Message from the MLa of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche, Laila Goodridge

Message from the MLA of Fort McMurray-Lac La Biche

LaILa GooDrIDGE

Between the worldwide pandemic and a collapse in global oil prices, it was a year like no other in recent memory for Albertans. 2021 continues to impact both our lives and livelihoods and the Alberta Government has been working hard to strike a balance between protecting the two.

The economic uncertainty, combined with the challenges of the pandemic, has the Alberta Government investing in infrastructure and construction as the backbone of a plan to get Albertans back to work. We’ve done this by making the largest-ever investment in infrastructure in Alberta’s history.

More than $10 billion has been earmarked for roads, bridges, and other infrastructure projects across the province to create tens of thousands of jobs.

During the 2020 construction season, Alberta’s Government spent almost $1 billion building roads and bridges supporting over 9,200 jobs last year alone. The funding was aimed at smaller bridge construction projects, major highway and bridge rehabilitation projects, and upgrades to post-secondary institutions. This included $3.2 million for maintenance and repairs at Keyano College. The Oil Sands Discovery Centre also received $200,000 for repairs and maintenance. In the Fort McMurray region, our investments supported 109 jobs upgrading Highway 63. The Highway 63 bridge twinning project will also create an additional 152 jobs and is expected to be completed in 2022. Alberta’s Government also invested millions in water and wastewater projects benefitting the communities of Anzac, Conklin, Gregoire Lake, and Janvier.

Alberta’s Recovery Plan included over $13 million in funding for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo for water and flood mitigation projects. It also provided more than $3 million for Lac La Biche County and over $25 million for the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Municipal Sustainability Initiative funding.

To start 2021, we’ve also announced expansions to the Small and Medium Enterprise Relaunch Grant program. It will allow new businesses that began operating between March and October 2020 and sole proprietors to apply for COVID-19 relief funding. The grant offers financial assistance to Alberta businesses, cooperatives, and nonprofit organizations with fewer than 500 employees that have faced restrictions due to COVID-19 health orders and have experienced revenue losses of at least 30 per cent.

All of these projects and initiatives have provided hundreds of jobs throughout northeastern Alberta and highlighted how vital the building and construction industries are to keeping the province moving forward. As we head into 2021 you can expect to see our government’s continual investment in these types of projects. Alberta’s Government is striving to balance the health and safety of all Albertans while allowing business and investment to endure. 2021 is all about supporting the lives and livelihoods of Albertans as we continue to navigate these challenging times. n