Hold Onto Your Hats, Alberta.
The last few months in Alberta politics have been a wild ride. Here's what nonprofits should know.
Personal Information of Alberta Voters Leaked
What’s Happening
In late April, Albertans learned the personal information of nearly 3 million voters was being made publicly accessible in a database, leading Elections Alberta to send 568 cease-and-desist letters to individuals who received or accessed the information. Elections Alberta obtained a court injunction to take the database offline, and three separate investigations are now underway – by Elections Alberta, the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner, and the RCMP.
Our Take
While this affects all Albertans, it is particularly relevant to nonprofits serving people for whom a publicly searchable home address represents real concern, not only for clients, but also for staff. If you or someone you know is concerned about personal safety, please contact your local law enforcement agency. The Office of Information and Privacy Commissioner has shared safety resources from some Alberta agencies, and information on how to protect yourself from identity-related fraud. You can find those resources here.
Albertans Are Voting on Nine Big Questions This Fall
What’s Happening
On October 19, Albertans will vote in a referendum on nine questions, covering topics like immigration and changes to the Canadian constitution.
Our Take
These questions were developed following the Alberta Next Panel consultations, with implications for the communities our sector serves, staff and volunteers, and the programs and services we deliver.
Questions related to immigration focus on how new Canadians should be able to access services such as healthcare, education, and social programming in Alberta. On the Canadian constitution, voters will be asked whether certain federal government infrastructure, processes, and programs should be restructured to give the Alberta Government greater authority, including programs run by nonprofits.
Referendum results do not guarantee policy outcomes – any approved questions would still proceed through the standard legislative process.
We’re digging into the details of each question this summer!
Judge Rules in Favour of First Nations on Alberta Separatist Petition
What’s Happening
A group called ‘Stay Free Alberta’ submitted a petition on May 4th, with about 302,000 signatures – well above the 178,000 required to trigger a referendum on Alberta separating from Canada. The signature collection ended on May 2. Recently, a judge ruled that the results can’t officially be verified for a month, – partly because First Nations groups raised concerns that the petition process conflicts with their treaty rights.
On May 13th, an Alberta judge quashed the petition, ruling that the province had a duty to consult First Nations and that the petition should never have been approved because of its confliction with treaty rights. Stay Free Alberta says it will appeal, and Premier Smith is reviewing the decision.
Our Take
The conversation on separation continues to create uncertainty for Albertans, including how the nonprofit sector would be regulated and funded under shifting jurisdiction. The court ruling narrows – but does not eliminate – the path to a separation question on the fall ballot.
A New Bill Could Shift More Decision-Making Power to the Province
What’s Happening
Bill 28 – the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Act – is on its third reading in the legislature. It’s a lengthy bill with a lot of moving parts, but here’s the headline: it shifts more decision-making power to the provincial Municipal Affairs minister away from local governments, nonprofit boards, and community organizations.
Our Take
Here are a few concrete examples of what could change:
Senior Housing: a rule that protects seniors in lodge accommodations from losing too much of their monthly income could be moved out of law and into regulation – meaning it could be changed by a minister without public vote or debate.
Libraries: the province would gain new powers to inspect, set access rules (including aged-based restrictions), and guide how library boards interpret regulations – boards that are currently governed locally.
Municipal Decisions: if residents vote on whether their municipality should be dissolved – or not, the minister could override that public vote. This introduces uncertainty for residents and organizations operating in rural communities.
The Electoral Map is Being Redrawn - With Less Public Consultation
What’s Happening
After every second provincial general election, typically 8-10 years, a Commission is appointed to review existing electoral boundaries – the geographic areas each MLA represents. This legislative process is informed by the Electoral Boundaries Commissions Act, which names specific process requirements such as who must be on the commission, how electoral districts can be composed (geographically and by population), and the functions of the review process, including public hearings and amendments.
The Commission released a majority report in March, with two members of the committee choosing to issue a minority report. While both the majority and minority reports recommended increasing the number of electoral districts to 89 – up from 87 – how the lines were drawn were very different. Rather than accepting the majority report, the government put forward, and passed, a motion in the legislature to create a Special Select Committee on Electoral Boundaries to oversee a new separate advisory panel that will do the map drawing.
The Committee will have six members of elected MLAs. From the UCP, Brandon Lunty will be Chair, Chantelle de Jonge, Tara Sawyer, and Ron Wiebe. From the NDP, Kathleen T. Ganley and Christina Gray. The advisory panel will be assembled by the end of May and is tasked with identifying a total of 91 electoral districts by October 2026, with no public hearings expected for the review.
Our Take
Electoral boundaries affect how communities are represented in government. The normal safeguards in this process – an independent structure with public input – are there to make sure the lines aren’t drawn in ways that benefit a single political party. Starting over without public consultations removes those checks.
A New Law Could Affect Any Nonprofit That Employs Newcomers
What’s Happening
Bill 26 – the Immigration Oversight Act – was introduced on April 1 and is awaiting royal assent. The bill is positioned as a worker protection measure, giving the provincial government greater oversight of immigration to reduce the mistreatment of newcomers. When put into force, it’s also intended to increase transparency on hiring and the makeup of immigrants in the workforce. In some instances, ‘where public interest requires it’, the Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade, and Immigration can immediately restrict an employer's ability to hire newcomers.
Our Take
If your organization employs foreign nationals, including people on work permits or temporary visas, you could be required to register as an employer with the province. That registration opens the door to investigations, access to employment records, and enforcement actions. Details are still forthcoming, so if this is relevant to you, stay tuned! We’ll keep providing updates.
Have questions or want to dig deeper?
We’re here to help nonprofits make sense of the policy landscape. Reach out anytime with questions or comments to info@nonprofitsvote.org