Robson Fletcher

@robsonfletcher

Data & Storytelling Strategist. Views my own and subject to change, especially in light of new evidence. 🌐 robsonfletcher.com

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Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· 3d

Dug out some old pics. 🥲

The glacier above Berg Lake in the 1990s, when a large vertical face directly above the lake would frequently calve off into the water and create floating icebergs.

Me and and an exchange student who was staying with our family at the time swimming out to one of the icebergs in Berg Lake.

Me and and an exchange student who was staying with our family at the time celebrating the iceberg in Berg Lake.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· 4d

There is a remote and tiny body of water in northern Ontario called Trump Lake and Canadians have been giving it one-star reviews on Google Maps. Comments include "Please rename" and "Lake of Mexico might be a better name." 🔗: maps.app.goo.gl/aAHuCjHdbu7s...

Screenshot of Trump Lake, Ontario, on Google Maps

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· 5d

Great contextual chart from @trevortombe.bsky.social on Canada's effective tariff rate on U.S. imports dating back to Confederation. 🔗: thehub.ca/2026/08/24/w...

Chart showing average effective tariff on U.S. imports ranging from about 7% in 1867 up to around 15% from 1880 through 1910, spiking at around 18% in the 1930s then falling back down to about 10% by the early 1960s, then 5% by the late 1970s and finally down to near 0% in the late 1990s through to 2025. Then, an estimate of about 5% once retaliatory tariffs kick in in September 2026.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· 6d

Yes! As the blog post mentions, median looks largely similar to average but the decline is even more significant (down 13% from peak, vs. 11% for average.) When charted, you can see a more pronounced COVID effect on median incomes in 2020 as well.

Albertans still earn more than everyone else, but are well below their peak

Median market income (employment, investments, etc.) reported in constant 2024 dollars

Albertans enjoyed two decades of rapid, sustained earnings growth

Then came the oil-price crash of 2014-2016...

... and COVID...

... and now they still earn the most but have seen the largest decline from peak

Source: Statistics Canada Table 11-10-0239-01

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jul 30

Fun exchange on Reddit in which an Alberta driver learns they're paying TEN TIMES what a Quebec driver is paying for insurance on a 20-year-old vehicle.

Existing_Picture459
•
16h ago

The insurance on my 20 year old car (just basic, not even comprehensive) has gone from $1100 in 2023 to $2300 this year. It jumped over 40% this renewal alone because I moved to a different part of the city. The so called “good driver rate cap” of 7.5% doesn’t apply if you change anything in your policy. No claims ever, very frustrating.

lililetango
•
15h ago

I just posted above that I drive a 20-year-old car in Montreal. I also have basic, not comprehensive, and I pay $225/year.

Rillist
•
5h ago

Which is wild to me as every time I've visited your lovey city its hard to find a car without a caved in corner lol

Existing_Picture459
•
14h ago

My mind cannot comprehend this! Because I moved in May, my last two payments for my 2025-26 policy (with the added “high-danger postal code) were increased from $130 to $236/month to account for the address change. Ok course, my broker failed to mention any of this, so that was a fun surprise before I got the updated paperwork.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jul 24

Incredible details from @rwarnica.bsky.social about the treatment he received in Calgary after daring to ask Ontario Doug Ford about his past comments on Alberta separatism at a press conference during Stampede. 🔗: www.thestar.com/opinion/star...

Afterward, in the Q&A, I asked what I thought was a fairly innocuous and obvious question. In October, thanks entirely to Smith, Albertans will be voting on their province’s future in this country. Ford had, quite rightly, denounced the referendum when it was announced in May, saying Smith was probably only doing it to appease her base.

I wanted to ask Ford about those comments and whether he had raised the issue with Smith in Calgary. But before I could finish my question, I was interrupted by a collective hiss from the meat-wall of political staffers and guests seated to my right.

“This is a pipeline announcement!” one angry voice howled.

“The Red Star!” another raged.

At the press conference in Calgary, some of the Alberta politicians in the room seemed genuinely upset that I’d asked Ford about his own public comments about Smith and independence at a press conference with Smith three months from a referendum on independence. One of them even loomed over me as I walked out and warned me to make sure I included Ford’s full remarks about Justin Trudeau’s government treating Alberta “like garbage” in my story.

(When I asked who he was he replied: “don’t worry about it,” like an enforcer for the world’s saddest mob. It was Joseph Schow, the Alberta minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration.)

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jul 22

Any day our young kids see a garbage truck is a great day, in their books. Today was EXTRA special, though. The driver stopped and gave them these colouring books. They were so thrilled! Small things like this do so much to build community. Thank you to the driver and the City of @calgary.ca! 😊

A pair of colouring books titled "It's Garbage Truck Day"

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jul 3

It's actually more! I made an error in my initial post. (Since deleted & reposted). Elections Alberta deemed *24,000* signatures invalid.

