Alberta Minute: Issue 337

Alberta Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Alberta politics.

📅 This Week In Alberta: 📅

• The Alberta Teachers’ Association (ATA) is weighing a legal challenge to the provincial government’s Back to School Act, which invoked the notwithstanding clause to end the teachers’ strike and prevent future court challenges. ATA president Jason Schilling said the Association will oppose what it views as an abuse of power “with every tool the law provides.” Although the clause shields the legislation from being overturned, courts could still issue declarations on whether it violates Charter rights. Ongoing cases in Saskatchewan and Quebec, both under appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada, may determine how far courts can review such laws. The Canadian Bar Association’s Alberta branch and the Canadian Civil Liberties Association expressed concern that bypassing judicial review weakens democratic accountability. Teachers have returned to classrooms, but the ATA is still assessing its next legal steps.
  
  
• The UCP will once again collect and publicly report class size and composition data for all provincial schools, six years after the practice was ended. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said the move follows recent labour unrest and aims to address concerns over classroom overcrowding and complexity. School boards must submit detailed reports by November 24th, with public data expected in January and annual releases to follow. The new census will track not only class sizes but also student needs, including those with disabilities, gifted learners, refugee and Indigenous students, and incidents of aggression or violence. Nicolaides said the data will guide policy and funding decisions, and the Province will establish a Class Size and Complexity Task Force to develop recommendations. 
  
  
• Alberta, Ontario, and Saskatchewan are moving forward with a feasibility study for a potential east-west pipeline and energy corridor that would transport oil and gas to a proposed port on James Bay. The project was first discussed at a summer meeting of premiers and is now being advanced by Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who called it a nation-building initiative to enhance energy independence and open new export markets. Premier Danielle Smith and Saskatchewan Premier Scott Moe both praised the collaboration as a boost to Canada’s energy security. The study, which is expected to conclude next year, does not yet have a cost estimate.
  
  
• The Alberta government has introduced Bill 3, the Private Vocational Training Amendment Act, which will tighten oversight of private career colleges and improve transparency for students. Advanced Education Minister Myles McDougall said the legislation attempts to curb misleading claims about student loans and job prospects, citing reports of institutions telling students that loans were free or that attendance wasn’t required. The bill would require colleges to disclose graduate employment rates, strengthen curriculum standards, and allow regulators to suspend licences or issue stop orders for violations. It also targets third-party recruiters who mislead students and establishes a compensation fund for those affected by cancelled programs. The Province says these measures will protect students while maintaining confidence in Alberta’s growing private training sector. Industry representatives have endorsed the move, saying it will help rebuild trust by holding low-quality institutions accountable without penalizing reputable career colleges.
  
  
• Bill 4, the Public Safety and Emergency Services Statutes Amendment Act 2025, has also been introduced this week. The legislation advances plans to establish the Alberta Sheriffs Police Service (ASPS) as an independent policing agency. It would create a labour relations model for ASPS officers under the Police Officers Collective Bargaining Act, allowing collective bargaining through police associations rather than unions. It would also permit permanent residents to serve as officers and align ASPS members with first responder protections under the Workers’ Compensation Act. Public Safety Minister Mike Ellis said the bill lays the groundwork for a major transition but acknowledged that costs and timelines are still being determined. The act also updates Clare’s Law, granting the Integrated Threat and Risk Assessment Centre (ITRAC) greater access to police databases to expedite domestic violence disclosures. Additional provisions allow cross-provincial inmate transfers, ensuring flexibility during emergencies like wildfires.
  
  
• Alberta’s NDP Opposition is calling for higher wages and stronger worker protections through Bill 201, the Employment Standards (Protecting Workers’ Pay) Amendment Act. The proposal would raise Alberta’s minimum wage from $15 to $18 per hour over three years and then index it to inflation. It would also eliminate the youth minimum wage differential and safeguard worker tips from employer deductions. NDP MLA Kathleen Ganley said the changes are needed to address Alberta’s affordability crisis and ensure equal pay for equal work. Alberta’s minimum wage, unchanged since 2018, is currently the lowest in Canada and the province is one of only two that still allows employers to pay youth less. Government House Leader Joseph Schow countered that rapid increases would hurt small businesses and employment. 

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