Province to spend billions of dollars on infrastructure

Miriam Ostermann
Times Associate Editor

 

Alberta politicians – local and provincial – are kept in the dark about the nature of a request by the minister of infrastructure for Alberta MLAs to compile a prioritized list of infrastructure projects in record time, elected officials said.
Strathmore-Brooks MLA Derek Fildebrandt approached politicians in his region with only a one-week timeframe to complete the list, which in Strathmore include seven projects in need of upgrades totalling roughly $4 million.
According to Fildebrandt the approach proved unjust to municipalities and provided little information regarding the amount and the origins of the possible funds – $4.4 billion that Minister of Infrastructure Brian Mason’s spokesperson said is allocated for new projects and programs through the provincial capital plan.
“I think the idea behind this letter was for them to just identify priorities and the letter was clear that the MLAs would not be required to provide detailed information on how projects met the criteria, but it was more to gauge where the need was,” said Aileen Machell, press-secretary for Minister of Infrastructure and Transportation Brian Mason.
“These priorities that Minister Mason is hoping MLAs come forward with, they’re all for the upcoming capital plan. It’s not necessarily for problems, but where good investments can be made. I think that our government has been clear that this is the time to invest in infrastructure.”
Regardless of available capital plan money, Machell said decisions will be made by the minister and provincial government in October when the budget is expected to be released. Fildebrandt was one of 86 MLA’s who received the letter that was sent out on Jan. 22.
Although he received a list from the Town of Strathmore with projects deemed a priority over the next couple years, he felt it was an inappropriate tactic to deal with infrastructure spending.
“We’re talking about spending hundreds of millions, potentially billions of dollars, and we shouldn’t be rushing things in a week, as this kind of infrastructure spending needs to be well thought out and prioritized and not rushed for political reasons,” Fildebrandt said.
“We’ve had no indication whatsoever from the province if that money is connected to anything, This could be going to a general pot or to a dedicated fund. The Strathmore council is not the only confused municipality. The list we’ve been asked to compile was haphazard and rushed and we did our best to get word out to municipalities to collect the information but it was not fair to our reeves, mayors, and councillors.”
Fildebrandt said the government should’ve met with municipalities, discussed top priorities, and provided enough time to consult and meet instead of sending out an E-mail to MLAs asking for a list in a week.
While Strathmore councillors showed excitement about the possibility of funds trickling down into Strathmore, some representatives showed concern regarding the lack of details made available in the information provided to the government. The list included predominant projects of 2nd St. reconstruction, Waddy Lane, and the road replacement of Bayview Rd. with a cost of $2.3 million. Other items on the list included Brent Blvd. and Centennial Drive at $350,000, Brentwood Reservoir with a remaining cost of nearly $600,000, and the George Freeman Trail WID bridge scheduled for 2017 and possibly resulting in a total of $1 million.
Director of Corporate Services for the Town of Strathmore, Mel Tiede, said he hopes the government understands the economic need and invest additional funds. Much like Fildebrandt, he was unaware of the details surrounding the funds. The Town of Strathmore is also a recipient of nearly $3 million through the annual Municipal Sustainability Initiative (MSI) funding.
“Our government is committed to taking advantage of the opportunity to build schools, hospitals, roads, bridges and flood protection needed to address Alberta’s infrastructure deficit,” said Minister Mason.
“Investment in major infrastructure projects will help create good paying jobs and stimulate economic growth, and build a strong economic foundation for our children and grandchildren.”
Even though no date has been proposed, government officials said more information will be released when the budget and capital plan will be unveiled.