Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 236

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• City Council held its final meeting of 2025 on December 15th, featuring a public hearing and a police agreement. The hearings covered amendments to the electric and gas utility bylaws, with the electric rate changes set to increase residential and most commercial bills by about 3% in 2026. Business representatives raised concerns over commercial demand charges, and a resident noted potential affordability pressures for low-income households, though Council says that local rates remain among the lowest in Alberta. Council also finalized a three-year wage agreement with the Medicine Hat Police Association, including increases of 3.75% for 2025 and 2026 and 3.5% in 2027, supported by budget amendments. Several rezoning applications received first readings, and Mayor Linnsie Clark was authorized to appoint an Interim City Manager. Reporting deadlines for various motions, including the Community Vibrancy Advisory Board and Urban Hens initiative, were pushed to the first quarter of 2026, while the Regional Food and Organics Waste Strategy was moved to the second quarter. The meeting concluded with holiday wishes from the Mayor.
  
  
• The City announced three locations for residents to recycle real Christmas trees after the holidays. Drop-offs will be accepted from Christmas Day through January 30th at the Northlands Co-op Recycling Depot (20 Northlands Way NE), 240 Kipling Street SE, and 3292 Dunmore Road SE near the Medicine Hat Mall. Trees can also be taken to the City’s Compost Facility at the landfill. Residents are asked to remove all plastic bags, stands, tinsel, and decorations before recycling. Artificial trees are not accepted in this program and should be discarded in a grey waste bin or taken to the landfill if they cannot be reused or donated. 
  
  
• The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede reported strong attendance and ticket sales across major events in 2025. Officials said ticket sales rose for the annual Stampede, midway attractions, the Summer Pro Rodeo, World Professional Chuckwagon Races, and Indian Relay Races, with several events posting record or near-record attendance. Expanded summer programming and returning attractions such as Cars N Guitars, the RCMP Musical Ride, and equestrian showcases also drew large crowds and supported charitable food donations. Beyond marquee events, the Stampede grounds hosted hundreds of smaller gatherings year-round, supported by full-time staff, seasonal workers, and volunteers. Educational programming at the Co-op Pioneer Village reached hundreds of local students, while free community events like the Stampede Parade and Old Tyme Christmas Fair continued despite rising costs.
  
  
• A powerful winter storm hit Medicine Hat on December 17th, bringing strong winds, snow, and rapid temperature drops, causing damage and minor power outages. Wind gusts reached up to 87 km/h in the city, toppling trees and debris, with some residents reporting lost treehouses and trampolines. Fewer than 50 customers lost power, with service mostly restored within two hours. City and fire crews responded to downed power lines and trees, while the City clarified that privately owned trees are the owner’s responsibility. The storm prompted the early closure of City Hall and created dangerous driving conditions, including a major traffic jam on Alberta’s Highway 2 due to a jack-knifed truck. Temperatures in Medicine Hat plunged from 6.5°C to -9°C in just an hour.
  
  
• Glen Motz, Conservative MP for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner, says Alberta saw little tangible benefit from federal policy in 2025, arguing that recent Ottawa-Alberta cooperation has yet to translate into concrete outcomes. While he praised Premier Danielle Smith for advocating forcefully on energy development, Motz expressed skepticism that the federal government will approve a new pipeline, citing existing federal legislation such as the Oil Tanker Moratorium Act and Bill C-69 as barriers. Motz said affordability remains the dominant concern raised by constituents, pointing to rising food prices and indirect taxes, such as the industrial carbon tax, that increase costs for producers and consumers. He also highlighted how some grocery items remain subject to sales tax. Motz said Conservatives will continue pushing for lower taxes, fewer regulatory barriers to energy development, and policy changes aimed at easing cost-of-living pressures while advocating for Alberta’s energy and agricultural sectors in Ottawa.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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