Alberta Budget 2025: Parks / Recreation Advocacy Group Stakeholder Brief

Executive Summary

Alberta Budget 2025 delivers $293 million in three-year capital investment for Forestry and Parks, including $116 million for parks capital maintenance and renewal, $29 million for new campground development, $31 million for water and wastewater infrastructure, and $24 million for Crown land trails. These investments address long-standing capacity shortages and infrastructure deficits in Alberta's parks system. However, the operating budget tells a different story: Forestry and Parks operating expense is $362 million in 2025-26, declining to $349 million by 2027-28. Program review reductions of $26 million over three years and the absence of a wildfire disaster line item create fiscal pressure that could affect parks services and maintenance delivery.

Top 5 Relevant Budget Measures

1. Provincial Parks Capital Maintenance and Renewal: $116 million over three years -- The largest parks-specific capital allocation at $57 million in 2025-26, declining to $43 million and $16 million in subsequent years. This front-loaded spending profile means the majority of maintenance work occurs in the first year.

2. New Campground Development: $29 million over three years -- Capital funding of $2 million in 2025-26, ramping up to $12 million and $15 million in subsequent years. This addresses significant campground capacity shortages across the provincial parks system.

Parks Water and Wastewater Infrastructure: $31 million over three years -- Critical environmental infrastructure for campgrounds and day-use areas, with $5 million in 2025-26 growing to $10 million and $16 million. This investment improves environmental standards at parks facilities.

Crown Land Trails: $24 million over three years -- Trail development and improvement on Crown lands, plus $5 million for Kananaskis area trail upgrades. Together these investments expand recreation access in high-demand areas.

Active Communities Initiative: $30 million over three years -- Through Tourism and Sport, $10 million per year supports sport and recreation infrastructure across communities. This is complemented by the $100 million Community Facility Enhancement Program through Arts, Culture and Status of Women.

Risks

The operating budget decline from $362 million to $349 million by 2027-28 is the most significant concern. Capital investment creates new assets, but operating budgets fund the staffing, maintenance, and services that make parks functional and welcoming. Building $29 million in new campgrounds while reducing operating budgets creates a sustainability gap: new facilities require ongoing operational funding for cleaning, maintenance, staffing, and utility costs.

The parks capital maintenance allocation is severely front-loaded: $57 million in 2025-26 dropping to just $16 million in 2027-28. This means the majority of maintenance work must be planned, procured, and executed in the first year, creating project management pressure and potentially leaving the second and third years with insufficient maintenance funding.

Program review reductions of $26 million over three years, while focused on innovation grants, education, research, and extension, reduce the ministry's broader capacity. These cuts may limit environmental education programs, volunteer coordination, and interpretive services that enhance the parks visitor experience.

The absence of a dedicated wildfire disaster line item means that a severe fire season could redirect parks resources to suppression activities, diverting attention and funding from parks operations and capital project delivery. The 2024 season cost $707 million in Forestry and Parks disaster expense.

The seniors camping fee discount introduction reduces parks fee revenue and is part of a broader $56 million revenue decrease. While socially desirable, this revenue reduction constrains the parks system's ability to fund operations from user fees.

Opportunities

The $29 million campground development program directly addresses the capacity shortage that recreation advocates have identified as a priority. With camping reservation systems consistently showing full capacity during peak seasons, new campground development creates immediate recreational access improvement. The ramp-up profile ($2 million, $12 million, $15 million) means the most significant development occurs in 2026-27 and 2027-28.

The $31 million water and wastewater infrastructure investment improves environmental outcomes at parks facilities. Recreation advocacy groups can position this investment as essential environmental stewardship, ensuring parks facilities meet contemporary water quality and wastewater treatment standards.

The $24 million Crown land trails investment, combined with $5 million for Kananaskis trail upgrades, expands trail access in areas of high recreational demand. These investments support hiking, mountain biking, horseback riding, and winter recreation activities.

The $5 million Big Island Provincial Park investment and the $7 million Parks South Saskatchewan Regional Plan Implementation signal continued expansion of the parks portfolio in areas aligned with regional recreation demand.

