Tragic loss of brave firefighter
By Chantelle de Jonge Chestermere-Strathmore MLA
I was profoundly saddened to hear over the weekend about the tragic loss of one of our brave firefighters in the Jasper area. Our thoughts and prayers are with all the firefighters currently battling wildfires across our province, and we hope for their safe return. I am deeply grateful for our local firefighters and especially for the courage of those from the Strathmore and Chestermere Fire Departments who had been deployed to combat the Jasper and Semo-complex wildfires. I am thankful for their safe return and their continued commitment to our community.
This past weekend, I had the honour of hosting Premier Danielle Smith for the Strathmore Parade and the Stampede. It was a pleasure to see many familiar and new faces. I also had the opportunity to attend several local pancake breakfasts and barbecues hosted by the Royal Canadian Legion and local businesses, celebrating the strong community spirit here in Strathmore.
Now for some updates on the government side, under Alberta’s government, our economy is strong and resilient, and the world is taking notice. Moody’s Ratings recently upgraded Alberta’s credit rating outlook to positive from stable and confirmed our Aa2 standing, recognizing our province’s commitment to balancing the budget, controlling spending, and paying down debt.
This latest credit rating upgrade is the fourth in the last year, and the fifth in the past 18 months. It also comes on the heels of Fitch’s upgrade in June, which highlighted Alberta’s role as the economic engine of Canada.
A stronger credit rating means Alberta’s government pays lower interest rates and debt-servicing costs. That means more money is available to invest in things Albertans care about like roads, schools, and hospitals. A stronger credit rating is also a signal that Alberta is a stable place to invest.
Our government is building a province that is stronger and more resilient than ever. Under previous governments, we saw six credit rating downgrades, 13 consecutive quarters of negative provincial outmigration, billions in lost investment, and a jobs crisis that devastated families and businesses.
Today, Alberta is on a very different path – a much better one. We ended the 2023-24 fiscal year with a $4.3 billion surplus, balanced the budget for three consecutive years, and increased the Heritage Fund to an all-time high of $22.1 billion dollars. Additionally, over the past year, Alberta added approximately 85,000 new jobs thanks to our low taxes and growing economy, and Alberta workers are earning more on average than anyone else in the country.
This latest credit rating upgrade confirms that Alberta is on the right path and headed towards an even brighter future. While we have more work to do, Alberta is back, leading the nation in economic growth, freedom, and opportunity.
I am also pleased to share that Alberta’s government is supporting future farmers and ranchers through changes to Agriculture Financial Services Corporation’s Next Generation Loan program. We understand that producers need stable sources of capital to manage and grow their operations and help them weather economic challenges. Expanding eligibility and updating Next Gen’s terms will make it easier for producers to enter and re-enter the agriculture industry, give greater opportunities to new and growing operations, make succession more appealing, and encourage new and young people to get into farming.
Finally, and importantly, Alberta is increasing public awareness by launching a multi-phase campaign to stop zebra mussels, quagga mussels and other dangerous invasive species from entering the province. This is critical to protect our irrigation system in Southern Alberta. All boaters are encouraged to avoid big fines and keep the province safe by cleaning, draining, and drying their gear and stopping at inspection stations.
(Chantelle de Jonge is the MLA for Chestermere-Strathmore and the Parliamentary Secretary for Affordability and Utilities)