New 2025 Provincial Mandate Letter Analysis, Part 2
We’re continuing our analysis of new mandate letters issued to Alberta Ministries, which establish priorities and direction for each Ministry. Check out our first post on the topic for more on why they matter, how they can inform your nonprofit’s strategy, plus analysis of the first four new mandate letters released September 17.
New Provincial Mandate Letters
On Monday, September 22, 2025, Premier Smith issued new mandate letters to five ministers - with the possibility of more to come. They include new directives for:
Analysis: 2025 Mandate Letter Themes
A few identifiable themes across all new mandate letters:
All new mandate letters emphasize the progress on commitments from the initial mandates, which could signal a government looking to demonstrate success.
Across ministries, economic growth and investment attraction became more explicit.
Stakeholder engagement remains a priority.
Red tape reduction remains a priority.
Equity commitments have been reduced in scope except where tied to already-developed strategies.
Cross-Ministry collaboration gained emphasis.
Analysis: Comparison by Ministry of 2023 Letters to 2025
Advanced Education
Progress on 2023 Commitments (verbatim from the new mandate letter):
Investing $10 million over three years to expand mental health professional spaces in Alberta’s post-secondary institutions, supporting student wellness and strengthening campus services [2023 promised $4M/year]
Partnering with Alberta’s established medical schools and other post-secondary institutions to develop new pathways for physician training, with a focus on increasing the number of doctors serving rural communities.
Establishing the Professional Governance Act to consolidate and modernize the legislative framework for Alberta’s 22 professional regulatory organizations (PROs), ensuring consistent governance standards and enhanced public protection across non-health professions.
What’s Stayed the Same
2023 and 2025 both emphasize accelerating auto-/streamlined credentialing for national and international workers
Both years highlight raising the status of trades as career paths starting in junior high
Both letters direct development of faster certification programs for K–12 teachers
What’s Different
2023 focused on auto-credentialing for health care and other workers; 2025 emphasizes amendments to the Fair Registration Practices Act and outcomes from the Foreign Credential Advisory Committee, widening scope beyond health
2025 adds a new direction to review the Expert Panel on Post-Secondary Institution Funding to ensure funding follows students while maintaining research/operational support
2023 mentioned free speech protections for professionals; 2025 reframes this into possible legislation to protect academic freedom and freedom of expression in post-secondary institutions
2023 focused on strengthening research grants; 2025 shifts to modernizing intellectual property frameworks to ensure taxpayer benefit from commercialization
2023 spoke of scholarships for labour shortage areas; 2025 specifies non-repayable assistance opportunities for high school students entering fields with labour shortages
Education and Childcare
Progress on 2023 Commitments (verbatim from the new mandate letter):
Establishing policies for preserving choice for children and youth in schools.
Bringing forward amendments to the Education Act on key areas including teacher discipline processes and trustee accountability.
Fast tracking more school projects through the Schools Now program by committing $8.6 billion to create over 200,000 new and updated student spaces across Alberta over the next 7 years.
Establishing standards for school authorities to implement policies related to school literary materials that include a publicly accessible list of materials.
Progress on low-cost childcare is not reported here, nor in the 2025 Mandate Letter to the Minister of Children and Family Services, who had jurisdiction for childcare in 2023.
What’s Stayed the Same
Both 2023 and 2025 mandate development of expedited teacher certification processes for degree/diploma holders or skilled trades professionals
Both letters stress advancing apprenticeship systems modeled after Germany and promoting trades education at the high school level
Both emphasize career fairs, career counselling websites, advertising campaigns, and mobile labs to promote high-demand careers
Both years underline support across public, separate, francophone, charter, independent, early childhood, and home education systems
Both letters direct continued curriculum implementation and inclusion of life skills like financial literacy
Both 2023 and 2025 stress partnerships with Mental Health and Addiction to expand or target mental health support
Both mandate improving supports for children with complex learning needs
What’s different
In 2025, the ministry explicitly includes childcare in its scope (renamed “Education and Childcare”), with a new directive to negotiate childcare arrangements with the federal government that are sustainable, inclusive of for-profit providers, and under provincial control
2025 introduces directives to protect children by implementing Bill 27 and ensuring sexually explicit images are unavailable in schools
2025 requires a universal code of conduct for school board officials, clarifying speech protections and recall procedures. The 2023 letter focused more generally on reviewing parent councils and governance
2023 called for new youth wellness centres and Program Unit Funding reviews, while 2025 narrows focus to targeted supports and cooperative work with Assisted Living and Social Services
While 2023 emphasized investments and program creation (CAREERS, dual credit, collegiate schools), 2025 shifts toward advertising campaigns, career fairs, and apprenticeships as central tools
Infrastructure
Progress on 2023 Commitments (verbatim from the new mandate letter):
The passage of the Real Property Governance Act. [2023 Mandate Letter tasked Infrastructure with modernizing contracts and financing. This Act establishes a new framework for managing provincial assets.
