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Good morning !

It's consultation season in Alberta, and the province wants to hear from you on two very different topics: what's happening in classrooms and what could happen at an iconic mountain resort.

The government is looking for teachers to join a new advisory council following last fall's contentious strike, while developers are asking Albertans to weigh in on plans to bring Fortress Mountain back as a year-round destination. Both consultation periods run through late February, giving residents a chance to shape decisions that could affect education and mountain recreation for years to come.

The province opens applications for a teacher advisory council following last fall's strike, while Fortress Mountain seeks public input on plans for an all-season resort.

👀 In today's edition:

• ICE operates in five Canadian cities

• A family gallery raises funds for treatment

• Calgary votes on water infrastructure overhaul

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WORTH KNOWING

🌤️ Today: High 16C, Low -1C. See the 7-day forecast.

🚗 Driving today? Check the current traffic situation, and find the city’s traffic report and road closures.

⚠️ Here’s the current smoke forecast / check Calgary wildfire and fire restrictions and the Alberta Wildfire Dashboard.

QUICK POLL

Alberta opens applications for teacher advisory council following fall strike

The Alberta government is inviting teachers and principals to apply for a new Teacher Advisory Council that will advise the education minister on provincial policy, following a contentious fall that saw the province legislate teachers back to work.

The council will bring together up to 15 educators from diverse school settings and communities to share perspectives with the minister of Education and Childcare. Education Minister Demetrios Nicolaides said teachers understand classroom realities and their expertise is essential to addressing issues like class size and complexity. The positions are unpaid and voluntary, with online meetings held outside school hours, and appointments run for up to 18 months with possible reappointment. Applications close February 13.

The announcement comes after the government passed Bill 2, the Back to School Act, in late October, which ended a provincewide teacher strike and imposed a settlement that the Alberta Teachers' Association says was rejected by 89.5 per cent of teachers. The settlement includes salary increases of at least 12 per cent over four years, with 95 per cent of teachers receiving up to 17 per cent, and commits to hiring 3,000 new teachers.

Alberta Teachers' Association President Jason Schilling responded that there's already an organization representing the province's 51,000 teachers. He said teachers participating in the panel will likely reiterate what the association has been saying for years: overcrowded and complex classrooms are unsustainable and prevent students' needs from being met. Schilling questioned why the government hasn't released class size and complexity information that was already collected, and suggested the government act on recommendations from its own Aggressi

on and Complexity in Schools Action Team released in November.

Need to know

🇺🇸 U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operates offices in five Canadian cities including Calgary, though agents cannot make arrests or carry firearms north of the border.

🏥 A report from the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives and Parkland Institute claims Alberta's Bill 11 could create a two-tier healthcare system similar to the U.S., though the provincial government dismissed the findings as political talking points.

⚖️ Premier Danielle Smith says Alberta will withhold funding for new judicial positions unless the federal government gives the province more say in selecting judges for provincial and federal courts.

🚑 Alberta's plan to add emergency room triage physician shifts has been delayed as doctors and the government negotiate details around pay, billing, liability, and paperwork.

🎨 A family-run Calgary gallery sells donated artwork online to fund cerebral palsy treatments for baby Beckett, raising enough in 15 months to cover his care in 2024 and 2025.

💧 Calgary city council will vote on an implementation plan for recommendations from the Bearspaw feeder main failure review, including establishing a new water utility department and municipally controlled corporation.

🧑‍🍳 Tasty, Low Salt Cooking (Dips & Sauces) Feb 19 - Learn how to cook delicious dips and sauces that focus on less salt in this free ONLINE cooking demo with AHS registered dietitians. Recipes included.*

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Life In The Middle + Holding It All Together = The Sandwich Generation

Sandwich Generation: adults caring for aging parents while supporting their own children (of all ages!), and sometimes grandchildren. They are juggling careers, personal lives, and complex decisions simultaneously. 

Sandwich Generation members are balancing the needs of the people who raised them and the people they are still raising. When downsizing arrives, the responsibility deepens. Sorting through a parent’s longtime home isn’t just logistical. It’s emotional, layered, and often unexpected. Caregivers are asked to support decisions they didn’t initiate, timelines they don’t control, and emotions that belong to someone they love deeply. Calm, compassionate approaches can help families move forward with clarity, protect relationships, and honour what matters most. With thoughtful guidance and supportive resources, this stage can feel more manageable, one step at a time.

Fortress Mountain planning comeback as Alberta's first year-round resort

An iconic Kananaskis ski hill that's been sitting empty for years could get a new lease on life as Alberta's first purpose-built all-season mountain resort.

Fortress Mountain Resort is kicking off public consultations on plans to transform the historic brownfield site into a year-round destination with gondola rides, trail networks, adventure activities, and a resort village. At full build-out, the project would accommodate roughly 11,000 guests and more than 600 employees. Danielle Vlemmiks, project director, said the goal is bringing Fortress back in a way that reflects who Albertans are today while creating a place families will return to year after year.

The proposal includes environmental features like water conservation systems, wildfire resilience measures, and wildlife management, along with a community fund that would reinvest revenue into local initiatives in Kananaskis, Canmore, and surrounding areas. The developers are also working on partnerships with Treaty 7 Nations and Métis communities to incorporate Indigenous knowledge and stewardship into the resort experience.

The province's formal consultation period runs from January 28 to February 27. An open-house listening session will be held in Calgary on February 20 from 2 to 7 PM at Mount Royal University, with additional sessions planned for Canmore and Edmonton. People can also share feedback through an online survey on the resort's website throughout the consultation window.

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Growing food system resilience, organically

Annelise Grube-Cavers and her family run Fresh Valley Farms, a certified organic operation raising pork, chicken, beef, and eggs. Built on rotational grazing and transparency, the farm shows how organic systems can strengthen land stewardship, animal welfare, and regional food resilience. Read her story.

Where to eat and drink

🍴 Acme Pizza Co.: Hand-built artisanal pizzas using old-world techniques with a contemporary twist are served at three Calgary locations—Sunalta at Tailgunner Brewing taproom, a takeout-only Renfrew kitchen, and Acme Pizza & Pasta Co. in Sunnyside offering both pizza and fresh pasta.

🍴 Alforno Bakery & Cafe: Named after the Italian word for "oven," this Italian-inspired cafe serves handcrafted pastries, expertly crafted food, and an Italian coffee program at six Calgary locations including Eau Claire, First Street Market, and four downtown office towers.

Have a food or drink suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

Things to do

🎟️ Valentine Date Clay Gnome Workshop: Colour Cafe in Kensington hosts a hands-on workshop to craft a clay gnome from scratch on February 7 at 7:30 PM, with instruction, materials, and firing included for $49 plus tax, no experience necessary

🎟️ Black History Month 30-Year Celebration: Studio Bell presents a free full-day celebration on February 7 featuring performances by neo-soul collective (un)decided and singer Peace Etaje, a fashion show curated by Jimmy Boi, community conversations with Black leaders, and a market with 20 Black-owned vendors from 10 AM to 5 PM.

Have an event suggestion? Message us and we might share it!

That’s it!

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And before you go, we’d love to know…

We’ll see you back here on Tuesdays and Thursdays, same time, same place!