Government of Canada ensuring Canadian voices and talent are heard by investing in community broadcasting Français
PrairiesCan investment will help CKUA expand its cultural and economic impacts
EDMONTON, AB, Dec. 17, 2025 /CNW/ - Audiences today have unparalleled access to media and information from around the world, yet locally produced content and the talent behind it remain essential for preserving cultural identity, fostering community connection, and sharing unique regional perspectives. A technological era that provides so much choice also dilutes the power of trusted community voices. That is why it is important that Canadians strengthen our culture and ensure that important regional stories, perspectives, and talent are heard.
Today, the Honourable Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan), announced a federal investment of more than $10.9 million to help CKUA Radio Foundation continue their nearly 100-year legacy as champions of local arts and culture.
PrairiesCan's investment will enable CKUA to continue to promote and export Canadian music, arts, and culture to the world. Federal funding will be used to modernize CKUA's headquarters, including the expansion and enhancement of community performance venues that will increase exposure for up-and-coming Alberta artists while providing extra revenue streams for the donor-supported broadcaster. Funding will also be used to upgrade studio and broadcast technologies, enhance community programming - including amplifying rural and Indigenous voices, and preserve CKUA's vast archive collection of music recordings, interviews, and artifacts.
CKUA is a valued source of information and a key promoter of arts, culture, and music across Alberta and around the globe. This investment will ensure that CKUA can continue to promote diverse voices into the future and demonstrates this government's commitment to building community resilience and creating economic opportunities for Prairie Canadians.
Quotes
"Access to trusted local voices strengthens our culture and ensures that important regional stories, perspectives, and talent are heard. Our new government is proud to invest in Alberta's arts and culture ecosystem and help communities to thrive economically by supporting CKUA in amplifying local voices and talent. This investment will help ensure that the Alberta stories CKUA has broadcast across our province for nearly a century continue to reach audiences at home and around the world for years to come"
–The Honourable Eleanor Olszewksi, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
"We are honoured to receive this investment from PrairiesCan and deeply grateful for the recognition of CKUA's role in Alberta's arts and culture landscape. This support will allow us to modernize essential infrastructure, invest in our people, and develop new programming that deepens our connection with audiences across the province and beyond. It reflects the voices of thousands of supporters who stood up and shared what CKUA means to them. With this investment, we are better positioned to grow, to serve, and to continue building a vibrant cultural future for our communities."
–Adam Mitchell, Chief Operating Officer and Acting Chief Executive Officer, CKUA
Quick facts
- CKUA's broadcasting network reaches an estimated 475,000 Alberta listeners a month – that's almost one in every eight Albertans.
- Funding for this project is provided through PrairiesCan under the Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD) program.
- Today's $10,984,224 contribution will create 20 jobs, help maintain 30 more and attract close to $10 million in private sector investment.
Associated links
- Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan)
- Community Economic Development and Diversification (CEDD)
- CKUA Radio Network
Stay connected
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Toll-Free Number: 1-888-338-9378
TTY (telecommunications device for the hearing impaired): 1-877-303-3388
SOURCE Prairies Economic Development Canada
Contacts: Soraya Lemur, Press Secretary, Office of the Hon. Eleanor Olszewski, Minister of Emergency Management and Community Resilience and Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada, [email protected], 343-574-6781; Brennan Bunko, Acting Communications Manager, Prairies Economic Development Canada, [email protected]
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