Sprawlcast

City hall went big—and is feeling the pinch. We dig into what it really cost to build a new convention centre building and what it means for the city's finances.

It's not unusual for Alberta governments to tinker with municipal election laws. But Bill 20 is far more than the usual tinkering. We dig into the evolution of municipal elections in Alberta and look at what Bill 20 means for local democracy in Calgary—and beyond.

Should neighbourhoods set their own direction? Should city hall impose it from the top down? Or is there a role for both? We go to Inglewood, Calgary's oldest neighbourhood, in search of answers.

As the debate about blanket rezoning heats up in Calgary, we dig into the Sprawlcast vault for a deep-dive on NIMBYism.

Canmore town council nixed plans for two developments that would cut into critical wildlife habitat and nearly double the town's population. Then a court order forced the town to backtrack. We dig into what happened—and what it means for the Bow Valley's future.

This episode is Part 2 in a Sprawlcast series. Read a full transcript of this episode on The Sprawl's website.

This episode is a collaboration with The Narwhal, an independent news outlet that dives deep to tell stories about the natural world in Canada. Drew Anderson contributed research and reporting.

A saga of coal, 'cronies' and courts. We dig into the decades of controversy around the Three Sisters Mountain Village development in Canmore. This episode is a collaboration with The Narwhal, an independent news outlet that dives deep to tell stories about the natural world in Canada. Drew Anderson contributed research and reporting. Read his article on the Three Sisters saga on The Narwhal's website.

This episode is Part 1 in a Sprawlcast series.

Two years ago, progressives were rooting for Jyoti Gondek to defeat Jeromy Farkas in the race for mayor. But numerous Calgarians who voted for Mayor Gondek have found themselves in agreement with Farkas more recently—and disappointed by the mayor on files like the arena deal. We speak with both Farkas and Gondek, looking at what's changed since the last election and what's taking shape for the next one.

We dig into a deal that's less transparent—and far more expensive—than the 2019 one. We also follow up with with city councillors who campaigned against more subsidies for the Flames, but voted "yes" to hundreds of millions more.

In June 2022, city council created an affordable housing task force—and then balked at its recommendations, particularly on upzoning.

Revisiting Calgary's early history—and our present. Featuring Sikapinakii Low Horn, Hal Eagletail, Tony Snow and Matt Hiltermann.