Ron Zima

This is my sentiments expressed yesterday on LinkedIn. My reference to Waterton Park history and concern for Banff too. Strategic Logging and forest management could have reduced the impact and provided more access to parts of the park. Indigenous would have had the forest refreshment fires happen shortly after the beetles swept through the forest - they did mitigation but no firefighting. We must continue mitigation but we can't accept no firefighting in many places now with all the infrastructure investments on the landscape. The current management philosophy is spreading and putting many forests at risk, especially as they grow past maturity. The positive forest management changes to one more aligned with nature can start now but will take years to implement.

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Face flush, pulse beating so loud your ears might explode, the emotions rising in your throat, and that taste of bile on your tongue. Another city council meeting where you become the punching bag. Another failure. Another setback where no one takes responsibility and it falls on your shoulders. Sound familiar? As a city manager, these moments aren't just possible—they're inevitable. But here's the thing: Your legacy isn't defined by these moments. It's defined by what you do next. As we conclude our exploration of Brené Brown's "Dare to Lead," we're diving into the final, crucial skill: Learning to Rise. I've been there. I've tasted that bitter pill. And I'm here to tell you: Your comeback can (and will) be greater than the setback. Ready to transform setbacks into comebacks? Read the full post here: https://lnkd.in/eUE4rd-P What's your rising story? Share a time when you turned a low point into a launching pad. #CityManagement #Resilience #LeadershipDevelopment #PublicService

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Follow the Water. How did the Alberta Government respond when four communities no longer had access to drinking water in 2023? They trucked it in. “This isn’t just a Spanish issue – across the world, from Uruguay to Mexico, Canada to the UK, many have begun to question whether private corporations should be allowed to siphon off a vital public resource, then sell it back to citizens as bottled water.” It’s time we stop letting the #OilBros dictate the conversation be around energy. Water is life, not fossil fuels. And soon to be President DJT needs to understand that “the taps” need to be restored, not piped from. ✅no new fossil fuel development and no freshwater use in fossil fuel operations ✅25 year well, pipeline, and facility phase out plans, high-graded in critical habitats (the headwaters) ✅ regenerative, local food system focus ✅ renewables and EV transport WITHOUT further mineral extractions #spain #canada #uk #usa #worldpoli #WaterIsLife #FollowTheWater

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Undermining Local Democracy Using the phrase ‘undermining local democracy‘ might seem like hyperbole but Bill 20, which was unveiled by the provincial government last week, clearly is designed to take power away from Albertans and centralize it within the provincial government. My latest blog covers this assault on local democracy that clearly goes against the provincial government’s own survey of Albertans. #Edmonton #Alberta #yeg #yegcc #yyccc

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Grasslands are fascinating, amazing, and beautiful (boring be damned!). Once turned over, re-establishing a true grassland can be tough. Can we preserve what's left? Why should we? My conversation with Jean-Michel DeVink, PhD below #westcdnag #grazing #grasslands #cdnag

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I probably have about 4 silly arguments a week on here with mostly middle aged, affluent, suburban dwelling blokes on here who love to a) complain about traffic congestion and b) blame much of it on bike lanes that nobody uses. It's proper nonsense stuff and I kinda enjoy seeing where the argument goes, not really expecting to change their minds. But anyway, while they tell us nobody rides bikes in cities, the data tells us something different. More people are riding bike shares. Why? Because when you create better cycling infrastructure, more people ride bikes. We're doing a decent job on bike lanes so far, but have a way to go on bike parking. That's kinda what's so appealing about bike share. The next challenge is going to be keeping it up. The bike shares need more bikes and more docks. We could also make the charging infrastructure better for ebikes so less of them sit empty with the red light on. Places like Toronto have a long way to go to catch up with the leading cities here, but we're finally going in the right direction. Now, time to fix some of the broken bits of public transit so the bike shares become a complement to the system, rather than sometimes what you use when the bus doesn't turn up or the subway goes down. https://lnkd.in/gEtrqEjU

