New Brunswick’s Liberal government has tabled a $1.26-billion capital budget for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Officials said the budget is about $70 million higher than the multi-year plan that was tabled last year.
“We recognize that the significant population growth we have seen in the province, along with supply and labour challenges, have put pressure on capital infrastructure and expenditures,” Finance Minister René Legacy said in a news release.
“We have developed a plan that we are able to afford, that New Brunswickers can believe in, and that respects the multi-year aspect of projects currently underway.”
Roads and bridges
About half of the budget — more than $500 million — will be used to maintain roads and bridges throughout the province.
Legacy said this reflects that many transportation projects span multiple years and have experienced delays and rising costs.
An additional $19 million is for maintaining and improving tourism infrastructure, while $3 million will be spent to maintain NB Trail infrastructure.
Health care
More than $226 million has been earmarked for health-care infrastructure, with almost $186 million going toward continued renovations, additions and other improvements.
Redevelopment work will continue at the Saint John Regional Hospital, with an addition and renovations leading to important upgrades. The addition will include an oncology clinic and treatment spaces, a new ambulatory procedures (GI) unit, and a 32-bed intensive care unit.
Renovations will focus on the surgical program new prep and recovery areas as well as a hybrid operating room.
Work also continues on modernizing and increasing capacity at The Moncton Hospital coronary care unit, and renovations will continue at the Dr. Georges-L.-Dumont University Hospital Centre to create the New Brunswick Public Health Laboratory.
The budget also includes more than $40 million to replace aging capital equipment throughout the health-care system.
Education
Nearly $194 million has been set aside for investments in schools throughout the province. Nearly two-thirds will go toward continuing work that has already begun on schools.
An additional $14.8 million is being invested to begin planning for additions, mid-life upgrades, and new schools around the province.
This includes mid-life upgrades at Polyvalente W.-Arthur-Losier and Polyvalente Louis-J.-Robichaud.
Work will also begin on site selection and construction of a new K-8 school in the Fredericton area, as well as a building condition assessment and school suitability study for the old WorkSafeNB building in Grand Bay-Westfield.
Additions will also be started at St. Mary’s Academy in Edmundston and École Abbey-Landry in Memramcook.
The province will also undertake studies to help inform size requirements for two new francophone schools in the St. Stephen-St. George and the Sussex-Hampton areas.
An additional $46.1 million is being allocated for improvements, equipment and ventilation upgrades in schools. In addition, there is $3 million to pre-purchase land for future projects.
Legacy said his government will continue to invest in new publicly owned affordable housing in New Brunswick. Currently 233 of the 380 previously-committed public housing units are in progress or have been completed.
The province has set aside nearly $35 million for 2025-26 to continue the development of new public housing, and a further $9.4 million to maintain existing public housing units.
Officials also announced more than $23 million to undertake maintenance and improvements in nursing homes, including $8.3 million for ventilation upgrades.
There is also funding to relocate the Emergency Measures Organization from its current location at the Victoria Health Centre in downtown Fredericton, which the province said is dated and runs the risk of flooding.
“Today’s capital budget is our government’s first step in addressing the many needs of our public assets,” said Legacy.
“We recognize that this will be an ongoing journey, but New Brunswickers should feel confident that we are focused on delivering results for a brighter future.”
