Over the past two months, I have had the pleasure of returning to Newcastle, and reconnecting with the surrounding communities that have helped shape my understanding of what it means to belong somewhere. From Kendal and Orono to Port Granby, Bond Head and Newtonville, my travels have reminded me that a community is much more than a collection of streets, homes and businesses. It is a living history, built by generations of people who have invested their time, their energy an

There is a great deal we still do not know about the regulations Alberta will eventually put around its new provincewide framework for municipal councillor accountability. What we do know is that the Alberta government has moved well beyond simply talking about changing the rules. Bill 28, the Municipal Affairs and Housing Statutes Amendment Act, 2026, received Royal Assent on May 14, creating the legislative foundation for a provincewide councillor accountability framework.

This year Ontario's municipal election is shaping up to be remembered less for debates over taxes, roads, or even housing than for two forces that, at first glance, seem unrelated but are increasingly intertwined: data centres and artificial intelligence. One represents the physical infrastructure of the digital economy, with sprawling campuses consuming vast amounts of electricity and water while promising jobs, tax revenue, and economic development. The other represents the

As I travel across Canada and speak with municipal leaders from St. John’s to Victoria, from Whitehorse to Windsor, I continue to hear the same question whenever people discover that I am a municipal affairs reporter based in Alberta. It comes up repeatedly, almost without fail: “Give us your honest thoughts about what is happening with Alberta separatism.” I always appreciate the question because it shows just how much attention Alberta’s political conversation is receiving

To borrow, or perhaps semi quote, Jim Prentice during Alberta's 2015 provincial election, "Mayors, it's time to look in the mirror." I know this probably will not make me popular in every council chamber across Alberta, but it is time someone said what a lot of municipal leaders are quietly admitting behind closed doors. Yes, municipal funding is a real challenge. Yes, infrastructure is expensive. Yes, provincial governments deserve their share of criticism. But more and more

Over the last several months, especially over the last week and a half, I've been asked the same question repeatedly: Why don't I comment on what municipal leaders have said on other podcasts? Why don't I react to council meetings or provide colour commentary on the challenges local councils are facing? The answer is actually quite simple. When I rebranded in 2023 as the Cross Border Network, I made a conscious decision that would shape everything the network would become. I