Medicine Hat Minute: Grandstand Replacement, Flight Schedules, and Saamis Tepee Upgrades

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• On Tuesday afternoon, at 3:45 pm, there will be a City Council meeting. The meeting will begin in a closed session, where Council will discuss a Facilities For The Future update, an energy business matter, and the Cybersecurity Annual Update 2024, among other things. When the meeting opens up to the public, at 6:30 pm, there will be a Public Hearing to address the rezoning of 512, 517, 625 and 650 13th Street SE, as well as 640 Clay Avenue SE, to a Business Industrial District. Also on the agenda is a discussion about relocating Emergency Management to People Services to form part of Corporate Safety, as well as the preparation of a report that discloses the salary ranges for all Management and Non-Union Professional positions in Municipal Services. This report would be made available on the City’s website no later than July 2nd, 2024.
  
  
• The Corporate Services Committee will meet on Thursday at 4:40 pm. No agenda is available for this meeting yet.
  
  
• Electric scooters are back on the streets for their third consecutive year, along with electric bikes. What began as a pilot project two years ago evolved into a one-year contract between the City and rideshare company Bird, with the potential for renewal for the next four years. The City noted a steady increase in ridership and regular usage, with some individuals incorporating these modes of transport into their daily routines for commuting to work or school.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• A timeline was revealed for the Saamis Tepee upgrades. With construction expected to start after the long weekend, the Tepee will get enhancements to its steel structure and fresh touches to various decorative components. Workers will repaint parts of the structure to maintain its original colours, and the backside of the circular sign boards will be repainted to preserve their colours too, although the front artwork faces will remain untouched and protected. While walkways around the Tepee will remain accessible during the work, periodic closures of the vehicle access gate may occur. The project is slated for completion by mid-August.
  
  
• WestJet announced changes to its regional operations, and will be transitioning WestJet Link routes to WestJet Encore starting in Fall 2024. Effective October 27th, WestJet Encore will operate one daily flight between Medicine Hat and Calgary. Passengers with bookings on or after October 27th will be automatically rebooked on WestJet Encore flights as part of the updated schedule.
  
  
• The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede invested $160,000 to install seven large steel pillars to ensure structural safety of the Grandstand, which crews are currently working to assemble. But, this year could be the last time Hatters celebrate Stampede in the 4,400 seat, aging wooden structure. Since its inception in 1966, the Grandstand has been a hub for events such as chuckwagon races, RCMP rides, circuses, and motocross. Significant wear and tear have prompted the Stampede to plan for the Grandstand’s replacement, with ongoing efforts to obtain funding from the Province.

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