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In the private sector, continuous change is your only path to survival. Yet when it comes to the public sector in Canada, are we not guilty of building castle walls and moats around conformity? Is this resistance to do things differently our most significant threat as a nation? We seem trapped in a repeated cycle of doing the same things, expecting different results. We grossly overspend, underdeliver, and have little accountability or transparency. Our only answer seems to tax, borrow, and, when it comes to our Federal government, grow much, much more. Canadians have become complacent, and we vote for the 'free prize' inside versus the health of our nation and future generations. We elect officials based on their platform, yet when they steer us in a completely different direction, we do and say nothing. We hope that the next election will bring about change. But what if change comes too late, or if the new leaders are more of the same? Consider the smoker who finally decides to quit after receiving a grim health diagnosis. The warning signs were there all along but were ignored and dismissed as problems for another day. Now it is too late. Is this the path Canada is on? Do you see any preventative action? The way we plan, build and manage infrastructure, educate, offer healthcare, harness our intellectual and natural resources, and invest in a Made-in-Canada economy has to change. Our role as an ally has to change. Our immigration strategy needs to change.. We need more of our dollars working for society versus working government or working to keep those in power in power. Look at the math: A record number of Canadians are unemployed, unhoused, unfed, and mentally and physically unhealthy. Education is more about ideology and mediocrity than preparing our children for a future where machines and AI populate every corner of society, and much of commerce has moved to the cloud without borders and boundaries. Our healthcare system is collapsing, our balance sheet is collapsing, and those with the means to create and generate are moving their capital and capabilities away. Crime and civil unrest are increasing, and infrastructure projects are a run on government coffers. Who dares to shatter the status quo? To take down the castle walls and fill the moats. Should we be bidding infrastructure out globally? Should we base immigration on market dynamics and demographics and factor in AI's impact on our labour force? Should we rethink healthcare and be a global leader in AI diagnostics? Should we align our university funding to creating a new economy? Will we have to wait for a crisis to do this, and one that comes with conditions that force us to change, or are we willing to exercise our democratic rights and demand it? Please don't make your comments about any political leader. Make it about you and me and what it will take to exercise our strength in numbers and vote for meaningful change.

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Featuring over 40 Mayors and municipal leaders at #AtlanticMayors2024 this playlist provides insights into the thought leadership driving municipalities today. #InsightsfromAtlanticCanadianLeaders

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Today I had the privilege of speaking to the amazing managers and directors of the City of Hamilton. I shared strategies, ideas, and stories, all built around the belief that delivering expectational customer experiences should not be limited to for-profit organizations. In fact, for municipalities, creating great customer experiences can often deliver even more positive results. Some of the most impactful results of delivering fulfilling customer experiences for any branch of government: More efficient use of resources Reduced staff stress and attrition Improved citizen participation in city run events People becoming more active in their communities It’s important to remember that at its very core, customer experience is not about sales or business growth. It’s about human beings communicating with each other in ways that creates trust and builds relationships. And it doesn’t matter what the industry is. If you believe your organization could benefit from learning how to deliver fulfilling customer experiences, I welcome you to reach out to me.

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It's not obvious where bike lanes should go. It's the job of city planners to sort out on a case by case basis. This is not a provincial issue, but it's on the trend of the political right disavowing evidence based policy and embracing authoritarianism. Politicians are not experts...it's the job of the civil service to frame the (political) trade-offs and the politicians get to choose on that level and be accountable. Politicians deciding the answer before the civil service speaks is short-circuiting the process. You're going to say..."the bike lanes were empty and the traffic is backed up". This is a stupid argument. City planners know how to count, and they do. No one denies that eliminating a car lane reduces single car traffic flow, but there are other metrics of success than flow of traffic down the street in question. Are you briefed on the entire scope of interconnected transportation, housing, zoning, and environmental plans? So read up on that and get back to us, or you could let the people who did their homework also do their jobs. But if you want to say "bikes are stupid, cars rule!, and I don't care about anything else" that's a politically legitimate expression. I suppose we could all live with that if it's the majority opinion. But I'd say that's unsophisticated and difficult to align with your self assessment as "smart".

