Medicine Hat Minute: Focus Group, Mayoral Address, and Peavey Mart Closing
Medicine Hat Minute: Focus Group, Mayoral Address, and Peavey Mart Closing
Medicine Hat Minute - Your weekly one-minute summary of Medicine Hat politics
This Week In Medicine Hat:
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There will be a City Council Meeting this afternoon, beginning with a closed session at 3:45 pm. During this session, Council will discuss the Deloitte Payroll Audit, the People Services Road Map, an Energy Business Matter, Advisory Board Recruitment, an Integrity Commissioner Update, and a Sanction Review (presumably related to the sanctions on Mayor Linnsie Clark). At 6:30 pm, when the meeting opens up the public, Council will discuss the Terms of Reference for a Resilient and Inclusive Community Task Force. Council will also discuss postponing a decision on the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede’s request for capital funding until the Province has made a decision on future funding for the organization.
- On Thursday, at 1:30 pm, the Development and Infrastructure Committee will meet to discuss a status update on the twinning of Highway #3, as well as business license fees. Also on Thursday, at 4:00 pm, there will be a meeting of the Energy, Land and Environment Committee. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.
- Medicine Hat is launching its Arts, Heritage, and Entertainment Plan with a focus on community collaboration. A new focus group will be formed to gather diverse perspectives, including representatives from youth, Indigenous communities, tourism, and the arts. The group will meet four times in 2025 to refine the plan and ensure alignment across cultural sectors. City officials hope this initiative will reduce conflicts and create a more inclusive and engaging cultural landscape. Applications for the focus group are available online and open until February 27th, with selections based on community representation criteria.
Last Week In Medicine Hat:
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During the annual "State of the City" event, Mayor Linnsie Clark emphasized the need for City Hall to be more supportive and open to community and business efforts, rather than dictating decisions. She expressed concern over the growing divide between citizens and local government, pointing to challenges such as the shelter relocation controversy and the City's economic development approach. Clark advocated for increased community input in decision-making and criticized the City for not always being a strong partner in business development. She also highlighted ongoing issues within City administration, particularly around access to information.
- The City has launched the 2025 HAT Smart Residential Incentive programs, offering five initiatives aimed at encouraging water and energy conservation for local utility customers. These programs include rebates for energy-efficient retrofits in existing homes, construction of energy-efficient new homes, EnerGuide Home Evaluations, Scratch and Win for small energy-saving items, and a Water Conservation incentive. A total of $375,000 has been allocated to the 2025 program, with rebates for retrofits reaching up to $5,000 and new home construction up to $10,000. Funding for the program comes from an Environmental Conservation Charge on residential utility bills.
- Peavey Industries has confirmed the closure of 96 locations across Canada, including 90 Peavey Mart stores and six MainStreet Hardware stores, with their location in Medicine Hat among those affected. This decision follows previous announcements of closures in Ontario and Nova Scotia, part of a larger restructuring effort to optimize the company’s operations. Peavey Industries is seeking creditor protection, citing challenges such as low consumer confidence, inflation, and supply disruptions.
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