municipal politics

The top story you need to hear from the Fort Frances Times for Wednesday, August 16, 2023.

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The top story you need to hear from the Fort Frances Times for Thursday, February 16, 2023.

The top story you need to hear from the Fort Frances Times for Friday, January 27, 2023.

The top story you need to hear from the Fort Frances Times for Thursday, January 26, 2023.

Summer is here and TMM is going to the park! Neal Unsworth, Manager of the City’s Parks and Shoreline division in Engineering Services tells us more about what parks mean to different people, how they’re built and refreshed and shares an exciting engagement opportunity. We also get the scoop everybody’s been waiting for – Neal’s favourite Kingston park!

Explore our parks!

https://www.cityofkingston.ca/residents/recreation/parks-trails

Get Involved!

https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca

Opening Track:

Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com

Find our closing track on YGK Music. 

Host Rob Hosier connects with Tracey Snow, the City’s new Rural Economic and Community Development Manager, to talk about rubber boots, building trust and an economic strategy that will benefit the entire community.  

Rural Kingston Strategy

Tracey Snow: tsnow@cityofkingston.ca

Get Involved Kingston

Opening Track:

Tell Me Twice by the Meringues - courtesy of the Meringues. themeringues.com

Closing YGK Music Track: 

Needless Love - Bandits 

Get involved Kingston: https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/

Opening Track Tell Me Twice courtesy of the Meringues: Themeringues.com

Who better to help us wrap up 2021 and Season 1 than our own City of Kingston CAO Lanie Hurdle? She tells us more about some of the most interesting and impactful topics from 2021 including pandemic response, systemic barriers, affordable housing, climate change and much more.

Get involved Kingston: https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/

Opening Track from YGK Music: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues: https://soundcloud.com/visitkingston/sets/ygk-music-contemporary  

City of Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson joins the show to tell us more about the Kingston Economic Recovery Team (KERT). We discuss the team's origin story, accomplishments and plans moving forward. We'll also reveal the secret to Mayor Paterson's endless energy!

Find out more about the Kingston Economic Recovery Team: www.cityofkingston.ca/city-hall/projects-construction/kingston-economic-recovery-team

Get involved Kingston: https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/

Opening Track from YGK Music: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues: https://soundcloud.com/visitkingston/sets/ygk-music-contemporary

In this episode, City of Kingston Housing Administrator Joanne Borris tells us more about how Kingston’s homelessness system weathered, but more importantly learned, from COVID-19 and the Belle Park Encampment. We’ll examine the next steps for the system including the Integrated Care Hub, homelessness system review and encampment protocols.  

Home Base Housing's Street Outreach Team regularly checks on known individuals experiencing homelessness in Kingston. If you are experiencing homelessness, or are concerned about a person in need of help please call 613-561-5839 and the Street Outreach Team will be alerted. 

Find out more about the homelessness system in Kingston: CityofKingston.ca/Vulnerable or Housing@cityofkingston.ca 

Get involved Kingston: https://getinvolved.cityofkingston.ca/

Opening Track from YGK Music: Tell Me Twice by the Meringues: https://soundcloud.com/visitkingston/sets/ygk-music-contemporary 

Recently retired from federal politics, Pamela Goldsmith-Jones has had a distinguished career; from grassroots local politics, to helping improve the peace and security of women on a global scale. Gord and Pamela talk about densification, reconciliation, the reason she got into federal politics, being a good neighbour, and more.

Calcium Chloride

• Edmonton council to decide whether to continue controversial road de-icing program

Thales

• New Metro Line LRT signalling system ready to go today: Thales Canada

David Staples

• David Staples: One-two punch hammers city council's plan to increase taxes

Free Transit

• 'Not ... an essential service': Free transit debate exposes divisions on council
• Edmonton councillor’s transit inquiry gets rough ride from city council
• Edmonton city council kicks free transit idea to curb
• Don Iveson Tweet

Regional Transit

• 13 signatures mark a major milestone for regional transit in Edmonton area
• Edmonton Global officially launches to attract investment to the Edmonton Metro Region

New Bus Routes

• New bus routes being finalized with public feedback

Falcon Towers

• Council approves a near doubling of density for two downtown towers
• Too many towers? Council grapples with looming question of how much is too much
• Don’t get too excited about supertall building proposals in Edmonton

Speaking Municipally is a proud member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB. This week we spoke about OtherWise, a variety podcast dedicated to empowering diverse communities living on Treaty 6 territory by sharing stories of their lived experiences. We also highlighted Perch, a podcast by ATB that connects with the experts, influencers and big thinkers who are shaping our province. Give both a listen wherever you get your podcasts!

