Government Services

A hub for Albertans to become more confident to engage in personal, financial, legal and health planning – those many processes that comprise advance care planning.

This Glossary of Parliamentary Procedure is produced by Procedural Services of the House of Commons for the information of the general public.

A guide to the rights of Albertans who are experiencing homelessness. Topics covered include: Charter Rights, The Police, Security Guards, Panhandling , Loitering, Camping on Private Property, Camping on Public Property, Voting, Using a Washroom and more. Thie guide also provides links to WHO CAN I CALL FOR MORE HELP OR INFORMATION?

A guide prepared by Student Legal Services at the University of Alberta. It is a resource that provides information on social welfare programs available to Albertans.

The WRC helps Alberta workers through advocacy, a Casework Program, and Public Legal Education. If you need help with an employment issue, the WRC is ready to help.

Free tax clinics are generally offered between March and April across Canada; some are even open year-round. Find a tax preparation clinic in your area. Do you need help with your tax return? If you have a modest income and a simple tax situation, volunteers at a free tax clinic may be able to complete your tax return for you.

The Alberta Property Rights Advocate Office (PRAO) is an impartial, non-partisan provincial office within the Ministry of Justice and Solicitor General that works to protect property rights of the people of Alberta. This advocate office listens to Albertans’ concerns about property rights, and communicates these concerns to government. The office advocates for fairness and equity in regards to property rights that involve ‘real property,’ such as:

• • land and house rights

• • abandoned or operating oil and gas infrastructure

• • neighbour-to-neighbour disputes

• • municipal planning and zoning decisions

• • mineral surface rights

• • grazing leases

• • environmental contamination

Alberta Supports can help you access more than 30 programs and 120 community services for:

• seniors
• employment
• homelessness
• financial needs
• children and youth
• parents and families
• people with disabilities
• guardianship and trusteeship
• abuse, bullying and family violence prevention

You can apply online or call for assistance. Help is available in more than 100 languages.

• 1-877-644-9992 toll-free province-wide

Service Alberta’s divisions are committed to delivering high-quality business, financial, information and technology services to government ministries as well as a diverse range of services that touch the lives of Albertans. Divisions include: Consumer Information; Businesses and Charities;  Landlords & Tenants; Registries; Drivers and Vehicles; Land Titles; Vital Statistics; Information and Technology; and Government Buying and Selling.

Liaising between the government and Alberta’s Francophonie, the Francophone Secretariat coordinates and implements the French Policy.

Service Canada was created in 2005 to improve the delivery of government programs and services to Canadians, by making access to them faster, easier, and more convenient. Service Canada offers single-window access to a wide range of Government of Canada programs and services for citizens through more than 600 points of service located across the country, call centres, and the Internet.

This page provides an alphabetical listing of links to Government of Canada Departments, Agencies, Crown Corporations, Special Operating Agencies and various affiliated organizations.

The Commissioner is an advocate for the privacy rights of Canadians and her powers include: Investigating complaints, conducting audits and pursuing court action under two federal laws – Privacy Act and Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA); Publicly reporting on the personal information-handling practices of public and private sector organizations; Supporting, undertaking and publishing research into privacy issues; and Promoting public awareness and understanding of privacy issues.

This site contains a variety of information pertaining to the provincial Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy (FOIP) Act, the Health Information Act (HIA), the Personal Information Protection Act (PIPA), the Access to Motor Vehicle Information Regulation (AMVIR) and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner (OIPC). The site also provides access to Commissioner’s Orders, Investigation Reports and other publications from the Office. The “Contact Us” section offers information about how to initiate a review or investigation under any of these Acts.

The Farmers Advocate Office works to ensure rural Albertans have consumer protection, rural opportunities and fair process. We administer the Farm Implement Act that provides consumer protection through warranty, parts availability and licensing provisions, including inspection to assist in FIB proceedings. Rural opportunity is realized through assisting landowners with managing their land asset, mitigating business risk and maximizing future economic opportunity as it relates to interaction with the energy industry.

The Office of the Child and Youth Advocate (OCYA) is an independent office of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta, mandated to work with vulnerable young people. 

This includes young people receiving or attempting to access services under the Child, Youth and Family Enhancement Act and the Protection of Sexually Exploited Children Act; or who are involved with the youth justice system. 

The Alberta Utilities Commission (AUC) is a quasi-judicial independent agency established by the Government of Alberta to regulate investor-owned natural gas, electric, and water utilities and certain municipally owned electric utilities to ensure that customers receive safe and reliable service at just and reasonable rates. The AUC’s Utilities Complaints telephone line is for customers who have been unable to resolve a dispute with the natural gas, electricity or water utility provider or Albertan’s who have questions or concerns about utility services in general.

The Alberta Ombudsman investigates written complaints from individuals who feel they have been treated unfairly by an administrative decision, act, omission or recommendation of an Alberta government department, board, agency or commission and professional organizations. The Office of the Alberta Ombudsman is the recognized leader for independent investigation, promotion and support of administrative fairness.

Service Canada offers single-window access to a wide range of Government of Canada programs and services. For general enquiries call toll-free 1 800 O-Canada (1-800-622-6232), Monday to Friday from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., your local time. In addition, this web page provides contact information for a variety of specific programs and services.

The Alberta Seniors and Community Supports department provides information about financial, health-related, and protective services for seniors. This webpage lists the contact information for regional offices. Or call the Alberta Supports Contact Centre Toll-free in Alberta: 1-877-644-9992, Monday to Friday 8:15 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

The Commission’s business is to make the Canadian Human Rights Act work for the benefit of all Canadians. There are three main aspects to its work: To provide effective and timely means for resolving individual complaints; To promote knowledge of human rights in Canada and to encourage people to follow principles of equality; and to help reduce barriers to equality in employment and access to services. Their website includes sections with publications and frequently asked questions.The Commission provides dispute resolution services in cases of alleged discrimination by federally regulated organizations, including employers, unions and service providers. This online resource addresses issues such as alternative dispute resolution and the dispute resolution process.

The Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada (IRB) is Canada’s largest independent administrative tribunal. It is responsible for making well-reasoned decisions on immigration and refugee matters, efficiently, fairly and in accordance with the law. The IRBdecides, among other responsibilities, who needs refugee protection among the thousands of claimants who come to Canada annually.

The Alberta Human Rights Act establishes the Alberta Human Rights Commission to carry out functions under the act. The Commission is an independent commission created by the Government of Alberta, which reports to the Minister of Culture and Community Spirit. The Commission has a two-fold mandate: to foster equality and to reduce discrimination. It fulfills this mandate through public education and community initiatives, through the resolution and settlement of complaints of discrimination, and through human rights tribunal and court hearings.

Registry transactions include the issuing and renewing of drivers’ licences, registrations of birth, marriage and death, land title searches and transfers, and registrations of corporations, vehicles, and liens. The majority of these services are delivered on behalf of the Government of Alberta by registry agents located in communities throughout the province. This section of the Service Alberta website provides information on registries in the following categories: Charitable organizations; Corporate registry; Drivers/vehicles; Land titles; Personal property registry; Registry agents (find an agent) and Vital statistics. Many related forms can be downloaded and some services are now available online.