Calgary has pledged to continue funding negotiations with Ottawa despite the Alberta bill

Calgary's mayor says the city will continue to negotiate directly with Ottawa for financial support despite Alberta's law to stop municipalities from bypassing the province to seek federal funding.

Jyoti Gondek said in an interview Thursday that the Alberta provincial government has not ordered Calgary to stop such negotiations after the provincial government introduced legislation requiring municipalities, universities and other organizations to seek its approval before signing, changing or renewing funding agreements with Ottawa.

Premier Daniel Smith said Wednesday the proposed legislation is necessary to stop the federal government's ideological and constitutional interference in Alberta. The legislation does not detail potential ramifications for municipalities, universities or other provincial entities that do business directly with Ottawa and Ms. Smith, who, when pressed, did not elaborate on the ramifications.

However, the legislation raises concerns that funding recipients such as cities and colleges could put some of the billions of dollars Ottawa sends out each year at risk.

Ms Smith said she was irritated by the federal government's recent plan to negotiate directly with municipalities over the share of a new multibillion-dollar fund to pay for the infrastructure needed to build more housing. Calgary is among the communities vying for the check, and while Alberta says it will consult with municipalities and others affected by the new bill this summer, Ms. Gondek said the city can't stop its push for cash.

“There's money on the table right now,” Ms. Gondek said. “We don't have time to wait.”

Calgary provided Municipal Affairs Minister Rick McIver with details of 64 agreements with the federal government on Jan. 31, city spokeswoman Kayla Lagrand said. The deals are worth a total of $435 million, he said.

Mr. McIver, a former Calgary councilor, said the city should have been “smart enough” to invite the province to the table when it wanted to make a housing deal with the federal government.

“They didn't invite us, so it's a natural result of them choosing not to invite the province into the conversation, knowing that they're only operating within provincial jurisdiction,” Mr. McIver said on CBC Calgary's. An eye opener showing Thursday.

“Having said that, we're going to do everything we can to make sure it's not a problem for the city,” he said. “But they asked for it.”

Jared Wesley, a political scientist at the University of Alberta, said requiring provincial sign-off on federal-municipal agreements is generally a good move. It can provide uniformity, streamline negotiations and allow for comprehensive risk assessment, he said.

However, Mr McIver's comments leave him questioning the government's intentions.

“It shows that they are not necessarily interested in getting more dollars, but it can be a punishment for institutions that disagree ideologically with the government,” Professor Wesley said, adding that the minister's “adversarial attitude” undermines trust in municipalities.

“Anyone who has negotiated at any level knows that the first thing you need to do is build trust,” he said.

Critics say Alberta needs to beef up its bureaucracy to properly review federal funding agreements. Funders fear they could miss out on opportunities if the provincial government adds another layer of oversight.

Mr McIver said on Wednesday the reviews would not be burdensome. “It takes a minute or two or 10 minutes to review five to eight different deals,” he said, citing housing as an example.

Professor Wesley said that was not true.

“This process is not a matter of review. These documents in some cases reach from 60 to 100 pages,” he said. “The type of control described by the Prime Minister and the Minister does not take 10 minutes. In some cases, it can take up to 10 months.”

With the ruling United Conservative Party seemingly more concerned about municipalities cutting their own deals with Ottawa, the prime minister has also taken aim at post-secondary funding, which he says is based on the federal government's ideology. Pressed for examples, Ms. Smith cited Ottawa's “social research foundation.”

Sam Blackett, a spokesman for Ms. Smith, confirmed Thursday that the federal research funding agency was referring to the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).

Alberta received $42.7 million from SSHRC in 2022-2023, including $37.6 million for the University of Alberta and the University of Calgary, according to the agency. Both universities said they are talking to the provincial government to better understand the legislation.

The SSHRC “promotes and supports postsecondary research and teaching in the humanities and social sciences.” Most grants are not subject-specific, but the council encourages research in areas of national importance, such as housing, agriculture, gender-based violence and indigenous reconciliation.

In a statement Thursday, SSHRC President Ted Hewitt explained that grant and scholarship applications are submitted through postsecondary institutions and are awarded through a competitive process of merit evaluation to ensure “the highest standards of excellence and impartiality in the selection process.”

Advanced Education Minister Rajan Sawhney told reporters on Thursday that the province does not want to interfere with academic freedom. “We want to make sure that this funding is aligned with the province's priorities,” Ms. Sawney said. But he added, “I can't think of a single grant stream that poses a problem for post-secondary education.”

Alberta Postsecondary Network executive director Bill Wherry said the 26 organizations in his group will receive a collective $1 billion in research funding from the federal government “in a good year.” Network He said members are concerned that more money won't be given to researchers if Alberta slows down the application process.

The University of Calgary said in a statement that it received $190 million from the federal government last year, or about 35 percent of its total research revenue. Michael Brown, a spokesman for the University of Alberta in Edmonton, said the institution has received more than $223 million in federal research investment, more than a third of its total research revenue.

According to the Canadian press