$70 million to Edmonton Northlands and Calgary Exhibition & Stampede

Two of Alberta's largest and best known agricultural societies, Edmonton Northlands and the Calgary Exhibition & Stampede, will each receive $35 million from this year's provincial surplus as part of the province's investment in centennial projects. These one-time grants will be used for facility upgrades.

This announcement is part of the Alberta government's three-part plan to invest in the future using this year's surplus. More than 75 per cent of surplus dollars are being spent in priority areas like infrastructure and saved in endowment funds like the Heritage Savings Fund. Less than a quarter of the surplus will be given back to Albertans through the 2005 Resource Rebate Program.

Surplus dollars invested in infrastructure this year are in addition to the province's $9.2-billion, three-year capital plan, a level of support unmatched in the rest of Canada.

Learn more about how government is managing the surplus at http://www.gov.ab.ca/home/albertasurplus/.

More information:

• News release
• Edmonton Northlands
• Calgary Exhibition & Stampede