#Layer_1.mltnotags-1{fill:#231f20;}#Layer_1.mltnotags-2{fill:#c0022e;}}
.cls-rev-notag-1{fill:#fff;}.cls-rev-notag-2{fill:#cc1a42;}.cls-rev-notag-grey{fill:#808285}
  • People
  • Services
  • Insights
  • Careers
  • Events
  • News
  • About
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Contact
  • Search

Contact Us

  • Winnipeg

    30th Floor
    360 Main Street
    Winnipeg, MB R3C 4G1

    P: (204) 957-0050

    F: (204) 957-0840

  • Regina

    1500 Hill Centre I
    1874 Scarth Street
    Regina, SK S4P 4E9

    P: (306) 347-8000

    F: (306) 352-5250

  • Saskatoon

    Suite 1201 – 409 3rd Avenue S
    Saskatoon, SK S7K 5R5

    P: (306) 975-7100

    F: (306) 975-7145

  • Calgary

    2100 Livingston Place
    222 3rd Avenue SW
    Calgary, AB T2P 0B4

    P: (403) 693-4300

    F: (403) 508-4349

  • Edmonton

    Suite 2200
    10235 – 101st Street
    Edmonton, AB T5J 3G1

    P: (780) 969-3500

    F: (780) 969-3549

  • Vancouver

    Suite 2600
    1066 West Hastings Street
    Vancouver, BC V6E 3X1

    P: (604) 682-7737

    F: (604) 682-7131

Search for MLT Aikins Legal Resources

Search By Keyword

Browse By Category

Browse by Author

Search MLT Aikins News

Search By Keyword

Browse By Category

Browse By Lawyer

Find Your Trusted Adviser

Search People

Browse By Service

Browse By Location

  • View all Services and Industries
.cls-1{fill:#231f20;}.cls-2{fill:#ba0c2f;}
  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Get MLT Aikins Updates

Municipal

The MLT Aikins municipal team is committed to providing timely, innovative and practical advice to our municipal clients across Western Canada.

  • More Details
  • Representative Work
  • People

MLT Aikins has extensive experience representing numerous municipalities in Western Canada (including cities, towns and rural municipalities) in a general counsel capacity, advising Councils, administration, committees and boards. Our experience covers the range of legal issues a municipality may expect to face on a daily basis including planning, development, enforcement and employment matters as well as longer term initiatives such as bylaw and policy review and development, and extraordinary circumstances such as planning for and financing major construction projects or dealing with disputes arising from occurrences such as a contaminated water supply. We have extensive experience on governance issues facing municipal governments and regulatory bodies including various Crown Corporations, government agencies and health districts, social and seniors housing management boards together with a number of First Nations and their associated legal entities.

Helping Western Canada’s Municipalities Grow

Our experience includes reviewing and drafting municipal bylaws and policies, interpreting legislation, reviewing and drafting contracts. We also provide advice on issues involving:

  • Governance matters
  • Jurisdictional challenges
  • Annexations
  • Inter-municipal disputes
  • Expropriations
  • Inter-municipal agreements including cost sharing, servicing, mutual aid, fire service and others.

Our municipal team regularly develops materials for presentations to municipal councils and professional and industry groups on topics such as municipal and corporate governance, construction and procurement issues, tax recovery, off-site levies and other infrastructure cost recovery options, information and privacy, as well as planning and development matters.

General Representative Work

  • Counsel for municipalities, advising on the following:
    • Planning and development;
    • Review and development of both policy and bylaws;
    • Procurement of infrastructure projects and deal structures;
    • Brownfield management and remediation;
    • Reporting, containment and remediation of environmental spills;
    • Permits respecting water approvals and associated agreements;
    • Water and sewer infrastructure replacement and flood mitigation projects;
    • The development of a bundled, multi-purpose sports and entertainment facilities; and
    • Planning for and financing construction and infrastructure projects, expropriations and annexations.
  • Conducting appeals before the municipal board, the municipal government board and various environmental boards and tribunals.
  • Representing municipal governments in resolving disputes with other municipalities.
  • Negotiating and drafting servicing agreements, contract zoning, development agreements, road maintenance agreements; including agreements involving hundred-million dollar projects.
  • Serving as counsel with respect to P3 transactions, including schools, hospitals, road projects and bridge redevelopments.
  • Assisting public utilities with construction of power generation projects, subdivision and other issues relating to water utilities.
  • Serving as counsel to municipalities regarding water/wastewater service agreements.
  • Providing training to municipalities regarding procurement strategies, project execution and human resources, labour, employment and privacy matters.
  • Serving as counsel to school boards and colleges in the development of school projects, joint use multi-purpose facilities and student housing.
  • Making applications for and ensuring compliance with environmental licences and approvals for water and wastewater systems, and provision and maintenance of safe drinking water.
  • Serving as counsel in relation to flood remediation claims, including negotiations with provincial authorities regarding emergency funding.
  • Serving as counsel in relation to the development of an industrial park.
  • Prosecuting and defending lawsuits on behalf of municipalities with respect to governance claims, quashing resolutions and bylaws, judicial reviews, commercial/contract lawsuits and construction lawsuits.

