By Sheena Roszell/Glory Przekop

County reeve and energy minister weigh in on budget

Mar 23, 2018 | 6:47 AM

The County of Grande Prairie Reeve and MLA for Dunvegan Central Peace Notley are reacting following Thursday’s provincial budget.

The finance minister announced an increase funding for education, health and community services as well as more money to fight rural crime.

County Reeve Leanne Beaupre said she was happy to hear the announcement of more specialized crime-fighting units.

“And we have analysts looking to where the big crime is happening so they can target it better as well as using GPS to monitor and make sure they know where the crime is happening in the rural areas.”

Marg McCuaig-Boyd says they’ll be releasing more details about how many officers will be hired.

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“As a rural and northern MLA, I really pushed for it and was pleased that we had the extra funds that we had to vote for and I have to tell you I am disappointed that our opposition voted against that.”

Also announced in the budget, assurance the MSI funding will continue, even though it’s set to expire in 2021.

Beaupre says that is one of the highlights for her.

“They are working towards steps to have it legislated so that we won’t have to wonder from year to year whether or not we will be receiving funding.”

Budget details about where 20 new schools will be built are expected to be released Friday.

Even though no specifics were released about it in the budget, Beaupre is optimistic the Beaverlodge Hospital will be built when the funding is available.

She says she had a positive meeting with the ministers of health and infrastructure earlier this week.

“There was a commitment from both of the ministers that Beaverlodge hospital was a relevant and much-needed piece of infrastructure to the health care system in the region and that there was a commitment not to close it but there was no commitment on a time frame for which they will build a new one.”