Champion Communications & PR

What a week for news in Calgary! Here’s our weekly news roundup: Alberta government lifts ban on coal exploration in Eastern Slopes - https://lnkd.in/gQVeCf-m City-owned land sale expected to create 387 new affordable homes in Calgary - https://lnkd.in/geFPv4_X Tailgate Toolkit addresses mental health, substance issues among Calgary construction workers - https://lnkd.in/giVBFeVt Healthy? How you could lose your family doctor under new guidelines in Alberta - https://lnkd.in/gvwc9DAn Calgary cracks top five on best cities for North American filmmakers list - https://lnkd.in/gtr2KvAi

“Stick your head above the parapet.” Wise words from Alex Middleton during our daily team meeting this morning, which felt unusually bleak given the news of the day. In the current political and media landscape, we need people who are willing to speak up for what is right, not for what is right for them. We need people who care deeply about the environment, about climate action, about equality, about the public good, to be loud. We need them to communicate well, to communicate effectively and to communicate often.

This week was especially busy for Canada's political scene. Here's our weekly news recap: Mark Carney officially joins Liberal leadership race to replace Justin Trudeau as prime minister - https://lnkd.in/g4AQMzcr Chrystia Freeland confirms she is running for Liberal leader - https://lnkd.in/gi4QvPw2 Alberta won’t support feds plan to deal with Trump tariffs, Smith says - https://lnkd.in/gatF97MC ‘Huge demand’ for swimming lessons amid pool capacity and staffing challenges - https://lnkd.in/gF9M5Peb 'Community in disbelief': Province cuts funds for groups supporting those with disabilities - https://lnkd.in/gBCsp9wh Calgary examining property tax exemption for non-profits that provide affordable housing - https://lnkd.in/gwF3Rgg6

CBC announced this morning the public broadcaster will be hiring journalists and creating or expanding bureaus in underserved communities across Canada including six Alberta cities/towns. This is important news. It comes at a time when news outlets across the country continue to shrink or close, misinformation is rampant, and municipalities across Alberta will elect new mayors and councillors this fall. The new CBC Alberta journalists will be located in Red Deer, Lethbridge, Fort McMurray, Hinton/Jasper, Medicine Hat and Banff. The reporters will cover these locations and news in surrounding towns and regions. The jobs will be paid for using money expected from a compensation deal with Google made under the Online News Act.  Journalists are vital to a healthy democracy. We rely on them to uncover facts, hold power to account and inform us about what is going on in our communities. As former journalists ourselves, we keep a close eye on Alberta’s media landscape and have gotten very used to announcements about layoffs and talented people leaving the industry. We are enthused to see this piece of good news from CBC about adding, instead of cutting, journalists. https://lnkd.in/gubnan6K

The first weekly news recap of 2025 is here! Here's what happened: Trudeau says he's not the right choice to lead party in next election, promises to resign as PM - https://lnkd.in/eNyshmUy Calgary’s citywide rezoning bylaw survives initial legal challenge - https://lnkd.in/gCdsMs9B Calgary releases preferred option after study into rail service to airport - https://lnkd.in/gbduNGFp World Cup returns to Calgary's Olympic Oval as push continues for facility upgrades - https://lnkd.in/gWt4JZDR Pickleball and a loo: City opens new public washroom in East Village - https://lnkd.in/gsvDuuv4 Calgary animal organization gathering donations for pets affected by L.A. wildfires - https://lnkd.in/g-7GjPAM

The hotter the take, the better the op-ed. We get a lot of questions from clients on opinion pieces such as when to write one, what topics to focus on, and how to make sure it ends up being published. To put it simply, speaking on a hot-button issue with authority, attention-grabbing facts, and compelling language, all while taking advantage of timeliness, is the key to op-ed success. Take this paragraph pulled from an editorial on the California wildfires that was published today via Bloomberg by Mark Gongloff: At some point, policymakers and the people living in risky places will have to decide when enough is enough. How many times should we pay to rebuild a home on a wildfire-prone California hillside or a flood-prone North Carolina beach? How many first responders’ lives are worth risking so people can have beautiful views? When does insurance become a Band-Aid on a gushing wound? This language is exceptionally compelling and paints a vivid picture for readers. As we see more about all that is unfolding down south, we’re thinking about those in California who are displaced, who have lost their homes and livelihoods, as well as first responders. You can read more here:  https://lnkd.in/gE8wiRPw

Some thoughts on the Justin Baldoni/Blake Lively discourse on unethical PR behaviour. It is important for PR professionals to call out this behaviour. And you can find more videos like this on our TikTok @championcomms

The holidays might be around the corner, but it has been an extremely busy week for news! Here's our weekly recap: Trudeau’s Shocking Call With Freeland Sparked Canada’s Political Crisis - https://lnkd.in/gAc7nSv6 Prime Minister Trudeau adds 8 new MPs to cabinet, changes the roles of 4 others -  https://lnkd.in/ghNVV5wF NDP will vote to topple Trudeau and propose confidence vote, Singh says - https://lnkd.in/gWAWF_Je Alberta announces plan to develop 'modernized' coal policy -  https://lnkd.in/gNrPnZKV Green Line report says elevated track through downtown Calgary needs study - https://lnkd.in/gXuADvSW Calgary not comfortable with owning the risk on province’s Green Line plan - https://lnkd.in/g_DCq8RS City council candidates will require police background checks- https://lnkd.in/gW_R2U7C Rent growing fastest in Calgary compared to rest of country - https://lnkd.in/dHX42DBC

Thank you to all our clients and friends who stopped by our holiday open house yesterday. When we're in a packed room with amazing Calgarians, we're always reminded why we started Champion five years ago. There are so many wonderful people in this city doing interesting, fascinating, important work day in and day out. From non-profits to tech companies, politicians, coalitions and businesses, we love to help Albertans tell their stories.  Thank you for supporting us and cheering us on over the last five years. It means the world to us. Wishing you a wonderful holiday season and we'll see you in 2025.

If you're free this afternoon and looking to socialize with some fabulous Calgarians, do stop by our annual open house. We always try to support a local business with our Christmas swag. In previous years, we've done red toques from Alberta Premium Apparel LTD, custom news Friday Sock Co socks, and cards by a local artist. This year our team couldn't settle on one gift, so we've got two! Awesome dog bandanas by Local Laundry and these lovely custom candles from Weekday Candles.