Alberta
Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre thrilled with Provincial Funding announcement
Mark Jones of the Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre comments on the Province’s financial commitment to children
From the Province of Alberta
New funding model for child advocacy centres
The Government of Alberta is introducing a consistent and equitable funding model to help vulnerable children across the province get the help they need.
Child advocacy centres provide a safe place for children and youth who have experienced abuse. The centres allow clients to tell their stories and access support throughout the entire process of disclosure, investigation, the judicial phase and healing journey.
The centres bring together multi-disciplinary teams to provide a coordinated and child-friendly approach that minimizes trauma, supports healing, and increases the likelihood of offender conviction.
A new funding allocation model will replace the previous system of annual grants, which created uncertainty and inconsistency between centres. A three-year funding cycle will ensure an equitable and sustainable approach, emphasizing government’s continued commitment to supporting the most vulnerable Albertans.
“Child Advocacy Centres show the power of public, private and not-for profit organizations working with caring citizens to support children and families affected by abuse. This new funding model will ensure fairness across the province and give families certainty in accessing the supports they need.”
“We are grateful for the support of the Government of Alberta. Child Advocacy Centres are the result of a strong community response working to end child abuse through collaboration of services and resources. This funding allows us to continue to help children and youth who have experienced abuse efficiently access the services and supports they need, under one roof.”
“This long-term funding model allows us to plan for the future of our centre in a thoughtful way. While we are disappointed to receive less funding than before, we understand the need to ensure equity across the province and we will look to take a leadership role in collecting data and information to inform government decision-making over the next few years.”
Government will provide $3.4 million per year for 2020-23 to support child advocacy centres in Edmonton, Calgary, Grande Prairie, Red Deer, Lloydminster and Fort McMurray. Funding has been set aside for centres in Medicine Hat and Lethbridge, should they become operational.
| 2019 | 2022-23 | |
|---|---|---|
| Zebra Child Protection Centre (Edmonton) | $712,000 | $1,037,050 |
| Calgary and Area Child Advocacy Centre | $1,979,000 | $1,306,850 |
| Caribou Centre Child Advocacy Centre (Grande Prairie) | $150,000 | $202,350 |
| Central Alberta Child Advocacy Centre (Red Deer) | $150,000 | $303,530 |
| The Little Bear Child and Youth Advocacy Centre (Lloydminster) | $115,530 | $126,470 |
| Care Centre for Children and Youth (Fort McMurray) | $133,000 | $160,200 |
Total funding amounts will not change, but will be distributed based on the new model, which takes into account previous base funding, the volume of clients served, and the intensity of need based on a community’s child intervention caseload. The three-year grants will also include data collection obligations, allowing for funding based on consistent metrics across the province. The funding allocation model does not affect co-located government staff from Children’s Services and Alberta Health Services.
New funding model reduces red tape
Because grants will no longer have to be renewed each year, the new funding model will reduce the administrative burden on centres and government staff. This is part of government’s ongoing commitment to reducing red tape and making processes more efficient.
Quick facts
- In 2008, there were 14,403 substantiated cases of child abuse in Alberta.
- 36 per cent of adults in Alberta have experienced some form of abuse in their youth.
- Alberta’s Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act requires anyone who believes a child is at risk to report their concern.
- Albertans should know the signs of abuse and neglect, and report any concerns to the Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-387-KIDS (available in multiple languages, 24 hours a day), or contact a local Children’s Services office, Delegated First Nations Agency, or law enforcement.
- The funding in each centre will be directed towards multidisciplinary triage, forensic interviews, victim advocacy, court preparation, and service coordination (medical and mental health referrals).
From the Fraser Institute
By Tegan Hill and Nathaniel Li
Albertans contributed $53.6 billion more to CPP then retirees in Alberta received from it from 1981 to 2022
Albertans’ net contribution to the Canada Pension Plan —meaning the amount Albertans paid into the program over and above what retirees in Alberta
received in CPP payments—was more than six times as much as any other province at $53.6 billion from 1981 to 2022, finds a new report published today by the Fraser Institute, an independent, non-partisan Canadian public policy think-tank.
“Albertan workers have been helping to fund the retirement of Canadians from coast to coast for decades, and Canadians ought to know that without Alberta, the Canada Pension Plan would look much different,” said Tegan Hill, director of Alberta policy at the Fraser Institute and co-author of Understanding Alberta’s Role in National Programs, Including the Canada Pension Plan.
From 1981 to 2022, Alberta workers contributed 14.4 per cent (on average) of the total CPP premiums paid—Canada’s compulsory, government- operated retirement pension plan—while retirees in the province received only 10.0 per cent of the payments. Alberta’s net contribution over that period was $53.6 billion.
