The Alberta government has introduced sweeping new legislation that will grant charter schools access to public land reserves and reduce the infrastructure fees developers pay to municipalities, a move that could reshape how new communities are built and funded in Calgary.
Announced Thursday as part of the multifaceted Bill 28, the changes will allow charter schools to access reserve and municipal land in new developments, putting them on the same footing as public and Catholic school boards. Until now, access to this reserved land was exclusive to the public and separate school systems. The bill will also exempt charter and private schools from paying off-site levies provincewide.
“While charter schools are part of Alberta's publicly-funded education system, they [haven't] yet been treated consistently when it comes to access to reserve land and infrastructure in our centres,” said Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams. “This change will create a more even playing field and allow for equal and fair choice in education.”
Williams clarified that the new rules will apply to future school allocations, not current ones. The move follows previous provincial actions to centralize control over school properties. In 2025, the UCP government passed Bill 51, which gave the province the authority to take ownership of new K-12 school buildings and playgrounds with 45 days' notice and lease them back to school boards.
Concerns over privatization and school placement
The 2025 legislation raised alarms at Calgary city hall. At the time, city staff and councillors expressed concern that the joint-use agreements between the city and school boards, which allow school sites to double as community hubs and parks, could be undermined. Many also worried it was a step toward privatization.
“The main concern from some of us is it’s a way to take land out of the public system and give it to private schools or do whatever else the province wishes to do with it,” Councillor Jasmine Mian said in May 2025. “We are already struggling to provide enough public lands for public use.”
While the province stated Bill 51 would not affect the public nature of educational programs, the new provisions in Bill 28 specifically extend land access privileges to charter schools. While some see a need for more charter school locations, the strategy of placing them in new suburban areas is being questioned.
Ward 4 Councillor DJ Kelly, who previously served on the board of Connect Charter School, said that while more sites are “absolutely needed,” placing them on the city’s fringe may not be the best solution. “Putting a charter school out on the outskirts of the city in a new neighbourhood. doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me,” Kelly said, noting that charter schools draw students from across the city, unlike local schools that serve the immediate community.
Developer levies reduced
Bill 28 also delivers a significant win for the development industry, which has long lobbied for a reduction in the off-site levies they pay to municipalities. These levies are intended to cover the cost of essential infrastructure for new neighbourhoods, such as water and sewer pipes, roads, and emergency services facilities.
Along with exempting charter and private schools from these fees, the bill introduces a new "automatic yes" permitting system for "low-risk" development applications and redefines what costs can be covered by levies. Scott Fash, CEO of the Building Industry and Land Development Association of Alberta (BILD Alberta), praised the changes during the government’s press conference.
These reforms will further protect housing affordability across the province, while cementing Alberta’s role as a leader in modern housing policy.
According to Fash, developers will no longer have to pay levies for "rolling stock" such as buses and fire trucks, nor for "enhanced architectural or energy-efficiency features that go beyond building code and infrastructure needs." BILD has argued that such costs, passed on to consumers, drive up new home prices. The changes have major implications for Calgary, which is grappling with a significant infrastructure deficit and the rising cost of suburban expansion.
Calgary growth plans face new uncertainty
The debate over growth was highlighted this week as city council considered a massive new community in the Providence area. The development proposes nearly 10,000 homes on the city's west side. City administration estimates the required infrastructure will cost taxpayers $582 million, only 42 per cent of which would be recoverable through off-site levies under the current system. Boston University protests Pride flag removals, with similar issues having surfaced in Calgary where the proposed reduction in levies under Bill 28 would likely increase the financial burden on the city.
“There's several different stations along the way. gates, if you will. where you can decide yes or no on a project like this,” Ward 4 Councillor DJ Kelly told council. “At this point, I prefer to be committing our dollars towards maintaining the infrastructure that we currently have, rather than building additional infrastructure.”
Despite these concerns, council voted 11-4 to include the Providence application in the next four-year budget cycle for a final decision in November. “I'm happy to support this at this time,” said Mayor Jeromy Farkas. “I will be as skeptical as possible when it comes to proper budget time, comparing this to other opportunities.”
The exemption for "rolling stock" could also pose a direct challenge to transit service in new neighbourhoods. Developers currently contribute a transit bus levy, and Calgary Transit already finds it difficult to provide adequate service to far-flung communities. The loss of that funding could further strain the system, leaving more new suburbs without viable public transportation options.
Bill 28 is an omnibus bill that also introduces a code of conduct for municipal politicians, changes to property taxes, a vacancy tax for second homes in Canmore, and new rules for accessing "sexually explicit visual materials" in public libraries. The full details and impacts of the sprawling legislation are still being analyzed by municipalities across the province, including how it might affect the affordability of new homes, a major concern for many Albertans looking to buy. The issue of housing affordability is a pressing one across Canada, with some buyers in other markets facing financial difficulty as prices fluctuate following the pre-construction boom. For instance, some pre-construction buyers in Ontario are facing financial ruin as condo prices fall.
