LIVE SHOW: MB Votes '26 - How Does Municipal Advocacy Work?

8 hours ago

2 min read

Good morning, and welcome back to Municipal Affairs.

We’re continuing our special seven-week series looking ahead to the 2026 Manitoba Municipal Election — a series where we’re taking you inside municipal government and exploring the people, the positions, and the responsibilities that keep communities across Manitoba moving forward.

This special series on the 2026 Manitoba Municipal Election is brought to you in partnership with the Association of Manitoba Municipalities.

Over the course of this series, we’ve been looking at the different roles within municipal government — from councillors and reeves, to mayors — and the important work they do on behalf of the people they represent.

But there’s another part of municipal leadership that doesn’t always get as much attention.

And that’s the role municipalities play in advocating to the provincial government. Because municipal government doesn’t operate in isolation.

The decisions made at the municipal level are often closely connected to decisions made at the provincial level — whether we’re talking about infrastructure, roads and bridges, housing, emergency services, economic development, health care, recreation, or the funding municipalities need to provide essential services to their residents.

And when municipalities have concerns, priorities, or ideas for how provincial policy can better serve their communities, it’s often the mayor, reeve, and councillors who are on the front lines of that conversation.

They understand the challenges facing local businesses, families, farmers, seniors, and community organizations. And they’re often the ones sitting across the table from provincial ministers, MLAs, and government officials making the case for their communities.

That advocacy can take many forms.

So, what does effective provincial advocacy actually look like from the municipal perspective?

What role should a mayor, reeve, or councillor play in building relationships with the provincial government?

To help us answer those questions, we’re joined today by Former NDP Minister of Municipal Affairs Drew Caldwell, who served in the role from November 2014 to May 2026. Former Progressive Conservative Minister of Municipal Relations Andrew Smith, who served in the role from January 2023 to October 2023, and the Association of Manitoba Municipalities President Kathy Valentino.

Kathy, Andrew, and Drew welcome to the show.

So today, we’re going to look at municipal advocacy from that perspective — what provincial ministers hear from municipal leaders, how those relationships are built, and what municipalities can do to make their voices heard.

Whether you’re running for mayor, reeve, or council this month, or you’re simply interested in how municipalities work with the province, this is an important part of understanding the job.

So, with that, let’s get started.

As this is Municipal Affairs — live, I’m Christopher Brown and today, We’re Asking… How Does Municipal Advocacy Work?

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