Budget 2025: What It Means for Edmonton Residents

The Bottom Line

Edmonton receives a substantial capital investment package in Budget 2025. MacEwan University gets $110 million for its School of Business, the University of Alberta receives $100 million for the Biological Sciences Centre, NAIT gets $41 million for an Advanced Skills Centre, and NorQuest College receives $4 million for campus expansion. Downtown Edmonton benefits from $106 million over three years for revitalization including the coliseum site, plus continued LRT investment. Combined with your personal income tax cut of up to $750, Edmonton residents see investments touching education, transit, downtown renewal, and health care.

Top Measures That Affect You

1. MacEwan University School of Business: $110 Million

Budget 2025 allocates $110 million over three years for the MacEwan University School of Business in Edmonton. With $20 million in 2025-26 and $45 million in each of the following two years, this project will expand business education capacity for Edmonton students and support the city's growing knowledge economy.

2. University of Alberta Biological Sciences Centre: $100 Million

$100 million in new funding goes to the University of Alberta Biological Sciences Centre project. This will renovate the Biological Sciences Building and increase capacity by nearly 3,200 spaces in high-demand programs. The U of A is Edmonton's largest post-secondary institution and a major employer. This investment strengthens its research and teaching capacity.

3. NAIT Advanced Skills Centre: $41 Million

NAIT receives $41 million over three years for Advanced Skills Centre planning and development, with $20 million in 2025-26 and $21 million the following year. NAIT trains the skilled trades and technical workers that Edmonton's economy needs, from construction to technology.

4. NorQuest College Campus Expansion: $4 Million

NorQuest College receives $4 million for Edmonton Campus Expansion in 2025-26. NorQuest is a key institution for workforce training and newcomer education in Edmonton.

5. Downtown Revitalization and Coliseum Site: $106 Million

$106 million is allocated over three years for downtown revitalization in the City of Edmonton, including improvements to the coliseum site. This includes $6 million in 2025-26, $30 million in 2026-27, and $70 million in 2027-28. This investment addresses the long-awaited renewal of Edmonton's downtown core and the former Northlands Coliseum area.

6. LRT and Transit

Approximately $2.9 billion (federal and provincial combined) is allocated to LRT projects in Edmonton and Calgary. The Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program continues to fund transit improvements. For Edmonton commuters, LRT expansion improves connectivity across the city and reduces commute times.

7. Personal Income Tax Cut

The new 8% bracket on your first $60,000 of income saves you up to $750 per year. For Edmonton households with two tax filers, that is up to $1,500 in combined savings. This takes effect January 1, 2025, with adjusted paycheque withholdings after July 1, 2025.

Direct Financial Impact

Tax savings: Up to $750 per individual from the new 8% bracket. Individuals earning less than $60,000 see personal income taxes fall by approximately 20%.

Property taxes: Education property tax rates increase to $2.72 per $1,000 for residential and $4.00 per $1,000 for non-residential in 2025-26. This increase applies after rates were frozen in 2024-25.

Housing: Edmonton's housing market benefits from continued population growth of 2.5% and falling borrowing costs. Housing starts province-wide are forecast at 43,000 in 2025. Shelter costs are easing with lower interest rates and increased supply.

Employment: Edmonton's economy is diverse, spanning government, post-secondary, health care, and energy services. The unemployment rate is forecast at 7.4% province-wide. Government spending on capital projects in Edmonton supports local construction and professional services jobs.

Inflation: CPI is forecast at 2.6%. Energy inflation is expected to remain subdued. The Rate of Last Resort for electricity was introduced in January 2025, with $4 million for consumer awareness initiatives explaining electricity plan options.

Service Changes

Health system restructuring: Edmonton will be home to administrative functions for the four new provincial health agencies. Medical Device Reprocessing Upgrades are funded at four Edmonton locations. A Drug Production and Distribution Centre in Edmonton will open in 2025.

Primary Care Alberta: The new agency aims to improve access to family doctors and after-hours care across the province, including in Edmonton where wait times for primary care have been a persistent concern.

100 additional police officers: The Safe Streets Action Plan funds additional police officers in Edmonton and Calgary, enhancing public safety in your community.

Family Justice Strategy: This initiative is expanding to Grande Prairie and five base court locations surrounding Edmonton, building on its success in Edmonton and Calgary in improving court experiences for family matters.

Advanced Education expansion: The four major post-secondary capital projects in Edmonton (MacEwan, UofA, NAIT, NorQuest) collectively represent over $255 million in capital investment that will expand program capacity, create construction jobs, and enhance Edmonton's role as a centre for education and research.

School construction: SCAP school construction projects, funded at $2.6 billion province-wide over three years, will deliver new and modernized student spaces in Edmonton's growing communities.

What's Missing

No Edmonton-specific affordable housing target: While ASHC receives $767 million province-wide, there is no Edmonton-specific allocation or target for affordable housing units.

No Kingsway redevelopment announcement: The budget does not address the former Royal Alexandra Hospital Kingsway site or other major urban redevelopment opportunities.

No dedicated homelessness reduction strategy for Edmonton: While $220 million goes to homelessness services province-wide, there is no Edmonton-specific encampment response or housing-first strategy.

No arts and culture boost: Arts, Culture and Status of Women operating expense is essentially flat at $157 million province-wide. Edmonton's arts organizations face a tight funding environment.

No Valley Line completion acceleration: The budget does not specifically address the Valley Line LRT West extension timeline.

Key Dates

Date	Event
January 1, 2025	New 8% personal income tax bracket takes effect
February 27, 2025	Budget 2025 tabled
April 1, 2025	2025-26 fiscal year begins
After July 1, 2025	Adjusted payroll withholdings reflect tax cut on paycheques
2025	Edmonton Drug Production and Distribution Centre opens
2025-26	Downtown and coliseum site revitalization begins ($6M first year)
2025-26	Education property tax rate increases
2025-28	$110M MacEwan, $100M UofA, $41M NAIT projects proceed
2027-28	Downtown revitalization ramps to $70M annual investment

Where to Get Help

• Alberta Treasury Board and Finance: For income tax cut details. Visit alberta.ca/budget.
• City of Edmonton: For information on municipal infrastructure and transit projects. Visit edmonton.ca.
• Alberta Health: For information on health system changes. Call Health Link at 811.
• Edmonton Public Schools / Edmonton Catholic Schools: For updates on new school construction.
• Alberta Advanced Education: For post-secondary capital project updates.
• Your MLA: Contact your Edmonton-area MLA to discuss how budget measures affect your community.