Between 2015 and 2024, Albertans, corporations and unions made 97,275 donations totalling $90.9 million to provincial political parties, candidates and third-party advertisers. Here’s a breakdown of the biggest spenders and beneficiaries. Edmonton and Calgary led the province in donations, contributing 37 per cent and 30 per cent of the total dollar amount, respectively. Though corporations and unions were prohibited from making contributions directly to parties or candidates midway through 2015, they still outspent most individual donors through their funding of third-party advertisers and accounted for 18 of the top 20 largest donors of the last decade. For the top five donors, nearly all of the funds were transferred from unions and professional associations to their own registered political entities. The single largest donor of the last decade was the Health Sciences Association of Alberta (HSAA), which gave over $6 million. The majority of the HSAA’s cash, 92 per cent, was gifted from the union to its registered third-party advertiser. All of the Alberta Medical Association’s (AMA) $1.8 million in donations went to the AMA third-party. Top 10 political donors in Alberta overall Milner, a prominent figure in Alberta’s energy sector, died in 2021, but still holds the top spot for individual donors in the last decade, giving more than twice that of the second highest contributor, Tourmaline Oil Corp. CEO Mike Rose. The top 10 individual donors were split evenly between Edmonton and Calgary. Edmonton AAFund - $63,808; Alberta Advantage Fund - $75,000; Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta - $34,000; Shaping Alberta’s Future - $25,000; United Conservative Party - $8,600; Edmonton-Calder PC Association - $1,000. Alberta NDP Alberta NDP Alberta NDP Alberta NDP Calgary AAFund - $50,000; Alberta Advantage Fund - $50,000 Alberta Liberal Party Alberta Liberal Party Wildrose Party - $45,200; Pro-Life Alberta Political Association - $850; UCP - $1,000 Alberta Advantage Fund - $30,000; UCP - $12,243 Brett McKay, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Investigative Journalism Foundation
