Budget cash to flow to CRH, U of L, twinning

By Al Beeber - Lethbridge Herald on February 28, 2025.

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com

The provincial budget announced Thursday in Edmonton contains a number of financial commitments to southern Alberta.
Among capital project expenditures are $22 million to be spent over three years for renal dialysis at Chinook Regional Hospital and $5 million over two years to enhance intensive care in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, and to introduce a cardiac catheterization lab at CRH.
Another million dollars is being dedicated to the planning of a replacement for the Cardston Health Centre.
The government is also investing $39 million over three years for the Rural Medical Teaching School at the University of Lethbridge, which is aimed at providing more opportunities to train doctors in smaller  communities.
The government will also be spending $106 million over two years to twin Highway 3 between Taber and Burdett, with funding also planned for the first stage of realignment and connection of Highways 2 and 3 near Fort Macleod to support the expansion of regional trade corridors.
And the province will be funding the planning and design of three new schools in the south region as part of a three-year commitment of $225 million for school projects across Alberta.
Among general budget highlights gleaned from materials provided to media are:
• $820.4 million is budgeted for the Local Government Fiscal Framework, and $276.2 million for the federal Canada Community-Building Fund to provide municipalities and Metis settlements with sustainable infrastructure funding.
• The Grants in Place Taxes program, which provides municipalities a grant in lieu of property taxes for
properties in which the Government of Alberta maintains an interest, is being increased by $17.2 million in 2025-26.
* $789.3 million is being allocated for the construction of school facilities in 2025-26, including $73.0 million for projects under the School Construction Accelerator Program.
• $641.2 million is being allocated to build, renew and maintain affordable housing, and operate government-supported affordable housing programs.
• $212.7 million is being allocated to support homeless shelters,  navigation and support centres, and housing and supports programs.
• $9.9 billion in operating expenses is being allocated for education, an increase of 4.5 per cent from 2024-25, to help with enrolment  pressures, hire more teachers and other educational staff, and support  complex classrooms and students.
• In 2025-26, $124 million is being allocated from the Ministry of Mental Health and Addictions and Recovery Alberta to deliver medical withdrawal management and bed-based addiction treatment services and  enhance the quality of programming to support Albertans pursuing  recovery from substance use issues.
• In 2025-26, $61.9 million is being allocated to support the delivery of mental health and addiction services in police and correctional settings to help facilitate recovery for individuals interacting with the justice system (total allocation includes health care services provided in correctional facilities.)
* In 2025-26, $24.5 million ($222.7 million over the next three years) is being allocated to implement and operationalize compassionate intervention legislation to provide timely and effective interventions  for people who are likely to cause harm to themselves or others due to addiction and problematic substance use.
• In 2025-26, the Justice ministry will invest $8.6 million to support the Alberta Chief Firearms Office in administering federal firearms legislation and supporting Alberta’s law-abiding firearms owners.
• In 2025-26, $95 million is going to the Alberta Film and Television Tax Credit to grow the film and television sector in the province.
• $70 million is going  to skills and training support to help  individuals get back to work and
build a skilled workforce.
•$1.6 billion is being invested to increase access to affordable,high-quality and inclusive licensed child care.
• $323.6 million will be allocated to support the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators working in licensed child care.
• $55.7 million is being allocated to the Alberta Law Enforcement Response Teams to address organized  crime, child pornography, gun violence, drug trafficking and prolific offenders.
• $184.8 million is allocated to provide career and employment services for underemployed and unemployed Albertans including those  with disabilities.
In a statement, Premier Danielle Smith said “Budget 2025 maintains our  focus on helping families. We are accelerating the plan outlined in  Budget 2024 to lower personal income taxes so families can keep more of their hard-earned dollars to meet their needs and those of their families.
“We are living in volatile times where the ground seems to shift  beneath us every day. More tough decisions are on the horizon but so is more opportunity. The work and the choices we make now are important. Our prudent fiscal management approach has given us a strong capacity to weather the storms ahead.”

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