Alberta Government Plans Major Expansion of Continuing Care FacilitiesCapacity Across Alberta

Alberta’s Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services, Jason Nixon, says the province is moving ahead with plans to significantly increase the number of continuing care spaces across Alberta.

During a rural media roundtable on October 21, Nixon joined three other health ministers — Adriana LaGrange (Primary and Preventative Health), Matt Jones (Hospital and Surgical Health), and Rick Wilson (Mental Health and Addiction) — to outline new priorities set by Premier Danielle Smith in their latest mandate letters.

When asked whether the province had considered MLA Scott Cyr’s call for additional long-term care beds in the Bonnyville area, Nixon confirmed that expanding access to continuing and long-term care remains a key government focus.

He explained that there are currently about $750 million in projects either under construction or ready to begin, creating roughly 3,000 new continuing care spaces province-wide.

As part of Budget 2025, more than $750 million has been committed to strengthening the continuing care system — including building new assisted living facilities and upgrading older ones to meet modern standards.

He acknowledged that Alberta has fallen behind in developing continuing care infrastructure but noted that the province is now “moving quickly to close that gap.”

The upcoming plan is expected to outline specific community projects and timelines later this year, as Alberta continues to address the growing demand for senior and assisted living options across rural and urban regions