Medicine Hat Minute: Budget Deliberations, Smith Wins, and Fire Cause Determined

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• The Public Services Committee will meet this morning at 8:00 am. The Committee will hear a Managing Director’s Service Area Update - topics include a school education program from Fire & Emergency Services, public engagement regarding an Outdoor Smoking and Vaping Bylaw, and the Fair Entry program.
  
  
• The Council Committee of the Whole will begin budget deliberations on Wednesday at 4:00 pm. No agenda has been provided yet. We’ll be watching the deliberations closely - keep an eye on your inbox for more information!
  
  
• On Thursday, at 3:30 pm, there will be a meeting of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee. No agenda has been provided for this meeting yet either.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• Alberta Premier Danielle Smith won the byelection in Brooks-Medicine Hat and will take her seat in the Legislature when it resumes on November 29th. Smith won with 54.5% of the vote, besting NDP candidate Gwendoline Dirk who finished with 26.7%. “This is our declaration that Alberta is worth fighting for,” she said in her victory speech, which focused on affordability and Alberta’s tense relationship with Ottawa.
  
  
• A cause was determined for the fire that destroyed the Royal back in September. Results of forensic evidence testing by a third-party organization determined that the fire was started accidentally. The probable cause was from a buildup of heat in an electrical receptacle or outlet. The blaze spread quickly due to the age of the building and the lack of fire-stopping material.
  
  
• At a Leadership Breakfast hosted by the Medicine Hat and District Chamber of Commerce, Premier Danielle Smith said she plans to elevate issues of local importance. She mentioned the twinning of Highway 3 and upgrades to the hospital in Bassano. Smith said she hoped to make some concrete announcements soon about these issues. She will also be pushing ahead with the Sovereignty Act and taking actions that make life more affordable for all Albertans.

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