Transforming southern Alberta: Budget 2024 unveils major investments
By Lethbridge Herald on April 13, 2024.
AT THE LEGISLATURE
Nathan Neudorf – UCP MLA for Lethbridge East
Exciting news is on the horizon for Southern Alberta as Budget 2024 unveils substantial investments aimed at propelling our region’s healthcare and infrastructure sectors to new heights.
With a focus on the expansion of the University of Lethbridge (U of L) medical school and critical wastewater treatment initiatives in Lethbridge, the future looks brighter than ever.
Budget 2024 marks a momentous occasion with a generous allocation of $224.8 million towards the creation of a new U of L rural focussed medical school, representing a substantial leap forward in medical education and healthcare services. This investment goes beyond mere financial figures; it’s about reshaping our community’s healthcare landscape and nurturing the future leaders of medicine.
With $43.2 million earmarked for a cutting-edge training center right here in Lethbridge, equipped with state-of-the-art classrooms and advanced simulation facilities, we’re ensuring our students receive unparalleled training.
Additionally, $55.6 million will sustain operational expenses, guaranteeing that our training centres in Lethbridge and Grand Prairie remain thriving hubs of medical excellence.
Our investment in expanding physician training programs, to the tune of $126 million, is inspired by the success of similar initiatives in Northern Ontario and British Columbia.
With an impressive 72 per cent rural retention rate for healthcare professionals, these programs underscore our dedication to keeping doctors within our local communities.
Excitingly, the U of L is hoping to invite their first cohort of training physicians in the 2025-2026 school year – a truly inspiring time for medical education in Lethbridge!
But that’s not all – we’re also committed to bolstering our infrastructure. With a $2.8 million grant allocated for the City of Lethbridge’s water treatment plant expansion, we’re taking significant strides towards securing a sustainable future for our city. This funding jumpstarts essential planning and design efforts, laying the groundwork for increased wastewater treatment capacity and healthier communities.
And on the education front, there’s more good news to share. The Lethbridge School Division is poised to receive design funding for the modernization of Galbraith School, while ongoing construction funding drives the development of new K-5 and K-6 elementary schools in Lethbridge-West for both the Lethbridge School and Holy Spirit Divisions.
Let’s not overlook the gym expansion project at Ecole la Verendrye – all part of our vision for fostering vibrant, inspiring learning environments for our children.
With a renewed sense of optimism and a firm commitment to building a brighter future for Southern Alberta, Budget 2024 is paving the way for progress and prosperity. Get ready to join us on this exciting journey as we work together to make our community stronger than ever before!
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…all headed up by a ranting ideologue whose true unstable authoritarian colours are becoming more evident.
“Danielle Smith picks Alberta’s hill to die on: No to heat pumps, solar panels and pharmacare.”
http://www.albertapolitics.ca
Look at the face of Minister of Municipal Affairs Ric McIver in the photo here…speaks volumes.
And Bill 18? “A partisan, petulant temper tantrum on the part of this premier.”
And the above Neudorf attempt? At “trying to make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”
I wish this government would stop wasting our tax dollars in courts fighting Ottawa from giving Albertans money and services (that the province won’t provide).
Now that they have tangled up health care, education, policing, pensions, housing, low-emission energy, human rights, and drought management, I suppose the Minister of Red Tape is looking for another challenge.
Let’s not overlook the fact that this government is NOT listening to Albertans who say NO to leaving the CPP, who say NO to a provincial police force, who say NO to partisan municipal politics et al and who say STOP with the IDEOLOGICAL POLITICAL DISTRACTIONS!
This government? Authoritarian and undemocratic.
Indeed!
right on!
“A race against time’: Alberta community chasing solutions after months of hauling water.”
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/pincher-creek-david-desabrais-cowley-when-in-drought-1.7170621
So, it has been costing the MD of Pincher Creek over $7000/day for water hauling, etc. and it’s being mentioned that taxes will have to increase. And this is at a time when the Smith/Parker UCP/TBA are underfunding municipalities. The possibility of a grasshopper scourge in southern Alberta looms. The cost of all of this, including damages, could be in the $billions. And this is at a time when the Smith/Parker UCP/TBA is quibbling about their ongoing issues with the feds, Bill 18, trans kids, still looming open coal mining applications (Northback Holdings Corporation)…….
Hard lessons may be learned. Priorities? And we have 100s of thousands of people moving into the province? How is this going to play out? Not looking good, at all.
Transforming southern Alberta?
Yep but it didn’t stop the elites at Castle from syphoning water from Haig Creek to make snow. NDP and eco warrior anti everything NIMBY hypocrites.
ski resorts are a net negative environmentally. however, their existence has nothing to do with the focus and quality of our ucp. they serve, foremost, themselves and big corp, and cronies. the environment and the masses get what outcomes follow.
Still didn’t stop the syphoning of Haig Creek. What about the fish when the run off from snow making melts. See how goofy this eco stuff is.