Schools on schedule, premier says
Prentice slams ‘misinformation’ about pace of construction
Premier Jim Prentice is countering critics who say the Tories aren’t building infrastructure fast enough, while assuring Albertans that his multibillion-dollar plan to build dozens of schools and continuing care homes is doable and underway.
He said it takes at least three years to build a school and the province is right on schedule, with politicians now “cutting the ribbons” on facilities promised in 2011.
“There has been a lot of misinformation spread that it can be done much faster than that,” Prentice told the Journal editorial board.
“It has created a very unfair perception that nobody is doing anything on these schools. Maybe we can speed them up ... but it just takes time.”
Prentice said 31 of the 35 schools promised by thenpremier Ed Stelmach in 2011 are built and many of the 50 promised under former premier Alison Redford in 2013 have shovels in the ground.
“We triggered another 55 in this third phase,” he said, referring to his $2-billion pledge last week to build 55 more schools.
He chided critics who “have their pictures taken” at planned school sites long after work starts, but before ground is broken.
“They’re not going to see a school there,” Prentice said. “The first year-and-a-half is the most difficult time, where you do the site work and the geotechnical work, get approvals from the cities and figuring out the final design.”
NDP critic Deron Bilous held a news conference Thursday at one such empty site, and warned the decline in oil prices could devastate provincial coffers and force Prentice to break his latest promise.
“As long as the PCs continue to rely on the volatile price of our natural resources, Albertans can expect their kids will remain in makeshift classrooms,” Bilous said, adding NDP would introduce a “fair” and “progressive” taxation regime.
“We’re leaving our infrastructure in the hands of the market,” he said.
“That’s not good stewardship.”
Infrastructure Minister Manmeet Bhullar said government is working with municipalities to speed up the permit process and giving design money to school boards much sooner, so they can start planning. He plans to tender one, two or three schools at a time and encourage innovation.
“Instead of us being very prescriptive ... we can allow industry to come up with new proposals on the types of materials and construction methods,” Bhullar said.
Construction capacity isn’t a problem, industry leaders say.
“There is capacity in the marketplace to add work to our plate, and the plates of many of our peers in Alberta,” said David Filipchuk, president of Canadian operations for PCL Construction.
He said the province can help by negotiating with Ottawa for better temporary foreign worker program terms, which will help with the labour crunch.
“We are constantly trying to build bench strength,” he said.
Paul Verhesen, president of Clark Builders, which recently built more than a dozen Alberta schools, supports Bhullar’s move toward less prescriptive standards, but said it’s a careful balancing act.
“It’s one thing for him to say that, it’s another thing for Alberta Infrastructure to create the opportunity to be creative,” Verhesen said.
He emphasized that infrastructure staff have done a good job of listening, but said in the end, “there is the expectation of delivery.
“Once the politicians have made their decisions, Alberta Infrastructure tries madly to get these done and delivered,” he said.
“There isn’t really a lot of time.”