The Alberta government has committed $39 million over three years to prepare for the development of nine additional urgent care centres, including funding for site planning and land purchases.
Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Hospital and Surgical Health Services, announced the investment, saying the expansion is aimed at giving Albertans more options for accessing same-day medical treatment while reducing demand on hospital emergency departments.
The proposed sites span several regions of Alberta, with locations identified in west and south Edmonton, east Calgary, the Stony Plain-Spruce Grove area, Lethbridge, Medicine Hat, Cold Lake, Fort McMurray and Sylvan Lake. The additions would increase Alberta’s urgent care network to 15 facilities from six, more than doubling the existing network.
“Every Albertan deserves timely, high-quality care,” LaGrange said. “Expanding our urgent care network will give families more options for treatment, ease pressure on emergency departments and help more Albertans get the care they need, when they need it.”
The province estimates the nine centres could collectively take on as many as 300,000 patient visits annually that might otherwise be directed to hospital emergency departments, LaGrange said.
Alberta emergency departments record more than two million visits each year, according to the minister. More than one-third involve medical concerns that could potentially be addressed through urgent care services.
Urgent care centres provide walk-in treatment for unexpected, non-life-threatening medical concerns requiring same-day attention, including broken bones, deep cuts and unexpected illnesses.
Sylvan Lake is among the communities slated to receive a purpose-built urgent care facility. The project is intended to address increasing demand for medical services in the growing community. The town’s existing ambulatory care centre handled more than 22,000 patient visits in 2025.
Sylvan Lake’s tourism sector, which attracts approximately 750,000 visitors each summer, also contributes to seasonal demand for health services in the region. The visitor estimate should be confirmed with a municipal source before publication.
Although the province has allocated funding over three years for planning and land acquisition, construction dates for individual facilities have not been established.
LaGrange said the government hopes to move quickly on all nine projects, with construction potentially beginning at some sites within the next year. The government’s goal is to have the facilities operating within three years after construction begins, although the schedule will depend on land acquisition, planning, infrastructure and the availability of construction materials and workers.
The $39-million commitment does not cover construction of the nine centres. Instead, the funding will support preliminary work, including planning and land purchases. The allocation includes $15 million first announced in Budget 2025 to support urgent care centre planning.
More details about individual sites will be released as land acquisition is finalized and planning work progresses, LaGrange said.
Infrastructure Minister Martin Long said the projects will account for the changing needs of Alberta’s expanding communities as plans for the new facilities move forward.
“The right care starts with the right infrastructure,” Long said. “As we develop purpose-built urgent care centres in communities across Alberta, we’re creating spaces designed around how care needs to be delivered today, while adding the capacity our growing province will need for tomorrow.”
LaGrange said Alberta urgent care centres provide care to approximately 30,000 to 33,000 patients annually, on average. Further information about the nine proposed locations is expected as land acquisition and planning work progresses.