Community-level recreation benefits from the $30 million Active Communities Initiative and the $100 million Community Facility Enhancement Program, which together provide $130 million over three years for sport, recreation, and community facilities.

Likely Government Intent

The government is investing in capital assets (campgrounds, trails, infrastructure) that demonstrate visible progress and address public demand for outdoor recreation access, while constraining operating costs consistent with the overall fiscal restraint framework. The capital investment signals a commitment to parks expansion, while the operating decline reflects the belief that efficiency gains and revenue (despite the seniors discount) can maintain service quality with fewer dollars.

The wildfire mitigation investment ($15 million over three years) and enhancement capital ($22 million) indicate recognition of wildfire risk, but the government is relying on the $4 billion contingency rather than dedicated disaster funding for actual wildfire response.

Immediate Questions to Ask Ministries

1. Where are the planned new campground developments located, and what selection criteria are being used? Will public input be sought on location priorities?

2. How will the declining operating budget affect parks staffing, particularly seasonal staff for summer operations?

3. What is the plan for parks capital maintenance in 2027-28 when the allocation drops to $16 million from $57 million in 2025-26?

4. How will the seniors camping fee discount be implemented, and what is the projected revenue impact?

5. What role will volunteer organizations and recreation groups play in trail development and maintenance under the $24 million Crown land trails program?

48-Hour Action Checklist

• Request a parks capital investment priority map showing planned campground and trail development locations
• Assess the impact of the declining operating budget on park staffing levels and visitor services
• Prepare a public position statement on the balance between parks capital investment and operating support
• Review the Community Facility Enhancement Program and Active Communities Initiative for recreation facility funding
• Contact Forestry and Parks on campground development selection criteria and community consultation timelines

30-Day Monitoring Checklist

• Submit recommendations on campground development locations based on demand data and user surveys
• Engage on the parks water and wastewater infrastructure program to advocate for environmental standards
• Monitor trail development procurement for volunteer partnership and stewardship opportunities
• Track Active Communities Initiative project approvals for recreation infrastructure priorities
• Assess the seniors camping fee discount implementation timeline and revenue implications
• Coordinate with tourism operators on the visitor experience implications of parks investments
• Monitor wildfire season indicators for potential impacts on parks operations and capital delivery

Suggested Message Frames

Frame 1 -- Demand Response: "Alberta's parks are under unprecedented demand. The $293 million capital investment is a welcome step, but front-loaded spending and a declining operating budget mean we must stay vigilant on service quality and maintenance."

Frame 2 -- Public Health Infrastructure: "Campgrounds and trails are not luxuries -- they are public health infrastructure. The $29 million for new campgrounds and $24 million for trails help more Albertans access the outdoors."

Frame 3 -- Operations Matter: "Parks capital is only as good as the operating budget behind it. Building new campgrounds while cutting operations creates assets we cannot properly maintain."

Opposition Narratives to Anticipate

Environmental groups will argue that the parks budget is insufficient to protect Alberta's natural heritage, pointing to the operating decline and program review cuts. Recreation user groups may express concern about the front-loaded maintenance profile and insufficient investment in the outer years. Opposition parties may contrast the $293 million parks capital with the much larger allocations for roads ($2.5 billion) and municipal infrastructure ($7.5 billion), arguing parks are underfunded relative to demand. Accessibility advocates may question whether new campground and trail development includes universal accessibility features.

Parks and recreation advocates should emphasize the positive capital investments while constructively highlighting the operating budget sustainability concern as a matter of responsible asset management.

Data Points to Monitor

• Parks reservation system data: occupancy rates, booking lead times, and unmet demand indicators
• Campground development project announcements and construction timelines
• Parks seasonal staffing levels and service hour changes
• Trail development procurement and construction progress
• Wildfire season severity and any impacts on parks operations or closures
• Active Communities Initiative and Community Facility Enhancement Program project approvals
• Seniors camping fee discount uptake and revenue impact data
• Parks visitor satisfaction surveys and incident reports