Alberta Minute: Commuter Rail, Rising Roadkill, and a Government Spending Committee

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

This Week In Alberta:

• The Province is forming a Cabinet Committee to evaluate spending across all government programs. The committee's goal is to identify savings that could help fund a promised $760 personal income tax cut per taxpayer. The committee will be composed of the Premier, Finance Minister Nate Horner, Technology and Innovation Minister Nate Glubish, three treasury board members, and three private members. Previously, the promised tax cut's implementation had been delayed until 2026-27, pending the Province's finances.
  
  
• The Alberta government is enhancing its Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) program to support a broader range of projects. Starting next month, the program will increase the funding cap to $300,000, extend the duration of projects to three years, and lengthen the application window. These changes aim to attract a wider variety of applications and boost economic growth across Alberta by supporting both large and small projects. The NRED program has already funded 144 projects and will continue to provide up to 50% of eligible project costs, or 75% for Indigenous-led initiatives.
  
  
• The Government of Alberta says that hundreds of schools across the province will be piloting the new K-6 social studies curriculum. Starting in the 2024-25 school year, 62 school authorities and over 1,700 teachers from 429 schools will test the updated curriculum. Schools will have the opportunity to provide feedback to Alberta Education.

Last Week In Alberta:

• Day one of the work stoppage at Canada’s railways halted the movement of $55 million worth of Alberta products. Canadian National Railway and Canadian Pacific Kansas City locked out 9,300 workers after failing to reach a new contract agreement following months of negotiations. However, the workers are expected to return to the job soon as the federal government has ordered binding arbitration between the rail companies and Teamsters Canada to resolve the dispute.
  
  
• Roadkill numbers in Alberta have significantly increased, with snakes being particularly affected. In 2023, nearly 400 snakes were reported killed by vehicles, a sharp rise from just two in 2021. Overall, more than 7,000 animals were hit by cars last year, a 73% increase from 2019. Deer are the most commonly killed animals, but experts believe these deaths don't significantly impact their populations. The Alberta government is working on projects like wildlife overpasses and underpasses to reduce collisions.
  
  
• Proponents of a commuter rail linking Calgary to Banff, Liricon Capital and their development partner Plenary, have proposed to develop and operate the Calgary to Banff line at no cost to the province. The catch? The Province must build key infrastructure like a rail link from Calgary Airport to downtown and integrate regional rail with Calgary’s Green Line. The project, previously seeking provincial funding, now aims to secure over $1 billion from the Canada Infrastructure Bank (which is also funded by taxpayers). The development is contingent on agreements with municipalities, First Nations, and Canadian Pacific Kansas City for integrating passenger rail with freight operations. The project's progress also hinges on the finalization of Alberta's rail master plan and upcoming federal election outcomes.

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