Total number of valid signatures counted
(as described in Citizen Initiative Act s.6(4)) 196,088

Total number of verified signatures after random statistical sampling method applied with a 95% confidence level
(Citizen Initiative Act s.6(5)) 172,088

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 29

Canadians' alcohol consumption peaked in 2008 and has fallen by nearly 20% since. Most provinces saw upticks in 2020/21, then precipitous declines after that. In AB & SK, per-capita consumption is down 2.3L of pure alcohol from each province's peak. 🍺That's 130 fewer beers, per person, per year!🍺

Line chart showing litres of pure alcohol sold annually, per person aged 15 and over: 2005 to 2025, in each Canadian province.

Volumes represent pure alcohol content of drinks. (For example, a 750-mL bottle of 40% ABV vodka counts as 300 mL, a 750-mL bottle of 10% ABV wine counts as 75 mL, etc.)

Dates represent fiscal years ending March 31.

Source: Statistics Canada Table 10-10-0010-01

Created with Datawrapper

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 26

Everything about this Wall Street Journal story on Polymarket paying influencers to post fake videos of them winning on Polymarket is nuts, up to and including the disclosure statement at the end about the Wall Street Journal's publisher being in a business partnership with Polymarket.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 25

Google AI, Claude, and ChatGPT each give different answers when trying to figure out the time difference between Calgary and Regina:

Google AI: "If it is 1:09 p.m. on June 1 in Calgary, it is 3:09 p.m. in Regina.

During the summer, Calgary is on Mountain Daylight Time (MDT, UTC-6), while Regina observes Central Standard Time (CST) year-round without Daylight Saving Time. This means Regina is 2 hours ahead of Calgary during the summer months."

Claude: "It's 2:09 p.m. in Regina.

Regina is on Central Time (UTC−6), while Calgary is on Mountain Time (UTC−7), so Regina is one hour ahead — even though both are in Saskatchewan and Alberta respectively. (Saskatchewan doesn't observe Daylight Saving Time, but during summer, CDT and CST both put Regina one hour ahead of Calgary's MDT.)"

ChatGPT: "It would also be 1:09 p.m. in Regina.

On June 1, Calgary is on Mountain Daylight Time (UTC−6), while Regina stays on Central Standard Time (UTC−6) year-round — so they line up in the summer."

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

So close again 😭

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

Oof one more close call

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

Calgary crowd after that Canada free kick that nearly tied it

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

Alberta's Automobile Insurance Rate Board said in its 2025 Market & Trends report that parts of Calgary may become uninsurable in the future due to climate change and increasingly frequent and costly hailstorms: 🔗: www.airbfordrivers.ca/wp-content/u...

Comprehensive claims can be primarily broken down
into theft and weather-related claims. In previous
sections, we’ve talked about comprehensive as a whole,
but it is important to dive deeper into the two types of
comprehensive claims. In general, weather is always the
biggest contributor to loss costs for comprehensive, at
about 127.0% of the losses of theft claims.
Depending on the number of weather events, this can
range from as low as 36.7% in 2017 when theft was
particularly high and weather was particularly low, to
as high as 335.7%, when theft decreased in 2024, and
we had the significant hailstorm in Calgary, as we’ve
mentioned multiple times throughout this report.
Overall, as climate change continues to accelerate,
we believe catastrophic weather events and general
weather-related claims will continue to grow. We foresee
availability concerns for some regions in Northeast
Calgary who are regularly hit by these hailstorms. There
is a real possibility these regions cannot be sustainably
insured for weather-related claims when considering
affordability for those drivers. We will be monitoring
availability metrics such as deductible amounts, and the
uptake of specified perils, which could be used to cover
your vehicle for theft while excluding certain weather
coverages like hail.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

A few folks have asked me about *home* insurance inflation in Alberta, too. It's also ... just ... wow. 😲

Home insurance prices in Alberta have far outpaced every other province

Consumer price index for homeowners' and mortgage insurance: January 2002 to May 2026

An index value of 100 is equal to the average price for insurance in Canada over all 12 months of 2002.

Alberta is at 650 in May 2026. Next closest province is Saskatchewan at about 520. Canada is at 370. Quebec is at 245. The lowest is PEI at 225.

Source: Statistics Canada Table 18-10-0004-01

Created with Datawrapper

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 24

A buddy sent me a pic of this "e-bike" a while ago on display in a shop. Supposedly has a top speed of 192 km/h. Comes with pedals.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 23

For now I'm still rockin' the analog bike + double-wide kid trailer + gear + kid bikes strapped on top. Definitely a grind, though, up hills and into headwinds especially 😅

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 22

New inflation data out today and wow what can you say about these Alberta car insurance rates other than ... wow. 😳

Car insurance prices in Alberta have far outpaced every other province

Alberta is now at an index value of more than 400. No other province is above 250.

