Here's what Airdrie can expect from the province's budget so far

On Thursday, the province revealed its provincial budget. The total expenses for 2024-25 are $73.2 billion, a 3.9 percent increase from the forecast for 2023-24. The 2023-24 Capital Plan is forecasted to total $7.1 billion and includes two Airdrie-specific projects.

According to the budget, the QEII and 40th Avenue Interim Ramp near Airdrie will see $4 million in funding in 2024-2025. In the 2023-2024 Capital plan, the project was budgeted for $11 million in funding; $9 million was forecast for 2023-2024. 

The other Airdrie-centric project is the planning for North Calgary / Airdrie Regional Health Centre, although no funds will be released for this project until 2025-2026 and onwards. A total of $3 million over three years was expected for this project, however, this project was budgeted for 2023-2024, with $1 million in the previous budget. The remainder of the funds will be seen in the 2026-2027 budget. 

Airdrie is also mentioned in the Passenger Rail Master Plan, which according to budget documents is part of the Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) Business Plan 2024-27.

"The Master Plan will look forward and include a 15-year delivery plan to prioritize investments. The plan will be informed by engaging Albertans, municipalities, Indigenous communities, and the private sector. TEC will assess connecting Calgary and Edmonton airports to their downtowns, regional communities to Calgary and Edmonton, Calgary to the Rocky Mountain parks system, and commuter rail service opportunities, such as from Airdrie to Okotoks."

While these two projects named Airdrie specifically within the Capital Plan details, other major funding initiatives that are impactful province-wide include education, healthcare, emergency management, and affordable housing. It is expected that more details will be released later about the specific allocation of funding. 

Education

"Education operating expense has increased by $23 million from the budget, with an additional $30 million for higher-than-expected enrolment growth and $3 million for federally-funded French language programs partly offset by $10 million in saving."

Budget highlights for education include: 

• $1.9 billion in capital funding over the next three years for planning, design or construction of new and modernized school projects across the province, including $681 million in new funding for 43 priority school projects that will create 35,000 new and modernized student spaces.
  • A total of 98 school projects are in various stages of the planning, design and construction process in 2024.
• More than $1.2 billion over three years, including $842 million in new funding, to support enrolment growth and enable schools to hire hundreds of new teachers.
• $103 million in capital funding over three years to increase modular classroom spaces to address the most urgent needs for additional student spaces across the province.
•  $123 million in capital funding over three years for collegiate school programs and public charter schools to enhance school spaces for special programs like Career and Technology labs.
•  $24 million over the next three years to fund growth for new private schools and Early Childhood Services (ECS) operators, increasing the province’s support for parental choice in education.

Other funding geared towards students' needs includes:

• More than $1.5 billion for learning support funding to support vulnerable students, children with specialized learning needs and other students requiring additional support.
•  $209 million for Program Unit Funding (PUF) in 2024–25, including $26 million over three years in additional funding to provide timely and early education for children with severe developmental disabilities or delay.

Healthcare

In the healthcare portfolio, the province stated that they allocated $3.6 billion, or 14 per cent of total Capital Plan funding, to 'protecting quality health care.' 

"Key investments in the Capital Plan include projects to reduce surgical and emergency department wait times, strengthen the emergency medical services (EMS) system, address mental health and addiction challenges, and prepare for future health care needs."

Budget highlights for healthcare include some of the following:

• $35 million, an increase of $25 million in Budget 2024, for the EMS Vehicles Capital Program to purchase new EMS vehicles and ambulances, upgrade the existing fleet, and acquire additional equipment.
• $475 million to support the continued implementation of the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System:
  •  $200 million over two years to improve access to family physicians
  •  $10 million for primary healthcare initiatives in Indigenous communities
  •  $15 million to further develop a compensation model for nurse practitioners
• $300 million for Primary Care Networks to provide additional support for collaborative primary healthcare services
• $140 million per year over three years for the yet-to-be-signed Federal Bi-Lateral Aging with Dignity Agreement, which includes $70 million for long-term care initiatives and $70 million for home and community care initiatives
• $1 billion over three years to transform the continuing care system in response to the Facility-Based Continuing Care Review

Affordable housing

"Alberta’s 10-year strategy to improve and expand affordable housing supply and housing supports, the 2024 Capital Plan allocates $829 million over three years — an increase of $355 million, or 75 per cent, from Budget 2023, to fund projects that enhance affordable housing and social supports in various locations around the province."

Key projects include:

• $405 million, including $75 million in new funding, for the Affordable Housing Partnership Program, to support the goal to create 13,000 affordable housing units.

• $130 million, including $125 million in new funding, for the Seniors Lodge Modernization Program to ensure lodges continue to be a viable housing option for Alberta seniors.

• $91 million for the Affordable Housing Strategy, to fund the maintenance of government-owned social housing buildings.

The government underlined that the total expense in 2023-24 is forecast at $70.4 billion, an increase of $2.1 billion from Budget 2023.

It also noted that the 2023-2024 Capital Plan is $928 million lower than the previous budget, this is 'primarily to the re-profiling of various projects to align with their timelines and project status.'

The changes include among others, a $273 million reduction in 2023-24 spending for various health facilities, including the Arthur J.E. Child Comprehensive Cancer Centre in Calgary, a $167 million decrease in 2023-24 for the Alberta Broadband Strategy, as the province continues to work with the federal government to bring high-speed broadband access to Albertans, as well as $134 million in various municipal infrastructure water and wastewater programs as the province continues to work with municipalities on project delivery.

"These decreases do not reflect reductions in overall projects costs but are required to align with expected project timing"

Budget documents also state that relative to Budget 2023, wildfire and agriculture disaster assistance has increased by $2.9 billion and operating expenses by $838 million, partly offset by a $589 million increase in dedicated revenue.

"Other expenses (primarily debt servicing costs) have increased a net $254 million, while capital grants are $446 million lower."

Revenue

"Total revenue in 2024-25 is forecast at $73.5 billion, a decrease of $2.1 billion from the 2023-24 third-quarter forecast of $75.6 billion. The decrease comes mainly from a $2.1 billion drop in resource revenue driven by an anticipated decline in oil prices, and a $1.2 billion decrease in investment income, as uncertainty in the global economic outlook impacts future investment performance expectations."

Other revenue streams that are down include non-renewable resources. In 2024-25 is estimated at $17.3 billion, 24 per cent of total revenue.

"This is a $2.1 billion decrease from the $19.4 billion forecast for 2023-24. The decrease is attributable to softening oil prices, primarily due to uncertainties around global demand..."

In her previous address last week, Premier Danielle Smith alluded to the fact that this year's provincial budget needs to be 'restrained' due to the lower resource revenue. She added that she wanted to utilize the Alberta Heritage Fund.

Budget 2024 states that an additional $2 billion will be deposited into the Heritage Fund and it will continue to retain its investment earnings.

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