On February 26, 2026, Finance Minister Nate Horner tabled Budget 2026: Focused on What Matters.

4 days ago
7 min read

Key Messages:

Albertans don’t back down from a challenge and we all know that right now, fiscal times are tough.
Costs are up and uncertainty is everywhere.
- Slowing global markets, low oil prices, population growth and other outside pressures are affecting Alberta’s bottom line.
Budget 2026 focuses on what matters, makes disciplined choices, and takes decisive action to meet these challenges head-on.
The budget is focused on targeted investments in education, health care and our economy to keep our province moving forward.
It invests in health care capacity - hospital beds, health care professionals, and the services patients rely on when they need it most.
It strengthens education by increasing funding to reduce class size and complexity, while supporting educators as they provide students with quality learning.
It invests in the industries, infrastructure, and skilled workforce that drive jobs, opportunity, to drive our economy forward.
Alberta’s government recognizes that in deficit years, government must make responsible choices for the benefit of all Albertans.
To see us through these challenging times, we are committed to strong fiscal leadership by controlling costs and setting clear priorities to ensure taxpayer dollars are spent wisely.

If asked about deficit:

Our budget is projecting a $9.4 billion deficit to keep up with population growth and respond to a volatile global economic market.
Despite our deficit, Alberta remains in the strongest fiscal position of any province in Canada.
- Alberta maintains the lowest tax burden, the strongest GDP per capita, and the some of the highest weekly earnings for workers across Canada.

Budget Highlights:

Alberta’s government remains committed to supporting Albertans in the areas that matter most - like health care, education and our economy.

Health Care:

Alberta’s government is committed to supporting our health care systems, and our frontline workers, to provide Albertans the care they need, when they need it most.
Budget 2026 invests $34.4 billion across health-care sectors to deliver the best support possible to Albertans, expanding access to care, accessibility to new workers, and technology in Alberta’s hospitals.
Alberta will allocate $7.7 billion in physician compensation, or a 22 per cent increase from Budget 2025-26.
To expand access to surgical care, we are projected to invest $525 million over the next three years.
With this goal, Alberta’s government is aiming to deliver 50,000 additional surgical procedures by leveraging chartered surgical facilities to expand operating room capacity to reduce surgical wait times.
$5.9 billion for Assisted Living Alberta and Continuing Care – an increase of more than $495 million from last year.
$2.2 billion for drugs and supplemental health benefits including the seniors drug program, which is the largest component supporting more than 700,000 seniors.
$26 million for 30 psychiatric beds and 60 critically needed community-based beds within the mental health and addiction system.

Education

Rapid population growth has created new challenges for schools and teachers across the province, resulting in more complex classrooms and larger class sizes.
Budget 2026 invests $10.8 billion in education operating funding in 2026-27 and increases to $11.5 billion by 2028-29.
- Funding will help support the commitment to hire 3,000 new teachers and 1,500 new educational assistants over three years
To strengthen our education system, we are projected to deliver $3.3 billion over three years for educational (K-12) infrastructure, an increase of $712 million from Budget 2025, and expediting planning, design, construction and renewal of 161 schools.

Economy:

To help connect Albertans to jobs, Alberta’s government is supporting the development of the productive skilled workforce our province needs.
$115 million for skills and training programs and workforce initiatives to help attract and develop skilled workers to meet the demands of a growing economy.
To support Alberta’s growing industries, we are investing $125 million in the Innovation Employment Grant Program, helping entrepreneurs grow their companies and create new jobs for hard-working Albertans.
We are also investing in diversification across Alberta’s industries and international trade to prepare us for tomorrow.
$149 million this year for economic development and trade, supporting investment attraction, fostering regional economic development, and enhancing internal and international trade.

Capital Plan:

With a total of $28.3 billion over the next three years, the 2026 Capital Plan addresses rising costs and rapid population growth, strengthening our province’s infrastructure.
Our capital plan is projected to support an average of 31,000 direct and 14,500 indirect jobs annually through 2028-29.

Province-wide

$10.8 billion invested in education operating funding
$4.2 billion over three years in capital maintenance and renewal funding
$7.7 billion investment in physician compensation, or a 22 per cent increase from Budget 2025-26
$1.7 billion for Recovery Alberta as the primary provider of mental health and addiction services
$2.6 billion over three years to maintain the Local Government Fiscal Framework providing municipalities with predictable, stable funding, including $1.4 billion over three years for Edmonton and Calgary
$525 million over three years for the Alberta Surgical Initiative, to complete 50,000 additional surgeries
$1.3 billion in 2026-27 to help students in Alberta access a post-secondary education through loans, grants, scholarships and awards
$280 million over the next three years for the Diagnostic Imaging Enhancement Program to modernize and expand diagnostic imaging and cancer care capacity.
$60 million over the next two years for the Rural Hospital Enhancement Program to address building conditions and increase capacity in rural health facilities across the province
$60 million over the next three years for Laboratory Services Enhancement Program to upgrade and expand capacity of laboratory diagnostic equipment
$25 million over three years to support Indigenous-led projects through the Indigenous Reconciliation Initiative and the Aboriginal Business Investment Fund
$785 million over three years for post-secondary facilities
$319 million over three years for developing Compassionate Intervention Centres in Calgary and Edmonton

Regional Breakdown Capital Plan highlights:

Calgary Region: