The mandate letters represent significant new direction across the Government of Alberta, much of which may have significant impacts on rural municipalities and communities.
In recent weeks, the Premier has issued mandate letters to nearly all provincial ministers. While RMA has previously provided members with analysis of the mandate letter issued to the Minister of Municipal Affairs, many of the other mandate letters include directives that will directly or indirectly impact RMA members.
Below is an initial summary and analysis of mandate letters, with a focus on directives relevant to rural municipalities. RMA will share further details and information as it becomes available.
Forestry and Parks
RMA is pleased to see that the Ministry has been tasked with advancing wildfire mitigation and risk reduction through proactive and strategic forest harvesting, public education, and expanded FireSmart and fireguard programs, as well as leveraging emerging technologies to improve fuel management and making investments in equipment and manpower for firefighting. The development of a proposal for a value-added tax incentive program for forestry is also welcomed, especially in the context of international tariffs and their impacts on the forestry sector.
However, RMA is concerned that the expansion of campsites, trails, and other public land use opportunities may increase the fiscal and service delivery burden on rural municipalities associated with impacts of public land use on municipal services and infrastructure in areas bordering parks and public land use zones.
Energy and Minerals
The mandate letter directs the Minister to implement the Mature Asset Strategy (MAS) despite RMA’s concerns with the lack of data supporting the recommendations, and subsequent recommendation that the MAS be re-started using a more structured and well-defined process. RMA will continue to emphasize the need for meaningful engagement and analysis of all of the MAS recommendations, including standalone publicly available briefings or reports clearly explaining each recommendation and meaningful opportunities for broad public input on the recommendations and in-depth engagement with industry and non-industry stakeholders representing sectors directly impacted by the recommendations.
Environment and Protected Areas
RMA is pleased to see the Ministry continuing to work on completing all outstanding land use plans and looks forward to engaging on the Ministry’s irrigation modernization commitments and options for additional investment in the optimization and expansion of irrigation and water storage infrastructure.
RMA will continue to pay close attention to any amendments made to the Water Act and looks forward to engaging with the Associate Minister of Water on the province’s water management strategy to ensure that rural municipal perspectives are heard and included.
Infrastructure
Much of the mandate letter focuses on developing new approaches to prioritize and allocate funding to provincial capital projects. It will be crucial that this work is conducted through a rural lens, to ensure that adequate investment flows to major projects in rural areas, and that the benefit of such investment is measured in a manner relevant to a rural context.
RMA is specifically interested in learning more about the directive for the Minister to review the capital planning process for health and social infrastructure. Recent RMA work related to hospice facilities and broader social service delivery has identified significant gaps in how “need” is measured in rural areas, and redeveloping the capital funding approach to better capture that will be a crucial step towards enhancing delivery of rural social and health services.
Transportation and Economic Corridors
RMA is looking forward to continuing to work with the Ministry on the development and implementation of an integrated water program to facilitate increased treatment and distribution, and is pleased to see that the development of economic corridors across the province has been prioritized. However, while the Ministry has been tasked with expanding and improving provincial water, road, and bridge infrastructure and to partner with rural municipalities on the same, major investments must be made to funding programs such as the Local Government Fiscal Framework and Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program to begin addressing the significant infrastructure deficit facing rural Alberta.
Primary and Preventative Health Services
RMA is pleased to see that this mandate letter focuses on access to rural health care. Advancing the implementation of the Rural Health Action Plan and improving recruitment opportunities in rural Alberta are two aspects that RMA has continued to advocate for.
These issues are reflected in Resolution 1-24F: Attraction and Retention Strategy for Rural Health Care Professionals, which calls for long-term sustainable funding to accelerate the Rural Health Action Plan to increase the total number of heal care professionals in rural and remote Alberta. RMA is committed to working with Minister LaGrange to advance these initiatives.
Hospital and Surgical Health Services
It is important for the Ministry of Hospital and Surgical Services to consider rural Albertans through the task of improving emergency wait times. Rural hospitals face unique circumstances with access to emergency care, which must be thoughtfully considered through any changes to health services. While RMA is supportive of the overall intent of the mandate letter, a specific focus on improving access to hospital and surgical services in rural Alberta is required.
Mental Health and Addiction
The creation of multiple new recovery communities and youth mental wellness centres will be beneficial for people throughout the province needing support. However, mental health and addiction challenges are not isolated to larger urban areas. There must be careful consideration of how to support those in rural areas to ensure equitable access to care within their own communities.
Assisted Living and Social Services
Minister Nixon’s mandate letter promotes the advancement of the Government of Alberta’s housing strategy by removing barriers and incentivizing the construction of new homes and rental units. It is crucial that the Government of Alberta not view the municipal development approval process as a “barrier” to growth, rather than as a mechanism to ensure that growth is safe and sustainable for the community. Careful collaboration with municipalities is essential to ensure that development is viable.
Education and Childcare
The education system in Alberta must give careful consideration to rural learners. It is imperative that schools in rural communities are feeling the positive benefit of funding for new and updated student spaces. RMA is disappointed that the mandate letter does not include direction for the Minister to focus on enhancing the sustainability of rural schools or access to education for rural learners.
Advanced Education
RMA is pleased to see the emphasis on skilled trade educational opportunities. It is important to note that there continues to be some barriers to participation in these programs, such as long commutes, the need to relocate, struggling infrastructure, and inconsistent network connection in some areas. Finding innovative ways to involve rural and remote learners to participate in this pathway will support the Alberta workforce overall.
Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration
Supporting Alberta’s long-term economic goals must be done with careful consideration to the participation of rural Alberta. Rural municipalities must be key partners in the attraction and coordination of domestic and international investment opportunities.
Tourism and Sport
The tasks within this mandate letter focus heavily on expanding access to tourism throughout the province. RMA encourages this Ministry to ensure that the expansion of any tourism opportunities reflect a comprehensive understanding of the effects that this may have on neighbouring municipalities.
Arts, Culture and Status of Women
As the Premier tasks this Ministry with finding opportunities to grow Alberta’s cultural industries, it will be important for Minister Fir to consider the rich cultural identity found in rural Alberta.
Wyatt Skovron
General Manager of Policy & Advocacy
780.955.4096
wyatt@rmalberta.com