The completion of the Lakeview Gunn Recovery Centre.
The opening of Calgary Recovery Community for Mental Health and Addictions in Spring 2025.
What’s Stayed the Same
Both letters direct Infrastructure to support the construction of treatment/recovery facilities
Both years emphasize developing a formula to guide predictable annual capital spending for infrastructure
Both direct Infrastructure to work with Transportation and Economic Corridors to speed up Cabinet/Caucus-identified projects
Both letters expect Infrastructure to assist cross-ministry efforts in promoting skilled trades and careers in construction
What’s different
2023 focused on 11 recovery communities; 2025 specifies Compassionate Intervention facilities in Calgary and Edmonton plus further recovery communities
2025 expands on the capital funding formula, directing a review of capital planning for health and social infrastructure, ensuring funding is based on regional/demographic needs
2025 tasks Infrastructure with continuing implementation of the Real Property Governance Act and exploring flexibility in use/value of provincial assets—something not present in 2023
2025 explicitly adds Edmonton’s event centre alongside Calgary’s arena project
2025 introduces a detailed procurement reform agenda (1GX adoption, category management, hybrid centralized model), which was not in the 2023 mandate
2025 adds responsibility to work with Justice on courthouse assessment, renewal, and construction—absent from 2023
Dropped priorities:
2023 included a building naming policy with Arts & Culture, which does not appear in 2025.
2023 focused on analyzing school/hospital construction timelines and modernizing contracts; 2025 replaces these with broader procurement reforms and capital planning reviews
Municipal Affairs
Progress on 2023 Commitments (verbatim from the new mandate letter):
Strengthening local governance and updating local election rules with amendments to the Municipal Government Act, Local Authorities Election Act and the Local Political Parties and Slates Regulation.
Enhancing construction safety and quality standards for newly built homes with changes to New Home Buyer Protection Act and the Safety Codes Act. [not mentioned in the 2023 letter]
What’s Stayed the Same
Both letters emphasize maintaining trust, partnership, and open dialogue with municipal leaders, and bringing feedback to Cabinet for action
Both years highlight the need to benchmark, measure, and reduce approval times to attract business investment
Both involve joint work with Transportation and Economic Corridors on infrastructure-related priorities (2023 on Calgary arena support; 2025 on integrated water programs)
What’s different
2025 introduces explicit directives to streamline permitting for affordable housing, review supports for urban development aligned with homeownership goals, and protect against specialized municipal taxes on non-primary residences
New instructions in 2025 include exploring ways to limit excessive property tax increases and conducting a review of compensation and benefits for municipal officials, with municipal salary disclosure
2025 adds a directive to develop a universal code of conduct for municipal officials and staff, protect freedom of speech of elected members, and strengthen the supervisory role of elected officials over administrators
A new ‘Automatic Yes’ permitting program is directed in 2025, where applications are automatically approved if not reviewed within set timeframes
2025 brings in a new role in developing an integrated water program with Transportation and the Associate Minister of Water — absent from 2023
2023 emphasized protecting provincial constitutional authority over municipalities, monitoring metropolitan region boards, wellsite tax transfers, and education property tax feasibility — these are absent in 2025
Transportation and Economic Corridors
Progress on 2023 Commitments (verbatim from the new mandate letter):
Championing a new automated traffic enforcement policy with a focus on safety, rather than revenue generation.
Investing in transportation infrastructure and improvements surrounding the new Calgary arena and entertainment district.
Investing in major highways and roadways improvements in the greater Edmonton and Calgary areas, including the Anthony Henday Drive and Deerfoot Trail in enhancing Alberta’s economic corridors.
Implementing a new Class 1 Learning Pathway to improve commercial carrier safety and making it easier and more affordable to pursue a career as a truck driver.
