Budget 2026 focused on strengthening education and improving health care
By Lethbridge Herald on February 27, 2026.
By Alejandra Pulido-Guzman
Lethbridge Herald
Demand for classrooms, health care and social supports continues to increase. Budget 2026 responds with targeted investments to strengthen services and support Albertans at every stage of life.
President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, Nate Horner said Budget 2026 focuses on what matters most to Albertan families including more surgeries, shorter emergency wait times, better access to schools and teachers, and social supports for those who need them most.
“By investing in health, education and community services, the government ensures Albertans can count on care, learning and support when it counts,” says Horner.
To meet the challenges and address the pressure the health system is facing, Alberta’s government is committing $34.4 billion in total expense to health care to expand capacity, reduce wait times and strengthen front-line care.
This investment will support hospitals, surgical services, primary care and mental health and addiction treatment, while helping Albertans receive care closer to home through an increase of $1.9 billion, or roughly six per cent from 2025-26 forecast.
The budget also invests in family physicians and front-line health care workers and helps Albertans age with dignity in their homes and communities.
Budget 2026 invests in Alberta’s hospitals and surgical capacity to meet the demand of a growing population with:
•$12.3 billion in 2026-27 to operate Alberta’s hospital and surgical systems, supporting staffing, surgical activity, emergency services and diagnostics. This includes:
• A $6 billion investment in acute care, including an additional $525 million in the Alberta Surgical Initiative, to complete 50,000 additional surgeries over the next three years.
• $1.2 billion over three years in cancer care, including an additional $223 million over three years in Cancer Care Alberta to hire more oncologists, expand surgical capacity, increase spaces at the Cross Cancer Institute and expand access to cancer care support services.
• $21 million over three years in Cancer Care grants will stabilize and scale community cancer programs offered by external providers, so patients and families receive consistent, comprehensive care.
• $1 billion in operating expense for physician compensation and development.
• $804 million in 2026-27 in Emergency Health Services.
The 2026 Capital Plan continues to support ongoing major health projects and initiatives, including $280 million over the next three years, including $149 million in new funding, for the Diagnostic Imaging Enhancement Program to modernize and expand Alberta’s diagnostic imaging and cancer care capacity.
Work will replace end-of-life equipment, introduce advanced technologies, and increase system capacity to meet rising demand.
“Budget 2026 makes strong investments in Alberta’s health-care system, improving our ability to meet growing demand and deliver timely, high-quality care for all Albertans.” Matt Jones, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services
The budget expands access to primary care with $6.9 billion in operating expense for physician compensation, or a 6.5 per cent increase from the 2025-26 forecast, $87 million over three years to support the nurse practitioner program and $2.2 billion for drugs and supplemental health benefits including the seniors drug program, which is the largest component supporting more than 700,000 seniors.
“Primary care is the foundation of our health system. Budget 2026 makes crucial investments to expand and strengthen primary care, so every Albertan can get the care they need, when and where they need it.” Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Primary and Preventative Health Services
In terms of education, Budget 2026 is making a record investment of $10.8 billion for Alberta’s education system – an increase of $722 million or 7.2 per cent from the 2025-26 forecast. The funding represents a significant step toward the hiring of 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 new educational assistants.
Alberta’s investment includes $560 million over three years to address enrolment growth, along with $1.4 billion over three years to help address classroom complexity.
Budget 2026 also kick-starts 40 new public-school projects as part of the government’s plan to renovate and build more schools in across Alberta communities.
With these new approvals, there are now more than 161 active public-school projects underway across the province.
A total allocation of $10.8 billion in operating expense in 2026-27 to support instruction and early childhood services programs in school authorities.
•$1.84 billion is allocated for learning support funding to attend to unique and diverse learning needs of children and students, including supporting student mental health and well-being in schools.
•$4.6 million is allocated to address the unique learning needs of First Nations students, including specialized learning supports and both universal and targeted mental health supports and services.
•$6.6 million is allocated to school authorities to provide sustainable, predictable career education funding.
• $32.1 million is allocated to collegiate schools, in support of increased access to career education programming.
• $4.1 billion in capital investment is allocated over three years to maintain, enhance, plan, and build new schools.
• $355 million is allocated to address classroom complexity.
• $1.77 billion is allocated for affordable, high-quality and inclusive licensed childcare.
• $344 million is allocated to support the recruitment and retention of early childhood educators working in licenced childcare facilities.
• $560 million over three years is allocated to address enrolment growth.
• $355 million and a three-year total of $1.4 billion for class size and complexity.
• $3.3 billion over three years for K-12 education infrastructure to support the planning, design, and construction of 161 active school projects, including $600 million to add modular classrooms to address immediate enrollment needs.
• $90 million over three years through the new Independent School Capital Program.
This program will create up to 6,000 new student spaces, supporting students with severe and complex learning needs, culturally appropriate education and families who choose an independent school setting.
“This investment is about focusing on what matters most to families. It helps schools keep pace with growing enrolment, ease pressure on class sizes, and ensure classrooms have the supports students need to succeed,” says Demetrios Nicolaides, Minister of Education and Childcare.
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Governments need to stop immigration coming into Canada and Alberta to suck up the heath care and social supports, born Alberta especially seniors die or have to wait years to get surgery and live in poverty because of the billions of dollars spent on taking care of immigrants first, that are bankrupting all of Canada, history will show the stupidity of Canada getting sucked into the mass immigration and world order just to get votes for Liberal Governments which are all falling apart and bankrupting and destroying their countries, time to end immigration now.