Hunter tasked with advancing provincial water interests in mandate letter

Posted on December 18, 2025 by Ryan Dahlman

By Trevor Busch
Commentator/Courier
editor@tabertimes.com

In his role as Associate Minister of Water, Grant Hunter has been tasked with a number of key initiatives by Environment and Protected Areas Minister Rebecca Schulz in a mandate letter issued earlier this fall. 

“The work that I do is going to be in four different ministries, so the vast majority of it will be under Rebecca Schulz with Environment and Protected Areas,” said Hunter, who also serves as Taber-Warner MLA. “There is a section that’s under Minister Dreeshen in Transportation and Economic Corridors, and Minister Williams in Municipal Affairs. And then Minister RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation.”

Hunter will be responsible for ensuring the timely completion and public release of the Water Storage Opportunities Study in 2025. This study, which assesses approximately 100 potential sites for future dams, reservoirs, and other water infrastructure, is critical to identifying Alberta’s most promising opportunities to enhance water security. Using the study’s findings, a ranking of water infrastructure projects will be developed based on cost-effectiveness and feasibility.

“With ag and irrigation, there’s a portion in his mandate letter that says, in coordination with the Associate Minister of Water, complete ongoing irrigation modernization commitment and explore options for additional investment in the optimization and expansion of irrigation and water storage infrastructure in the province. That is that’s also stated in the mandate letter that I received from Environment and Protected Areas. It goes into a little more detail there, talks about ensure the time of completion and public release of the Water Storage Opportunity Study, and then it says assess approximately 100 potential sites for future dams, reservoirs and water infrastructure. When it comes to Minister Dan Williams, Municipal Affairs, that portion talks about in coordination with the Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors, who is lead, and the Associate Minister of Water, accelerate the development of an integrated water program that facilitates increased water treatment and distribution for residential, industrial and agricultural water use across Alberta. This is a big one that’s going to be a lot of the work that I do.”

Hunter has also been tasked with working with Minister Schulz to draft a white paper assessing the applicability of major water infrastructure projects, analyzing how similar approaches might be adapted to Alberta’s geography and hydrology to maximize water, enhance irrigation, and increase the growth of high-value agricultural crops.

“There’s also a review I’ve been doing on Alberta’s wetland replacement policy and program with a focus on reducing regulatory and financial burdens on agricultural producers while also maintaining effective wetland stewardship and environmental outcomes. Also, I will be drafting a white paper assessing the applicability of major water infrastructure projects.”

Hunter will also be involved in implementing the recommendations of the Provincial Aquatic Invasive Species Task Force in time for the 2026 watercraft inspection and decontamination season, ensuring Alberta remains protected from the spread of harmful aquatic species.

“I’m actually going to be doing a study on water licenses in terms of water co-ops. And then all the work that has to be done in terms of Environment and Protected Areas. Obviously, I’ve got some work that needs to be done with regards to the aquatic invasive species, rolling out the task force recommendations.”

Hunter will assist with the implementation of Alberta’s water management strategy by developing a long-term, province-wide water storage plan to increase water availability and enhance Alberta’s resilience to floods, droughts, and longterm water supply challenges.

“The work that I’m going to be doing is not to run a department. That’s not what an associate minister’s role is. My job is going to be to move the needle on understanding and planning for water and where water needs to be conveyed to and where it needs to be and how it needs to be used and utilized.”

Closer to home, Hunter will be involved with support for inter-basin transfer solutions to secure a reliable and sustainable water supply for the Town of Milk River.

“What’s happening is we’re relying on the United States and their ability to keep their infrastructure up. As you know, if you don’t have water coming from the St. Mary and put into the Milk, the Milk does not have very good flow lots of the time, and natural flow. And so what I have proposed is having a line come up from Middle Coulee near Warner, which is in a different watershed in Canada – we consider them two different watersheds, the St Mary and then also the Milk River. So they’ve taken it from the St Mary over to Milk River in terms of being able to provide them with secure water, and that is something I’ve been working on for many years. I think it’s the right approach. That way we don’t have to rely so fully on whether or not the Americans keep up with their infrastructure down there. We’ve had so many breaks with their infrastructure down there that in the 10 years I’ve been doing this, water catastrophes happen down there and we just can’t rely on them.”

Other key tasks will include a review of Alberta’s Wetland Replacement Policy and Program with a focus on reducing regulatory and financial burdens on agricultural producers, while maintaining effective wetland stewardship and environmental outcomes.