A review of five budgets provides some insight into what older Canadians can expect in times of belt-tightening, and the news isn’t all bad
By Olev Edur
Now that budget season in Canada’s provinces and territories has come to an end, it’s interesting to look at how different jurisdictions plan to cope with what may be a difficult year, both economically and politically. For the most part, the focus has been on trying to rein in budget deficits that soared during the COVID pandemic, a situation exacerbated by U.S. president Donald Trump’s “tariff war.” As a result, the budgets don’t offer much specifically for seniors. There are, however, some bright spots for older Canadians, mostly from substantially increased funding for health care, including for long-term-care facilities. In some cases, budgets have targeted affordability.
While space limitations preclude a detailed review of all of these budgets, here’s a look at what seniors in several provinces can expect.
Alberta
Despite budgetary deficit pressures, Alberta’s 2026 budget didn’t increase income taxes or cut any tax programs. And, as per the Alberta escalator framework introduced in 2024, certain tax credit amounts and thresholds will rise by two per cent in 2026 to offset inflation.
The 2026 budget also provided $1.9 billion in new health-care funding, with priority on reducing wait times and strengthened access to continuing care, medical and non-medical supports, home care, community care, and social services. Specific expenditures included:
• $525 million in additional funding for 50,000 more surgical procedures over the next three years by expanding operating-room capacity and reducing surgical wait times;
• $152 million for continuing-care initiatives and $146 million to help patients transition from hospital to appropriate continuing-care settings, easing capacity pressures in hospitals;
• $91 million over the next three years for expanding capacity in emergency departments; and
• $87 million over the next three years to expand the role of nurse practitioners, giving Albertans greater access to the care they need.
The budget also introduced a realigned non-refundable Alberta Caregiver Credit, effective for 2027 and subsequent tax years. This credit replaces the existing caregiver credit and the infirm dependent credit; it will be available to those who care for an eligible adult relative who is dependent on the caregiver because of a mental or physical infirmity, including those caring for an infirm spouse.
Regarding housing, Budget 2026 committed $150 million over the next three years for the Seniors Lodge Modernization Program, in addition to the almost $54 million already allocated to six projects across the province. The total commitment of more than $200 million would support more than 1,000 units for seniors across the province.
British Columbia
BC Budget 2026’s primary focus was on generating $5 billion in additional revenue over three years by increasing personal tax rates (the lowest marginal rate, applicable to the first $50,363 of taxable income, is to be increased from 5.06 per cent to 5.60 per cent effective 2026), freezing tax-bracket indexation until 2030 (in effect amounting to additional hidden tax increases), and expanding provincial sales tax (PST) to include a number of additional products and services.
To help offset the tax increases, the budget raised the basic personal income tax credit rate, and the maximum B.C. non-refundable tax-reduction credit for low-income taxpayers (those earning less than $25,570 for 2026) will be increased by $115 to $690.
On the plus side, the budget included $2.8 billion in new funding for health care, including $2.3 billion to increase health-system capacity and support the hiring of more doctors, nurses, and health-care workers and the planning, development, and operation of new and expanded hospitals and health-care facilities across the province.
Manitoba
While focusing on restraint, Manitoba’s 2026 budget allocated $10.5 billion to health care this year, a 10 per cent increase over 2025. And for the 2027 tax year, an increased Renters Affordability Tax Credit of up to $675 will be provided and the seniors top-up will be increased to a maximum of $385.71 for those with a family net income of less than $40,000. Both amounts will be increased the following year.
The Homeowners Affordability Tax Credit increases from $1,500 to $1,600 for the 2026 property-tax year and by a further $100 in 2027. Starting in 2027, however, home- owners whose principal residence has an assessed value of more than $1 million will receive a reduced credit and homes valued at $1.5 million or more will receive no credit.
