For immediate release
June 18, 2019
Alberta municipalities disappointed with feds
Rejection of amendments to Bill-69 may cripple communities nationwide
Edmonton - The Alberta Urban Municipalities Association (AUMA) announced today its disappointment with the stance the federal government has taken by not accepting the Senate’s proposed amendments to Bill-69.
“The economic health of communities is at stake,” noted Barry Morishita, President AUMA. “The Bill does not have clarity about which infrastructure projects will fall under federal review and does not have concrete timelines on how long the consultation process will be. This means municipalities will face delays in approvals, missed construction seasons, and additional costs for reviewing projects.”
These additional hurdles to get economy-driving projects approved means a lot of uncertainty for Alberta municipalities. Morishita explained, “attracting investment in our communities requires certainty that projects will be built, the current form of Bill C-69 takes away that certainty meaning municipalities will ultimately face a reduced tax base, increased unemployment rate, and shrinking population.”
AUMA encourages the Government of Canada to respect the process and recommendations the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, Environment and Natural Resources proposed to the Bill. “The Senate Committee traveled across the country to hear directly from Canadians, why would the Government of Canada ignore the majority of amendments proposed through this process?” asked Morishita.
