Editorial: Live From Calgary, It's Municipal Affairs

If there’s one constant in municipal politics, it’s that the ground beneath our feet is always shifting. New challenges emerge, old ones evolve, and the decisions made in council chambers reverberate through every neighbourhood, every business district, and every Main Street across this country.

At the Cross Border Network, we have never shied away from those conversations. In fact, we’ve made it our mission to go bigger, bolder, and deeper into the stories that shape local government in Canada.

In 2025, we set an ambitious goal: content from every province and territory. From the fishing wharfs of the Atlantic to the Rockies’ foothills, from the suburbs of Ontario to the small northern communities that rarely see national attention, we worked tirelessly to broaden the scope of municipal storytelling. And yes — we almost made it. Nunavut, you remain our last frontier, and we promise: 2026 is your year.

But if last year was about reaching farther, this year is about stepping forward.

We’re going live. Every Monday. All year.

Beginning Monday, February 2nd at 8:30 AM MST, the Cross Border Network will broadcast live for two hours. And it won’t just be chatter — it will be meaningful, in-depth conversations with municipal leaders, experts, advocates, and everyday Canadians who make our cities and towns work.

We’ll host guests in studio. We’ll tackle the tough questions. We’ll examine the future of local governance with the urgency and respect it deserves.

And when we’re on the road — at conventions, conferences, summits, or walking the halls of municipal buildings — we’ll still be there at 8:30 AM sharp, bringing Canada to you, wherever we happen to be standing.

A show like this needs honesty. It needs transparency. And above all, it needs purpose. That’s why our agenda remains the same as it’s always been: to educate. To inform communities about what really happens at the local level, beyond the headlines and election cycles. To bring clarity to the decisions that shape infrastructure, public safety, housing, taxation, economic development, and everything else that touches daily life.

But here’s the truth we rarely say out loud: we can’t do this alone.

A live show requires equipment that doesn’t stutter, freeze, or fizzle out mid-interview. Anyone who has seen some of our past live attempts knows… the production quality wasn’t exactly Emmy-ready. We’re fixing that. We have an anonymous donor — a new advisor we’re thrilled to welcome — who has contributed $5,000 toward upgrading our setup.

We need to match that.

$5,000 more by January 31st. That’s the goal.

Every dollar will go toward cameras, audio gear, lighting, and the tools needed to take this show from “well-meaning” to “professionally unmissable.” The better our broadcasts look, the more people will tune in, the more voices we can amplify, and the more Canadians will understand the issues shaping their communities.

This is a request — a simple but heartfelt one.

If you can donate, please do. If you can tune in, we’ll be grateful. If you can share this message, it matters more than you know.

For six years — 72 months — we’ve learned something fundamental: it takes a community to build a town, and it takes a community of passionate, engaged municipal-affairs fans to build a platform like this. You’ve been with us every step of the way. Together, we’ve built something extraordinary — one lift station at a time.

In 2025, we reached across Canada.

In 2026, we’re bringing Canada live.

Let’s build this next chapter together.