As the Government of Alberta prepares Budget 2026, the Alberta Construction Association (ACA) is urging targeted investments to strengthen the construction workforce, provide capital-planning certainty, and ensure procurement practices support regional participation and project delivery.

Alberta’s construction industry is under growing pressure from record population growth, with more than 202,000 new residents in 2023, and rising demand for housing, health, education, municipal infrastructure, and nationally significant projects.

BuildForce Canada forecasts that Alberta will need approximately 59,000 additional construction workers over the next decade, including replacing more than 43,000 retirements, leaving a potential shortfall of over 15,000 skilled workers without intervention.

“Budget 2026 is a critical opportunity to ensure Alberta has the skilled workforce and planning certainty needed to deliver essential infrastructure,” said Jen Hancock, Chair of the Alberta Construction Association. “Sustained investment in training, predictable capital planning, and fair procurement practices will help keep projects on track and support long-term economic growth.”

ACA’s recommendations for Budget 2026 focus on three key priorities:

• Strengthening workforce capacity through predictable, multi-year apprenticeship funding, expanded training facilities, and programs that accelerate entry into the skilled trades.
• Capital investment certainty to support workforce planning, apprenticeship hiring, and infrastructure renewal across the province.
• Procurement and regional participation reforms that promote fair risk allocation, consistent practices across ministries, and increased opportunities for small and medium-sized contractors.

ACA remains committed to advocating for the best solutions that protect good jobs, offer solutions for youth unemployment, and predictable capital funding models.

You can read our pre-budget submission here

The Alberta Legislature is set to resume on February 24, 2026, kicking off a spring sitting that will shape the province’s policy and budget environment for the year ahead.

For Alberta Construction Association, this session matters because it is where government turns broad commitments, such as infrastructure plans and red tape reduction, into the practical rules that affect project delivery, labour supply, capital planning, and permitting timelines.

What will be likely be coming this spring

In addition to the Budget, we are anticipating a few initiatives that the construction industry should be aware of:

Infrastructure delivery and approvals
The Throne Speech from last fall had highlights on highways, municipal infrastructure, and passenger rail strategy which suggests a strong chance the spring sitting will include more policy work that affects delivery capacity, land and corridor planning, and approval processes. If government pursues additional “speed up the system” measures, ACA will be focused on making sure reforms reduce duplication and delay, while keeping requirements clear and consistent, so contractors can price work accurately and deliver predictably.

Alberta Rail Master Plan

It is expected that there will be the establishment of a new provincial Crown corporation to oversee rail delivery. In the government's 2025 update on the Passenger Rail Master Plan, they explicitly listed the creation of a "Crown corporation" or "province-led agency" as a core recommendation to be decided upon in 2026.

Why it matters: this isn't just about trains; it’s about a new multi-billion dollar procurement pipeline. It will likely include new rules for corridor protection and land-use rights that will affect any contractor working near existing or future rail Right of Ways.

Traffic Safety Act Modernization

Minister Devin Dreeshen recently identified the modernization of the Traffic Safety Act as a "top priority" for the 2026 legislative calendar. The Minister has repeatedly cited "commercial driver shortages" and "professionalizing the industry" as 2026 priorities.

The government is looking at how to manage massive population growth and its impact on the provincial road network. For the construction sector, this modernization specifically points to upcoming changes in Class 1 licensing and vocational vehicle regulations aimed at getting more drivers on-site faster.

Why it matters for ACA: Changes will likely include updates to commercial vehicle standards and Class 1 driver requirements. If your members operate heavy equipment or hauling fleets, this proposed legislation will change their compliance and safety landscape.

While we continue to monitor the upcoming Legislative Session, our ongoing message will be: Alberta needs a policy environment that supports certainty, capacity, and competitiveness.

• Certainty, clear rules, predictable timelines, and stable capital planning.
• Capacity, workforce pathways that increase site-ready workers and strengthen training pipelines.
• Competitiveness, open,transparent procurement practices, and practical red tape reduction that increases productivity leading to faster project timelines.

We will continue tracking legislation, regulations, and budget decisions as they are introduced, and we will highlight the most construction-relevant developments for members as the session unfolds.Top of Form