• Balanced Commitment for Major and Capital & Maintenance Renewal Projects.
  • Action to Accelerate Alberta Architects.

The Consulting Architects of Alberta (CAA) is pleased to see a bold commitment in the 2022 Capital Plan from the Alberta Provincial Government with significant spending for infrastructure projects totaling more than $20 billion over 3 years, including recently announced increases of $900 million in 2022-23 and $450 million in 2023-24. Of note is the approval of large and meaningful projects in Edmonton, Red Deer, Calgary, and throughout rural Alberta. These projects are spread across Healthcare, Schools, Post-Secondary Institutions, Justice Facilities, and more.

While large projects importantly support larger firms, the Alberta Government has listened to the CAA over the last 24 months that Small and Medium-sized Enterprise (SME) architectural firms make up a large portion of architectural firms in Alberta and supporting them is critical to economic diversity and vitality within the province. This was reflected in spending that doubled the Capital Maintenance and Renewal (CMR) funding in 2020-21 from $937 million to $1.9 billion by accelerating the Capital Plan. With $3.2 billion now slated for CMR projects over the next 3 years, this shows a continued commitment that will directly benefit SMEs in the province. This long-term CMR strategy ensures Alberta’s capital assets are sustained and repaired to generate the most value, and Alberta’s architectural firms possess the skills to minimize associated life cycle costs of essential infrastructure.

Continued CMR funding means immediate results, to quickly get beyond “shovel ready” to see actual construction work in 2022. For every $1 spent on project design fees, the construction community generates $9. Thus, getting CMR projects underway quickly will have a profound knock-on effect for our engineering colleagues and our essential construction partners as we face 2022 with renewed vigor, determination, and commitment by Alberta’s architectural firms to help make it happen.

 

Media Contacts:

CAA Chair:

Allan Partridge, Next Architecture Inc, Edmonton, Alberta 780 970 4411

 

CAA Procurement & Contracts Committee Co-Chair:

Doug McConnell, DIALOG, Edmonton, Alberta 780 993 4678