Alberta’s first balanced budget in 8 years marginally increased overall spending but for the province’s capital city, it won’t mean many new projects.
However, within a budget buoyed by soaring oil prices, there was still plenty of money being earmarked for work in Edmonton. Here’s a look at some of the spending the budget calls for in Edmonton over the next three years.
Community revitalization
The budget sets aside $5 million for community revitalization efforts in Edmonton over the next three years. Four-million-dollars of the spending will go to the City of Edmonton while $1 million will go to the Edmonton Downtown Business Association.
Health
A new hospital already in the works for south Edmonton will see the province spend $49 million in 2022-23 and $22 million in 2023-24 before surging to $300 million in 2024-25.
The Gene Zwozdesky Centre project, to redevelop and expand an Edmonton seniors care facility, will receive $142 million in funding over the next three years — $124 million of that is earmarked for 2022-23.
The budget allocated $46 million toward the Misericordia Community Hospital Modernization Program over the next two years.
The government is spending $3 million on the Stollery Children’s Hospital’s critical care program in 2022-23.
READ MORE: Alberta budget includes ‘historic’ $1.8B investment to expand Red Deer hospital
The University of Alberta Hospital Brain Centre, a neurosciences intensive care unit first launched in 2011, will receive $50 million over the next three years.
Work to revamp the University of Alberta’s Dentistry Pharmacy Centre will receive $56 million this year.
Public transit
The Alberta government’s budget continues to provide funding for LRT projects in Edmonton and Calgary.
Together with money from the province and the federal government, Alberta’s two largest cities will receive $2.766 billion over the next three years, starting with $707 million in 2022-23 before ramping up to $1.042 billion in 2024-25.
In 2022-23, the federal government will provide over $656 million in funding for the two cities’ while Alberta will provide $50 million.
Roads
The province is supporting the City of Edmonton’s road widening and overpass construction project on 50 Street between Sherwood Park Freeway and 90 Avenue with $8 million in 2022-23, $19 million in 2023-24 and $23 million in 2024-25.
The provincial budget sets aside money for the Terwillegar Drive expansion project in southwest Edmonton: $31 million in 2022-23, $37 million in 2023-24 and $24 million in 2024-25.
The work to convert Yellowhead Trail into a free-flowing thoroughfare will receive $37 million in 2023-24 and then $50 million in 2024-25.
The government has set aside $12.5 million for work on Edmonton’s ring road in 2022-23.
Justice
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The Edmonton Law Courts is one of the facilities for which the government is spending money to try and determine “how best to improve courthouse space,” according to the budget. A planning study specifically for the Edmonton Law Courts will receive $1 million this year.
READ MORE: Alberta finance minister to wear repeat budget day shoes
MSI funding
The Alberta government is committing $970 million in capital funding to municipalities through the Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) over the remaining two years of the program.
MSI was launched in 2007 and will be replaced with the Local Government Fiscal Framework in 2024-25. MSI funding helps municipalities pay for the construction and maintenance of infrastructure like roads, bridges, wastewater systems, and recreational centres.
The government has earmarked $485 million in MSI funding for 2022-23 and again in 2023-24 while $722 million will be provided in the first year of the Local Government Fiscal Framework.
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