A leading rural politician in Alberta expects strong support for rural development from the provincial government this spring when it announces its annual budget.
“I’m hoping we’ll see up to $100 million a year in funding,” said Don Johnson, president of the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties.
He said rural municipalities would use the fund for bursaries to train professionals who would return to rural areas or for facility or infrastructure construction that would attract people to settle in rural areas.
The cash-rich provincial government had rejected AAMDC’s suggestion of a $1 billion endowment that would provide stable funding for rural projects, but Johnson expects there will be a compromise.
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federal government proposed several months ago to increase the compensation rate from 80 to 90 per cent and double the maximum payment from $3 million to $6 million
“The government doesn’t seem prepared to commit to the endowment but I believe there will be an annual commitment to rural development.”
In its Feb. 22 throne speech that opened the new session of the Alberta legislature, the government promised that “budget 2006 will allocate new funding to provide stable, long-term support to local rural development projects.
“This will promote economic development, improve access to health care and learning, enhance environmental protection and create more opportunities for youth in rural areas.”
Johnson said one benefit will be the provincial commitment to increase immigration to the province to 24,000 from 16,000.
There is also is a homegrown solution.
“We have an untapped resource in our aboriginal community,” he said. “We need to involve them more.”
However, he also sees increased provincial funding for rural development as a key ingredient of future progress.
Johnson was part of a national task force that recommended more national and provincial government recognition of rural issues.
