File photo of the Alberta Legislature building in Edmonton. (Lethbridge News Now)

By Canadian Press

Alberta introduces legislation to limit COVID-19 rule-making by municipalities

Mar 9, 2022 | 10:04 AM

EDMONTON – The Alberta government has introduced legislation to limit the authority of municipalities to impose COVID-19 mask and vaccine rules.

Municipal Affairs Minister Ric McIver says municipalities will now need provincial approval to pass such rules on private businesses. But McIver says local leaders will still have that power when it comes to municipally-owned infrastructure, such as city recreation centres, buildings and arenas.

Premier Jason Kenney announced recently that his government was bringing in such legislation in order to keep COVID-19 rules consistent across the province.

Most municipalities cancelled their own COVID-19 health bylaws in lockstep with the province when it dropped almost all health restrictions and masking rules effective March 1.

Edmonton, however, kept its own indoor masking bylaw in place and is now debating whether to extend it

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This report by The Canadian Press was first published March 8, 2022.

The Canadian Press