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Alberta commits $2.8 million to small- and medium-sized businesses

Alberta commits $2.8 million to small- and medium-sized businesses

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The program is designed for companies that participated in TAP, with trade support for businesses entering more complex markets.
TAP has led to success stories
Through TAP, several companies like Rok Water, Knead Techonologies and Zeno Renewables began as small businesses in Alberta. Several companies have grown to international regard in business markets around the world.
One of the many success stories and an alum of the program, NatureMary, originally started their operations as a small business in Alberta. President and co-founder of NatureMary, Kapil Kalra, said TAP played a critical role in the company's growth.
'Calgary Economic Development and the Government of Alberta have been pivotal in accelerating NatureMary's growth, innovation and global reach,' Kalra said. 'Their support empowers us to thrive, create jobs, and elevate pain relief and wellness from Alberta to the world.'
TAP supports business across Alberta through province-wide delivery. Past sessions have been hosted in Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Canmore, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat.
Any Alberta-based company and business can attend upcoming sessions in any region.
Upcoming TAP cohorts are planned to take place in Calgary from Sept. 9 to Oct. 22, Red Deer on Oct. 15 to Nov. 20, and Edmonton on Nov. 4 to Dec. 10.

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Edmonton city council extends downtown revitalization levy to 2044

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The Bay has a 26-page list of creditors, with some lenders owed more than $100 million each. Liquidation sales and a deal to sell the Bay trademarks to Canadian Tire for $30 million have put a dent in what's owed but selling leases to Liu would also help. Anyone who made an offer for leases had to make a deposit of 10 per cent of their estimated purchase price. Court documents show Liu made a deposit of $9.4 million, in addition to $6 million for the three approved leases, which would equate to a purchase price of $100 million for 28 leases. When a deal like this is reached, Dabbs said a company typically seeks landlord consent because commercial leases tend to have provisions stopping anyone from transferring a lease without a property owner agreeing. It's not uncommon for landlords to object because any leases that can't be sold and aren't assigned get turned back over to property owners who can choose how to fill them and under what terms. 'Remember, these are anchor leases, so they're probably very favourable to the Bay or to the tenant in a lot of respects,' said Tolensky, alluding to the fact that anchor tenants are often given attractive rents or terms. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. Thus, it's more advantageous for landlords to get their properties back, said Monica Beffa, founder of an Oakville, Ont., law firm. If they do, they can then charge higher rents, develop them for entirely new uses such as residential units or break them up into smaller parcels that can be rented by a wide array of tenants. If they don't and a court assigns the leases to Liu, landlords will likely be watching her closely to ensure she doesn't violate any terms of the agreement. 'The landlord may be cranky, if the tenant breaches, but put it this way, they don't want to rely on that,' Dabbs said. 'If they don't want this lease being assigned, they will fight it right up front.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 28, 2025.

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