Municipal Affairs

It’s been a week since the Alberta government tabled Budget 2026, and across the province, mayors and municipal leaders have been digging into the details. For local governments, the provincial budget isn’t just a headline number — it shapes the financial reality communities will be working with for the year ahead. This year, Alberta is projecting $74.6 billion in revenue, alongside a forecast def...

On May 30th, 2026, members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia will choose a new party leader. Leadership contests are not only about party politics—they are also about ideas, priorities, and competing visions for the future of the province. In the weeks leading up to the vote, candidates are outlining their plans for British Columbia, including how they see the role of municipalities an...

For decades, communities along Highway 3 have made the case for change. Stretching from Medicine Hat through Lethbridge and onward to the mountain corridors of the Crowsnest Pass, the route has served as a critical east-west link for agriculture, industry, and rural communities.  But much of it remains a narrow, two-lane highway — where motorists contend with powerful prairie crosswinds, heavy tru...

Last week, Alberta’s fiscal future came into sharper focus with the release of Budget 2026 and the province’s new three-year fiscal plan.  In a challenging economic environment, the Government of Alberta has laid out a roadmap that balances deficit spending, economic growth ambitions, and major capital investments—all while municipalities across the province assess what it means for their communit...

Last week, the spotlight was on the 2026 Alberta Provincial Budget—and this week it's on what it means for the preventive social services that quietly hold our communities together. In what has been described as an extremely difficult fiscal year, the Government of Alberta has chosen to maintain funding for Family and Community Support Services—known as FCSS—at $105 million. That funding suppo...

The date is approaching. The numbers are being finalized. And across Saskatchewan, municipalities are waiting to see what the provincial budget will deliver. Budgets are more than balance sheets — they are statements of priorities. They determine whether communities can invest in infrastructure, maintain essential services, and plan for the future. And this year, those decisions come at a time whe...

Across Alberta, a growing number of mayors and councillors are sounding the alarm. They say a major shift in how policing is funded could dramatically reshape local budgets—and ultimately, what residents pay in property taxes. Last month, the Government of Alberta introduced a recalculation to its police funding model. On paper, it’s a formula change. But on the ground, municipal leaders say it’s...

Saskatchewan is home to 27 of Canada’s 34 critical minerals. We hold the world’s largest deposits of potash and some of the highest-grade uranium anywhere on the planet. From fertilizer that feeds global agriculture to uranium that fuels clean nuclear power, this province plays an outsized role in Canada’s clean growth economy — and much of that activity happens in rural communities. But as the co...

A decision out of Ottawa is sending shockwaves across rural Saskatchewan. The federal government has confirmed that Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada will close its satellite research farms in Scott and Indian Head — part of broader budget reductions that have already seen roughly 665 positions cut nationwide and nearly 1,050 employees receive notices in January. But for Saskatchewan, this is about...

On May 30th, 2026, members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia will choose a new party leader. Leadership contests are not only about party politics—they are also about ideas, priorities, and competing visions for the future of the province. In the weeks leading up to the vote, candidates are outlining their plans for British Columbia, including how they see the role of municipalities an...

Across Canada, communities are facing a defining challenge of our time: how to deliver reliable, affordable energy while meeting ambitious climate goals and strengthening local economies. As we move toward a net-zero future, the conversation is no longer just about reducing emissions—it’s about building resilient infrastructure, supporting industry, and creating meaningful partnerships with Indige...

With less than a month remaining before the Alberta Legislature reconvenes, attention is turning once again to the evolving relationship between the provincial government and municipalities. Across Alberta, municipal leaders in communities of all sizes are navigating complex challenges—from infrastructure funding and growth pressures to policy changes affecting local planning and development. Issu...

On May 30th, 2026, members of the Conservative Party of British Columbia will choose a new party leader. Leadership contests are not only about party politics—they are also about ideas, priorities, and competing visions for the future of the province. In the weeks leading up to the vote, candidates are outlining their plans for British Columbia, including how they see the role of municipalities an...

Leading a municipality today isn’t just about budgets, bylaws, and infrastructure—it’s about people. In the past decade alone, the role of local leaders has transformed dramatically. The pace of social media, the complexity of intergovernmental relationships, and the growing expectations of communities have created a new reality for municipal councils and administrators. The mental load on local l...

In small towns, big projects often carry even bigger meaning. In Trochu, a community of just over 1,000 people in rural Alberta, that meaning is taking shape in steel, concrete, and long-term vision.  The Trochu Seniors Supportive Living Facility is more than a new building—it’s an investment in aging with dignity, staying close to home, and keeping families and community connections intact This T...

Today, we are taking a closer look at infrastructure, housing, and the growing tension between good intentions and real-world consequences. In its 2025 budget, the federal government announced the new Build Communities Strong Fund, promising major investments in local infrastructure — roads, transit, water and wastewater systems, and community facilities — all aimed at unlocking housing supply and...

Today, we’re talking about community economic development—not just as a series of projects or plans, but as a system. A system that connects people, sectors, and places, and helps communities prepare for opportunity when it comes. For more than 40 years, one organization has played a key role in that work. SEDA is Saskatchewan’s provincial backbone organization for community economic development. ...

With artificial intelligence moving from buzzword to everyday tool, a big question is facing local governments everywhere: are municipalities ready for the rise of AI? Are they leading the way in innovation, or quietly falling behind? Across council chambers and municipal offices, AI is beginning to influence how services are delivered, how decisions are made, and how limited resources are stretch...

Rural municipalities across Alberta own and operate most of the province’s roads, bridges, and utility systems. These are the assets that connect communities, move goods, and support the resource-based and emerging industries that keep Alberta competitive. But for years, those same municipalities have been asked to do more with less—facing chronic underfunding, rising construction costs, aging inf...

It’s a new year—and with it comes new challenges, new obstacles, and new problems to solve. But a new year also gives us a moment to pause, to reflect on where we are today, and how we got here. Municipalities are complex, multi-pronged organizations.  From cleaning the streets, to keeping the water running when you turn on the shower, municipalities are truly the front lines of government service...

After months of uncertainty for farmers and producers across rural Canada, there may finally be some relief on the horizon. On Friday, Ottawa announced a new trade agreement with China following a high-level meeting in Beijing between Prime Minister Mark Carney and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The deal is expected to roll back some of the steep tariffs that have weighed heavily on Canadian agricu...

It’s shaping up to be one of the busiest municipal election seasons Canada has seen in years. In 2026, a majority of Canadians will head to the polls to choose a new generation of municipal leaders—councillors and mayors who will help shape their communities for the next four years. That election season begins right here in New Brunswick. On May 11th, the province will be the first in the country...

As we close out the final episode of Municipal Affairs for 2025, and begin to look ahead to 2026, I want to take a moment to pause and reflect—if you’ll allow me. *************************************************** Support The Show Today: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/support-the-show Join The Show: https://www.crossborderinterviews.ca/be-part-of-the-show   *********************************...

Over the past twelve months, municipal leaders from coast to coast have been navigating a perfect storm of pressures. Housing affordability and homelessness reached levels we’ve never seen before, pushing our shelter systems — and our compassion — to the breaking point.  At the same time, rapid population growth continued to strain the very foundations of urban life: public transit, roads, water s...

Today we’re taking a deep dive into the year that was — 2025, a year that tested Alberta’s municipalities, reshaped policy debates, and reminded us just how essential local government is to the everyday lives of Albertans. 2025 was an election year — on October 20th, nearly every community in Alberta headed to the polls.  However, even before voters cast their ballots, the conversation around loca...