Medicine Hat Minute: Budget Approval, Council Holidays, and a Happy New Year

Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• With the end of 2021 finally upon us, everyone with the Common Sense Medicine hat team would like to take a moment and wish you a Happy New Year, with the hope that you will have many blessings in the year to come.
  
  
• As it is the holiday season, City Council is still on break and isn’t expected to return until January 4th, 2022.
  
  
• If you have big plans for the evening but no plans for the little ones, the City has big things planned for the little ones with New Year’s Eve Fest set to go down at the Big Marble Go Centre from Noon to 4:00 pm on December 31st. The event offers several free activities - swimming, skating, Nerf wars, tot time - and is sure to get the kids tuckered out. The New Year’s Eve Fest will end with a New Year Countdown and Balloon Drop at 3:45 pm.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• On Monday, City Council voted unanimously in favour of reopening two recreation centres in 2022, but hinted at the possibility of replacing the facilities outright as an option for consideration at a future meeting in January. As part of the motion, Council also agreed to add $900,000 in reserve spending to the 2022 City Budget to operate both facilities, as well as move ahead with a $1.2 million ice slab replacement.
  
  
• Residents of a low-income property on Southland Boulevard owned by the City and operated by the Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, are complaining they are without heat. The residents say that it's just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to poor infrastructure at the site. Several residents also claim the heating issue is not new, with City officials constantly dragging their feet addressing the issue year after year. When contacted by Medicine Hat News for comment, officials at the City told MHN, "The heating issue at 251 Southlands Blvd. has been intermittent over the past couple of years. Particularly when temperatures are very cold outside. In 2020, the city worked with MHCHS to repair issues with the property’s boiler system and through that work, further work was identified as being required in the distribution piping. Flow issues were not providing sufficient heat to the end units." In other words, don’t expect consistent heat throughout the winter months if the City is your landlord.
  
  
• After nearly a year-long hiatus due to COVID-19, the Live Nativity presented by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints once again returns to Forestry Avenue. The event featured a rotating cast with multiple shows each night Wednesday through Friday, complete with live animals, including Chico the donkey, who has been with the show for nearly twelve years.

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