In a televised address to the people of Alberta this evening, Premier Danielle Smith laid out a bold and comprehensive plan to tackle the province’s surging population growth, immigration, and critical infrastructure needs, especially in the education sector. Her speech emphasized the significant investments Alberta is making to accommodate its economic expansion and burgeoning population.
“Alberta’s economy is entering yet another period of major economic growth,” Smith stated in her address. This growth, she explained, is spurred by the province’s historically favorable cost of living, income tax advantages, and a boom in energy, agriculture, healthcare, and technology sectors. Smith noted that Alberta’s advantage continues to act as a “catalyst for tens of billions of new investment dollars,” which in turn has led to a sharp rise in job openings, fueling population growth across the province.
Alberta’s population has seen an unprecedented influx in recent years. In 2023 alone, over 200,000 new residents moved to the province, marking the highest single-year population growth in Alberta’s history. The Premier likened this growth to adding “two new Red Deer-sized cities in just one year.”
However, while welcoming newcomers who “believe in working hard, protecting freedoms, and contributing to society,” Smith raised concerns about the impact of the federal government’s immigration policies on Alberta and other provinces. “The Trudeau government’s unrestrained open border policies…are causing significant challenges and have broken this delicate balance,” she said. According to Smith, these high immigration levels, especially with temporary visa holders, have strained housing, healthcare, education, and other public services across Canada.
Smith called for a return to immigration levels similar to those seen under former Prime Minister Stephen Harper. She emphasized that immigration should align with Canada’s economic needs and infrastructure capacity. “If the current federal government won’t make these changes, our government will certainly support a new one that will,” she added, referring to the potential for political change at the national level.
One of the most significant challenges facing Alberta is the rapid increase in the school-age population. Smith highlighted that the province is currently adding approximately 33,000 new students per year, the equivalent of 35 new schools annually. To address this, the Premier announced the introduction of the School Construction Accelerator Program, a major capital investment aimed at addressing the mounting pressure on Alberta’s education system.
“Our government will be increasing our K-12 capital budget for new school spaces and modernizations to approximately $8.6 billion over the next three years,” Smith said. This funding will support the construction of 50,000 new student spaces over the next three years and an additional 150,000 spaces over the next four years.
Recognizing that construction timelines may not be fast enough to keep up with the student surge, Smith announced the deployment of 20,000 modular classrooms as an interim solution. In addition, she introduced the Charter School Accelerator Program, aimed at adding 12,500 new student spaces in charter schools over the next four years. The government is also working on a pilot program for non-profit private schools to provide thousands of new student spaces at a reduced cost to taxpayers.
Smith urged school boards and municipalities to expedite the preparation of construction sites to ensure timely building, stating that the province would have funding ready once sites are shovel-ready. “We need all hands on deck to begin construction on many more schools before the end of this school year,” she said, stressing the importance of collaboration between public, Catholic, charter, and private schools.
Smith also reiterated the government’s commitment to delivering on its promised income tax cut in the next budget. The tax cut, she said, is designed to offset the loss of income caused by federal policies such as the carbon tax, which Smith blamed for driving inflation and increasing the cost of living for Albertans.
Education is not the only sector experiencing strain due to population growth. Smith highlighted that the government is working daily on expanding and investing in health and transportation infrastructure to ensure Albertans have access to the services they need. While she did not provide specific figures for these sectors, she reassured the public that these areas were “being worked on daily.”
Throughout her address, Premier Smith stressed that Alberta’s growth comes with challenges, but she expressed confidence that the province would rise to meet them. “There has never been nor will there ever be any challenge too large for us to overcome and conquer together,” she said.