Budget green light for roads, schools, hospitals and facilities

A new five-year Capital Plan will meet Alberta’s needs for roads, schools, hospitals and other public facilities on a priority basis, and will triple the funding for maintenance and renewal by 2019-20. All the schools that have been promised will be built.

“Every day Alberta grows and changes. New Albertans are born, workers come here from other provinces, and Albertans become seniors. Even in these tough times, we must continue to meet the need for roads, schools, hospitals, seniors’ facilities and municipal infrastructure.”

“The Capital Plan balances the need for new schools, hospitals, seniors’ facilities and municipal projects with the need to maintain or renew existing infrastructure. By extracting better value for the dollars we spend we are continuing to build priority infrastructure.”

“Priority transportation projects will provide a safe and efficient provincial highway network that keeps Alberta and its economy moving. We continue to twin Highway 63, we will complete the northeast Anthony Henday Drive and we will start the Southwest Calgary Ring Road.”

“During our budget consultations, our municipal partners told us that maintaining stable Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding was important to them. With the inclusion of more MSI funding in last year’s budget, municipal infrastructure funding will remain stable in 2015 and will help ensure municipal projects continue to support economic development and local employment.”

“Delivering quality health care in growing communities relies heavily on having appropriate facilities and capacity. Investment in health care infrastructure remains a priority for our government. We will work harder and be more creative in developing cost-effective solutions to our infrastructure challenges.”

“This government supports all people who need affordable housing, including seniors. We will continue to invest in supporting living spaces and build projects that provide vulnerable Albertans a place to call home.”

Budget 2015 Highlights

Capital Plan, 2015-2020:

$29.5 billion, including $4.8 billion for maintenance and renewal:

• $7.9 billion for municipal infrastructure support.
• $6.7 billion for roads and bridges.
• $5.0 billion for schools.
• $3.4 billion for health facilities.
• $1.1 billion for post-secondary facilities.
• $561 million for seniors’ facilities and other housing projects.
• $4.8 billion for provincial facilities and other capital, including flood recovery and mitigation projects.

Municipal Infrastructure Support

$7.9 billion over five years, including:

• $5.6 billion over five years under the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI),  including $1.8 billion in basic municipal transportation grants. A $373.9 million reduction to MSI funding in 2015-16 is offset by $398.9 million added in 2014-15. Together, the two amounts keep funding stable and predicitable for calendar year 2015.
• $965 million through the Green Transit Incentives Program.
• $188 million from the Small Communities Fund under the New Building Canada program.

Roads and Bridges

$6.7 billion over five years, including:

• $4.6 billion for construction of the provincial transportation network including the Edmonton and Calgary ring roads, Highway 63 and the Fort McMurray region.
• $2.1 billion for provincial highway rehabilitation and bridge construction projects.

Health Facilities

$3.4 billion over five years, including:

• $926 million for capacity expansion projects in Calgary and Edmonton
• $50 million over at least two years to renovate emergency rooms at:
  • Peter Lougheed Centre and South Health Campus in Calgary.
  • Misericordia, Grey Nuns, and Royal Alexandra hospitals in Edmonton.
• Hospital projects continue in Edson, Grande Prairie, High Prairie, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat and Red Deer.
• More than 300 new restorative care beds in Edmonton and Calgary.

 

Seniors and Housing

• 2,612 spaces under the Affordable Supportive Living Initiative, announced March 2015.
• $80 million to upgrade fire and safety systems in seniors lodges and continuing care facilities.