This week in our politicial panel, we hear about the findings of a new CBC-commissioned poll regarding support for Alberta separating from Canada, as well as Premier Danielle Smith and the UCP government. The survey was commissioned by pollster Janet Brown.

Loren talks to Shannon Phillips, a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie, a senior advisor at New West Public Affairs who once served as chief of staff for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

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For weeks, a private landfill has been on fire in southeast Calgary, affecting air quality in at least 19 neighbourhoods of the city. The Calgary Fire Department has the fire under control but says it could take weeks or even months to fully extinguish the blaze. The company that owns the site is also facing legal issues. This week, Jenny talks to Calgary Fire Chief Steve Dongworth about why the dump fire is proving such a challenge, and why CFD plans to bring in specialists from outside the province to help.

For more information about the fire, visit calgary.ca/landfillfire.

This is Calgary is produced by CBC Calgary and hosted by Jenny Howe.

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In the first of our bonus political episodes, we hear analysis on the Alberta NDP's surprise win over the UCP in the Calgary-Shaw byelection. Loren talks to Shannon Phillips, a former Alberta NDP cabinet minister and founding partner of Meredith, Boessenkool and Phillips Policy Advisors, and Ian Brodie, a senior advisor at New West Public Affairs who once served as chief of staff for Prime Minister Stephen Harper.

This is Calgary will drop these extra episodes every Friday through the Alberta referendum vote on October 19th, to keep you up to speed. You'll still get a fresh episode with Jenny every Wednesday, too.

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Did you say... Green Line? Yes, there's news. A city committee has approved a surface route along 10th Avenue Southwest as the next section of Calgary's expanding LRT network, bringing the line to the edge of downtown.

Jenny talks to two city councillors whose wards run parallel about why this route is better than the above-ground options, and why — even though the dream of building the Green Line to the north end of the city is still very much alive — rapid bus transit up Centre Street North is a good interim solution.

This is Calgary is hosted by Jenny Howe, and produced by CBC Calgary.

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Calgary has a leak -- but this time, it's not a water main. It's a city councillor. Last week (Sept. 3), Ward 14’s Landon Johnston revealed he’d shared confidential preliminary budget documents with the media -- much to the frustration of Mayor Jeromy Farkas and other members of council. Why did Johnston do it? What are the impacts? What powers, if any, does city council have to prevent further leakage? And what does this fracas say about the functionality of our current city council? Jenny and Loren walk us through this developing story.

This is Calgary is hosted by Jenny Howe, and produced by CBC Calgary.

Thoughts? Story ideas? [email protected]

It's been two months since the province shut down Calgary's only supervised consumption site. What's happened since? Jenny talks to a former SCS staffer and an addiction medicine doctor about the impacts of the closure, and whether a recovery-based model of care including compassionate intervention could work.

This is Calgary is hosted by Jenny Howe, and produced by CBC Calgary.

Thoughts? Story ideas? [email protected]

There's a big conversation happening right now that feels kind of hard to tackle: separatism. And the pressure to discuss it is increasing as we get closer to the Alberta referendum on October 19. But why is it so hard to do? And how can or should you approach such a conversation, to reach across the political divide, from wherever you sit? This week, we find out with political scientist Jared Wesley.

Contemporary Calgary got a major funding injection over the summer, to expand at its location in the downtown west end. Jenny talks to CEO David Leinster about what the revitalization involves, why the city's biggest contemporary art gallery wants to stay put in a former planetarium, and how contemporary art fits in our city identity.

This week, Jenny is looking into what makes a great city street. Our friends over at This is Vancouver recently had a conversation with former Vancouver city planner Sandy James about the necessary ingredients, and a lot of those ideas could apply anywhere in North America, including here in Calgary.

Raccoons are still something of a novelty for most Calgarians. But they're becoming more common... and can get into mischief. First, we talk to a local guy who's been trying in vain for FIVE years to spot a raccoon here. Then we head to southeast Calgary, to find out whether a homeowner managed to get the raccoon out of his garage attic.