Todd Loewen being sworn in after being named to the provincial cabinet. Photo from the Todd Loewen Facebook page.

By Curtis Galbraith

Provincial Politics

Loewen already busy with new cabinet duties

Oct 26, 2022 | 6:42 PM

The MLA for Central Peace-Notley says it has been a busy few days since he was named to Premier Danielle Smith’s cabinet, but he is anxious to carry on.

Todd Loewen is the Minister of Forestry, Parks, and Tourism.

It is a newly formed ministry from the former Agriculture and Forestry and Parks, Recreation, and Culture portfolios.

“I think there was just a need to align some of the ministries with like processes and like visions and what the end results should be.”

“When we look at parks and tourism being together, I think that makes sense because … parks are part of the tourism process and business.”

Loewen says forestry and parks are found on the same landscape, so it is good to have them brought back together.

He adds he has not yet received a mandate letter from the Premier.

“We’ve already started working, though, because there are things that are going on that need to be done and decisions to be made.”

“(We’ve) jumped right into it and gotten after it but the mandate letters will be coming, and my understanding is they will be made public, too, so everybody in Alberta will know what the ministers have been tasked with from the premier.”

Mandate letters outline what the premier wants the minister to work on.

Loewen says one area he wants to focus on is firefighting.

“I want to make sure that communities are safe, and people are safe when it comes to the firefighting end of things.”

“When we look at forestry also, we have to look at the forestry industry and we need to make sure that they have viable businesses and make sure that they have their needs taken care of too so that they can continue to work for the economy of Alberta and keep people employed.”

Loewen says parks are for the people and he wants to make sure they have a chance to use them.

“Sometimes, I think we look at parks as a place to preserve and stay off, but I think we need to make sure that they are there for the people so people can enjoy those outdoor places.”

Loewen thinks there are some parts of rural Alberta that do not get as much tourism interest as they should and that there are opportunities to grow the tourism business that comes to this province from other parts of the world.

He adds that with forestry and tourism being so crucial to the economy in the Peace, and with the parks that are here, it makes sense that the minister in charge of that area for the government, is from here.