Medicine Hat Minute: Great Outdoors, COVID Relief, and an Over Budget Arena

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• Council will not be holding any meetings this week because, while there were originally two meetings planned, both have now been cancelled. Council is now set to return on July 22nd.
  
  
• The two meetings that were cancelled were a Public Services Committee Meeting scheduled for today at 12:15 pm and a Corporate Services Committee Meeting scheduled for Tuesday at 12:00 pm.
  
  
• Want to add a little nature to your summer? MH Interpretive Program are now offering guided summer programs. Some of the programs include a Bug Safari, a Wetland Adventure, and a Park Homes Tour.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• The cost to taxpayers of the Medicine Hat Arena demolition deal has increased from $1.5 million two years ago to $2.75 million and could increase further to $3 million or more by the time the work is complete. City officials now admit that the City is paying more to avoid having to pay demolition costs than it would have just cost the City to do the demolition itself.
  
  
• A second COVID relief program, this time targeted at individuals rather than businesses, has been proposed for Medicine Hat. Councillor Phil Turnbull is proposing a $4.5 million support package, and while he provided no details about the plan he suggested it could help certain people pay their utility or phone bills. Couldn't we just cut taxes by $4.5 million and skip all the red tape and bureaucracy of a grant program?
  
  
• Alberta Environment and Parks has promised cyclists, hikers, and trail runners will have access to 12-14 kilometres of new trails at Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park beginning later this year. The trails are part of a plan that originally dates back to 2017.

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