PrairiesCan investments through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative will help six businesses across southern Alberta strengthen competitiveness and adapt to tariff-related market pressures

LETHBRIDGE, AB, July 3, 2026 /CNW/ - Tariffs and shifting global trade conditions are increasing pressures on businesses across the country, affecting costs, supply chains and market access. In response, Canada is focused on what we can control to adapt and remain competitive: building strength at home and diversifying partnerships abroad.

Across Alberta, businesses are already doing that work. They are improving productivity, strengthening supply chains, and pursuing new opportunities to grow within Canada and across the globe. The Government of Canada recognizes these efforts and is providing financial support for businesses through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI).

Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced a federal investment of $9 million through the RTRI for six projects in Lethbridge and across southern Alberta.

These investments will help local small- and medium-sized businesses build on existing efforts to grow, improve productivity, strengthen domestic trade opportunities, and position themselves to diversify their markets. PrairiesCan funding is expected to support more than 217 jobs in southern Alberta while advancing innovation and manufacturing efficiency in key regional sectors, including transportation, homebuilding and manufacturing.

A full list of projects receiving an investment through PrairiesCan today can be found in the linked backgrounder.

Through targeted investments like these, the federal government is backing Alberta businesses as they adapt, grow, and lead—creating good jobs and building a stronger, more resilient, and more competitive Canadian economy in the process.

Quotes

"Alberta businesses have long been leaders. When markets shift, they adapt, innovate and find new opportunities to grow. Amid today's global economic uncertainty, they are doing exactly that: focusing on what they can control—building strength at home while diversifying partnerships abroad. Through the Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI), our government is proud to support businesses with that work like those in Lethbridge across southern Alberta, receiving funding today. These investments will help them improve productivity, strengthen supply chains, reach new markets, and create good jobs. This is how we build a stronger Alberta and a stronger Canadian economy."

–The Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)

"Through RTRI investment, Lethbridge Iron Works will install a new state of the art molding machine. The company will improve production efficiency, quality consistency, and manufacturing capacity. This will allow the company to respond to existing customer demand while pursuing new opportunities in North American industrial supply chains."

–Dylan Davies, President, Lethbridge Iron Works

Quick facts

• The Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) is a $1.5 billion national program aimed at helping Canadian businesses impacted by global tariff disruptions. This includes support for businesses across all sectors, including those in the steel and automotive industries, as well as those working to enhance food security.
• PrairiesCan continues to accept RTRI applications from eligible businesses and organizations operating across the Prairie provinces.
• The RTRI aligns with a broader Government of Canada tariff response plan, which includes new measures to protect Canadian businesses and workers, including an expansion of the Strategic Innovation Fund, labour market development agreements, and the Large Enterprise Tariff Loan facility.

Backgrounder

The $1.5 billion Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) is part of the Government of Canada's strategy to defend Canadian jobs, industries, and supply chains from the impacts of tariffs. Delivered in the Prairie provinces by Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), RTRI strengthens the competitiveness of tariff impacted small- and medium-sized businesses by helping them to boost productivity, catalyze growth, and diversify markets.

Today, PrairiesCan announced $9,000,000 in RTRI investment for the following six projects across southern Alberta:

• Lethbridge Iron Works $1,000,000 
  Lethbridge Ironworks will upgrade to an automated moulding system to increase production capacity and enhance efficiency while reducing waste and emissions. This investment will strengthen competitiveness through automation and support expansion into new markets.

• Oyen Regional Rail Company $1,000,000
  Oyen Regional Rail Company will expand its railyard by building a covered transloading facility, a dedicated loading area, and additional rail infrastructure to handle more commodities, particularly grain and canola. This will create a direct-to-rail connection to ports and global markets and reduce reliance on long-distance trucking, improving supply chain efficiency as well as strengthening regional trade resilience.

• Southland Trailers $1,000,000 
  In phase one of a two-phase RTRI project, Southland Trailers will expand manufacturing capacity by implementing AI-driven systems to automate inventory, sales, finance, and internal operations. Funding will support equipment, server upgrades and the integration of digital tools to improve productivity.

• Southland Trailers $4,000,000 (repayable) 
  In phase two of a two-phase RTRI project, Southland Trailers will leverage AI tools from phase one to improve manufacturing processes and to reengineer trailers for easier transport. This project will increase production capacity and improve access new markets.

• TCB Manufacturing $1,000,000
  TCB Manufacturing will expand its metal fabrication facility with specialized equipment and AI-driven technologies to streamline production. These upgrades will improve efficiency and productivity, enabling the company to grow sales in Canada, the United States, and other international markets.

• Triple M Housing $1,000,000 
  Triple M Housing will expand and add new equipment to optimize material flow, address production bottlenecks, and increase efficiency. These upgrades will boost capacity to meet growing demand, including housing projects for First Nations and expansion into Ontario markets.

Associated links

• Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
• Regional Tariff Response Initiative (RTRI) in the Prairie provinces

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SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada