Year-end wrap-up from the seat of the Minister of Infrastructure, Martin Long

By Serena Lapointe

Minister of Infrastructure Martin Long, MLA for West Yellowhead, sat down with the Whitecourt
Press in the final weeks of 2025 to reflect on the work done since he took the Minister post in
February. The ministry is a significant ingredient in the provincial pot, and the Woodlands
County resident said he is excited to be part of it. “I really do enjoy the fact that it’s such a busy
time. There’s always something on the go. But, truthfully, I am one cog in a wheel. I have an
incredible team in my office and an incredible team in my ministry, and I’m so fortunate to be in
this position for such a time as this.”
One of the most significant moments of 2025 that Minister Long pointed to as a standout for him
was the announcement that the land for the new standalone Stollery Children’s Hospital had
been selected. “It’s been a long time coming. I’ve worked extensively with the Stollery
Foundation and the folks at the Stollery, getting their feedback, and our department worked hard
with the U of A to get an agreement,” he said.
Knowing how important the hospital will be for Albertans, including families in his riding and
community, Minister Long said it was an emotional moment. “I was really overwhelmed that day
to get to that point and make that announcement. It gives me such a sense of pride, yes, but
also humility. When I went around in the early days and said that I would represent the everyday
people, the families that make our communities home, and then, as a dad with young children
myself, the last thing that we want is for our children to be in a hospital. For me to be in a
position today where I can be a partner in helping lead this future project and create a space
where children will thrive when they are in the unfortunate circumstance of needing care, is so
humbling.”
As for a timeline, Minister Long said his team will be coordinating with the Stollery, University of
Alberta, Health Ministry and partners in other jurisdictions to work towards the functional
program planning for what the facility will need. “We are hoping to complete that process in
2026, and then at that point, once we know what the facility will need, we will get into the design
phase followed by construction.”
Other projects that took place last year include the opening of the Calgary Recovery
Community, a mental health and addiction facility, and the launch of 45 school-related projects.
“There’s also another project that many families will be familiar with, and that’s the old Royal
Alberta Museum in Edmonton. We are in the early negotiations for the potential redevelopment
of it. We will see what comes of that.”
He said he let it be known his first week as Minister of Infrastructure that he wanted to take
another look at the building, ultimately halting the plans to demolish it and seeking requests for
expressions of interest to see who would consider redeveloping the space, giving it a new life.
The deadline for submissions was in November. Though there isn’t a timeline yet for next steps,
Minister Long said conversations about those submissions will start in 2026.

When it comes to sitting down with construction stakeholders, Minister Long said regular
meetings and a partnership mindset are significant focuses for him. “If we have a ‘no’ answer to
give, we are giving that no with a reason now and making sure we continue to move forward
because we need all of our industry partners on board with us. We have many schools to build,
health projects in various stages, and a number of other projects on provincial infrastructure that
we need to complete. So, we need all hands on deck at this point,” he said, adding that
meetings have been very positive.
For class sizes, Minister Long said provincial growth is obviously putting strain on public
infrastructure components and that the government is responding. “We’ve announced an 8.6-
billion-dollar investment to build 200,000 student spaces over a seven-year period, and that’s on
top of another 3 billion dollars that were already in the queue being done. We recognize there
are pressures in the system, and we will do our best to speed up timelines and get spaces built
so all students can enjoy a positive learning experience,” he explained.
As previously reported in The Press, the 2025-26 Electoral Boundaries Commission recently
recommended removing Jasper from the West Yellowhead constituency and adding Swan Hills,
through a multi-constituency redistributing plan, enabling the commission to eliminate two
provincial seats from rural Alberta. The commission’s reasoning was to place the two seats in
Calgary, where population growth has been exponentially higher.
Minister Long said he disagrees with the commission’s recommendation for his constituency
and has voiced that through their feedback survey, along with other affected Albertans. “I
believe that Jasper is best suited to remain in the West Yellowhead constituency. I travel that
corridor frequently, and I do know that it’s the general corridor, east/west, for folks living in the
region. I can appreciate the intention that the commission might’ve had, but disagree with
removing Jasper from the West Yellowhead constituency and putting it in a riding with Canmore
and Banff,” he said.
Minister Long explained that his ability to access both Hinton and Jasper through his current
constituency allows him to meet with residents regularly. He said that changing the boundary
would likely keep residents from meeting one-on-one with their representative. “Travelling the
highway 93 corridor in the wintertime, if it’s open, is treacherous, and there are many times
when it isn’t open, which would effectively make it impossible for constituents to meet with their
MLA and for the MLA to go to the communities.”
He said that while he understands the commission’s focus on population growth, rural Albertans
have different accessibility concerns than urban Albertans, as well as different needs. He said
focusing on reasonable boundaries and effective representation is important and cannot
become lost in the conversation. A virtual meeting will take place on January 15, where
residents can share feedback. Register for it at the commission’s website www.abebc.ca.
As he looks forward to 2026, Minister Long said his focus will be on building and modernizing
schools, creating more spaces and capacity for acute care and hospitals, and continuing
important engagement with partners in the construction sector and external stakeholders. He
encourages everyone, his fellow Albertans, constituents of West Yellowhead and community
members, to continue being what Alberta is all about. “It’s a land of opportunity where every

community feels like you’re surrounded by family, whether you grew up there or came from afar.
I encourage all of us to continue moving forward and embodying the land that everyone wants
to be part of with us. Happy New Year!”