EDMONTON- Alberta's budget woes are causing concern for those who rely on government support to stay afloat.
Thursday evening during a televised address, Premier Alison Redford stressed Albertans need to brace for cutbacks, in light of a $6.5 billion deficit caused by lower than expected oil prices.
"As we prepare this year's budget, it means we have to make some very difficult choices," Redford said in her address Thursday eveing. "Some programs and services will change, especially those that are not sustainable over the long term."
Those words have many who work in the not-for-profit industry worried cuts could be on the way.
"We're certainly concerned that the change will mean a shift in services and supports to Alberta families, to Alberta's children, in the areas of health, education, social services, arts, sports, recreation, all of it, because those quality life programs is what makes our province, in part, a great place to be," explained Russ Dahms, Executive Director of the Edmonton Chamber of Volunteer Organizations. "We're certainly concerned that those services will be diminished or changed in a negative way."
Dahms says all of the choices the government makes will have consequences. He hopes any and all cuts will be reviewed carefully before the final decisions are made.
"As those decisions are made, I think that's really an important thing for us is that, be mindful, be mindful of how those decisions are going to impact a family or an organization."
Youth Empowerment & Support Services is a not-for-profit organization that helps youth facing difficult situations in Edmonton. YESS is partially funded by the human services department.
Earlier this month YESS was forced to cut 10 staff positions due to a funding shortfall.
In her speech Thursday evening, Redford maintained she would protect Alberta's most vulnerable populations. YESS Executive Director Deb Cautley hopes she keeps that promise.
"I'm quite honestly scared. It's not about me. I can always find another job. But these kids can't find another Youth Empowerment and Support Services."
Cautley says she has made cuts within her organization every year for the past three years, with minimal impact on the children who use YESS' services. She hopes the government can do the same.
"If I was them I would go back and look and see, you know, what can we cut? How can we cut maybe in our staffing area? How can we cut in our travel? How can we cut in our training? All that stuff is important to us too, and we had to make those cuts."
Premier Redford will be holding the first annual Alberta economic summit next month in hopes of finding solutions for the province's budget troubles. The government will hear from industry experts, businesses, and those from the not-for-profit sector.
Dahms believes it's a step in the right direction, but knows there's no one solution, and says there will be many things that will have to change.
"Lets hope that good thinking and good principles and sound values underpin the decisions going forward," he said. "There will be lots of angst, you can count on it. There will be lots of sleepless nights, I think, for some people as we get close to budget March 7."
With files from Jenna Bridges, Global News.
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