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Fort McMurray just hosted its largest Oil Sands Expo in more than a decade, and organizers say the crowds reflect a sense of optimism in Canada’s energy sector following a summer of announcements from the federal and provincial governments.
Hundreds of people crowding around a stage on the trade show’s main floor applauded on Wednesday as Alberta Premier Danielle Smith remarked on an optimistic streak she detected amongst exhibitors and speakers during this week’s two-day event.
“I think everybody is feeling pretty good about where we are compared to where we were a couple of years ago,” she said. “Things have changed an awful lot in that period of time, and I, for one, am glad to see it.
“We’ve never stopped believing that the prosperity we have unlocked so far is just a small fraction of what is waiting for us.”
More than 200 companies specializing in everything from drones and artificial intelligence to mining and vehicles attended the annual gathering. Speakers from the five largest oil companies in Alberta joined the provincial government’s UCP cabinet ministers to discuss automation, tailings management, pipelines and economic growth.
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith delivers the keynote speech at the Oil Sands Expo in Fort McMurray, Alta. on Sept. 16, 2026. (Vincent McDermott/CBC)
Final attendance figures for the event have yet to be released, but organizers said the number of exhibitors jumped by 37 per cent from last year. They said every hotel and Airbnb in Fort McMurray was booked ahead of the trade show. However, organizer Wes Scott said some of those rooms were taken by oilsands contractors.
Scott said he is not surprised at the excitement on the trade show floor, adding that people are more confident about attending trade shows compared to the immediate years after the COVID-19 pandemic.
Scott also told CBC News that he believes people are optimistic following recent commitments made by Alberta and Ottawa to build a new West Coast oil pipeline. Smith has also announced plans to double oilsands production to eight million barrels per day by 2035.
Sean Hughes demonstrates how to use a welding simulator at a booth showcasing Keyano College during the Oil Sands Expo in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Sept. 16, 2026. (Vincent McDermott/CBC)
U.S.-imposed tariffs and ongoing conflicts in Iran and Ukraine have also made more people consider domestic sources for energy and manufacturing, said Scott.
Some exhibitors at this week’s event were from the U.S., which Scott said is a sign that American companies still see opportunities in the Canadian energy sector.
“I think we have a different attitude in Ottawa,” he said. “I think that [U.S.] President [Donald] Trump has done Canada a favour by kicking us in the butt and getting us to start thinking about energy security and exporting to new markets.”
Kris Yarish, the chief operating officer of Alcor Facilities Management, told CBC News he does not anticipate seeing the same record-setting growth that Fort McMurray experienced during the last oilsands boom.
Robin Churchill, vice-president of Predator Bird Services, shows off a Eurasian eagle owl named Penelope at the Oil Sands Expo in Fort McMurray, Alta., on Sept. 16, 2026. The company uses birds of prey to chase away smaller birds from sensitive areas such as industrial sites or airports. (Vincent McDermott/CBC)
However, he also said he can’t help but feel optimistic about the region’s future and predicts smaller, more modest growth. This year was also the first time in three years that his company had a booth at the Oil Sands Expo.
“If people see no pipelines and nothing being built for years, how confident are they to come and do project work to expand their sites up here?” Yarish said. “If they see pipelines happening, … we have some future potential to get our stuff to markets.
“We’re probably the safest investment for oil in the world, really. We don’t have the wars, we don’t have the turmoil. I think a lot of people are recognizing that and I think that’s really helping us up here.”