Mack Male
Co-Founder and CEO of Taproot Publishing Inc.
Appears in 97 Episodes
These aren't new plans, di-strictly speaking
A new draft district policy has been released. Plus, Edmonton has added 100,000 people in the past two years, and some councillors are questioning if we can handle tha...
These budget gains are not working out
Administration has recommended an 8.7% tax increase for 2024 citing increasing cost pressures. And no, cutting bike lane funding won't fix that. Plus, we dig into tran...
Gravelled paradise, put up a parking lot
Katz gets the parking lots of his dreams. Plus, we discuss city manager recruitment and Mayor Sohi’s response to the province's gracious offer to help stabilize the Ci...
Skip the meeting if you UCPlease
Coun. Sarah Hamilton found herself in hot water for speaking at a UCP fundraiser instead of attending a council meeting. We talk with Jeremy Appel of The Orchard who b...
Strike! Double! Turkey! ... Gutterball
We discuss the strike that was averted at the last minute, council compensation, an update on the ICE District parking lots.Here are the relevant links for this episod...
Shortchanging Edmonton: A Part of Our Heritage (fund)
We dig into the provincial budget and how it affects Edmonton. Plus, the Katz Group wants an extension for its gravel parking lots, and critics question the effectiven...
The secret federal government plot to steal our river valley
This week, we discuss City Plan measurements, the National Urban Park initiative, a looming CSU52 vote on the city's "best and final" offer, and the implications of en...
Public spaces (just not for you, specifically)
The draft Public Spaces Bylaw goes to council amid plenty of opposition. We talk with Omar Yaqub of IFSSA and Cheryl Whiskeyjack of Bent Arrow about the potential impa...
Walking you through the downtown pedestrianization plan
The downtown pedestrianization report finally went through committee, so we talk with Jason Syvixay and Stephen Raitz, two of the shepherds that guided it through.Here...
Water we gonna talk about this week?
Valley Line users were left out in the cold when doors didn't function and heat wouldn’t turn on. Plus, EPCOR really leads the OP12 savings charge by cutting off every...
Emergency Managed
An emergency management committee meeting was punctuated with an actual emergency at City Hall. Plus, several things are on the way out: the downtown farmers market, t...
The Christmas Injunction
City council has declared a housing and houselessness emergency, and a judge has thrown out a lawsuit against the city's dismantling of encampments. We dig into the de...
Jeopardy 2023
This. Is. Speaking Municipally Jeopardy! Edmonton's two actual Jeopardy contestants and the author of The Ultimate Edmonton Trivia Book square off in our annual holida...
There's Snow such thing as climate change
Amid several high-profile instances of transit violence, the discussion around turnstiles is being recycled. Plus, the Valley Line Southeast LRT doubles its frequency ...
The Googleable podcast
The federal government has reached a deal with Google to pay Canadian media companies. We'll see if Taproot makes the cut. Meanwhile, city council makes a cut to the p...
Go Speed Racer Go!
Budget deliberations are underway at city council, and the province has all but banned photo radar. Plus, we get a new police commissioner who looks a lot like an old ...
The Dallas, Texas of the North
Reporters in Dallas, Texas have described Edmonton as the Land of Oz thanks to our scramble crosswalks. Plus, we discuss snow clearing on stairs, new community leagues...
Speaking Municipally ON A TRAIN
Recorded on the Valley Line Southeast LRT! We're joined by ETS branch manager Carrie Hotton-MacDonald, councillors Anne Stevenson and Ashley Salvador, new Taproot Edmo...
To Condo or Condon't convert those offices
A proposal to use Downtown CRL funding for office to residential conversions could delay other important projects, and we dig into recent updates on Blatchford.Here ar...
There and Back Again: A Tale from 102 Street to Mill Woods
The Valley Line Southeast LRT will begin passenger service on Nov. 4, and there's going to be a party. Plus, we discuss the more than two dozen subsequent motions made...
Balancing the budget on the backs of 12-year-olds
Taproot's new reporter, Stephanie Swensrude, joins the show. We discuss transit for youth, downtown retail, and of course, the Zoning Bylaw Renewal.Here are the releva...
'Tis the season to talk about snow clearing
This week, we cover transit improvements for youth and winter, more funding for snow and ice clearing, the latest on the Valley Line LRT, and tennis vs. pickleball.Her...
Breaking the zoning bylaw into 160 or so bite-sized pieces
The Edmonton Federation of Community Leagues has endorsed a position in support of the Zoning Bylaw Renewal. Executive director Laura Cunningham-Shpeley joins us to di...
The community services crisis rises from a simmer to a Boyle
We've got details about how Boyle Street will operate for the next year, prior to their new space opening. Plus, the police perception survey found that 57% of Edmonto...
City council draws its line in the asphalt
This week, council heard about the vast majority of parking lots downtown being unpermitted. And, true to form, they decided to do something about it later! Plus, we ...
Crime is now illegal
The province and EPS held a press conference to issue a new ban on crime. That'll fix it. Plus, Boyle Street will be out of its location on Sept. 30, and the city will...
MISSION ACCOMPLISHED
The 170 Street pedestrian bridge to West Edmonton Mall is done, and allegedly the Valley Line LRT will be done soon too. Plus, the northeast river valley park will ope...
After 30 minutes, this podcast episode will be Substantially Complete
The Coalition for Justice and Human Rights is taking legal action to stop the city's clearing of encampments. Plus, we discuss gaps in transit service, the new Edge Fu...
The limit of PoliceBudget(x) as x→∞ is... 30%
City council has approved an updated funding formula for the police budget. We break down what happened and what it means.Here are the relevant links for this episode:...
The podcast that’s banned on Facebook
Taproot co-founders Karen Unland and Mack Male break down the impact of the Online News Act, being blocked on Facebook, and how the company is planning to grow. Plus, ...