Group shot of participants in the Worker Agenda town hall, Red Deer, November 17

November 21, 2025

Fifty guests attended the first Worker Agenda town hall in Red Deer on November 17. Most were local but some had driven from Calgary or Edmonton to take part in the conversation about affordability issues. Those of us from the AFL who drove down that afternoon were delighted to be so warmly received. Some attendees even helped us take down chairs and tables after the town had wrapped up. THANK YOU, RED DEER, FOR EVERTHING!

Well before we had set up, we had a palpable reminder of the pressing urgency of affordability issues in Albertans’ daily lives. Two young boys on bikes spotted us at the hall and told us they were hungry, asking for snacks. We gladly gave them some of the treats and drinks we had brought with us.

After the complimentary meal (pizza and salad), President Gil McGowan and Secretary Treasurer Cori Longo led the discussion, presenting Chapter 1 of the Worker Agenda: AFFORDABILITY. The slides are available for download, as requested by town hall participants.


Just as we found when we did opinion polling on the Worker Agenda in the spring, the core demands proved popular. People in Red Deer were supportive of the key policy asks:

  • public auto insurance
  • re-regulation of electricity
  • excess profits tax
  • public grocery option
  • rent control
  • …and much more

We heard so many stories over the course of the evening: overnight rent increases of 50%; the price of hamburger meat jumping by 100% in just a few years; tenants forced out of rental accommodation and obliged to buy housing they could scarcely afford; substandard housing; and many other affordability issues.

Yet we also discussed the power that workers have to fight back. Everyone in the room wanted to send a message to the UCP and the NDP: it’s time to make the Worker Agenda THE agenda for the Alberta government. This is the only way we can reverse the decline in our quality of life. We left the community that night feeling energized. The challenges we face are huge but with thousands of Albertans mobilizing every day, we can make this happen.

Red Deer, we won’t ever forget your hospitality and the insights you shared with us.