Rural Albertans express shortfall frustration
Local officials grill NDP ministers about issues but few solutions offered
Citing serious deficiencies in basic health care, infrastructure maintenance and transportation funding, councillors from across rural Alberta grilled NDP government ministers Thursday on when they will get some relief.
“We only have one doctor, who works only one day a week, and we have no pharmacy,” said Joseph Shi, a councillor from the Village of Cremona, just north of Cochrane.
“Our streets are rundown, we can’t get money for improvements, and it’s a shame because we’re a tourist town and our community just does not look good.”
Gene Sobolewski, mayor of the town of Bonnyville, northeast of Edmonton, added his community’s local hospital has been in need of an expansion for years.
“We’re literally bursting at the seams. We detest the fact we have to keep sending people to Edmonton, but we just have no more room. “We very much need funding.” But Brian Mason, the NDP minister of transportation and infrastructure, warned that as Alberta continues to struggle with slumping oil prices, he could not make any guarantees for funding for any expansion or capital projects.
“During this difficult financial time, we have a bit of a shock to absorb,” he said.
“We’ve had dozens of proposals for roads, bridges, water systems, public transit.
“Not a single one of what is in front of us is frivolous or unnecessary. The question is how much can we actually afford?”
Hundreds of municipal representatives are gathered in Calgary this week for the annual Alberta Urban Municipalities Association at the Telus Convention Centre.
Thursday’s session featured several bear- pit sessions with provincial government ministers, including Mason, who was joined by Sarah Hoffman, minister of health and seniors, and Kathleen Ganley, minister of justice and aboriginal affairs.
While Ganley heard concerns about a lack of legal aid funding for vulnerable citizens, Hoffman heard several rural councillors complaining about a lack of medical professionals in their communities.
“We have hospital wings sitting empty, just being used for storage, because we can’t staff them,” said Nichole Adams, councillor for the Town of Athabasca.
“Everyone in our region has to go to Edmonton for basic services.”
But neither Ganley nor Hoffman provided any real solutions beyond just looking into rural cries for help.
“Many municipalities are having struggles, we know that. And these are all things that we are working on,” Hoffman said.
Mason did say the NDP will consider building some projects since a lagging economy provides an opportunity to access cheap materials and labour costs.
“In a downturn, when there’s extra capacity, companies have shut down, engineers are available.
“Costs of materials and labour are cheaper, even money is cheaper, it’s a good time to get going on some infrastructure, it’s a good time to build.”
But Richard Starke, Progressive Conservative MLA for Vermilion-Lloydminster, said rural Albertans are feeling completely forgotten by the new NDP government, which has just two cabinet ministers from rural areas.
“There’s a real lack of political clout in rural areas right now, most of which are represented by opposition MLAs,” Starke said, stressing rural Alberta deserves more funding since that is where the province’s resource wealth comes from.
“There are no oil and gas wells, no forests, no mines, no farms and no ranches in urban Alberta.”
Drew Barnes, MLA for Cyprus-Medicine Hat and infrastructure and transportation critic for the Wildrose party, agreed, adding that rural Albertans deserve more local decision- making powers.
“These rural municipal leaders are very experienced, they’re very knowledgeable about their communities. They deserve predictable, sustainable funding that they can match with their own unique needs.”
Our streets are rundown, we can’t get money for improvements, and it’s a shame because we’re a tourist town and our community just does not look good.