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As the price discount on Canadian oil deepens, so too does the pressure on the Alberta government’s finances.

During a trip to Calgary and Edmonton this week for a series of meetings, officials with credit rating agency DBRS Ltd. laid out the stark financial issues facing this resource-rich province.

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“There is a large budget gap, the economy still faces challenges and there’s really no real structural adjustments being contemplated,” Paul LeBane, DBRS vice-president of public finance, said in an interview.

“As a result, it leaves the province exposed to some downside risk.”

Some of the risk stems from today’s pipeline bottleneck and its impact on Canadian oil prices.

Earlier this year, Finance Minister Joe Ceci unveiled a plan to return to a balanced budget by 2023-24, projecting the province’s $8.8-billion deficit this fiscal year will turn into a slight surplus.

Since the spring, the economy has continued to grow. Benchmark U.S. oil prices are $10-a-barrel higher than the US$59 forecast in the budget.