Crucially, only residents in two provinces—Alberta and British Columbia—paid more into the CPP than retirees in those provinces received in benefits, and Alberta’s contribution was six times greater than BC’s.
The reason Albertans have paid such an outsized contribution to federal and national programs, including the CPP, in recent years is because of the province’s relatively high rates of employment, higher average incomes, and younger population.
As such, if Alberta withdrew from the CPP, Alberta workers could expect to receive the same retirement benefits but at a lower cost (i.e. lower payroll tax) than other Canadians, while the payroll tax would likely have to increase for the rest of the country (excluding Quebec) to maintain the same benefits.
“Given current demographic projections, immigration patterns, and Alberta’s long history of leading the provinces in economic growth, Albertan workers will likely continue to pay more into it than Albertan retirees get back from it,” Hill said.
Understanding Alberta’s Role in National Programs, Including the Canada Pension Plan
- Understanding Alberta’s role in national income transfers and other important programs is crucial to informing the broader debate around Alberta’s possible withdrawal from the Canada Pension Plan (CPP).
- Due to Alberta’s relatively high rates of employment, higher average incomes, and younger population, Albertans contribute significantly more to federal revenues than they receive back in federal spending.
- From 1981 to 2022, Alberta workers contributed 14.4 percent (on average) of the total CPP premiums paid while retirees in the province received only 10.0 percent of the payments. Albertans net contribution was $53.6 billion over the period—approximately six times greater than British Columbia’s net contribution (the only other net contributor).
- Given current demographic projections, immigration patterns, and Alberta’s long history of leading the provinces in economic growth and income levels, Alberta’s central role in funding national programs is unlikely to change in the foreseeable future.
- Due to Albertans’ disproportionate net contribution to the CPP, the current base CPP contribution rate would likely have to increase to remain sustainable if Alberta withdrew from the plan. Similarly, Alberta’s stand-alone rate would be lower than the current CPP rate.
Tegan Hill
Director, Alberta Policy, Fraser Institute
Nathaniel Li
Senior Economist, Fraser Institute
Alberta
Alberta Institute urging Premier Smith to follow Saskatchewan and drop Industrial Carbon Tax
From the Alberta Institute
Axe Alberta’s Industrial Carbon Tax
Aside from tariffs, carbon taxes have been the key topic of the election campaign so far, with Mark Carney announcing that the Liberals would copy the Conservatives’ long-standing policy to axe the tax – but with a big caveat.
You see, it’s misleading to talk about the carbon tax as if it were a single policy.
In fact, that’s what the Liberals would like you to think because it helps them hide all the other carbon taxes they’ve forced on Canadians and on the Provinces.
Broadly speaking, there are actually four types of carbon taxes in place in Canada:
- A federal consumer carbon tax
- A federal industrial carbon tax
- Various provincial consumer carbon taxes
- Various provincial industrial carbon taxes
Alberta was actually the first jurisdiction anywhere in North America to introduce a carbon tax in 2007, when Premier Ed Stelmach introduced a provincial industrial carbon tax.
Then, as we all know, the Alberta NDP introduced a provincial consumer carbon tax in 2017.
The provincial consumer carbon tax was short-lived, as the UCP repealed it in 2019.
But, unfortunately, the UCP failed to repeal the provincial industrial carbon tax at the same time.
Worse, by then, the federal Liberals had introduced a federal consumer carbon tax and a federal industrial carbon tax as well!
Flash forward to 2025, and the political calculus has changed dramatically.
Mark Carney might only be promising to get rid of the federal consumer carbon tax, but Pierre Poilievre is promising to get rid of both the federal consumer carbon tax and the federal industrial carbon tax.
This is a clear opportunity, and yesterday, Scott Moe jumped on it.
He announced that Saskatchewan will also be repealing its provincial industrial carbon tax.
Saskatchewan never had a provincial consumer carbon tax, which means that, within just a few weeks, people in Saskatchewan could be paying ZERO carbon tax of ANY kind.
Alberta needs to follow Saskatchewan’s lead.
The Alberta government should immediately repeal Alberta’s provincial industrial carbon tax.
There’s no excuse for our provincial government to continue burdening our industries with unnecessary costs that hurt competitiveness and deter investment.
These taxes make it harder for businesses to thrive, grow, and create jobs, especially when other provinces are taking action to eliminate similar policies.
Premier Danielle Smith must act now and eliminate the provincial industrial carbon tax in Alberta.
If you agree, please sign our petition calling on the Alberta government to Axe Alberta’s Industrial Carbon Tax today:
After you’ve signed, please send the petition to your friends, family, and wider network, so that every Albertan can have their voice heard!
– The Alberta Institute Team
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