People get on and off of the C-train at 4th Street Station in Calgary on April 14, 2023.Jude Brocke/The Globe and Mail
The Alberta minister responsible for social services says he was unaware his department had cut funding for low-income transit passes in Calgary and Edmonton despite his office justifying the decision one day earlier, saying the program is a municipal responsibility.
Jason Nixon, Minister of Seniors, Community and Social Services, announced on Wednesday that funding would be restored in both cities. He said his ministry had notified Calgary and Edmonton that the government would no longer subsidize their low-income transit programs as part of their work to meet budget targets, and without his knowledge.
Mr. Nixon said these programs had been put on the financial chopping block because they are considered pilot projects, despite being funded for many years. Following public outrage, he spoke with both big-city mayors on Wednesday.
“We were able to get feedback about what implications that decision would have on the cities and on that program and were able to make some adjustments. We’ll have to look elsewhere within our budget to be able to meet our targets,” said the minister, who added that it was clear neither city could cover the full cost of the programs.
Last year, Calgary received about $6.2-million from the provincial government for its low-income transit pass program, and Edmonton was provided about $5.8-million for its Leisure Access and Ride Transit Program. Mr. Nixon did not say how long the government will extend provincial funding but said there is a conversation to be had about making these programs permanent.
Calgary Mayor Jyoti Gondek, who condemned the initial decision as an “absolute cruelty” to low-income residents during an affordability crisis, said Wednesday that she was happy to see the government reverse course.
“There’s two ways of looking at this. One is that there was an error that’s been rectified and the other is that they have now changed their mind,” Ms. Gondek told reporters.
“I’m not going to speculate on what happened. What I will say is that providing 17 per cent of the subsidy that should be 100 per cent of their responsibility is a good start.”
Ms. Gondek and her Edmonton counterpart, Amarjeet Sohi, argued that income support falls under provincial jurisdiction; however, Mr. Nixon framed the programs as solely related to transit services, which he said falls on the shoulders of Alberta’s largest cities.
The minister’s comments echoed the statement his press secretary, Alexandru Cioban, released on Tuesday that said transit is a municipal responsibility and that the province is investing more in “core services” related to housing and homelessness.
Mr. Nixon, on Wednesday, said this is true for Edmonton and Calgary but then said rural communities are different because their transportation options are limited in comparison.
Ms. Gondek said that while she is pleased the funding has been restored, she continues to have problems with the sweeping plans of the province to exert control over municipalities, most recently with new legislation that would give cabinet the authority to dismiss city councillors and overturn local bylaws.
Mr. Sohi, in a statement on Wednesday, said he appreciates that Mr. Nixon recognized the “negative impact” that would come with defunding the transit program. He said it is essential to Edmontonians, especially those who face daily challenges with affordability, mobility and isolation.
“We all need to work more collaboratively to ensure that essential services provided to our most vulnerable residents are protected and sustainable for those accessing them today,” he said.
“The City of Edmonton is proud to support this program, even though it is an example of Alberta’s big cities stepping in to fund support programs for low income Albertans that fall under provincial jurisdiction.”
Both mayors said adoption of the low-income transit programs has increased substantially in recent years, with more than 100,000 participants in Edmonton and nearly 120,000 in Calgary based on counts earlier this year.
Lorne Dach, Alberta New Democratic Party transportation critic, said he is pleased to see the UCP government walk back its decision to pull funding from the transit programs. He said it is callous, however, that Premier Danielle Smith and her government used low-income Albertans as a pawn in their “political games.”
“Albertans were rightfully outraged by this decision,” Mr. Dach said. “To threaten the cancellation of this program during an affordability crisis shows how out-of-touch the Smith government is with Albertans.”