Manitoba’s economic future doesn’t begin in boardrooms or big city towers—it begins in its communities. Across rural Manitoba, local leaders, businesses, and municipalities are shaping the province’s economic story in real time. From main streets to manufacturing floors, from agricultural innovation to emerging tourism opportunities, the strength of Manitoba’s economy is deeply connected to the strength of its regions. That’s where the Rural Manitoba Economic Development...

Welcome to Cross Border Interviews. Our goal is to create meaningful municipal conversations that inform, connect, educate and strengthen communities from coast to coast to coast in Canada. For this edition of Cross Border Interviews, we are honoured to welcome from the City of Airdrie, Alberta Councillor Chris Glass Airdrie is one of the fastest growing cities in Alberta, it is the fifth largest in the province. Despite its unprecedented growth, Airdrie maintains that ‘sma

Sylvan Lake is growing—and fast. What was once a small lakeside town has steadily evolved, with its population climbing from just under 16,000 in 2021 to nearly 18,000 by the end of 2025. With that growth came a familiar question for many Alberta communities: when does a town become a city? In 2022, Sylvan Lake’s Council first explored that possibility and chose to remain a town. This year, the conversation returned—armed with new data, updated financial considerations, and a

Welcome to Cross Border Interviews. Our goal is to create meaningful municipal conversations that inform, connect, educate and strengthen communities from coast to coast to coast in Canada. For this edition of Cross Border Interviews, we are honoured to welcome from the City of Chestermere, Alberta Mayor Shannon Dean In 1992, the Summer Village of Chestermere’s population had increased to 1,043 permanent residents. On March 1, 1993, the Summer Village of Chestermere Lake of

Welcome to another edition of The Political Trenches Local Government At Work. It's an honour to welcome today's guest to the show. Michael Paulhus has served as Plainville, Connecticut, Town Manager since August 2022. He brings extensive experience from both the public and private sectors, with a strong focus on fiscal management, economic development, and community engagement. Prior to Plainville, Mr. Paulhus was Town Manager in North Branford, Connecticut, for nearly a dec

Across Canada, municipal politics is often called the most accessible level of government — the place where community voices meet real decision-making. But as we explored in Part One of “Is Harassment Getting Worse?” Series, that space is changing. Harassment is no longer occasional — for many women in municipal leadership, it’s becoming a constant backdrop to public service. In this second part of our series, we continue that conversation — going deeper into how harassment i