The Calgary Wildlife Rehabilitation Centre is being forced to rely on the kindness of others after they were denied funding ahead of their busiest time of year.
Executive director Beki Hunt with the centre says funding through the Canada Summer Jobs Grant has always been reliable.
“It was a big shock, to be honest,” explained Hunt. “We’ve been getting it (Canada Summer Jobs Grant) successfully every year for over a decade, so you know when we do our budget every year we plan that in.”
Operating since 1993, Calgary Wildlife provides free treatment for injured wildlife from Calgary and the surrounding area. The grant, which would have provided the non-profit with $50,000 in funding, allows for the hiring of 11 full-time positions from May through August, which is typically the busiest time of year for wildlife-related injuries.
According to Hunt, without those funds Calgary Wildlife has resorted to fundraising.
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“If we aren’t able to raise the funding to cover those roles, we’ll have to, you know, consider scaling back our operations,” Hunt said. “Which means limiting patient intake, unfortunately, and hours of operations.”
Hunt tells Global News they reached out to the federal government in order to understand why the funding had been denied.
“We were just told that you know there were a lot more applicants this year than last year,” said Hunt. “With the number of requests the funding just wasn’t there for was was being asked for.”
According to the Government of Canada’s website, more than 71,000 summer jobs were created last year with a price tag of nearly $300 billion. In Alberta, more than 8,000 jobs were created with just over $30 billion in funding.
Eligible employers include non-profits, public sector and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees, covering 6-16 weeks of full-time employment for 6-16 weeks.
However, when looking at the constituency of Calgary Rocky Ridge, 48 organizations were approved in 2025. They include a semi-private golf course, a UPS Store location, an investment firm, and a wellness spa.
Global News did reach out to the federal government to seek clarification on how recipients are chosen, but did not hear back by deadline.
© 2025 Global News, a division of Corus Entertainment Inc.
