Town Council receives final provincial update from MLA Long before election

At a recent Whitecourt Town Council meeting, MLA Martin Long presented a yearly update of provincial and local matters. Through the last few years, Long and other MLAs haven’t been able to provide in-person updates to councils. Long said he was happy to return to the routine, with one difference being a looming election.

“I appreciate the work and efforts you as Council have put into continuing to move our community and our region forward. You all didn’t sign up for an easy term. You signed up to lead our community, and inevitably through thick and thin, you guys have done that and set an example in that leadership,” he said, addressing Council.

Long said his update would focus on the positives he has seen over the last year. “Our province has seen a drastic turn from an economic standpoint. We are leading the country in job creation. We have been setting the bar on that for over a year now, and what’s exciting for me is how quietly we’ve done it. In essence, we’ve taken what many perceive Alberta to be, a resource-based economy, and we’ve expanded that exponentially.”

Long said that there were over a hundred thousand job openings in Alberta and that many people had moved to the province. “We have seen 46 thousand people move to Alberta from other provinces in just over a year. We’ve seen 120 thousand people move to Alberta since last August from all jurisdictions, including the other provinces. And simply, the reason is that this is a land of opportunity.”

He felt there were a few factors for the influx of new residents. “Alberta has the highest base rate before you pay any income tax, of any province, by three thousand dollars. We also obviously have no PST, and we have lower housing prices compared to other big centres, with Edmonton and Calgary in particular when you compare them with Toronto, Mississauga, and Vancouver, and other big centres.” Long added that Alberta having the “highest average weekly earnings of any province” was likely also a draw. “People want to come out and earn more money while they are young and able to work.”

Continuing with his update, Long said the growth seen provincewide wasn’t just in one sector. “It’s not just in oil and gas. It’s not just in forestry. It’s not just in agriculture. It’s not just mining and aggregate. We’ve got opportunities in technology too. We’ve seen over 700 million invested in tech over the last year. Five years ago, that number was 30 million dollars. It’s booming.”

Long said one of the recent announcements that caught his attention involved the movement of 300 jobs moving to Alberta from Ontario by RBC. “The reason that caught my attention is that we would typically expect RBC to put those jobs on Main Street, in Ontario. Pulling them directly out of the financial district in Ontario and moving them to Alberta is, to me, a good indicator that we are moving in the right direction, and more will come.”

Long spoke about the province’s Film and Tax Credit and the attention Alberta is getting because of it. “We’ve seen a lot of activity in southern Alberta over the years, and we look to expand that across the province as we move forward with that tax credit. Having the largest production in Canadian history (The Last of Us) happening here in Alberta is getting us a lot of attention on the global stage.”

He touched on the renewable energy sector, saying the growth there was significant, especially with hydrogen advancements, and also touched on oil and gas, saying he expects the industry to grow for decades to come, “and I say decades at a minimum.” Long said he was “very optimistic about the future of Alberta and Canadian energy,” adding that Alberta is making a name for itself globally “as a responsible provider of energy.”

Another provincial sector, agriculture, will continue to expand, said Long, as food security continues to be “on most people’s minds.” Wrapping up the conversation, Long said, “I have a lot of excitement when I sit and talk about opportunities now and in the future for our province.” One concern he had, though, was if the message had gotten out enough.

Healthcare, including Whitecourt receiving a few million dollars in the most recent provincial budget, was the final topic touched on in his update. Long also pointed out that mental health spending increased to over a billion, with a $150 million jump. “In our most recent budget, we did announce a three million dollar allocation for the community of Whitecourt for planning. It was a very important day for me to read that in our budget documents that the Whitecourt Healthcare Centre is being acknowledged.” Long said that he will be waiting, like those before him at the Council table and community members, “to see what comes out of that planning process.”