At a Glance - Week of September 24, 2024

School Construction announced in Premier’s Adress to the Province

During Tuesday’s Address to the Province, Premier Danielle Smith announced a substantial one-time investment of $8.6 billion towards the construction of 200,000 new spaces for K-12 students in Alberta.

Funds from the new School Construction Accelerator Program will be allocated towards constructing up to 30 new schools and modernizing 8 outdated facilities every year for the next 3 years. Smith also stated that a large portion of the funding will be allocated towards charter and non-profit private schools.

Smith asked for school boards, municipalities, and charter schools to immediately begin identifying and acquiring permits for the construction of the new educational facilities. “If you can prepare the sites, the province will have the dollars set aside to get shovels in the ground.”

The announcement did not include additional funding for the operational costs of the new schools.

Calgary Votes to Wind-down Green Line LRT Project

On Tuesday, Calgary City Council voted to wind down the Green Line LRT project. The project had previously revoked its $1.53 billion commitment to the project over the shortening of scope combined with a rapidly increasing budget.

Calgary mayor Jyoti Gondek commented on the council’s decision saying the city’s “hand was forced by the provincial government,” and it will result in the “swift end to 1,000 jobs and 70+ contracts.”

Speaking with Rick Bell of the Calgary Herald, Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen responded with a desire to continue the project on new terms to be set by the province. “If Calgary City Council thinks the alignment we are going to show them and all Calgarians in December isn’t worth it then the Green Line project won’t happen. This is the last chance to get the Green Line built.”

Province Considering Publicly Funding the Cleanup of Abandoned Oil Wells

In an interview with The Canadian Press, Brian Jean, the Minister of Energy and Minerals, discussed the future of unreclaimed oil and gas sites in the province.

Although Minister Jean stated that industries should be responsible for cleaning up after their activities, many of the approximately half a million sites are unlikely to be addressed. “To stimulate activities that are necessary to protect Albertans, we might have to do some investment.”

Provincial funds as well as municipal taxes were suggested as potential steps to be considered.

This follows the Government of Alberta returning an unallocated $137 million of a $1 billion investment from the federal government towards the cleanup of abandoned oil and gas sites.

Municipality of Jasper Asks Province for Financial Help

Following the devastating wildfire that caused an estimated $283 million in damage to the Municipality of Jasper, Mayor Richard Ireland has asked the province for long-term financial assistance. The town estimates that it will lose over $2 million in annual property taxes and utility fees from lost or damaged properties. Alberta Municipal Affairs has committed to considering the request.

Emergency Services Minister Mike Ellis has announced $149 million for uninsurable losses and emergency response costs to the Municipality of Jasper. Mayor Ireland responded by saying “this critical funding is one piece in helping Jasper recover and rebuild and we know we can count on our provincial partners for continued support in this area.”

Federally, Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault is also proposing legislation to transfer land use planning and development for the townsite from Parks Canada to the municipality.