Tany Yao, the UCP member for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo
In the aftermath of an MLA’s ousting earlier this month, the UCP has upped the legislature volume on Alberta government spending in northern, rural and regional economies.
Roads and emergency routes, economic development, workforce development, the restoration of a grant program in place of taxes on provincial buildings, the film industry – these were among regional spending bullets brought to the floor by UCP members last week.
“Alberta’s government is absolutely charging ahead in its unwavering commitment to the growth and prosperity of northern and regional economies,” said Tany Yao, the UCP member for Fort McMurray-Wood Buffalo. “Our budget is phenomenal, recognizing the north as the important piece of Alberta’s economy that it truly is.”
Yao held up the Northern and Regional Economic Development Program as “the crown jewel” of smaller centre investments, with $9-million over three years for job creation, business expansion and economic diversification.
“We’re talking about an infusion of resources that will supercharge the local economy,” said Yao, the parliamentary secretary for small business and northern development.
The talking points were different for Scott Sinclair on March 1, an MLA who criticized his party for favouring urban centres over smaller ones in the 2025 budget.
Now an Independent MLA, the politician representing Lesser Slave Lake turned to social media to voice his displeasure. “I’m furious at the amount of money being funneled into Edmonton and Calgary (as usual) while Northern Alberta and our riding are largely ignored,” his post said. “The continuous flow of our GDP to urban centers while rural Alberta — the backbone of this province — gets left behind is appalling.”
Sinclair continued: “It feels like we’re dealing with a provincial version of federal equalization payments, with rural communities footing the bill for the big cities.”
The post said he found most of the budget “at best, disappointing and, at worst, unacceptable for me, my family and my constituents.”
Sinclair lost his caucus position March 7 after he reportedly refused to confirm he’d vote in favour of the budget tabled in the legislature Feb. 27.
Not disappointed, however, is Livingstone-Macleod MLA Chelsae Petrovic. She emphasized support for industrial diversification in her sprawling southern Alberta constituency as an example of a government dedicated to balancing environmental concerns with the building of economies beyond major centres.
Calling Livingstone-Macleod “a hub of economic opportunity built on sectors that have sustained families and businesses for generations,” Petrovic asked a series of friendly fire questions of cabinet to draw out details.
Nolan Dyck, the UCP member for Grande Prairie, took a similar tack. “Alberta’s rural municipalities are extremely important to our province’s identity and success,” he said.
“From driving Alberta’s agriculture, forestry and energy industries forward to producing good-paying jobs and an affordable cost of living, rural Alberta is the definition of the Alberta advantage and is truly the best place in our province to live, work and raise a family. This makes it incredibly important that we continue supporting our rural municipalities,” Dyck said.
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver said the budget includes $1.4-billion “to help municipal partners throughout Alberta build stronger, more resilient communities.”
The minister pointed to a 13 per cent increase to $820-million in the local government fiscal framework in 2025. Of the total, $434-million is going to Calgary and Edmonton, $386-million to the remaining local governments.
A climb back to 75 per cent funding of grants in place of taxes on provincial properties will put $17-million into rural municipalities, he said. Next year, the grants are slated to be restored fully to 100 per cent, completing the reversal of cuts the UCP announced in 2019.
McIver said his government respects the diversity of municipalities. He and the government “provide flexibility to our municipal partners, to identify, plan and fund (projects that) the local duly elected people decide on.”
Matt Jones, the minister of jobs, the economy and trade, highlighted spending worth $150,000 in Livingstone-Macleod under northern and regional economic development, including $50,000 to help Claresholm plan commercial and residential developments.
Also on Jones’s list was $44-million of economic investment attracted to the area through six film and TV productions, thanks to a tax credit program.
A workforce program in the Crowsnest Pass is providing eight weeks of training with industry-recognized certifications for in-demand sectors like agriculture and the oilfield. And a strategic investment and growth fund investment has secured $28.5-million for Structural Truss Systems in Fort Macleod, supporting jobs and the economy, Jones said.
“Livingstone-Macleod is a region rich in opportunity, and our government is making significant investments to ensure it prospers now and into the future.”
Devin Dreeshen, the minister of transportation and corridors, took to the floor to support an $8.5-billion strategic plan over three years for his ministry, as Alberta adds to and protects $75-billion in roads-and-bridges assets.
Highway maintenance is up five per cent this year and 26 per cent higher than it was under the NDP, he said. “We’re actually out there building the province,” he said.
Yao said highlighted “massive infrastructure investments that are transforming the north,” including $101 million for critical projects like the twinning of Highway 63 and the paving of highway 686 between Peerless Lake and Trout Lake, with plans to extend it right to Fort McMurray.
Improvements will eventually cross Sinclair’s riding, providing access for Indigenous communities to Fort McMurray and Grande Prairie on either side.
“These projects are game changers for connectivity, accessibility, and providing northern Alberta with the foundation to grow into a modern, robust and future-ready economy,” said Yao.
