Alberta government wants power to remove municipal councillors, repeal bylaws it doesn't like
CBC
A new bill would give the Alberta government more power over municipalities, including granting cabinet the power to remove councillors from office, and forcing councils to repeal bylaws the province doesn't like.
Bill 20, the Municipal Affairs Statutes Amendment, was tabled in the legislature Thursday afternoon.
The bill would also allow the creation of municipal political parties, but it comes in the form of a pilot project only affecting Edmonton and Calgary.
Bill 20 proposes many other changes to the Local Authorities Election Act and the Municipal Government Act to reinforce the province's authority over municipalities.
If passed, the bill would allow cabinet to call a public referendum on the fate of a municipal councillor, or go as far as to unilaterally remove them from office if it is deemed in the public interest.
There are no legislative guardrails or limits for when that can happen but the decision can be appealed to the Court of King's Bench.
Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver insisted that provision would be rarely used.
"First of all, I hope it never has to happen. But second of all, if it does, then it will be incumbent upon cabinet to have a really good explanation for the public," he told reporters at a news conference prior to the bill's introduction.
"I think the public will judge cabinet kindly or harshly depending upon the facts and the circumstances around when this decision is made."
LISTEN | Edmonton Mayor reacts to provincial government's proposed municipal changes:
Cabinet has had the power to force municipal councils to amend or repeal land-use bylaws and statutory plans for 30 years. Bill 20 extends that power to all bylaws passed by councils.
McIver said the current amendment power has never been used so the public shouldn't worry about the government having an "itchy trigger finger."
Cabinet would also gain the ability to tell municipalities what to do in protecting public health and safety, although the government already exercised that authority in 2022 when it prohibited cities and towns from passing or extending their own masking bylaws.
Other measures proposed in Bill 20 include:
Run 3 Space | Play Space Running Game
Traffic Jam 3D | Online Racing Game
Duck Hunt | Play Old Classic Game
An artist is putting pen to paper to revive his boyhood memories of growing up in Labrador, filled with berry picking, firefighting and hijacking.
Almost a month into the search for two missing Pictou County children, searchers are beginning to wear out mentally and physically.
Dozens of wildfire evacuees from Pimicikamak Cree Nation checked into a hotel in Niagara Falls, Ont., on Sunday after days spent without sleep in a Winnipeg evacuation centre.
Yellowhead County Mayor Wade Williams took a moment Sunday morning to express gratitude to some of his constituents.
Wildfires in Saskatchewan are expected to continue to grow aggressively during the next few days, fuelled by high temperatures, winds and dry conditions. And there's no sign of relief in sight, according to the latest update from the Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency.
Telecom giant Bell Canada has announced plans to build six artificial intelligence data centres in B.C.
Amid economic uncertainty in Canada due in part to U.S. tariffs, the governments of Ontario and Saskatchewan have reached an agreement with the aim of taking steps to reduce trade barriers between the two provinces.
Prince Edward Island golf operators are hoping to build on last year's record season, in part by tapping into Canadians planning trips to the province instead of the U.S.
Prime Minister Mark Carney sat down with oil and gas executives in Calgary Sunday to discuss partnerships and to get their input for his plans to make Canada an energy superpower.
The provincially owned portion of Ontario's Highway 407 is officially toll-free as of Sunday.
Less than a week after parents were notified lead samples were found in two Yellowknife schools' drinking water, the N.W.T. government is saying it did not use best practices in the initial testing.
Prime Minister Mark Carney announced Sunday afternoon he's selected former Canadian ambassador to the United Nations Marc-André Blanchard as his chief of staff. Blanchard will begin the job in July, replacing former cabinet minister Marco Mendicino.
Dozens of Pukatawagan residents who took a nearly 16-hour train ride to Winnipeg were among the latest to escape the community days after a wildfire forced the evacuation of the northern Manitoba First Nation.