An index value of 100 is equal to the average price for insurance in Canada over all 12 months of 2002.

Source: Statistics Canada Table 18-10-0004-01

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 20

Anyone know if the $225,000 household income threshold for those $100 Alberta energy rebates is in terms of total income or net income? Google of course is absolutely useless for this now, as it confidently asserts contradictory answers and cites sources that don't actually say anything about it.

Google saying the threshold is based on "combining the gross income of you and your spouse ... rather than individual net income"

Google also saying the threshold is based on "your combined household net income" 🙃

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 19

The recent turnaround in Canadian politics is especially apparent in Manitoba. Look at these shifts in vote intent over the past year and a half. And the latest numbers suggest the NDP may now be making a comeback under Avi Lewis (at the expense of the CPC): 🔗: probe-research.com/polls/federa...

Latest federal vote intent results in Manitoba, from a Probe Research survey in June (versus similar survey in March):

🔴 Liberal: 47% (+1)
🔵 Conservative: 35% (-4)
🟠 NDP: 14% (+6)

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 18

Calgarians continue to have the highest incomes among major Canadian cities — but they’re earning significantly less than they were at their peak. This, I think, gets at a fundamental disconnect in the national conversation about Alberta’s sense of frustration. 🧵

Line chart showing that Among major Canadian cities, Calgary residents still earn more than everyone else, but are well below where they were in 2014, in real-dollar terms

Figures show Average market income (employment, investments, etc.) reported in constant 2024 dollars

Calgarians' real earnings nearly doubled from 1993 to 2014, then plummeted amid the 2014-2016 oil price crash and remain well below their 2014 peak

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 16

"The NHL will no longer be shown on CBC after it and national rights-holder Rogers Sportsnet were unable to come to agreement on a new sublicensing deal that would have allowed the public broadcaster to air games on its Saturday program Hockey Night in Canada." 🔗: www.cbc.ca/homepage/cbc...

CBC will no longer show NHL games as sublicense with rights-holder Rogers Sportsnet ends
CBC Sports will launch new Saturday night prime time show focused on Olympic-oriented competition
CBC Sports · CBC Sports · Posted: Jun 16, 2026 10:07 AM MDT | Last Updated: 3 minutes ago

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 15

Calgary has such great parks and natural spaces blended throughout its urban and suburban areas. Really an underrated aspect of the city, imo.

Kayakers paddle down the Bow River with the Rocky Mountains in the background.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 11

In the last 12 months of Angus Reid tracking, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith has fallen from her highest approval (51% in June 2025) down to her lowest (39% in June 2026). Among all premiers, she now also has the highest level of "strongly disapprove" (46%). 🔗: angusreid.org/premiers-per...

Line chart showing Smith's approval rating in the mid-40s range from March 2023 through to a high of 51% in June 2025 then down to a low of 39% in June 2026.

June 2026 also had Smith's "strongly disapprove" at 46%, which is higher than premiers in any other province. (Ontario's Doug Ford was at 45% "strongly disapprove", BC's David Eby at 37%.)

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 9

PSA for anyone with a sheddy dog and a car. A (new, clean) toilet brush + a drill is a great way to get hair out of the fuzzy bits of the cargo area. 🐶

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 9

Had a chance to speak with Andrew Nichols on CBC News Network about this yesterday. After the interview I heard from people — in Alberta & other parts of the country — who said they didn't realize: a) There are going to be TEN questions in the referendum b) Each question gets a separate ballot.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· Jun 2

I'm hosting another lunch & learn session! And this time I'm bringing a friend: Curtis Brown with Probe Research. We'll be talking all about polls. How they work. How to make sense of the results. And the role public opinion research plays in our world today. 🧵

What to Know About Public Opinion Polls (From two former journalists who now work in the field)
A free 60-minute Lunch & Learn Session with Robson Fletcher, Data & Storytelling Strategist and Curtis Brown, Partner, Probe Research

Topics will include:

How polling methods have evolved — and how to make sense of them
Why the wording of questions makes such a big difference
The role public opinion research plays in today’s turbulent world

Audience questions and participation are encouraged!

📅 Tuesday, June 16
⏰ 12:00 p.m. to 1 p.m. Mountain Daylight Time
💻 Via Google Meet (pre-register below)

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· May 29

Dinosaur for sale. Slightly used. Comes with a visitor centre. Milk River, Alberta.

Robson Fletcher@robsonfletcher· May 25

When I was a journalist, I loved covering polling data. I'm now on other side of it — doing the polling work with my partners at @proberesearch.bsky.social — and then watching the coverage it generates. It was great to see so many outlets interested in our recent survey of Albertans. More to come!