Ministers discuss mandate letters in rural media roundtable

Posted on January 15, 2026 by Sunny South News

By Heather Cameron
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Minister of Arts, Culture and Status of Women Tanya Fir, Minister of Jobs, Economy, Trade and Immigration Joseph Schow, Minister of Tourism and Sport Andrew Boitchenko, and Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Loewen recently held a joint virtual rural media roundtable discussion.

“As Minister of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women, I’m proud of the strong foundation our government has laid, and I’m excited to tackle the key priorities in my updated mandate letter from Premier Danielle Smith to continue serving Albertans,” said Minister Fir.

The government, Minister Fir stated, is working on many things to help Albertans, including a ten-year strategy to end gender-based violence that will continually bring more awareness, prevention and supports to Albertans in every corner of the province. On top of that, Minister Fir says, the government is aiming to bring more attention and celebration to the province’s rich culture and heritage through events like Alberta Day. 

“We’re excited to continue making Alberta Day celebrations bigger and better each year, while also giving more Albertans opportunities to connect with our provincial story,” said Minister Fir.

Minister Fir emphasized that her goals include driving major growth in all of Alberta’s creative industries through coordinated governance to showcase the beauty and spirit of our artists, musician, crews, venues, and also working closely with Minister Schow on that from music and television to film and performing arts or innovative supports and competitive incentives that will ensure Alberta remains a global destination for the arts. 

“That means more jobs, more investment, and more opportunity for Alberta talent to thrive right here at home,” said Minister Fir.

Minister Fir also touched upon the importance of continuing to partner with First Nations to repatriate sacred items and honor the history associated with them. 

“We know that reconciliation, reconciliation is more than words action, so by engaging with Indigenous communities, we’re ensuring their voices are reflected as we update our repatriation framework to return ceremonial items in a respectful and culturally appropriate way,” said Minister Fir.

On top of that, Minister Fir stated that the government is very focused on strengthening efforts across government to support survivors of domestic and gender-based violence. 

“We know that by protecting vulnerable Albertans, we’re working towards making violence a rarity in our province, not a norm and not reoccurring,” said Minister Fir. “This mandate is about celebrating who we are, protecting those who need it most, and unlocking Alberta’s cultural and economic potential. Together, we’ll continue getting it done for Albertans.”

Minister Loewen then spoke about how he was committed to keeping Alberta’s outdoors thriving for families now and for the next generation.

“Over the past year, we’ve made positive changes from expanding our trail systems and modernizing wildlife management to reducing red tape for land users and supporting healthy range lands,” explained Minister Lowen. “Looking ahead, my job is to keep our forest strong, grow recreation opportunities, and protect communities from wildfire. That means more campsites, better trails, forestry, jobs, investments, and making sure our forestry products continue to drive Alberta’s economy forward. As your Minister of Forestry and Parks, I shall keep working hard to make sure these lands stay strong for Albertans today and tomorrow.”

After that, Minister Boitchenko spoke about how his Ministry has worked to increase access to sport and recreation opportunities across the province, encouraging all Albertans to lead active and healthy lifestyles. 

That work, Minister Boitchenko stated, includes initiatives like the ‘Every Kid Can Play’ program. That program, Minister Boitchenko says, gives kids affordable access to sports and recreational activities, and supports the development and renewal of sport and recreation infrastructure in the province. Minister Boitchenko also stated that the government is working endlessly to drive economic growth by positioning Alberta as a premier hosting destination for major sporting events. 

In the name of further supporting tourism and bring more of Alberta to the world, Minister Boitchenko stated that the government has launched their tourism strategy, which aims to grow the visitors’ economy to $25 billion in annual visitor expenditures by 2035.

“Key to the tourism strategy is the Old Season Resorts Act, which will help enable year-round tourism in our province, helping broaden opportunities for both tourists and operators in our province,” said Minister Boitchenko. 

Minister Boitchenko also briefly touched upon the province’s agency, Travel Alberta, stating that it benefits rural Alberta programs like the Tourism Development Zone initiative, and the Tourism Investment Program. 

On top of that, Minister Boitchenko stated, the government has made a commitment to Indigenous tourism in the province, the largest one in Canada, investing $8.85 million in Indigenous tourism in Alberta between 2021 and 2026. 

“Tourism and sport play vital roles in sustaining the vibrancy and resilience of rural Alberta,” said Minister Boitchenko. “Our government remains firmly committed to supporting these essential activities in communities across the province, and together we’re building stronger, more active and economically thriving rural regions in our province.”

Finally, Minister Schow took a turn to speak and touched upon how he is focused on many things, including tackling the current issues surrounding immigration.

“This is a system that has been broken for a number of years by the federal government,” said Minister Schow. “It is dual responsibility, but the premier’s asked me to look at all legal means available to me as the minister to ensure we get better control over provincial immigration.”

In addition to that, Minister Schow explained, his job is also to explore new trading partnerships around the world as the world is facing a new relationship with the United States. 

“I’ve been attending conferences and having meetings exploring what different trade relationships would look like and what it would take from us and other jurisdictions in Canada to improve infrastructure to get our products to new markets,” said Minister Schow. “We believe Alberta is a prime destination for investment, for defense spending, and we’ll be seeking new opportunities for that. I think we have a skilled workforce, the diverse landscape that’s needed for that and, and just frankly, a very favorable tax regime that will entice companies to come here and set up shop.”