, IDM*) | 21 | 11 | 28 |
Film, TV and IDM* spend | $197M | $87M | $522M |
Trade export deals | 13 | 16 | 34 |
Sustained jobs created/retained/expanded (excludes Film, TV, IDM*) | 2,297 | 1,224 | 5,330 |
Jobs created/retained/expanded (Film, TV, IDM*) | 3,808 | 1,649 | 5,147 |
EDGE UP participants securing jobs or more training | N/A | 35 | 53 |
Downtown office space absorbed ** | 295,434 | 167,385 | 297,401 |
Commercial industrial space absorbed (excludes Film, TV, IDM)** | 217,496 | 90,670 | 570,167 |
Commercial industrial space absorbed (Film, TV, IDM)** | N/A | N/A | 451,735 |
Total commercial/industrial space absorbed | 512,930 | 258,055 | 1,319,303 |
*IDM: Interactive Digital Media **Square feet
Notable Wins
The opportunity-rich environment and exceptional value proposition Calgary offers companies was evident in 2021 with the growth of dynamic local companies and headline-generating investment announcements by leading global firms.
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1.3M
sq. ft. total commercial and industrial real estate absorbed
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5,330 JOBS
created or retained
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30 COMPANIES
attracted, retained and expanded
Key Initiatives
Film & TV Production
A record breaking year in Calgary's film and TV production industry with $522 million in 2021 as the industry rebounded from COVID-19, and improvements to the Government of Alberta’s Film and Television Tax Credit a year earlier began to be realized.
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Notable Productions
THE LAST OF USGHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFEFRAGGLE ROCK: BACK TO THE ROCK
UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVENWYNONNA EARP SEASON 4GUILTY PARTY
Calgary Film Centre
The Calgary Film Centre operated at close to 100 per cent capacity in 2021 with all three sound stages booked throughout the year with major productions.
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TRADE ACCELERATOR PROGRAM
Over 81 new full-time jobs were created by TAP alumni and more than 29,000 sq. ft. of office and warehouse space was occupied. TAP Calgary also ran its first cohort for women-led businesses in 2021.
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Calgary in the New Economy
The economic strategy Calgary in the New Economy sets out to achieve an ambitious vision for the city that creates long-term prosperity and opportunities for all.
Pressure-tested with hundreds of Calgarians in 2021, the strategy is a path forward toward economic diversification and an economy that is inclusive and accessible to everyone. It focuses on five connected key drivers, including talent, livability, innovation, business environment and brand.
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EDGE UP
Future Skills Centre invested almost $5.4 million in EDGE UP 2.0 to provide tech training for 320 displaced oil and gas industry professionals. The program launched in November and expanded to seven digital training streams with increased focus on work integrated learning and career coaching.
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Live Tech, Love Life
The award-winning Live Tech, Love Life marketing campaign is the focal point of our talent attraction efforts and showcases the opportunities in Calgary’s burgeoning innovation ecosystem. We recorded strong results in year two of the marketing campaign that positions Calgary as a centre for tech and innovation, with an unparalleled quality of life.
Learn more Talent

OPPORTUNITY CALGARY INVESTMENT FUND
The Opportunity Calgary Investment Fund prioritized investments that strengthen the innovation ecosystem and support local entrepreneurs in 2021. The Board of Directors approved a greater focus on investments that make Calgary a destination of choice for innovators and entrepreneurs, and to grow more local companies across their life cycle.
Learn more View reports

Team Calgary
Team Calgary is a partnership program between Calgary Economic Development and the private sector that is shaping a vibrant future for our city. The program encompasses the team approach to economic development to showcase Calgary as a great place to do business and make a life.
Support for Team Calgary remained strong in 2021 as evidenced by the retention of more than 90 per cent of existing members and the addition of eight new partner organizations.
Meet our partners