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A few of my favourite quotes from this article: 1. "They purchase their vehicle for the one weekend of the year when 'I tow my boat up to the lake and I want to make sure I can do that,'" he said, noting "it is ironic when they make that purchase and then complain about high gas prices." 2. "One of the reasons we got here is government regulation. In response to the 1970s oil crisis, the U.S. government introduced a number of measures ostensibly intended to reduce gasoline usage. One of them was the Corporate Average Fuel Economy (CAFE) standard. But instead of increasing the fuel economy of every model equally, it required automakers to increase the average fuel economy across their fleets. This created a two-tier system, where smaller cars balanced out the relatively poor fuel economy of larger ones." 3. "As more and bigger vehicles surround us on the road, it's led to what many observers describe as an "arms race" where drivers feel they need a bigger and bigger vehicle to feel safe. Long said this "perceived safety" is really at odds with "the reality that SUVs are much more likely to be involved in fatal traffic accidents than cars." North America needs to give its head a shake. If we truly care about our finances, health, safety, and environmental future, then we need to start voting for politicians ready to argue for safer and smaller streets. Automakers are incentivized for profit, and with so few options consumers take what they can get. Political leaders need to push back. https://lnkd.in/gAnNWBTW

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Around 12 years ago, 16 First Nations in British Columbia tried and failed to buy an equity stake in a pipeline carrying gas through their territory. The episode spurred the creation of the First Nations Major Projects Coalition, which has sought to help Indigenous communities access financing capital for resource projects. The group recently won big victories when the federal government created a $5-billion Indigenous loan guarantee for energy and natural resource projects in this year’s budget. In this piece from our upcoming summer issue, Matteo Cimellaro explores what these loans could mean for First Nations communities as they look to finally “convert natural resources into prosperity for their communities” – but at a time when the sun is setting on the oil and gas era and the world transitions off fossil fuels. https://bityl.co/Qbmh

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It's sad when anyone, especially a young surfer, is injured and we are sorry to learn of this occurrence. We encourage all paddlers, regardless of their age or experience, to take the necessary precautions when out in the water and to always follow local boating regulations. The details of this particular case will be determined in court and we do not comment on cases that are in litigation. https://rec-law.us/3ZP60xU @RecreationLaw #Paddlesports #PaddleSportsLaw #RecLaw #RecreationLaw #Lawsuit

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It's sad when anyone, especially a young surfer, is injured and we are sorry to learn of this occurrence. We encourage all paddlers, regardless of their age or experience, to take the necessary precautions when out in the water and to always follow local boating regulations. The details of this particular case will be determined in court and we do not comment on cases that are in litigation. https://rec-law.us/3ZP60xU @RecreationLaw #Paddlesports #PaddleSportsLaw #RecLaw #RecreationLaw #Lawsuit

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It's sad when anyone, especially a young surfer, is injured and we are sorry to learn of this occurrence. We encourage all paddlers, regardless of their age or experience, to take the necessary precautions when out in the water and to always follow local boating regulations. The details of this particular case will be determined in court and we do not comment on cases that are in litigation. https://rec-law.us/3ZP60xU @RecreationLaw #Paddlesports #PaddleSportsLaw #RecLaw #RecreationLaw #Lawsuit

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Listening to Albertans On March 15 at the Alberta Municipalities | Strength in Members Spring Municipal Leaders Caucus I asked Minister McIver if the provincial government would be open to ideas from Alberta Municipalities about how we could help them achieve their intended goals for more transparency and fairness in Bill 20. While he didn’t say yes, he also didn’t say no outright. I wish he had said no because then Alberta Municipalities staff wouldn’t have wasted their time coming up with thoughtful solutions to help make local elections more fair and transparent. If he had just said no, it at least would have been honest that the provincial government had no intent to listen to anyone about overhauling how local democracy works in Alberta. Instead Albertans were made to believe their opinions could influence critical legislation. With only four weeks left in the spring sitting of the Legislature, Bill 20 is going to be forced through even though Albertans overwhelmingly oppose it. Instead of working with Albertans to co-create changes to our local democracy, we will get less fair and transparent elections. Groups like Alberta Municipalities and Rural Municipalities of Alberta have regularly offered to work with the provincial government on ways to improve local democracy. Unfortunately, they have never taken time to listen to anyone about something as fundamental as changing local democracy. Albertans deserve better. #Edmonton #Alberta #LocalDemocracy

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