Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 229

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• Today, at 6:30 pm, there will be a City Council Organizational Meeting. The agenda includes the swearing-in ceremony and oath of office, followed by appointments of Councillors to standing and special committees, as well as external boards and commissions. Council will also appoint Deputy and Acting Mayors for the 2025-2029 term. The meeting will also cover updates to the 2025 and 2026 meeting schedules. The session will conclude with the Mayor’s inaugural address.
  
  
• In the 2025 Medicine Hat municipal election, 18,265 of 49,691 eligible voters cast ballots, resulting in a 37% turnout, down from 40% in 2021. Of those votes, 39% were cast during six days of advance polling, 57% on Election Day, and 4% via Special Ballots or at long-term care homes. Voters faced wait times ranging from 20 minutes to over an hour at the city’s 10 polling stations, with the Big Marble Go Centre seeing the highest turnout at 1,456 votes. The election featured a record 39 Council candidates and 6 Mayoral candidates, along with several school board candidates, requiring voters to complete registration forms and multiple ballots. Following a government mandate, all votes were counted by hand, delaying official results. Mayor Linnsie Clark was declared re-elected just after midnight, while Council results trickled in over the following days, with all votes counted by 11:00 pm on Wednesday, October 22nd and official results published Friday, October 24th.
  
  
• Speaking of the election, City officials are preparing a detailed report on the 2025 municipal election to present to the new Council, highlighting the issues that caused long waits and slow vote counting. Returning Officer Tarolyn Aaserud praised the more than 18,000 voters and 380 workers who ensured every ballot was accurately counted despite challenges from the new ban on electronic vote tabulators. The City used a manual “Kangaroo Board” counting system to handle a record number of candidates, which, combined with fewer polling stations and internet connectivity issues, led to delays of over 48 hours before results were finalized. The election budget remained at $465,000, but the number of polling locations was reduced from 20 to 10 to save costs. The forthcoming report will evaluate the entire process and guide discussions between Council, other municipalities, and the Province on improving future elections.
  
  
• Residential construction in Medicine Hat continues to show strong growth, with both the number and value of permits rising compared to last year. In September, the City approved permits for three single-family homes and four duplexes, up from just two single-family homes in the same month of 2024. So far in 2025, 25 residential permits worth nearly $11.9 million have been issued, compared to 19 permits valued at $7.1 million by this time last year. The average value per permit has also increased by more than $100,000. No new commercial permits were issued this month, and none so far this year, compared to four in 2024. Overall, total permit value across all construction types has surged to just over $138 million, up sharply from $51 million last year, largely due to the $67-million Holy Trinity Academy project approved in June, which has significantly boosted the City’s 2025 figures.
  
  
• Medicine Hat has added 90 new trees across four City locations as part of its ongoing replacement and revitalization program. The plantings, which include species such as Siberian Larch, Ponderosa Pine, Silver Maple, Brandon Elm, Bur Oak, Honey Locust, Golden Willow, and Dropmore Linden, will enhance biodiversity and replace trees lost to drought or age. New saplings have been installed with protective fencing at Gas City Campground, Celebration Park, the Cypress Way median, and along Old Cemetery Road. City officials said the effort supports long-term sustainability and community pride in Medicine Hat’s urban forest. Autumn planting is considered ideal, as cooler temperatures and seasonal rainfall help roots establish before winter dormancy. The City noted that soil conditions during fall remain warm enough to promote growth, preparing the trees for strong development in the spring.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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