Alberta government approves $152M in infrastructure projects for Calgary

The Province of Alberta has approved an infrastructure wish list in Calgary and provided $152.8 million in funding to get those projects underway.

The funding is part of a $500-million Municipal Stimulus Program meant to funnel cash into shovel-ready projects that will create jobs at a time of high unemployment in Alberta.

Municipal Affairs Minister Tracy Allard says the work will create 900 jobs.

"I personally feel the most compassionate thing we can do right now is create jobs for Albertans and that's what this program is doing," she said.

The projects include:

• Repairs and upgrades to affordable housing units.
• Renewals of roads and fibre infrastructure.
• Building upgrades for Glenbow Museum, Jack Singer Concert Hall and the Northwest Travellers Building.
• Facility upgrades for Telus Spark, Heritage Park, Calgary Zoo, Fort Calgary 'and others.'
• Public realm improvements in Eau Claire.
• Construction of a dome at Shouldice Athletic Park.
• Park system infrastructure upgrades and naturalization.
• Improvements to stormwater drainage.
• Building transit lanes, queue jumps and traffic signal upgrades along 52nd StreetS.E.

Allard said the work will improve 260 affordable housing units and upgrade 20 parks across the city.

"We were lucky, because here at the City of Calgary we anticipated that we would need to be doing this kind of investment in order to restart the economy after our pandemic lows," said Mayor Naheed Nenshi.

"And we were ready to go with a very carefully considered list of shovel worthy and shovel ready infrastructure projects back in the early fall, and I was thrilled that the provincial government approvedall of them."

Nenshi singled out affordable housing as the biggest investment at $50 million.

He also said the investment in the upgrades to cultural buildings means the scaffolding will finally come down on the Public Building, which houses the Jack Singer Concert Hall.