Alberta’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, Deron Bilous, has said that the province’s municipalities will benefit from a modernized Municipal Government Act (MGA) in time for the next municipal elections in 2017.

A new feature of the updated act - Alberta’s second largest piece of legislation - will be municipal partnerships such as the one in which the metropolitan regions of Calgary and Edmonton will form growth management boards to implement a collaborative, forward-thinking approach to service delivery. In addition, the updated MGA aims to offer Alberta municipalities: more sustainable and inclusive development; increased responsibility for land use and environmental conservation; and greater regional collaboration.

The government plans to introduce the updated MGA in the Legislature in spring 2016. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to review the proposed amendments before the Legislature completes debate of the bill during the fall sitting.

Access Bill 20 - the Municipal Government Amendment Act - (royal assent March 30, 2015):