In addition, effective July 1, 2026, retail sales tax will be removed on additional food and beverages for human consumption sold by grocery stores, including:
• ready-to-eat prepared food such as sandwiches, soups, rotisserie chickens, and samosas;
• platters or arrangements of prepared foods such as sushi, cold cuts, and cheeses; and
• carbonated beverages and beverages containing one percent or less alcohol by volume.
Nova Scotia
To cope with slowing population growth, a stagnating economy, and a $1.2 billion budget deficit, Nova Scotia’s 2026 budget included a four-year plan to contain expenses, with a five per cent yearly cut in civil servants and a three per cent cut in the broader public service. (Nursing-home staff were later exempted from the three per cent cut.) Also included were $130.4 million in cuts to grants for community groups and arts, culture, and other organizations, but about $53 million of that was later restored after a public outcry.
Health spending was increased to more than $6.7 billion, accounting for 35.5 per cent of the overall budget. This increase included $873.8 million towards building 5,700 new and replacement long-term-care spaces by 2032, with seven more facilities expected to open this year. The budget also provided:
• $1.2 billion in capital investment for the Halifax Infirmary expansion project and Cape Breton Regional Municipality health-care redevelopment project;
• $144.5 million for the construction and renewal of other hospitals and medical facilities in Amherst, Yarmouth, Bridgewater, and the IWK health-sciences centre in Halifax; and
• $47.5 million to hire more paramedics and emergency medical responders and $47.1 million to pay family doctors who take on shifts in hospitals, long-term-care facilities, and rural emergency departments.
Ontario
The Ontario budget pledged a hefty 10-year capital investment program comprising more than $210 billion, of which $64 billion will go to health infrastructure, supporting more than 50 hospital projects and delivering approximately 3,000 new hospital beds. Examples include:
• Stevenson Memorial Hospital–Phase 1 Redevelopment, including a new emergency department as well as expanded diagnostic and surgical services;
• the Hamilton General Hospital Emergency Department Renovation Project;
• the Bluewater Health Rural Health Capital Improvement Project (in Petrolia, Ont.), including renovations to the emergency room and diagnostic-imaging department;
• the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya Win Health Centre Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) Suite Project; this project is expected to be completed by the end of 2026 and will add approximately 1,900 square feet of space to accommodate a new MRI machine and ancillary equipment;
• Ottawa Civic Hospital: the construction of a state-of-the-art campus to serve as the lead acute-care centre for Ottawa and Eastern Ontario;
• Scarborough Health Network dialysis projects to support the renovation of existing space to accommodate a total of 27 new hemodialysis stations; and
• the New South Niagara Hospital Project, which, once completed in summer 2028, will include 469 beds and expanded 24/7 emergency, diagnostic, surgical, and therapeutic services across the region.
The budget also committed an additional $1.1 billion over three years to provide more home and community care by extending services to thousands more patients. In addition, $133.6 million will be invested in four new long-term-care homes comprising 570 new and redeveloped beds, including a new 160-bed facility in Amherstburg, to help meet the growing demand for senior care in rural communities. The budget also added $139.4 million in annual funding towards long-term-care resources, including $44.1 million, starting in 2026–2027, to ensure that residents continue to receive an average of four hours of direct care each day from nurses and personal-support workers and 36 minutes of care from allied health professionals.
The budget also made permanent the Ontario Electricity Rebate (OER), currently providing a 23.5 per cent rebate to help keep residential, small-business, and farm electricity bills low and stable.
For a typical residential customer, the OER will reduce bills by about $36 a month. And the budget committed to maintaining the Gasoline Tax and Fuel Tax relief originally introduced on a temporary basis on July 1, 2022.
Finally, while not part of any provincial budget, there is some positive news on the federal front. Those still contributing to the Canada Pension Plan (CPP) are expected to benefit from the federal government’s spring economic update, which proposes a reduction in CPP contribution rates starting in 2027. The base contribution rate would decline from 9.9 per cent to 9.5 per cent of an employee’s pay, translating into modest annual savings – roughly $100 for the average employee and about double that amount for the self-employed.
