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Premier Danielle Smith has issued a mandate letter to Minister of Indigenous Relations Rick Wilson calling on him to continue building meaningful partnerships.

In her letter, the Premier outlines her expectations that Indigenous communities are a part of Alberta’s success and asks Minister Wilson to deliver on platform commitments to support Albertans, including:

  • Doubling the Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation loan capacity to at least $2 billion and providing recommendations related to the potential expansion of eligible projects, including health care, manufacturing, forestry, tourism and technology.
  • Working with the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction, who is the lead, to support Indigenous Peoples in Alberta by strengthening a comprehensive continuum of mental health and addiction services and ensuring service provision is not disrupted by jurisdictional disputes.
  • Working with the President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, who is lead, to ensure First Nations and Metis Settlements have access to insurance to rebuild homes and structures in the case of fire and other insurable losses.

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Have Yourself a Country Christmas | © 2026 Hinton Songworks

Video: Have Yourself a Country Christmas | © 2026 Hinton Songworks


Michael Hinton is an agricultural heritage advocate, songwriter and 2025 National Agricultural Hall of Fame inductee based in Hutchinson, Kansas. Widely known as “America’s Antique Tractor Ambassador,” Hinton has combined his passion for vintage farm machinery, agricultural history, and storytelling to celebrate the people, equipment and rural communities that have helped shape American agriculture.

Through Hinton Songworks, Hinton writes and produces country, Christian-country, inspirational, and holiday music inspired by rural life, faith, family, hard work, dreams, and the experiences that connect generations. His songwriting serves as a creative extension of his agricultural preservation work, giving a musical voice to many of the stories, emotions, and memories behind the “old iron” he has spent years celebrating.