It’s not precisely a subject that will get individuals excited, however Rural Municipalities of Alberta’s (RMA) president Kara Westerlund says it’s one we have to have.
“Infrastructure is… you realize it’s a non-sexy subject,” joked Westerlund. “We’re speaking about roads, we’re speaking about bridges, we’re speaking about water and wastewater.”
On Thursday, the RMA launched its advocacy marketing campaign dubbed ‘Closing the Gap‘ which is highlighting what Westerlund says is a regarding progress within the distinction between how a lot cash they’ve and the way a lot cash they should cowl ongoing infrastructure upkeep and upgrades.
“The infrastructure deficit inside rural Alberta, which is about 85 per cent of the land mass on this province is sitting round $17 billion and continues to climb annually,” Westerlund defined.
“We did an in depth overview, and the numbers are from the 2024 yr, and shifting ahead we’ve obtained some costing of what that’s gonna appear like.”
The Rural Municipalities of Alberta reveals the deficit in infrastructure spending continues to develop.
Rural Municipalities of Alberta
In accordance with the report the RMA estimates their members are liable for round 135,000 km of highway, 75 per cent of the province’s bridges, and 30 per cent of the province’s water techniques. Westerlund notes a lot of these belongings are reaching the tip of their lifespans.
“We’re trying to spotlight the necessity to work with the provincial authorities and the federal authorities on attempting to shut the hole,” Westerlund pressured. “Determine a long-term answer and a plan shifting ahead, as a result of what we’re doing is sticking band-aids on points which might be going to proceed to develop.”
The RMA says a lot of rural Alberta’s infrastructure is deteriorating previous acceptable targets.
Rural Municipalities of Alberta
In 2023, the UCP up to date the Native Authorities Fiscal Framework to be able to present capital funding for municipalities throughout the province. And since these adjustments got here into impact in 2024/2025, the province says municipalities shouldn’t count on more cash anytime quickly.
“That rides up and down with provincial revenues, after all the funding is not going to keep the identical from yr to yr,” remarked Alberta minister of municipal affairs Dan Williams.
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“When Alberta has an excellent yr, as a result of oil and fuel is booming, as a result of we see royalty revenues coming in, then so will the municipalities share in that. But additionally the municipalities perceive that once we don’t have that income provincially, we will’t spend cash we don’t have.”
Alberta Premier Danielle Smith, proper, stands with Minister of Municipal Affairs, Dan Williams, following a swearing in ceremony in Calgary, Friday, Could 16, 2025.
Jeff McIntosh/ The Canadian Press
In order the potential for future royalty seems bleak, Williams says it’s as much as native councils to plan forward.
“In the end that is the duty of municipalities to have asset administration plans,” Williams said. “To have a plan to say, ‘We all know infrastructure is rising previous, now we have a plan to switch it,’ simply as any home-owner or enterprise proprietor would.”
The mentality that rural municipalities — who, in response to the RMA, allocate 50 per cent or extra of their budgets to transportation and infrastructure — ought to be left to fend for themselves on massive ticket infrastructure tasks is disappointing to some.
Freeway building crews start work of twinning freeway 3.
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“You understand Lethbridge County and I’d argue the vast majority of different municipalities within the province wish to be companions with the province,” stated Tory Campbell, Reeve of Lethbridge County.
“We wish to work hand in hand to seek out options. So to listen to feedback from the minister? It’s robust.”
Campbell continued by noting that the province has continued to put extra tasks on municipalities.
“So we proceed to elevated downloading… it simply makes our job to service that infrastructure, to service, to construct that infrastructure that rather more difficult,” Campbell famous.
“There’s one taxpayer, in order it will get more difficult, it simply turns into more durable for us.”
And because the province seems to scrutinize the Metropolis of Calgary over its administration of sustaining infrastructure, the hope is that they’ll heed the canary within the coal mine earlier than they go silent.
“We are able to’t proceed to kick this could down the highway,” Campbell reiterated. “As a result of once we do, there are catastrophic issues that occur, and we’re seeing them, and it’s scary.”
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