Chaz Smith

Question for you:

I’m curious what your thoughts are on Prime Minister Mark Carney, and the Federal Liberals now having a majority government?

- His first act today was to remove tax on gasoline at the pumps, and aviation fuel; bringing affordability relief to Canadians. Bringing down costs, including by prior removal of carbon tax, by up to 28 cents per litre at the pump.

- Some suggesting this was only possible because of “back door deals” as so many MPs crossed the floor. Albright no evidence that was the case. As most said was of conscious for their constituents.

- Others are suggesting this is because the Federal conservatives under MP Pierre Poilievre, are simply out of touch with the average Canadian.

What do you think? 🤔

This past Thursday, we were grateful to be part the Calgary Homeless Foundation and City of Calgary Emergency Weather Response, and to have a seat at the table with the “Outreach Collective.”

These conversations bring frontline partners together to discuss the realities we’re seeing every day—sharing challenges, opportunities, and successes across the sector.

A key takeaway from recent discussions was the ongoing impact of the loss of Calgary’s supervised consumption site, alongside harm reduction supply shortages, an increase in overdoses being seen on the ground, and growing challenges in coordination—especially as funding pressures continue to impact programs across the system.

Another important takeaway was the release of the annual Point-in-Time Count. This count represents a snapshot in time, combining on-the-ground canvassing with shelter data to better understand homelessness in our city.

The data confirms what frontline teams are already seeing: homelessness continues to rise.

In 2024, approximately 3,100 individuals were counted experiencing homelessness. In 2025, that number increased to approximately 3,300—marking a clear year-over-year increase.

Learn more about us: www.bethechangeyyc.org