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a home for curiosity-driven stories about our city, cultivated by the community. In addition to this podcast, Taproot publishes the Council Roundup every week. Sign up to get it delivered by email for free. Here's the October 13, 2018 edition.

As a reminder, Taproot Edmonton is hosting a panel during Edmonton Startup Week focused on the future of local tech coverage. We hope to see you there!

Here are the relevant links for this episode:

Cannabis

• Rental giant Boardwalk bans all cannabis smoking and growing from its properties

Calcium Chloride

• Edmonton to continue spraying calcium chloride on roads for another winter

Starlight Casino

• Starlight Casino at West Edmonton Mall ready to roll the dice after $57-million expansion

Terwillegar Drive

• Terwillegar Drive Concept Planning Study
• Council Agenda Item: Terwillegar Drive Improvements
• City report brings forward new option to ease congestion on Terwillegar Drive
• City officials float idea for $300-million expressway on Terwillegar Drive
• February 2018: Slowing down to speed up: Councillor calls for reset on Terwillegar Drive talks

In this episode we mentioned fellow Alberta Podcast Network member The Broadcast, hosted by Trisha Estabrooks and Alex Zabjek. Unfortunately, they have decided to go on hiatus but we encourage you to check out the archives. We also talked about the latest episode of The Well Endowed Podcast called Into the Woods and noted they are about to celebrate their 2 year anniversary - congrats! The Well Endowed Podcast is running a listener survey that you can fill out here.

Two other quick plugs: APN founder and Taproot co-founder Karen Unland is speaking at The Local Good's next Green Drinks event on October 3. And the latest episode of Let's Find Out is another collaboration with Taproot. This time, Chris Chang-Yen Phillips explores the Cree calendar.

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a home for curiosity-driven stories about our city, cultivated by the community. In addition to this podcast, Taproot publishes the Council Roundup every week. Sign up to get it delivered by email for free. Here's the September 28, 2018 edition.

We're proud to announce that Speaking Municipally is now a member of the Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB! There are some incredible podcasters in Alberta and we're happy to be listed alongside them.

Here are the relevant links if you'd like to go deeper on this week's episode:

Yard Waste

• Plan to remove grass clippings from weekly garbage pickup inches ahead
• Mayor Iveson — “I leave my clippings on the lawn"

109 Street Development

• Former Knox-Metropolitan United Church demolished to make way for condos

Office Vacancy Rate

• 'It's really fun to see': BioWare, DeepMind part of tech surge in downtown Edmonton's office market

Budget Updates & Debt

• An Edmonton City Council clash is coming on debt as other money dries up
• 'A lot of money': Industry eyes late fines as grand opening booked for Walterdale Bridge

Culture, Integrity, and Ethics

• Culture of accountability at city hall finally taking hold: city auditor
• Former MP Brent Rathgeber named Edmonton's first ethics adviser

Lower Speed Limits

• Councillors to debate lowering residential speed limit to 30 km/h
• 30 km/h could be new default speed limit in Calgary
• Vision Zero Edmonton on Twitter: "We have to do better. There was one speeder who went 100 km in a 30 km zone today."

In this episode we mentioned fellow Alberta Podcast Network member That's a Thing?!, "a sometimes belated, already outdated guide to your teens, tweens and everything under 20." We also talked about the ATB X Accelerator, "a three-month accelerator program built and operated by ATB, exclusively for early-stage entrepreneurs across a wide range of industries."

Speaking Municipally is produced by Taproot Edmonton, a home for curiosity-driven stories about our city, cultivated by the community. In addition to this podcast, Taproot publishes the Council Roundup every week. Sign up to get it delivered by email for free. Here's the September 7, 2018 edition.