Budget highlights

Putting Albertans and Alberta families first

Improving service delivery

Budget 2024 prioritizes the delivery of high quality, reliable health services across the province with an operating budget of $26.2 billion for the Health ministry, up $1.1 billion, or 4.4% from the 2023-24 forecast.

• $475 million to support the continued implementation of the Modernizing Alberta’s Primary Health Care System, including:
  • $200 million over 2 years to improve access to family physicians
  • $10 million for primary health-care initiatives in Indigenous communities
  • $15 million to further develop a compensation model for nurse practitioners
• $300 million for Primary Care Networks to provide additional support for collaborative primary health-care services
• $8 million allocated over 2 years to expand the Alberta Newborn Screening Program
• $10 million to support the development of a province-wide midwifery strategy
• $10 million over 2 years allocated to the Alberta Women’s Health Foundation Legacy Grant in Edmonton and $10 million to the Calgary Hospital Foundation, to support women’s health initiatives
• $140 million per year over 3 years for the yet-to-be signed, Federal Bi-Lateral Aging with Dignity Agreement, which includes $70 million for long-term care initiatives and $70 million for home and community care initiatives
• $1 billion over 3 years to transform the continuing care system in response to the Facility-Based Continuing Care Review
• $1.55 billion total expense to continue building the Alberta Recovery Model and ensure anyone suffering from the deadly disease of addiction or facing mental health challenges has an opportunity to pursue recovery

Prioritizing patients

Budget 2024 invests in world-class care by reducing wait times and improving access.

• $3.6 billion over 3 years in capital funding to maintain or expand health-care facilities throughout the province including:
  • $810 million to advance the redevelopment and expansion of the Red Deer Regional Hospital, including Ambulatory Services
  • $35 million to purchase new Emergency Medical Services vehicles and ambulances, upgrade the existing fleet and acquire additional equipment
  • $25 million in additional funding for the Beaverlodge Municipal Hospital replacement project to support better access to health care for area residents
  • $20 million over the next 3 years, including $17 million in new funding, to continue planning for a standalone Stollery Children’s Hospital
  • $313 million for Alberta Surgical Initiative to help increase the number of surgical procedures performed in Alberta annually
• $2 billion per year for Drugs and Supplemental Health benefit programs, including $883 million for the seniors drug program that supports over 700,000 seniors

Empowering health-care professionals

Budget 2024 prioritizes Alberta’s health-care workers.

• $126 million over 3 years for the Rural Physician Expansion Program to increase rural and Indigenous access to medical education and increase the number of family medicine and generalist physicians
• $6.6 billion for physician compensation and development programs, including:
  • $129 million annually for recruitment and retention of physicians who practice full-time in underserved areas
  • $12 million increase for the existing Rural Remote Northern Program
  • $12 million annually to enhance physician support programs
• $20 million per year to the Business Costs Program to enhance physician practice viability
• $200 million over 2 years will improve access to family physicians and primary health care
• $26 million in capital funding over 3 years for the University of Lethbridge Rural Medical Teaching School to provide more opportunities to train doctors in smaller communities

Supporting enrolment growth

Budget 2024 funds new schools in growing communities and supports choice in education with a 4.4%, or $393 million, increase in operating expense to the Education ministry, for a total of $9.3 billion in 2024-25.

• $1.9 billion in capital funding over the next 3 years for planning, design or construction of new and modernized school projects across the province, including $681 million in new funding for 43 priority school projects that will create 35,000 new and modernized student spaces
  • a total of 98 school projects are in various stages of the planning, design and construction process in 2024
• More than $1.2 billion over 3 years, including $842 million in new funding, to support enrolment growth and enable schools to hire hundreds of new teachers
• $103 million in capital funding over 3 years to increase modular classroom spaces to address the most urgent needs for additional student spaces across the province
• $123 million in capital funding over 3 years for collegiate school programs and public charter schools to enhance school spaces for special programs like Career and Technology labs
• $24 million over the next 3 years to fund growth for new private schools and Early Childhood Services (ECS) operators, increasing the province’s support for parental choice in education

Meeting students' needs

Budget 2024 provides additional funding to enrich students’ overall school experience, including learning supports.

