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EDMONTON — Alberta’s government has tabled legislation to add health-care numbers and mandatory citizenship markers to driver’s licences and identification cards.
The government had announced its plans to do so earlier this year, leading critics to say the province was creating privacy concerns rather than protecting against them.
Critics at the time said someone’s citizenship status would become known in unnecessary situations, such as purchasing alcohol.
Service Alberta Minister Dale Nally told reporters Monday that having citizenship markers on driver’s licences and other forms of identification is only meant to streamline access to services.
“When you’re applying for future benefits from the government of Alberta, it’s going to make it easier for you because you’re not going to have to produce a birth certificate. It’s going to be on your driver’s licence,” said Nally.
“Let’s be clear, that’s what this is about. This is about making it easier for Albertans to access services.”
Nally, and Premier Danielle Smith, had previously said adding citizenship markers — which will read “CAN” — to licences and ID cards was also about preventing election fraud and routing out potentially fake health-care numbers, but the minister didn’t mention either concern on Monday.
Nally said Albertans won’t have to pay to have their licences or identification cards updated. He said the new cards should be rolled out around the middle of next year.
The government’s bill also makes changes to a number of other pieces of legislation, including a new prohibition on professional regulatory colleges from requiring Canadian work experience before accepting applications, unless there are health and safety concerns.
Jobs Minister Joseph Schow said Monday that Alberta is facing a “real problem” when it comes to labour shortages, and the change should help those moving to Canada have their credentials recognized quicker.
“The labour market in Alberta continues to change. We have to adapt,” said Schow.
“This is why we’re making these changes and … getting them working as fast as possible so their credentials are recognized and meeting the labour demands.”
A government committee struck last year to recommend ways the province could support foreign trained workers and help them join the workforce faster recently recommended the province go further than just prohibit Canadian work experience requirements for regulators.
The committee, in its final report submitted to the government over the summer, recommended that Alberta also work with regulators to reduce Canadian degree requirements and work with employers to determine if Canadian work experience or degrees are necessary in their hiring practices.
A spokesperson for Schow did not immediately respond to questions about if the province planned to act on the committee’s other recommendations.
Another change introduced under Nally’s bill on Monday would, if passed, permit those with cervid — such as elk, deer or reindeer — farms to create “harvest preserves” where hunters can go and hunt the animals and harvest them for meat.
Agriculture Minister R.J. Sigurdson told reporters it would help create tourist opportunities for an industry that is facing sustainability challenges.
“We see a cervid industry here in Alberta that wants cervid harvest preserves,” he said.
“They’ve said this to me over and over again, and there is a huge potential for them and the communities which surround them to be able to create an entirely new economy.”
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 17, 2025.
Jack Farrell, The Canadian Press
