Building Stronger Rural Communities

The Government of Canada has opened applications for the Build Communities Strong Fund's Local Impact Stream, with more than $176 million earmarked over the next four years for infrastructure projects across the Prairie provinces. The program is designed to help communities build or renew spaces that bring people together—from recreation facilities and community halls to parks, cultural spaces, and other public gathering places—with projects eligible for up to $1 million in federal funding. For rural municipalities, where aging infrastructure, rising construction costs, and limited tax bases often make it difficult to tackle major capital projects, this funding could present an important opportunity. But questions remain about whether the program is flexible enough to meet the unique needs of rural communities and whether smaller municipalities will have the capacity to access these dollars. Joining us today to discuss what this announcement means for rural Alberta is Kara Westerlund, President of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. We'll talk about the opportunities this fund presents, the challenges municipalities still face, and what rural leaders hope to see from governments moving forward. All that and more on this edition of Municipal Affairs. ----- Support The Show Today: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/support-the-show Join The Show: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/be-part-of-the-show ------ Listen To The Show: Apple: https://apple.co/41p5I2I Spotify: https://bit.ly/3tkvb0E YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/crossborderinterviewswithchrisbrown ------ Follow Us On Social Media: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/crossborderpodcast/ Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/crossbordernetwork.bsky.social Threads: https://www.threads.net/@crossborderpodcast Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/CrossBorderInterviews/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/crossborderinterviews/ Website: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/ Municipal Affairs is Part of The Cross Border Network ©2026