• More than $1.5 billion for learning supports funding to support vulnerable students, children with specialized learning needs and other students requiring additional supports
• $209 million for Program Unit Funding (PUF) in 2024-25, including $26 million over 3 years in additional funding to provide timely and early education for children with severe developmental disabilities or delays

Strengthening post-secondary programs 

Budget 2024 will provide funding to support post-secondary programs to help develop and retain talent within our future skilled workforce.

• $55 million over 3 years for the University of Calgary’s multidisciplinary hub to add 1,000 spaces in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) programs
• $63 million in capital funding for Olds College to renovate and expand student spaces in the W.J. Elliott Building
• $43 million in capital funding for planning of NAIT’s trades and technology learning facility
• $62 million over 3 years will create Rural Health Professional Training Centres and expand physician education
• $126 million over 3 years for the Rural Physician Expansion Program to provide rural, Indigenous and other learners with increased access to medical education
• $43 million for the University of Lethbridge Rural Medical Teaching School to train doctors in smaller communities
• $13 million in capital funding for Red Deer Polytechnic to create a new space to help businesses conduct applied research
• An increase of $102 million over the next 3 years to support 3,200 additional seats and curriculum updates to apprenticeship programs
• $10 million in operating funding over the next 3 years to create additional mental health professional spaces in post-secondary schools
• $391 million for student aid and private career colleges support
• $72.6 million in additional funding over 3 years to address increased demand for the Community Adult Learning Program and Foundational Learning Assistance Grants

Supporting strong families 

Budget 2024 lays a stable foundation for Albertan families to grow and thrive.

• $1.5 billion for child-care services, an increase of 15.9%, to create more child-care spaces, lower fees for parents and support service providers
• A new $30 million program to build small and mid-sized arenas, rinks, pools and sports fields for children and families
  • this is on top of $125 million over 3 years to support non-profit organizations to build and develop public use community facilities
• $22 million over the next 3 years to index foster, kinship and other caregivers rates to inflation
  • foster caregivers haven’t seen increases to support rates since 2018

Keeping life affordable 

Alberta provides some of the most generous affordability and social supports in Canada.

• $717 million in capital grants over 3 years to advance Alberta’s Affordable Housing Strategy
  • this includes $254 million in new funding to help build about 3,300 new affordable housing units and complete 1,800 units already underway
• $257 million in 2024-25 for the Seniors Lodge, Social Housing, Specialized Housing, Affordable Housing Strategy and Rental Assistance programs will:
  • support high quality services in lodges and social housing, so that seniors and people in need have homes that keep them safe and secure
  • expand the rental assistance program to support another 550 households in need, for a total of 12,700 renter households
• A new 25% seniors discount for personal registry services and medical driving tests is being implemented in 2024-25, saving seniors between $16 million and $20 million per year

Helping those in need

Budget 2024 provides targeted help to vulnerable Albertans.

• $151 million in operating expense for Seniors, Community and Social Services
  • this works out to a 3% increase over the 2023-24 forecast after excluding that year’s one-time affordability programs
• $2.9 billion for the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program, the Alberta Seniors Benefit and Income Support programs to cover indexing for inflation and caseload changes
  • in January 2024, payments for AISH, Income Support and the Alberta Seniors Benefit increased by 4.25%, reflecting the program’s indexation to inflation
• $355 million, or an increase of 9.6%, to cover indexation and population growth, for payments under the Alberta Child and Family Benefit, provided to lower income families
  • families with 2 children are eligible for payments up to $3,641 for the 2024-25 benefit year
• An increase of $24.5 million in 2024-25 and $70 million over 3 years to add hundreds of new homeless shelter spaces through the Homelessness Task Force Action Plan and support operational cost pressures at shelters
• $85 million in 2024-25 for the Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence program
  • among other functions, this program oversees women’s shelters and services for the victims of sexual assault counselling centres
• $15 million over 3 years to the implementation of Alberta’s Safe Streets Action Plan, as well as to support women’s shelters and sexual assault counselling centres

Investing in safe, welcoming communities

Flood, drought, wildfire protection and water management

Budget 2024 enhances Alberta’s ability to respond to extreme natural events such as floods, droughts and wildfires. Funding in the 3-year Capital Plan improves the province’s overall preparedness to protect Albertans and their property.