What’s Stayed the Same
Both letters prioritize provincial participation in Calgary’s arena project, with 2025 extending this to Edmonton’s event centre
Both highlight advancing Calgary LRT expansion, with 2025 specifying the Blue Line completion by 2030 and Green Line downtown-to-Shepherd alignment
Both emphasize enhancing regional/international airport growth and future rail connections — 2025 explicitly adds YEG airport connector planning
Both direct development of provincial/national corridors, including improvements to Highway 686
Both years commit to cross-ministry work on water treatment and distribution
Both mandate collaboration with Indigenous peoples on prosperity-sharing, water management, and emergency mitigation
Both letters include expanding Alberta’s highway and bridge infrastructure
What’s different
2023 explored commuter rail feasibility; 2025 directs finalizing planning and timelines for the Passenger Rail Strategy, with explicit projects (Blue Line by 2030, YEG connector, Green Line completion)
2025 adds joint responsibility with Infrastructure and Service Alberta for implementing 1GX, category management, and centralized procurement models
2025 explicitly tasks Transportation with partnering on pipeline projects (bitumen to BC coast, oil/gas to Hudson’s Bay and Ontario). This is absent in 2023 in mandate letters to the ministries of Transportation and Energy and Minerals.
2025 celebrates automated traffic enforcement reform and Class 1 truck driver training pathway — not mentioned in 2023
2023 emphasized commuter rail feasibility studies (hydrogen trains), Metrolinx-like models, private sector cost-sharing, and regional airport development as priorities. These are not explicitly carried forward in 2025, though parts evolve into the Passenger Rail Strategy and broader airport connectivity
Implications for Alberta Nonprofits
Here are some suggestions for your nonprofit in light of themes that cut across all letters:
With this provincial government in mid-term and looking to demonstrate outcomes, consider how your nonprofit has contributed to any of the progress as identified in the mandate letters and how your nonprofit can contribute to demonstrable results in the outlined priorities.
Explain how your work helps people sooner, saves money later, and keeps government systems from being overwhelmed. You can formalize this in the language of both return on investment (ROI) and return on community (ROC).
Explain how your organization is either directly involved in government priorities, or helps reach the people and communities that matter for those priorities. Remind decision-makers that nonprofits never work alone: every dollar put into your work also brings in volunteers, donations, and community partners. That means the impact is multiplied — far greater than what government could achieve on its own.
Make a clear case how your nonprofit contributes to red tape reduction and include that language in all core communications. Point out that many nonprofits reduce downstream government costs and burdens by preventing crises whether in health, justice, or employment.
Prepare for reduced emphasis on diversity/inclusion mandates compared to 2023, which may mean developing targeted government relations strategies, changing core communications, and/or developing advocacy strategies to support the communities you serve. Even though equity language has been trimmed from mandate letters, nonprofits can argue that equity work isn’t “extra”, it’s a driver of stronger labour markets, safer communities, and innovation. Nonprofits can surface community voices that government might otherwise miss.
Build partnerships across ministries as cross-ministry collaboration is emphasized.
Here are suggestions based on individual mandate letter analysis*:
Prepare for increased demand for affirming spaces and resources for young people in light of new directives in Education around school materials and parental input.
Nonprofits in housing, poverty reduction, or community development should consider showing:
How your work helps cut delays and costs.
Innovative community housing models.
Alignment with the government’s focus on affordable housing and streamlined permitting.
Be aware new limits on municipal revenue tools may shrink local governments’ budgets. Nonprofits can engage in dialogue across levels of government about what makes communities survive and thrive — and how to share responsibility for funding essential services.
Be prepared to learn a new process to keep accessing government contracts and funding with the government moving toward using one big online system for buying services, hiring contractors, and funding projects (procurement).
Look for opportunities in environment, Indigenous relations, workforce training, and stewardship as Economic Corridor mandates expand to include two newly proposed pipelines. Be ready to engage in advocacy where community concerns arise, and watch for a new mandate letter to the Minister of Energy and Minerals for more details.
*In previous analyses, we’ve provided some suggestions for how nonprofits can continue to engage with the Government of Alberta within their ministry's new directions. This list refers to the ministries included in this analysis. If you’d like to learn more about how your organization may be impacted and what you can do, check out our other posts where we’ve shared other ministry specific action suggestions.