Tyler Downey

Municipal elections are looming this year over nearly half the provinces and territories in Canada. The renewal of terms and mandates can be as exciting as it is uncertain; after all, that’s an awful lot of change to the closest order of government to the people. Our clients and friends in BC, PEI, Manitoba, and New Brunswick are undoubtedly working hard right now to figure out how to set their communities up for smooth and successful elections to hit the ground running on the priorities of...

Last month, we spilled some ink about the federal budget, the new direction of federal finances, and the expected impact on local infrastructure. This month, we examine the issue from the other side – i.e. what should municipalities across Canada prioritize to take advantage of this new federal approach? In short, the Prime Minister himself said it best: “We used to build things in this country. Over our history, we have shown that we can come together to build big infrastructure that ties us...

After weeks of anxiety and rumours around a possible federal election, Prime Minister Mark Carney’s first budget has officially passed the House of Commons with four abstentions, winning by only the narrowest of margins – 170 to 168 .   Even in an ordinary political cycle, the policy contents of a budget almost always play second fiddle to the narrative battle around the budget, but this year, the politics behind the budget were more transparently on display than ever before. With no party...