Alberta's credit rating takes another hit, despite economic recovery

Shortly after Alberta’s finance minister delivered an optimistic prognosis for the province’s fiscal health, a credit agency offered a less rosy view.

Toronto-based DBRS Limited downgraded the province’s long-term debt rating from AA (high) to AA with a negative outlook, saying the government “has yet to demonstrate any real willingness to address the weakest budget outlook among all provinces.”

On Tuesday, Finance Minister Joe Ceci announced that economic growth in the province would be higher than expected this year and the projected deficit marginally smaller.

But in a news release Wednesday, DBRS said the outlook was not good enough.

“DBRS is concerned that the plan to return to