The Alberta government will take steps to limit municipal autonomy when it comes to public-health policy, a move regional mayors say is deeply concerning.
On March 1, the province announced in a news release it will introduce an amendment to the Municipal Government Act (MGA) to limit the ability of municipalities to pass bylaws that differ from provincial health policies.
Premier Jason Kenney said the changes would help give “clarity, consistency and unity” in the release.
“It would be confusing and divisive to have multiple different public-health policies, particularly when there is no compelling public-health rationale,” Kenney said in the release. “It is time for us to move forward together.”
The news release did not specify when the amendments will be introduced, but Kenney said during a news conference it would be “very soon.”
'No respect,' Heron says
When Kenney initially commented on the possibility of MGA amendments during a Facebook live video in early February, St. Albert Mayor Cathy Heron said Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver led her to believe Kenney would not follow through with the statements.
Speaking Wednesday, Heron said the “simple lack of consultation” with the proposed amendments is frustrating.
“We listened to the government of Alberta’s frustrations with the federal government … but we’re feeling that the provincial government has no respect for government at the local level,” Heron said.
The ability for municipalities to make health policy choices to benefit their constituents is integral to serving their communities, Heron said, giving the example of St. Albert's has helmet bylaw, which in 2016 made the city the first in Alberta to make bike helmets mandatory for everyone.
Edmonton Mayor Amarjeet Sohi took to Twitter to express similar concerns.
“If this overreach goes unchallenged, the province could, for example, restrict our smoking bylaws or affect how we build our cities by changing our zoning bylaws or decide how we manage traffic in our neighbourhoods to protect our children,” Sohi said in a Tweet.
In November of 2020, Kenney encouraged municipalities to instate their own masking bylaws, saying a provincial mask mandate would be unnecessary.
“We respect their authority,” Kenney said at the time.
Heron noted Edmonton’s mask bylaw — which is still in place, unlike others in the region — was developed under the premier’s encouragement.
Edmonton city council currently has plans to review their bylaw and decide whether to remove it or keep it in place. Heron said the provincial government should give time for that process, and acknowledge the broad ramifications of what she described as a “knee-jerk reaction.”
“It’s one municipality, yet [the premier] is making broad sweeping changes to the MGA that will affect all of us,” Heron said.
Sturgeon County Mayor Alanna Hnatiw said in an email statement that reducing the authority of municipalities for one issue “is substantial and worthy of concern.”
“We would prefer to see the province work with municipalities to come to resolution and understanding — directly and through our provincial associations — rather than resorting to changing legislation that could hamper our future ability to make decisions important to the health of our residents,” Hnatiw said in the statement.
On Tuesday, Heron released a statement speaking out against the provincial government’s pursuit of MGA changes in her capacity as president of Alberta Municipalities.
“We ask the government of Alberta to re-consider its decision to amend the MGA, and we encourage it to work with us and other key municipal government stakeholders to resolve the issue another way,” Heron said in the Tuesday statement.
“Alberta Municipalities finds the provincial government’s ‘top-down’ approach to be heavy-handed and unnecessary. It seems like a short-term political calculation that could influence long-term governance decisions at the municipal level.”
With files from Kevin Ma