Specific Representative Work

  • Olive v Administrator of the Rural Municipality of Keys No. 303, 2020 SKQB 146, successfully represented the administrator in response to an application seeking an order of mandamus to compel the municipality to report on the sufficiency of a petition and to act upon the petition and put it to a referendum.
  • Wilson Olive and Friends of the Aquifer v Keys (Rural Municipality), 2020 SKCA 124, successfully quashed an appeal on the grounds of mootness in relation to a decision by the municipality to approve a development application.
  • Schofield v. City of Saskatoon, QB No. 1074 of 2011, representing the City of Saskatoon in successfully resisting an attempt to certify a class action relating to a dispute over contributions to and benefits from a pension plan spanning a 42-year period.
  • Town of Okotoks /M.D. of Foothills No. 31, 2013 ABCA 222, successfully maintained that a six-month limitation period applies to judicial challenges against municipal bylaws brought pursuant to Section 536 of the MGA (leave to appeal to the Supreme Court of Canada denied).
  • MacKenas Estates Development Corporation v. City of Calgary and Rocky View County, 2012 ABCA 376, successfully defended an application to compel the County to connect lands to utility services.
  • Craig v. Bighorn (Municipal District No.8), 2009 ABCA 119, successfully overturned the decision of the Alberta Court of Queen’s Bench directing Council to amend its Land Use Bylaw and issue a Development Permit.
Key Contact

Milad Alishahi

Partner

P: (306) 347-8451

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

Jana Linner, K.C.

Partner

P: (306) 347-8427

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

Aziz Aboudheir

Associate

P: (306) 347-8425

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

Sharon Au

Partner

P: (780) 969-5066

F: (780) 969-3549

Office:Edmonton

J. Robert Black, K.C.

Partner

P: (780) 969-3507

F: (780) 969-3549

Office:Edmonton

Meaghan Conroy

Partner

P: (780) 969-3515

F: (780) 969-3549

Office:Edmonton

Evan Halbert

Associate

P: (780) 969-3527

F: (780) 969-3549

Office:Edmonton

Natasha Hepp

Associate

P: (403) 693-5439

Office:Calgary

Bob Kasian

Partner

P: (306) 975-7123

F: (306) 975-7145

Office:Regina / Saskatoon

Deron Kuski, K.C.

Partner

P: (306) 347-8404

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

Eileen Libby, K.C.

Partner

P: (306) 347-8450

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

Ahmed Malik

Partner

P: (306) 347-8401

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Regina

James Mercury

Partner

P: (204) 957-4876

F: (204) 957-0840

Office:Winnipeg

Shawna Sparrow

Associate

P: (306) 347-8646

F: (306) 352-5250

Office:Saskatoon

Sydney Thomson

Associate

P: (403) 693-4332

F: (403) 508-4349

Office:Calgary

Jean Torrens

Partner

P: (403) 693-4342

F: (403) 508-4349

Office:Calgary

Contact the Municipal Team

Please use this form to contact the Municipal Team directly with any questions or concerns you may have.

Service Contact
First
Last
Consent *
IMPORTANT NOTICE:
Before we can act for you, we must conduct a conflicts check. Please do not send us any confidential information. We do not guarantee the confidentiality of any communications unless and until we confirm our agreement to be engaged. Unsolicited information may not be treated as confidential and will not be protected by solicitor-client privilege. I consent to receive email correspondence from MLT Aikins related to my inquiry. I acknowledge that I can opt-out or update my preferences at any time.

Download

Other Services and Industries

  • Administrative & Public Law
  • Banking & Commercial Lending
  • Commercial Litigation
  • Construction Litigation
  • Construction Projects
  • Corporate Governance
  • Environmental
  • Insolvency & Restructuring
  • Insurance
  • Labour & Employment
  • Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity
  • Procurement
  • Real Estate
  • Taxation
  • Trademarks

Related News

  • Milad Alishahi Appointed to SaskEnergy Board of Directors
  • Manitoba Court Strikes Down City of Winnipeg Impact Fee Bylaw
  • SUMA and SARM Launch Harassment Prevention Policy Template for Municipalities
  • All News >

Related Insights

  • Are rural municipalities required to reimburse councillors for legal fees?
    CATEGORY: Municipal
  • Regina introduces “historic” Indigenous Procurement Policy
    CATEGORY: Indigenous, Municipal
  • How municipalities can crack down on snooping
    CATEGORY: Labour & Employment, Municipal, Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity
  • Is an indefinite suspension of a municipal councillor an unauthorized removal?
    CATEGORY: Municipal
  • To BCC or Not to BCC? Additional Recommendations from the Privacy Commissioner of Saskatchewan
    CATEGORY: Municipal, Privacy, Data Protection & Cybersecurity
  • Do Municipal Administrators Owe the Public Legal Duties?
    CATEGORY: Municipal
  • All Insights >

  • Winnipeg
  • Regina
  • Saskatoon
  • Calgary
  • Edmonton
  • Vancouver

“MLT Aikins,” the MLT Aikins Designs and “Western Canada’s Law Firm” are trademarks of MLT Aikins LLP. Copyright © 2023 MLT Aikins LLP. All rights reserved.

Our offices are located on the territories of Indigenous peoples, including the First Nations of Treaties 1, 4, 6 and 7, the Coast Salish peoples as well as other non-Treaty First Nations and Métis.
We are committed to reconciliation.

Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Accessibility | Locations

  • Follow us on Twitter
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Get MLT Aikins Updates
Copy link
CopyCopied
Powered by Social Snap