Photo Courtesy Canadian Press

By Tanner Smith

2024 fiscal budget

Provincial 2024 budget local impacts

Feb 29, 2024 | 3:20 PM

The Alberta government unveiled its 2024 provincial budget earlier today. (Thursday, February 29)

Some items shared on the budget, were previously announced; such as the Northwestern Polytechnic Power Engineering Lab, the Highway 40 twinning project south of Grande Prairie, the Beaverlodge Health Centre replacement plan and equipment fund, and the La Crete Bridge project.

Besides allocating $25 million over the next three year’s for the Beaverlodge Health Centre, the province provided an update on its future plans with the space.

“A capital lease of $170 million will be added to the Capital Plan in 2027-28 when the new Mountview Health Complex is completed. This is a pilot project that the government is working on in partnership with the municipality and industry to enhance access to health care in rural Alberta,” says budget documents put together by the province.

Other local funding announced through the budget includes $1 million in funding for the Grande Prairie courthouse to expand or use on a new building, $50 million over three years for a grade widening project on Highway 40 between Grande Cache and Hinton, and $72 million over three years, for the La Crete Maternity and Community Health Centre to “protect quality health care.”

“The government continues to invest in building a better healthcare system that meets the growing needs of both urban and rural communities in Alberta.”

The province says they allocated 14.6 per cent of the capital budget, or $3.6 billion to healthcare, with “key investments” into projects that could reduce surgical and emergency wait times, strengthen the EMS system, and address mental health and addiction challenges.

The provincial government says this budget “upholds the requirements of the fiscal framework to balance the budget, control spending and use surplus cash to pay off debt.”

“Budget 2024 includes surpluses of $367 million, $1.4 billion and $2.6 billion over the next three years.”

Anyone interested in learning more about the Provincial 2024 budget, click here.