13.37°C Vancouver

Oct 24, 2024 3:46 PM - The Canadian Press

Alberta, Ontario taken aback by federal housing minister on funding for homelessness

Share On
alberta-ontario-taken-aback-by-federal-housing-minister-on-funding-for-homelessness
Ottawa committed $250 million over two yearsin its budget to provide more shelter spaces, transitional homes, harm reduction spaces and services.(Photo: The Canadian Press)

The federal government says Alberta, Ontario and Saskatchewan haven’t formally responded to an offer of funding to tackle homelessness. But Alberta’s minister in charge of the file says the province isn't saying no and his officials have been actively meeting with Ottawa on the file.

Ottawa committed $250 million over two yearsin its budget to provide more shelter spaces, transitional homes, harm reduction spaces and services.Federal Housing Minister Sean Fraser said in a Tuesday statement that the three provinces have yet to officially get on board.Fraser said he reached out with a Sept. 18 letter looking to work with all provinces and territories.

“In the letter, we offered millions of dollars in additional funding in exchange for partnering with us and matching our contributions,” he said.Fraser said he would go straight to cities to try to quickly match funding costs, including Edmonton and Calgary.“We will no longer wait for (provinces) to muster the political will to act as winter gets closer and lives are put at risk,” he said.

Alberta's Seniors, Community and Social Services Minister Jason Nixon called Fraser's comments “bizarre and almost childish,” since officials on both sides have been meeting, including as recently as Monday, to discuss a cost-matching agreement."We have no idea what Minister Fraser is talking about. And I'm not going to get too bogged down in it, because we've got bigger jobs to do than to play games with the federal government," said Nixon.


Latest news

boy-14-charged-after-report-of-student-with-gun-at-alberta-high-school
AlbertaSep 12, 2025

Boy, 14, charged after report of student with gun at Alberta high school

A 14-year-old boy is facing weapons charges after police were called to a high school near Edmonton for a report of a student with a gun. RCMP say a teacher called 911 on Thursday afternoon, after a student was seen with a gun in a classroom at a high school in Sherwood Park, a suburb community east of Edmonton. They say a suspect was taken into custody and Mounties recovered what they think is an imitation gun. No injuries were reported. Police say the boy, who can't be identified under the Youth Criminal Justice Act, has been charged with assault with a weapon, possession of a
high-speed-rail-construction-could-begin-in-four-years-leblanc-says
CanadaSep 12, 2025

High-speed rail construction could begin in four years, LeBlanc says

Canada-U.S. Trade Minister Dominic LeBlanc says the government's new major projects office will work to get construction underway on the Alto high-speed rail line within four years. He says the work would determine the final route for the planned high-speed rail project between Toronto and Quebec City. Former prime minister Justin Trudeau announced in February that the government had awarded a $3.9-billion, six-year contract to a consortium to design the project. The 1,000-kilometre high-speed rail network would take passengers from Montreal to Toronto in just three hours on trains travelling
g7-finance-ministers-meet-to-discuss-increasing-pressure-on-russia
CanadaSep 12, 2025

G7 finance ministers meet to discuss increasing pressure on Russia

Canada hosted a virtual meeting of G7 finance ministers today to discuss further measures to increase the pressure on Russia. John Fragos, press secretary for the minister of finance and national revenue, says the group also talked about ways to limit Russia's "war machinery." Fragos says the G7 is united in its opposition to Russia’s "illegal and unjustified" war on Ukraine. He also says Canada is deeply concerned by Russia’s escalation of the conflict in the wake of Wednesday's Russian drone incursion into Polish airspace. The G7 group is made up of Canada, the United States, France, Ger
mounties-recover-bodies-of-two-missing-boaters-from-lake-in-rocky-mountains
AlbertaSep 12, 2025

Mounties recover bodies of two missing boaters from lake in Rocky Mountains

Alberta RCMP have recovered the bodies of two boaters who disappeared last month after a canoe capsized on a lake in the Rocky Mountains. Mounties have identified them as a 33-year-old woman from Banff, Alta., and a 34-year-old man from Canmore, Alta. Four people were in the canoe when it overturned on Upper Kananaskis Lake, an area tucked behind several mountain tops near the Alberta-B.C. boundary. RCMP have said bystanders in boats and on paddleboards pulled a 30-year-old man and a 34-year-old woman from the water but the two others were unaccounted for. It was the second ti
400-new-affordable-homes-coming-to-metro-vancouver
BCSep 12, 2025

400 new affordable homes coming to Metro Vancouver

People living in Metro Vancouver will soon have access to more affordable housing with 400 new rental homes opening and breaking ground in Coquitlam, North Vancouver and Vancouver. “We’re taking meaningful action to deliver homes for people throughout Metro Vancouver that give people a place to build their futures,” said Christine Boyle, Minister of Housing and Municipal Affairs. “These latest 400 affordable homes will bring added stability and opportunity, helping even more people find a place to call home in the communities they love." The Province, through BC Housing, provided nearl

Related News