EDITOR’S NOTE: A prior version of this story incorrectly stated 71,000 summer jobs were created in 2024 with a price tag of nearly $300 billion. The price tag is actually $300 million. Global News regrets this error.
The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is being forced to rely on the kindness of others after they were denied funding ahead of their busiest time of year.
Executive director Beki Hunt with the centre says funding through the Canada Summer Jobs Grant has always been reliable.
“It was a big shock, to be honest,” explained Hunt. “We’ve been getting it (Canada Summer Jobs Grant) successfully every year for over a decade, so you know when we do our budget every year we plan that in.”
Operating since 1993, Calgary Wildlife provides free treatment for injured wildlife from Calgary and the surrounding area. The grant, which would have provided the non-profit with $50,000 in funding, allows for the hiring of 11 full-time positions from May through August, which is typically the busiest time of year for wildlife-related injuries.
According to Hunt, without those funds Calgary Wildlife has resorted to fundraising.
Get breaking National news
“If we aren’t able to raise the funding to cover those roles, we’ll have to, you know, consider scaling back our operations,” Hunt said. “Which means limiting patient intake, unfortunately, and hours of operations.”
Hunt tells Global News they reached out to the federal government in order to understand why the funding had been denied.
“We were just told that you know there were a lot more applicants this year than last year,” said Hunt. “With the number of requests the funding just wasn’t there for was was being asked for.”
According to the government of Canada’s website, more than 71,000 summer jobs were created last year with a price tag of nearly $300 million. In Alberta, more than 8,000 jobs were created with just over $30 million in funding.
Eligible employers include non-profits, public sector and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, covering 6-16 weeks of full-time employment for 6-16 weeks.
However, when looking at the constituency of Calgary Rocky Ridge, 48 organizations were approved in 2025. They include a semi-private golf course, a UPS Store location, an investment firm, and a wellness spa.
“The CSJ program is responsive to national and local priorities as well as labour market needs,” Employment and Social Development Canada said in a statement on Thursday.
“Every year, the Government establishes national priorities for CSJ to reflect Canada’s diverse population and evolving needs. CSJ 2025 is prioritizing employers who intend to provide opportunities to youth facing barriers to employment, including youth with disabilities, Black and racialized youth, Indigenous youth, 2SLGBTQI+ youth, and youth in rural, remote, or official language minority communities. In addition, jobs that support housing construction, along with sustainable jobs (e.g. support climate change mitigation and/or adaptation or protect the natural environment) are also being prioritized through CSJ 2025,” the statement added.
Comments