Mark Hillman

This is one of those issues I have pretty strong opinions on. Many governments are falling into this category of forcing employees back to work for no other reason besides to artificially boost economic numbers of their downtowns. This comes at the cost of their employees directly.

If a job sincerely needs to be in person then I get it but in many situations that simply is not the case. Many of these jobs can be and are done more efficiently from home.

I personally am a huge advocate for better working conditions and work life balance in our work force. I feel this sort of decision is a step backwards. We need to be moving forward on better working standards and expectations not backwards.

Government employees should not be used as an economic development tool. Especially when it forces unnecessary inconvenience on their personal lives and finances.

What do you think?

We got a deal signed with Ottawa! Great work from the Premier and her office. Not only have we gotten a better deal for carbon pricing to better reflect how reliant our grid is on natural gas for power, we also got a set start date for the pipeline. That is something to hold Ottawa accountable to and a great win for our province.

I always like giving credit where its due and the Alberta government deserves a lot of credit for this one in my opinion.

What do you think?

The biggest political story right now in Alberta is the rejection of the separatist referendum initiative due to inadequate First Nations consultation. Legally, that decision is difficult to argue against given Canada’s constitutional framework and treaty obligations with Indigenous nations.

What makes this so politically significant is the position it now puts the Alberta government in.

At this point, separatists have two realistic options: pursue a legal appeal or pressure the premier to advance the question as a government motion. Personally, I think allowing the appeal process to play out is the smartest path for the government.

Up to now, Danielle Smith and the UCP have been careful to frame their position as supporting a stronger, more sovereign Alberta within Canada, not outright separation. That distinction matters. While many separatist supporters are aligned with the UCP base, formally introducing a referendum question through government would fundamentally change the party’s political position. At that point, the UCP could no longer credibly claim neutrality on separatism.

I also think it would directly contradict the messaging Smith has pushed for over a year. Advocating for provincial autonomy and advocating for secession are not the same thing, and collapsing those two ideas together would be a major political gamble.

The appeal route offers the government political distance. It moves the issue into the courts, likely drags the process out for months, and probably kills any realistic chance of getting a referendum question onto an October ballot. From a strategic perspective, that gives the government time while avoiding a direct confrontation inside its own coalition.

There are a lot of moving pieces here: constitutional law, treaty obligations, western alienation, party unity, and electoral strategy are all colliding at once.

For full transparency, I’m not a separatist myself. I’d rather see serious negotiation within Canada then outright separation. But politically, this is becoming one of the most consequential balancing acts the UCP has faced in years.

What do you think?

The annual police report is out for 2025 and I encourage everyone to take a look. Edmonton Police Service have been doing a great job with the resources they have. there is always room for improvement but I believe our new Police Chief is committed to constant improvement.

The Edmonton Police Service launched its 2025 Annual Report online, highlighting key achievements in our work and our ongoing growth as an organization.

“Our ability to prevent crime is directly related to the relationships we build with the community, says Chief Warren Driechel. “Whether we are supporting victims of crime, engaging with people at events, or collaborating with colleagues, we listen, and we act. My commitment to you as your Chief of Police is that you will see and feel a difference as EPS works toward creating a safer Edmonton.”

To view the EPS’s key achievements and how we are growing as an organization, visit epsannualreport.ca.

Matt is going to be back in Edmonton today it seems with some of his new friends. From what I can tell they are being careful who they invite. While still unclear if Jeaneroux will actually run in Edmonton again or take a safe liberal seat out in BC where he has actually been living the past few years. What is clear is that the Liberals see Edmonton Riverbend as a weak spot to try and break through into Edmonton. What are your thoughts?

Over the past few weeks I have been hearing complaints regarding how slow our city has been in terms of towing parking violations. Just last week I kid you not someone just left a trailer full of floor boards in the middle of the road outside my friend's place. It was there for over five hours.

The reason seems to be we simply do not have the space.

what are your thoughts on the rise in parking violations and how slow it has been to get anything done about it?

Feel free to share any horror stories over the past few weeks.