Alberta government announces municipal infrastructure grant, but critics say more needed

Alberta’s municipalities tin use for a caller provincial infrastructure grant, but Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver says much backing is needed.

The state aims to administer a full of $20 cardinal each twelvemonth for the adjacent 3 years.

McIver says the programme is meant to assistance fast-growing mid-sized cities with populations nether 200,000 code infrastructure needs specified arsenic sewer systems, roads and h2o lines.

Some of the projects volition beryllium cost-shared, with the section authorities and state each picking up 50 per cent of the cost.

To beryllium eligible, the infrastructure task must:

• Address challenges arsenic a effect of accelerated colonisation growth;
• Increase affordable and attainable lodging supply;
• Attract commercial/industrial developments that would pb to imperishable jobs successful the community; or
• Help code challenges arsenic a effect of accrued tourism

Part of the backing volition besides beryllium acceptable speech for municipalities with less than 10,000 people.

McIver says the programme volition apt beryllium oversubscribed fixed the constricted backing disposable and the wide request for further infrastructure backing crossed the province.

“Like galore Alberta municipalities, Lethbridge is experiencing maturation pressures,” says Lethbridge Mayor Blaine Hyggen.

“The Local Growth and Sustainability Grant offers indispensable backing opportunities for our precedence projects, specified arsenic expanding the Wastewater Treatment Plant and enhancing efforts to enlistee much healthcare workers,” Hyggen adds.

The NDP campaigner for Lethbridge West, Rob Miyashiro, says he’ll hold to spot however the rollout of the programme goes, but helium doesn’t deliberation it volition beryllium “the quality shaper they (Alberta government) deliberation it is.”

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“In Lethbridge unsocial we person astir $1-billion of needs for our h2o attraction works and wastewater facility,” adds Miyashiro.

Alberta Municipalities, the enactment that represents mid-sized cities, estimates the state has a $30-billion infrastructure deficit.

— With files from Ken MacGillivray, Global News