There's a price to pay for Alberta's booming economy and overall high livability.In the last three years, around 450,000 people, the equivalent of approximately four Red Deers, have entered the province on a quest to build a life outside of Canada's struggling left wing jurisdictions like Toronto and B.C. Many have also come from overseas.More people mean significant pressure on the education and health-care systems. So the province is doubling down — and spending big — to accommodate massive population growth. Meanwhile, shortcomings in education and healthcare, created in large part by Alberta's prosperity, are being used by the Alberta NDP as points of criticism. "So when you look at the way in which the housing industry has has accelerated, multi- residential has accelerated, the accelerated plan that we're putting together for building new schools, those are all in response to the fact that we have a lot of people here who need to have those services," said Premier Danielle Smith in a press conference on Friday.In September, Smith announced the province will spend $8.6 billion on approximately 30 schools to create 200,000 new student spaces.On Friday, she said healthcare is under pressure across the country. Total health-care spending has reached approximately $45 billion — $9,370 per person in Alberta."We need a robust primary care system, so everyone has a family doctor — and that allows for a lot of chronic disease management so that people don't end up in a hospital," said Smith."We feel that we're probably about 12,000 beds behind in building on our long-term care system, and then, of course, addiction and mental health, we're already on a pathway to build about 750 new beds for mental health addiction treatment.""(And) nurse practitioners (are) now able to locate to new communities, especially with the pharmacists, also being able to take some of the pressure off of primary care."Is there a benefit to Alberta's population growth?"Immigration policy is not inherently prosperity-driven, but it can be," says the Business Council of Alberta. "Done well, immigration can meet labour market needs, support new immigrants in their chosen field, narrow disparities in economic and social outcomes, and ultimately boost productivity and economic growth."
There's a price to pay for Alberta's booming economy and overall high livability.In the last three years, around 450,000 people, the equivalent of approximately four Red Deers, have entered the province on a quest to build a life outside of Canada's struggling left wing jurisdictions like Toronto and B.C. Many have also come from overseas.More people mean significant pressure on the education and health-care systems. So the province is doubling down — and spending big — to accommodate massive population growth. Meanwhile, shortcomings in education and healthcare, created in large part by Alberta's prosperity, are being used by the Alberta NDP as points of criticism. "So when you look at the way in which the housing industry has has accelerated, multi- residential has accelerated, the accelerated plan that we're putting together for building new schools, those are all in response to the fact that we have a lot of people here who need to have those services," said Premier Danielle Smith in a press conference on Friday.In September, Smith announced the province will spend $8.6 billion on approximately 30 schools to create 200,000 new student spaces.On Friday, she said healthcare is under pressure across the country. Total health-care spending has reached approximately $45 billion — $9,370 per person in Alberta."We need a robust primary care system, so everyone has a family doctor — and that allows for a lot of chronic disease management so that people don't end up in a hospital," said Smith."We feel that we're probably about 12,000 beds behind in building on our long-term care system, and then, of course, addiction and mental health, we're already on a pathway to build about 750 new beds for mental health addiction treatment.""(And) nurse practitioners (are) now able to locate to new communities, especially with the pharmacists, also being able to take some of the pressure off of primary care."Is there a benefit to Alberta's population growth?"Immigration policy is not inherently prosperity-driven, but it can be," says the Business Council of Alberta. "Done well, immigration can meet labour market needs, support new immigrants in their chosen field, narrow disparities in economic and social outcomes, and ultimately boost productivity and economic growth."
