Caucus

I am drinking some whiskey because I am processing how do we lose the Chicago Bears in Chicago.

And, you know, I just I'm here with other Caucus members, and I'll pass it to them to introduce themselves as I wallow in my misery.

So, I'm going to throw tape at them.

Do

Hello, guys.

I'm Kyron.

I'm the new Caucus Coordinator.

uh i'm obviously new here like you said uh first uh time of the podcast on the after dark edition so definitely a first time but we'll see how it goes so yeah nice to meet you guys

Carolyn Finlay's resignation Sunday left the Conservative Party leaderless.

Caucus immediately nominated Lauren Dirksen, who was then approved by the party's board before that snap election was called.

Of course the Conservatives have a problem because the NDP called a snap election when the Conservatives didn't have a leader.

The party's constitution suggests Dirksen would need to win a leadership race where there would have to be a vote to change the rules.

Mayors from 25 of Alberta's largest mid-sized cities gathered alongside their councils in Red Deer, Alberta last week for the Alberta Mid-Sized Cities Mayors Caucus Summit.

The backdrop of this year's summit was growth, and the infrastructure funding needed to support it.

Those are the issues being felt by municipalities of all sizes and in communities across every region of this province.

Always a pleasure.

For the city

of Cold Lake, Mayor Bob Mattis said attending this year's Midsize Cities Mayor's Caucus was an important opportunity to connect with municipal leaders across the province.

Having been elected mayor in 2025, he said it was a pleasure to meet and work alongside mayors who were also newly elected and as well as those returning for another term.

He also expressed optimism about working collaboratively with mayors from across Alberta to address issues that matter not only to Cold

More than 140 municipal leaders from across Alberta gathered in Red Deer, Alberta from September 16th to September 18th for the Alberta Midsize Cities Mayors Caucus Summit.

Representing 25 municipalities from across the province, mayors and municipal leaders came together to discuss some of the biggest challenges facing their communities.

And one issue stood out throughout the entire gathering.

Across Alberta, mid-sized communities are experiencing significant population growth, bringing with it increased demands on infrastructure, housing, transportation, and municipal services.

Representatives from both the federal and provincial governments were also on hand, speaking directly with municipal leaders about a range of issues, including affordability, e-bikes, e-scooters, infrastructure, funding, and the challenges that come with unprecedented population booms.

We caught up with Mayor Jeff Acker of the City of Spruce Grove, who also serves as chair of the Alberta Midsize Cities Mayor's Caucus.

On the first day of the convention, we asked Mayor Acker what he was hearing from municipal leaders and how bringing all 25 municipalities together could help communities across Alberta address some of these shared challenges he's hearing about.

Chair, thank you so much for chatting with

Liberal MP Marilyn Gladue told the Star on Wednesday that she's hearing concerns in her riding of Sarnia, Lambton, Bajewang including about non-Canadian investors and cost increases once private investors buy into airport operations.

Asked about caucus concerns over the airport investment plan, McKinnon said he expects the governing party to stand firm on the initiative that was first floated in the 2025 federal budget.

Caucus voted unanimously for a budget and a spring economic statement that very, very clearly expressed this intention, he said.

The next article is titled, Crown Drops Jewelers' Charges.

Mississauga man says his life was destroyed over gold heist accusations.

We've got a great way to kick off the show today.

Joining us now from the Congressional AI Caucus and from the great state of Utah, Congressman Mike Kennedy.

Sir, great to have you on the show.

Thank you for joining us on a busy day.

Across Alberta, some of the fastest growing communities in the province are not Calgary or Edmonton, but the mid-sized cities in between them.

Later this week, mayors and councillors from across Alberta will gather in Red Deer, Alberta for the 2026 Midsize Cities Mayors Caucus.

Representing 25 municipalities and nearly a quarter of Alberta's population, these communities are home to more than 1 million Albertans and some of the province's most important industries, from energy and agriculture to technology and, yes, innovation.

But growth brings challenges.

They are the issues being felt directly in neighborhoods, businesses, and municipal budgets.

The caucus provides mayors and councillors with an opportunity to speak collectively, share solutions, and make sure the concerns of Alberta's mid-sized communities are heard at both the provincial and, yes, federal levels.

So what will be on the agenda this year? What do these mayors hope to accomplish? And where do mid-sized cities fit into the Alberta broader municipal landscape in 2026? To help us understand that, we are joined today by Jeff Acker, Chair of the Alberta Mid-Sized Cities Mayors Caucus and Mayor of the City of Spruce Grove.

I'm Christopher Brown, and this is Municipal Affairs.

I hadn't actually heard that yet.

And, you know, I had made that announcement several weeks ago when the Ontario Big City Mayor's Caucus was talking about it.

And, you know, what we're doing right now hasn't worked yet.

The idea of giving people who are experiencing the health crisis of drug addiction more drugs absent treatment doesn't work.

In 1898, Habal wrote, "This season I have spent in Switzerland and have climbed Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.

While on their summits I said to myself, 'How tame all this seems compared with what I looked upon last in the Canadian Rockies.'" The party engaged in climbing here in 1897 contained men who know not merely Switzerland and Tyrol, but Norway, the Caucus, and even the Himalayas, and all were enthusiastic over these new Alps.

Not only so, but the most expert climber of the number, Professor J.N. Collie of the Alpine Club of London, Mummery's companion on the fatal trip to climb the mighty Nanga Parbat in Kashmir, has since twice returned with other Alpine Club men to enjoy this magnificent virgin field.

So we have a perfect right to speak of alpine climbing in North America.