Land and Property Rights Tribunal – Overview

The Tribunal shall deliver fair and impartial quasi-judicial appeal processes for assessment, compensation, land use planning, and other matters that impact Albertans and the municipalities in which they live.

The Tribunal will be a leader among tribunals with a reputation for excellence in adjudication.
Albertans will have access to a fair and independent process with strict adherence to the principles of natural justice and in which all individuals are treated fairly and without bias in an open, orderly and impartial manner.

This vision will be attained by:

1. providing benchmark decisions
2. advocating excellence and providing guidance in decision making to stakeholders
3. demonstrating efficiency, effectiveness and timeliness in the appeal process
4. respecting rights of individuals, businesses, corporations and municipalities
5. ensuring that all property assessments are equitable, fair and correct in accordance with legislation
6. striving for consistency and predictability based on evidence presented

In service to stakeholders the Tribunal values:

1. Our strength through the diversity of our members and the quality of our staff.
2. The right to natural justice and timeliness in the adjudication process.
3. Respect for and responsiveness to our stakeholders.
4. Provision of quality service to stakeholders.
5. Consistent interpretation of legislation.
6. Commitment to the Code of Conduct and Ethics.
7. Organizational alignment and a team approach to problem-solving.
8. Innovative use of automated information services.
9. Continuous organizational development, self-improvement and self-evaluation.
10. Enriched and rewarding work environment which recognizes productivity.

Susan McRory spent 20 years as Alberta’s chief environmental prosecutor. During that time, she helped develop and grow the province’s system of creative sentences for environmental offenders. Prior to her work in the environment, she was the first full-time female Crown prosecutor north of Edmonton, the first woman appointed a chief Crown prosecutor west of Ontario, and routinely handled murder cases before being recognized as the Edmonton office’s expert in historical child sexual assault.

Leaving Alberta Justice in 2013, she served as a member of the Environmental Appeals Board for Alberta, a public member with the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of Alberta, and has co-authored the 2nd edition of Regulatory Offences in Canada with Canadian legal legend John Swaigen. She lives in Edmonton with her husband, Tim; her cats, Charlie, Samantha and Livy; and their new dog, Lily, across the street from the house her grandfather built in 1912.

Mike Hartfield has been with the Land and Property Rights Tribunal since 2015, serving as its Director, now Executive Director. He’s a Chartered Professional Accountant with over 20 years of business experience spanning private industry, public accounting, federal and provincial governments. In his spare time, Mike enjoys golfing and driving his kids to their various sporting events.

Eric Taylor joined the Land and Property Rights Tribunal in 2022, serving as its Acting Director of Hearings and Training. In this role, he is responsible for overseeing case management and the Tribunal’s training programs. Eric has 20 years of experience with the Government of Alberta, and his roles have included Minister’s Chief of Staff, Issues Manager in a Deputy Minister’s Office, and Director of Corporate Planning and Reporting with Municipal Affairs.

Mike D’Alquen was counsel for the Municipal Government Board and the New Home Buyer Protection Board from 2007 to 2021, when they amalgamated with the Surface Rights Board and the Land Compensation Board. He continues to serve as counsel to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, with particular emphasis on land planning and assessment matters. Mike also worked with the Municipal Government Board from 2004 to 2007 as case manager for Linear Property and Assessment Appeals.

Shannon is Legal Counsel to the Land and Property Rights Tribunal, with particular emphasis on surface rights and expropriation matters. Shannon currently lives in Edmonton with her spouse and 2 boys. She obtained her L.L.B from the University of Alberta. Shannon practiced general litigation in Edmonton for 17 years, before being appointed as a member to various provincial boards. She was first appointed to the Municipal Government Board in 2013, shortly thereafter was appointed to the New Home Buyer Protection Board and subsequently the Surface Rights Board and the Land Compensation Board, the 4 boards amalgamated in 2021 and Shannon served as full time Board Member until November 2022 when she became the Tribunal’s legal counsel.

Skylar Duff joined the Land and Property Rights Tribunal in 2016 as a Case Coordinator, moving quickly to a Team Lead before he transitioned to his current role of Manager. As the Manager of Operations and Training, Skylar is responsible for the Tribunal’s various IT projects, coordination of internal and external training programs, and general administration of Tribunal operations. In his free time, you can find Skylar volunteering at the Edmonton Airport, helping travellers find their way.

Frances has been with the Land and Property Rights Tribunal since 2013, and is now serving as its Recovery of Compensation Manager, where she is responsible for providing leadership to a high-performance team and overseeing a large volume of applications. Frances holds a B.Sc. in Business Management and Finance.