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The Western Voices of FCM



Welcome to Municipal Affairs.


This past week, Canada’s capital was the centre of attention for local governments from across the country. More than 2,000 municipal leaders gathered in Ottawa for the annual Federation of Canadian Municipalities Tradeshow and Convention — a landmark event that brings together communities of all sizes to share ideas, elevate concerns, and help shape the national conversation on municipal priorities.


The agenda was full and forward-looking — touching on everything from bail reform and calls for stable, predictable federal funding, to mental health and addiction, and the growing concern of misinformation in our digital age.


Among those in attendance were delegations from Western and Northern Canada — regions facing their own unique challenges, but united in a desire to bring those issues to the national stage.


We spoke with several presidents of municipal associations from these regions to hear what they took away from this year’s FCM Convention — and what comes next for their provinces and territories.


We begin with Trish Mandewo, President of the Union of British Columbia Municipalities. She joined us to talk about the importance of BC’s presence at FCM, the ongoing concerns around Bill 15, and how her team plans to carry momentum from Ottawa back home.

(INTERVIEW)


Next, we caught up with Tyler Gandam, President of Alberta Municipalities. He shared why Alberta had such a strong showing this year, what his recent meeting with new Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams meant for local leaders, and what role FCM continues to play for his province.

(INTERVIEW)


With over 50 delegates in attendance from Saskatchewan, we sat down with Randy Goulden, President of the Saskatchewan Urban Municipalities Association. She shared her thoughts on this year’s event and the ongoing concern around wildfires in northern Saskatchewan that were top of mind for many in her delegation.

(INTERVIEW)


We also spoke with Kathy Valentino, President of the Association of Manitoba Municipalities and now the newly appointed 2nd Vice President of FCM. She reflected on the impact of wildfires in her own province and how that’s informed her growing voice at the national level.

(INTERVIEW)


For a rural perspective, we turned to Kara Westerlund, President of the Rural Municipalities of Alberta. She spoke with us about the unique needs of rural communities and the critical role FCM plays in ensuring their voices are heard.

(INTERVIEW)


From the North, Association of Yukon Communities President Lauren Hanchar joined us to talk about Yukon’s presence at the convention and what next steps look like for municipalities across the territory.

(INTERVIEW)


And finally, we close with one of the major highlights of the week: the acclamation of Vancouver City Councillor Rebecca Bligh as the new President of FCM. We spoke with President Bligh on the final day of the convention to discuss her plans for the year ahead and how FCM continues to serve municipalities from coast to coast to coast.

(INTERVIEW)


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