LAWS & ANNOUNCEMENTS

New Laws

Sep 16: Separating from Canada would cost Alberta between $50 billion to $170 billion in the first five years, according to an independent study from the University of Calgary commissioned by the government. These costs are in addition to separation’s impact on Alberta’s economic growth and fiscal position. Albertans will vote on the separation referendum on October 19.

New Laws

Sep 4: Alberta launched a new online portal that businesses can use to report how tariffs and counter-tariffs are directly affecting their operations, jobs, and growth. The government will use the data in determining how best to respond to the tariffs and support businesses in the province.

Action Point: Find out about the 8 ways the U.S. tariffs affect Canadian workplaces and HR activities.

New Laws

Aug 26: In response to new U.S. tariffs, Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) announced a $20 million federal investment to support modernization of the Mercer Peace River Pulp Mill, which directly employs 360 people and supports approximately 3,000 jobs across Alberta’s forest sector supply chain, including through long-standing relationships with local forest sector operators and sawmills.

New Laws

Aug 21: Newly posted regulations allow the government to charge companies that get hit with administrative monetary penalties for employment standards, occupational health and safety (OHS), environmental, and other regulatory offences a 20% late fee if they don’t fully pay on time. Effective date: November 1, 2026.

Action Point: Find out if your province imposes administrative monetary penalties for employment standards law and OHS violations.

New Laws

Sep 15: The Governments of Canada and Alberta announced $24.8 million in joint funding for two projects to bring high-speed Internet access to 1,833 households in rural and remote communities across the province. This funding is part of an existing agreement between the governments. Currently, 98.1% of households in Alberta have access to high-speed Internet.

Training

Sep 9: From now through October 9, companies can apply for Alberta Industry Skills Grant (AISG) funding for training projects in sectors facing skills shortages, including aviation, aerospace, construction, and technology. Alberta has allocated $5.5 million for the AISG in 2026-27.

Action Point: Find out about the rules governing whether employees are entitled to be paid for training time.

Training

Aug 26: Northwestern Polytechnic opened a new Skilled Trades Training Centre in Grande Prairie is expected to support training for more than 4,500 apprentices over the next three years, more than quadruple its current capacity. Built with the help of $1 million in government aid, the 40,000-square-foot facility offers industry-focused training shops, including new programming to northern Alberta such as welding, refrigeration, and construction.

New Laws

Aug 24: From now through November 19, Alberta communities and organizations seeking to boost regional economic growth can apply to the Northern and Regional Economic Development (NRED) program for grants ranging from $10,000 to $300,000 per project lasting as long as three years. The program provides up to 50% of total eligible project costs—75% for projects led by Indigenous communities.

New Laws

Sep 14: The Governments of Alberta, Northwest Territories, and Saskatchewan agreed to work together to advance large-scale nuclear reactors, small modular reactors, and microreactors. The new memorandum of understanding (MOU) establishes a framework for collaboration and information-sharing on nuclear generation technologies.

New Laws

Aug 26: The Governments of Alberta and Canada made strategic changes to AgriStability to help agricultural producers manage business risks from this season’s wet conditions. AgriStability supports producers whose income margin falls below 70% of their historical average, covering 80 cents for every dollar of additional decline, up to a maximum payment of $3 million. Alberta producers can now sign up for the program until October 1; the 2026 interim payment rate was also increased from 50% to 75% of the estimated final payment.

New Laws

Aug 6: Since October, Alberta has issued 443 administrative penalties and eliminated 20 unsafe carriers from provincial roads, 13 of which were “chameleon carriers”—companies that try to avoid regulatory oversight by changing names, creating new entities or relocating operations across jurisdictions. Alberta also says it’s inspected 53 of the 56 licensed Class 1 driver training schools in the province since April 1, 2025.

Workplace Violence

Sep 2: Alberta service providers can now apply for nearly $15 million in Emergency Family Violence Services funding to support victims of family violence. Grants are available across three streams: i. the Facility Grant Pilot Program providing $4 million in capital funding to upgrade and maintain women's shelters; ii. the $5.8-million one-time Regional Collaboration and Innovation Grant supporting collaborative projects to coordinate emergency family violence services; and iii. the $5.1-million Operational Fund for new or increased operational funding. The deadlines to apply are, respectively, Sept. 29, Oct. 6, and Oct. 15.

Action Point: Domestic and family violence becomes an OHS issue and liability risk for employers when it happens at the victim’s workplace. Find out how to protect your employees from the risk of workplace domestic violence.

Health & Safety

Oct 5: Albertans can now book appointments online with local pharmacies for annual immunizations against fall respiratory viruses like influenza, RSV, influenza, and COVID-19. Appointments can also be scheduled with public health clinics by calling 811. The province recently expanded vaccination eligibility.

Action Point: Find out how to create a legally and clinically sound workplace Exposure Control Plan to protect your employees against seasonal respiratory viruses and other infectious illnesses.

CASES

Payroll: Wrongfully Dismissed CFO Is Entitled to Termination Notice

Told that her services were no longer needed, a CFO sued the construction consultation firm where she worked part-time for wrongful dismissal and $100,000 in termination notice. The firm contended that the CFO was an independent contractor. After considering all of the evidence, the Alberta concluded that the CFO was an employee: her contract was entitled an “employment agreement”; the firm controlled her activities and gave her authority to write cheques, a power it also assigned to its three individual principles; the CFO used only materials and personnel provided by the firm and had no direct financial stake or risk in the business; the firm paid her liability insurance premiums and other business expenses. At most, the CFO was a dependent contractor. Result: The firm had to pay her termination notice [Cooper v GFI Solutions Ltd., 2026 ABCJ 142 (CanLII), September 9, 2026].

Action Point: Don’t make the same mistake the company in Cooper did! The best strategy for avoiding misclassification errors and penalties is not by focusing on how the contract describes a hiree but by applying the 4 factors that CRA and the courts use to determine whether a worker is an employee or independent contractor.

Health & Safety: Strong Safety Program Leads to Trucker’s Acquittal on All 10 OHS Charges 

Prosecutors charged a trucking company with 10 OHS violations for an incident in which a 5,000-pound machine shaft rolled off the forks of a telehandler and fell from the upper deck of a trailer killing a worker on the ground. The Alberta court acquitted the employer of all 10 counts. The company’s OHS program was comprehensive and compliant with all provisions of the law, the court reasoned, citing its regular safety audits, training programs, and “formal tracking of all key metrics of accidents, injuries, trends in worker behaviour, root causes of injuries, and general accident rates in the industry.” The Crown announced that it’s appealing the ruling [R v Stephenson’s Rental Services Inc., 2026 ABCJ 125 (CanLII), July 31, 2026].

Action Point: Stephenson’s is an important reminder that OHS laws don’t demand perfection but reasonable efforts to comply and that companies who can meet these standards of due diligence won’t be held liable for the violations they do commit. Use the OHSI Due Diligence Scorecard and accompanying Case Summaries on HR Insider’s sister compliance services site, OHS Insider, to draw other important lessons that you can use to assess whether your own OHS program meets due diligence standards.