Medicine Hat Minute: Hydrogen Hub, Aging Population, and Micro Transportation Bylaws

Medicine Hat Minute: Hydrogen Hub, Aging Population, and Micro Transportation Bylaws

 

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

 

This Week In Medicine Hat:

  • There are two meetings at City Hall this week. Today, there will be a City Council meeting at 6:30 pm. Council will begin this meeting in camera. Once the meeting is officially opened back up to the public, Council is set to receive several presentations, including one by the Director of Corporate Services, Cypress County entitled “Assessment Review Model and the Future Impacts on Rural and Urban Municipalities.” There will also be a presentation on the former ADM Mill Site Redevelopment Plan, and on amendments to the Micro Transportation Bylaw. Council is also set to give second and third reading to a number of bylaws that will pave the way for E-Scooters to operate in the city.

  • On Thursday, there will be a meeting of the Energy and Infrastructure Committee at 3:30 pm but no agenda has been posted for this meeting yet.

  • With City Council set to amend several bylaws that will allow for E-Scooters to operate on city sidewalks and roadways, it will be interesting to see if Hatters both old and young will operate them safely. Of course, you must be at least 18 to ride one, so young Hatters will have to wait at least a few years before they can hop on and take a spin. While the bylaw prohibits reckless operation, most residents have witnessed someone take a joyride that looks like it will end up in injury. How do you feel about sharing the road with E-Scooters?

 

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

  • Both the Province and the Municipality expressed their agreement that Medicine Hat could be a leader in hydrogen production and carbon capture storage opportunities. The Premier addressed 2,000 delegates and City Officials at the Canadian Hydrogen Convention where he announced the creation of a new center of excellence to help further develop the burgeoning industry.

  • New data from Statistics Canada showed that Medicine Hat’s population is aging faster than other urban centers across the province. Recent data from the 2021 census was released and it revealed that the median age for residents in the city is 43.2, compared to the median age in Lethbridge of 37.2, 38 in Calgary, and 36.8 in Red Deer. The data showed that 1 in 5 Hatters are above the age of 65, but despite the aging population, City officials are confident they can meet the needs of these residents.

  • The City said it's keeping a close watch on the Alberta government’s proposed Bill 22. The Bill would open up Alberta’s power market to battery storage and new generators. City officials said they are not worried at the moment, as the Bill does not pose any significant changes that would affect the operation of the municipal power company.

 

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