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Establishing the government’s recovery communities, supporting developments near the planned Calgary arena, and helping craft a new policy for naming buildings are among the priorities for Infrastructure Minister Pete Guthrie, according to a mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith.
The letter, published mid-day Wednesday, lists working on developing the 11 recovery communities announced by the province as the ministry’s top task, where it is asked to “lead, build and operationalize” the facilities.
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“We do have serious concern in this area,” Guthrie said in a phone interview with Postmedia Wednesday.
Two of those communities have already opened, Guthrie said, with work beginning on another last week.
He couldn’t specify a firm timeline for the future facilities but said preliminary work is already underway.
“Right now we are out exploring the province, looking for locations, evaluating where we have the largest issues and logistically just looking at where’s the best location that we can get this up and running as quickly as possible.”
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Recovery communities were first introduced by former premier Jason Kenney whose government estimated the facilities cost roughly $5 million each to build.
The letter also tasks the minister with “accelerat(ing) priority investments” as defined by cabinet and caucus. Those investments include the 11 recovery communities, Guthrie said.
The letter also mentions the government’s commitment of $330 million towards road and bridge construction, LRT connection, site utilities, and other supportive infrastructure near the new Calgary arena project.
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The language echoes that found in the mandate letter to Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen, whose department is the lead on the Calgary arena work.
Guthrie said his ministry is playing a more supportive role, with the City of Calgary also taking on much of the work.
“We’re there to help and assist with planning (and) design,” he said. “We’re in more of a supportive role.”
More predictable formula for capital spending
The letter also reiterates the government’s plan to develop a capital funding formula in an effort to “ensure long-term greater predictability.”
That priority was first set out in the November 2022 mandate letter to then Infrastructure minister Nathan Neudorf.
Guthrie described the formula as “a work in progress” at the moment.
“We’re doing our best to give that predictability that industry is looking for but at the same time we’ve got to be effective stewards of public dollars,” he said.
“We’d like to start looking five years and 10 years and 20 years and have a little more clarity as to what that funding should look like.”
He said it was a “distinct possibility” that once developed, the formula would be legislated in a way that would make it difficult for future governments to remove.
Finally, the letter also calls on the minister to work alongside Culture Minister Tanya Fir to develop a building naming policy that “celebrates and exemplifies Alberta’s culture.”
Guthrie said there is “no set way” around how buildings are currently named, but said the goal was to have more Alberta buildings named after Albertans.
“People that are directly important to Alberta I think would be the priority for sure.”
mblack@postmedia.com
