Municipal Affairs

The Calgary Stampede is known as the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Alberta, Canada, and around the world to celebrate Alberta's western heritage and culture. But beyond the rodeo and midway, the Stampede has also become one of the province's most important opportunities for municipal advocacy. At this year's Alberta Premier's Calgary Stampede...

Every year, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities Convention brings together local leaders from communities large and small, creating an opportunity to discuss the issues that matter most to Canadians at the local level. But municipal leaders aren't the only ones paying attention. Among the attendees at this year's FCM Convention was Alberta Senator Paula Simons, who spent time listeni...

Imagine spending decades not only focused on the issues facing your own community, but also championing the needs of municipalities from coast to coast to coast. For one delegate at this year's Federation of Canadian Municipalities Convention in Edmonton, that wasn't just a commitment—it was a way of life. For years, Silverton, British Columbia Councillor Leah Main has been a respected voi...

The Calgary Stampede is often called the Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, drawing hundreds of thousands of visitors from across Alberta, Canada, and around the world to celebrate Alberta's unique culture and western heritage. But it's also a time when municipal leaders from every corner of the province come together to connect, collaborate, and celebrate Alberta. At this year's Alberta...

Across Canada, municipalities are facing growing demands—from aging infrastructure and housing pressures to rising construction costs and the challenge of building resilient communities for the future. Meeting those challenges requires cooperation between every order of government. Last Month, that conversation took centre stage in Jasper, Alberta, where provincial and territorial ministers respon...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta, last month for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from British Columbia connected not only with delegates from their own provinces...

If you've been following the news this week, you've seen the images: roads washed away, neighbourhoods underwater, and families forced to leave their homes with little more than the essentials. For the people of Swan River, this isn't just another flood. It's their second major flood in less than a month. The water is finally starting to go down, but very slowly. In some parts of t...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta last month for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from Ontario connected not only with delegates from their own provinces, but with...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta last month  for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from Newfoundland and Labrador connected not only with delegates from their own...

Municipal leaders across Canada are facing many of the same challenges: aging infrastructure, rising construction costs, attracting and retaining skilled staff, and ensuring local councils have the tools they need to govern effectively. Those issues were front and centre as provincial and territorial ministers responsible for local government gathered, In Jasper, Alberta, to discuss the future of...

One of the greatest privileges of producing this show is travelling to communities and municipal conventions across Canada, where we have the opportunity to sit down with local leaders and hear the stories that shape our country from the ground up. With Canada Day here, there was one question I couldn't stop thinking about—one that felt especially fitting to ask the people who serve their comm...

One of the great privileges of producing this show is travelling across Canada, attending municipal conventions and visiting communities of all sizes to sit down one-on-one with local leaders.  Those conversations remind us just how diverse—and connected—our country truly is. As Canada Day is upon us, there was one simple but meaningful question we wanted to ask municipal leaders from across Alber...

The Government of Canada has opened applications for the Build Communities Strong Fund's Local Impact Stream, with more than $176 million earmarked over the next four years for infrastructure projects across the Prairie provinces.  The program is designed to help communities build or renew spaces that bring people together—from recreation facilities and community halls to parks, cultural space...

Today, we're taking a closer look at the issues shaping local government across Alberta, and why the decisions being made today will have a lasting impact on communities of every size, in every corner of the province. Joining us are Deborah Reid-Mickler, Deputy Mayor of the Village of Duchess and ABmunis Vice President of Villages and Summer Villages; Janelle Sandboe, Councillor for the City o...

Before today's conversation, it's worth reflecting on what leadership looks like when a community faces a crisis. When an emergency unfolds, there is rarely a perfect plan. Events move minute by minute. New information arrives constantly. Decisions often have to be made in seconds, sometimes with only part of the picture available. In those moments, leaders are tasked with balancing uncert...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta, this week for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from across Manitoba connected not only with delegates from their own provinces b...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta, this week for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from across Saskatchewan connected not only with delegates from their own provinc...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta, this week for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from across Saskatchewan connected not only with delegates from their own provinc...

The relationship between municipalities and businesses can sometimes be a complicated one.  Businesses may feel burdened by regulations and processes, while municipalities are often challenged to balance economic growth with the needs and expectations of their communities. Yet in every community, there is an organization that serves as a vital bridge between these two worlds: the local Chamber of...

Downtown Edmonton is already humming with the energy of the 2026 FCM Convention. Municipal leaders stepped out into the streets of Edmonton with a message that cuts through the usual policy language and procedural rhythm. “Elbows up for climate.” It’s part rallying cry, part warning, part invitation to do more—now. A national call for action on climate change, carried not from Parliament Hill, but...

For more than 125 years, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities — better known as FCM — has served as the national voice of local government in Canada.  Since its founding in 1901, municipalities from coast to coast to coast have come together through this organization to advocate for stronger communities, better infrastructure, and federal policies that reflect the realities Canadians experien...

We are turning our attention to a growing crisis in east-central Alberta—one that residents say is no longer just about inconvenience, but about safety, survival, and the basic ability to call for help when it matters most. In the small community of Village of Amisk and the surrounding region stretching from Czar and Hughenden to Hardisty—and even along the southern edge of CFB Wainwright—cellular...

As Canada moves to strengthen its defence readiness and meet new commitments with NATO, municipalities are being recognized as critical partners in the effort. At the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' annual convention in Edmonton, FCM announced the creation of a new Defence Task Force aimed at strengthening collaboration between local governments and federal partners. The task force will...

Last month, rural municipal administrators from across Saskatchewan gathered in Regina for the Rural Municipal Administrators' Association of Saskatchewan Convention, an annual opportunity to share knowledge, discuss emerging challenges, and strengthen the connections that help support local government across the province. The Rural Municipal Administrators' Association of Saskatchewan, or...

Thousands of local elected officials from across Canada gathered in Edmonton, Alberta this week for the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' 2026 Annual Conference and Trade Show, marking 125 years of municipal leadership, collaboration, and advocacy. Over the course of the four-day convention, representatives from municipal associations across the country connected not only with delegates f...