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 services. They’re the level of government people interact with every single day—often wi

(Photo Prime Minister of Canada Facebook Page) 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 agriculture and seafood exports—tariffs

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 to head to the municipal polls, with nominations opening at the end of March. Bu

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. Traditionally, this final episode is about the issues municipalities are facing and the challenges they carry forward year after year. But tonight, I’m going to veer slightly off that familiar path and talk about something a little more personal: this show, this network, and what has been an extraordinary, complicat

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 systems, community services… all aging faster than we can repair them, and all exp

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 local democracy was intensifying. From concerns over new rules banning electronic vot

Over the last twelve months, rural Canada has moved from the margins of national conversation to the centre of some of our biggest policy debates. Earlier this year, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities’ Rural Forum played an especially influential role—raising the voices of small communities, farm towns, northern and remote regions, and the municipalities that keep Canada’s economic engine running quietly but powerfully in the background. This was the year FCM released

Today we take a step back and look at the year that was — a year of challenge, change, and unmistakable movement across rural Saskatchewan. To do so we’re joined by the President of the Saskatchewan Association of Rural Municipalities, Bill Huber, to reflect on a defining year for rural communities and the leaders who serve them. 2025 was a year where rural issues pushed firmly into the provincial spotlight. From the halls of the annual SARM Convention in March — where more t

It’s been a year of transformation for Yukon communities — one marked by historic investments, renewed partnerships, and a growing sense of momentum. From Dawson City to Watson Lake, and from the Village of Mayo to the capital in Whitehorse, municipalities saw unprecedented support aimed at strengthening the services and infrastructure that residents rely on every day. Major federal-territorial funding agreements took shape as well, opening the door to long-term improvements