The following is to provide an update on the provincial government's Professional Governance Act (PGA), also known as Bill 40, and its significance for the AALA. We know this is the first communication on this topic in a while, so we'll start with a brief overview.
What is the Professional Governance Act?
Introduced by the Government of Alberta, the PGA is umbrella legislation that will modernize and consolidate nine separate acts and 28 regulations governing 22 different non-health professional regulatory organizations (PROs) into a single, unified act. The primary goal is to promote good governance, consistency, and transparency, ensuring that PROs like the AALA are effectively protecting the public interest.
For the AALA, this means a shift from our current legislation under the Professional and Occupational Associations Registration Act (POARA) to the new PGA. This change will give us more self-governing authority to manage our professional regulatory matters through updated bylaws, while also providing a consistent framework for things like professional conduct, discipline, and continuing competence across all regulated professions under the act.
Our Engagement and Progress
Your Board and Staff have been actively involved in this transition process, meeting with the Province over the past year to provide feedback on the draft General Regulation. This is a crucial step as it will establish the foundational framework for all PROs under the PGA. Our dedicated PGA Task Force has also been engaged on key items, such as membership classifications, to ensure that the unique needs of our profession are accurately represented and inform the opinions we share with the government.
We're also pleased to announce that the AALA has hired Halford Consulting to provide professional support and guidance on governance matters. This was necessary after our previous professional support became unavailable. The firm will be instrumental in helping us navigate the new legislative landscape and update our governance documents.
What's Next and How to Stay Informed
The Province has shared the following timeline for PGA implementation for the AALA:
Fall 2025: Approval of the General Regulation.
Spring 2026: Approval of select PRO regulations, including the Landscape Architects Regulation specific to the AALA.
Summer 2026: The PGA and supporting regulations come into force for select PROs.
In the coming weeks, we expect to meet with the Province to discuss the Landscape Regulation and receive a draft template. This will then be reviewed and commented on by our PGA Task Force. In the meantime, we'll also be working in the background to review and update all our bylaws and policies, which will also be issued for review to the Task Force and the Board.
We will continue to keep you informed as we receive more details and move forward with this important transition. Thank you for your continued dedication to the profession.