Alberta promises new schools will be built
Money for 56 new builds in province part of budget
The provincial government says it will keep its promise to build new schools in Alberta, despite the slide in resource revenues.
Premier Jim Prentice made the announcement in Calgary on Tuesday, along with Education Minister Gordon Dirks and Infrastructure Minister Manmeet Bhullar.
The $2-billion program will fund the construction of 56 new schools or additions to existing buildings.
Another 21 schools will be modernized or replaced. All the projects are supposed to be completed by 2018.
Albertans will be able to track the progress of school construction projects through a web site at projects.alberta.ca.
On Monday, the government announced $3.4-billion of infrastructure funding for health care facilities in Alberta, including the first phase of a long-awaited new cancer centre in Calgary.
Funding for the schools was maintained in the provincial budget brought down on March 26, despite the steep drop in government revenue due to lower oil prices. The government will borrow some of the money to pay for the new health and education facilities..
The funding announcements are fuelling speculation that Premier Prentice will call an early election.