• $251 million in capital funding over 3 years for flood and drought mitigation projects, such as berms, dams, reservoirs and flood walls, including:
  • $163 million to complete the Springbank off-stream reservoir to store flood waters and provide protection from future flooding
  • $75 million for a renewed flood and drought program
  • $13 million for other flood and mitigation projects across the province
• $418 million in capital funding over 3 years to expand water supply and storage infrastructure, including:
  • $262 million for irrigation projects to support farmers and agriculture producers
  • $147 million for water infrastructure projects to ensure necessary irrigation water supply throughout the province
  • $10 million for feasibility studies to explore options for water storage in the Waterton - Belly - St. Mary Basins and Ardley, Alberta
• $151 million in operating expense to enhance wildfire response, readiness, planning and operations
• $55 million in capital funding for new wildfire fighting equipment and facilities, such as sprinkler trailers and weather stations, and to upgrade existing airtankers
• $19 million in operating expense to create a modern, 21st century water strategy to increase water availability through enhanced storage, conservation, data systems and policies
• $10 million in capital funding over 3 years to expand air and water monitoring and increase the government’s capacity to respond to spills, wildfires, droughts and floods

Sustainably managing our resources

Alberta’s government is making strategic investments that will promote sustainable growth, protect the environment, and ensure uninterrupted access to water for Albertans and Alberta businesses.

Budget 2024 provides $539 million in capital funding over 3 years to support water and wastewater projects across the province, including high-priority water supply projects, water and wastewater treatment plants, and disposal facilities in small communities.

Investing in safe communities

Budget 2024 improves emergency response and coordination, increases capacity in the province’s court system and invests in crime prevention.

Funding highlights include:

• adding 100 street-level police officers in high-crime locations in Edmonton and Calgary, part of the $1.2 billion operating budget for Public Safety and Emergency Services in 2024-25
• $89 million in capital funding to construct a purpose-built facility for the Calgary Court of Appeal to improve space for court activities
• $42 million in capital funding to plan and upgrade justice and correctional facilities
• $2 million each for capital planning work at the Edmonton Law Courts and the Sherwood Park Courthouse
• $7 million in capital funding to improve radio communications among emergency personnel through a networked system
• $39 million in capital funding for a new Calgary Office of the Chief Medical Examiner

Caring for at-risk Albertans

Budget 2024 supports compassionate care and recovery for Albertans at risk of, or experiencing, mental health and addiction challenges.

• $328 million in capital funding over 3 years to develop recovery communities and children and youth mental health facilities (consisting of $191 million in provincial funding and $137 million in federal funding)
• $10 million to create additional mental health professional spaces at Alberta’s post-secondary institutions
• $10 million in capital funding over 3 years to plan for the development of five Adult Mental Health and Wellness Centres that will be used for the implementation of Compassionate Intervention legislation

Maintaining Alberta’s competitive advantage

• $10 million for workers through the Alberta is Calling attraction bonus, which provides a $5,000 refundable tax credit aimed at attracting out-of-province workers in the skilled trades
• $724 million in municipal infrastructure funding through the Local Government Fiscal Framework in 2024-25
• $60 million over 3 years in the new Local Growth and Sustainability Grant program, to enable municipalities to fund infrastructure that supports economic development and addresses unique and emergent needs in their communities
• More than $100 million in new funding over 3 years for apprenticeship programs to add 3,200 seats to help meet growing demand at Alberta’s post-secondary institutions
• $597 million over 3 years from the province’s TIER (Technology Innovation and Emissions Reduction) fund to support a suite of programs that reduce emissions, support clean technology development, enhance climate resiliency and create jobs for Albertans
• $1.5 billion for child-care services in 2024-25, an increase of $200 million, enabling more Albertans with young children to participate in the workforce
• $32 million over 3 years to build 3 new water intakes in the Designated Industrial Zone in Alberta’s Industrial Heartland, which will support long-term private investment opportunities in the area
• $30 million over 3 years for the Aboriginal Business Investment Fund, an increase of nearly $8 million, to help fund business startup and expansion costs in Indigenous communities