Alberta Record

· Order in Council / All-season Resorts Act Proclamation · enacted

All season resorts act proclamation

This Order in Council directs the Lieutenant Governor in Council to issue a Proclamation, bringing the All-season Resorts Act into force on the date of the Proclamation.

High impactCentralization of powerThe public, directlyMunicipalities

What changed

  • The Lieutenant Governor in Council is ordered to issue a Proclamation.
  • The Proclamation brings the All-season Resorts Act into force.
  • The All-season Resorts Act becomes effective on the date the Proclamation is issued.
  • Introduces "all-season resort disposition" as a new type of land disposition under the Public Lands Administration Regulation. (Section 2)
  • Establishes that an all-season resort disposition can be issued for up to 99 years for designated "all-season resort areas." (Section 6, 143.3(1), (2))
  • Grants the disposition holder rights to construct, operate, and maintain all-season resort developments, provide accommodation and services, and sell or lease private dwellings or commercial buildings within the area. (Section 6, 143.3(3)(a))
  • Consolidates activities that would otherwise require separate dispositions under the Act or Regulation into a single all-season resort disposition. (Section 6, 143.3(3)(b))
  • Requires applicants to submit a master development plan, environmental effects evaluation, integration assessment, and a commitment to private capital investment. (Section 6, 143.4)

Why it matters

  • The enactment of the All-season Resorts Act establishes a new provincial legislative framework for the development and operation of all-season resorts.
  • This introduces new regulatory requirements and processes that will govern the sector.
  • It formalizes the provincial government's role in overseeing all-season resort development and operations.
  • Expands the scope of commercial development permitted on public lands by introducing a new, long-term disposition specifically for resort purposes.
  • Centralizes the approval process for complex resort developments, potentially streamlining projects that previously required multiple permits.
  • Facilitates the sale and lease of private dwellings on public land within designated resort areas, altering traditional public land use.
  • Shifts authority to the director to authorize a broad range of activities within these resort areas, including those that would otherwise require separate dispositions.
  • Requires environmental and integration assessments, indicating a formal process for evaluating impacts of large-scale developments.

Other governance concerns

  • Introduction of new regulatory requirements for resort development
  • Potential impact on local land use planning processes
  • Long-term alienation of public land for private commercial development.
  • Potential for significant environmental impacts from large-scale resort construction.
  • Reduced public access to designated all-season resort areas.
  • Consolidation of regulatory oversight for diverse activities under a single disposition.

Primary sources (3)

Secondary sources (4)