With the ongoing event at CFB Wainwright, I thought it prudent to remind everyone to donate blood if they are able to. Any mass casualty event will deplete current supplies, and it takes time for blood to go into circulation.

Burn victims may require blood transfusions especially if their burns are severe or they require surgery/skin grafting. Burns damage both blood vessels and tissue leading to blood loss, and additional blood can also help with anemia and wound healing.

I've booked an appointment online already, super easy, and it’s a very simple process to donate. This is an opportunity to support the many Canadians in our military, and while it may seem small, there is strength in numbers. Together it is an action we can collectively take to have a positive impact on those who are currently experiencing one of the worst moments of their lives.

Please if you can, consider donating this week. My heart goes out to anyone affected

Hey everyone,
With the ongoing debate around local zoning changes, provincial infrastructure funding, and housing affordability across Alberta, I’ve been digging into what long-term policy actually requires if we want sustainable regional growth.
It feels like most political discussions get trapped in a false binary: either endless suburban sprawl that strains municipal budgets, or crammed infills that strain existing neighborhood infrastructure without lowering costs.

If we look at what a true "material foundation" for Alberta's future looks like, a few core priorities stand out:

1. Building Beyond Traditional Single-Family Sprawl & Quick Infills: Modern, high-efficiency mass-timber density and medium-density development (like Berlin or Paris style 4–6 story blocks) create walkable communities without bankrupting municipal infrastructure maintenance down the road.

2. Integrating Transit Early Instead of Retrofitting Later: Regional transit connections and rapid transit corridors shouldn't be an afterthought once a neighborhood is built—they need to be laid down with the housing.

3. Local Supply Chains & Green Tech: Leveraging Alberta-sourced building materials and green technology keeps capital local and makes homes cheaper to heat during cold-climate winters.

We talk a lot about market rates and interest rates, but without planning the actual physical and regional infrastructure, we're just reacting to growth instead of guiding it.

I'm curious what people here think:
What do you see as the biggest physical bottleneck holding back genuine affordability and livability in your municipality? Is it zoning laws, lack of transit integration, or something else entirely?

(Note: I wrote a longer breakdown on this framework for my publication, The Alberta Standard. Link is down in the comments for anyone interested in reading more!)