Alberta Premier Danielle Smith spent a majority of her time on a call-in radio show today defending her government’s decision to roll back some Edmonton housing rules.
Smith said the province reversed zoning bylaw changes this week that Edmonton made in 2024 because Ottawa influenced the city’s rules.
She said the government at the time offered Edmonton millions in funding in exchange for the zoning changes that made it easier to build multi-unit complexes in older, established neighbourhoods.
She called Ottawa’s funding a bribe and said that it disrupted the integrity of the home building process in Edmonton.
She said the changes surprised homeowners when bulldozers started tearing down homes on streets, brought down property values and caused parking issues.
The mayors of Alberta’s two major cities have pushed back on the government’s reversal, with Calgary’s Jeromy Farkas saying the province was threatening local democracy.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Oct. 10, 2026.
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