Minister of Municipal Affairs Dan Williams Last Thursday, I found myself in a room that has become increasingly familiar to anyone who follows the evolving relationship between Alberta’s provincial government and its municipalities. It was a press conference featuring the Hon. Dan Williams, Alberta’s Minister of Municipal Affairs, alongside Dylan Bressey, president of Alberta Municipalities. The topic at hand was the municipal code of conduct, but like so many conversations i

Over the last few weeks, there has been one certainty in Alberta politics. It was predictable, telegraphed, and discussed openly by policy analysts, municipal administrators, and elected officials alike. And yet, when it finally happened, it was met with a chorus of surprise, frustration, and—most troublingly—political theatre. On February 27, the Government of Alberta released its long-awaited provincial budget. For most Albertans, provincial budgets are distant documents, f

For the past several weeks, I have had conversations with mayors across Alberta. They represent communities of every size. Some lead cities have thousands of residents. Others serve villages where everyone knows each other by name and where council meetings still feel like town halls rather than formal proceedings. Despite their differences, they all share one message, delivered with varying degrees of urgency but remarkable consistency. Their municipalities are under financi

It is not every day I would reach for the Bible in a discussion about municipal government, but there are moments when an old line captures a modern problem with unsettling precision. “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.” It is a dramatic phrase, but it feels increasingly relevant to the way we talk about local government, local leadership, and public policy today—especially in an era where expertise has become a bra

For most municipal leaders across Canada, the work of local government remains rooted in the day-to-day responsibilities that residents often take for granted: maintaining water systems, repairing infrastructure, keeping taxes manageable, and ensuring services reach those who need them most. These are the issues that anchor municipal governance, the practical concerns that demand attention regardless of political climate. Yet in 2025 - and I would even say before that as well

Over the next four weeks, municipal leaders from across Canada will gather in four very different communities: Calgary, Edmonton, Corner Brook, and Winnipeg. Each of these cities will play host to meetings, discussions, and conventions that will bring together mayors, councillors, reeves, and municipal staff from across the country. From Newfoundland and Labrador to Alberta to Manitoba, local leaders will be sitting face to face, talking about the challenges they share and th