Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 237

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• Merry Christmas! We hope you had a wonderful day with family, friends, and food! Thank you to every single one of our readers and supporters who reached out, donated, volunteered, or shared our content this year. We appreciate every single one of you and hope you have a wonderful holiday season.
  
  
• We usually reserve these weekly updates for sharing news and analysis, but as the year comes to a close, we want to be upfront with you. Our year-end fundraising campaign is underway, with a target of $10,000 to be met by December 31st. This funding is essential to sustaining our operations and allowing us to carry our work into the new year. If you find our work valuable and want to help ensure it continues, we’d be grateful if you would consider making a contribution. Even a modest gift makes a meaningful difference. You can donate by clicking here, and we sincerely thank you for being part of this effort.
  
  
• The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede is planning major improvements for 2026, focusing on replacing the aging North grandstand, which was built in 1966 and currently relies on steel beams as temporary support. Stampede officials aim to build a new 5,000-seat grandstand with modern amenities, including stadium seating, washrooms, an elevator for accessibility, and a subdivided kitchen space for food service and private rentals. The project also envisions a new conference space with breakout rooms to host larger regional events and attract more tourism to the city. The estimated cost has risen to $50 million, and the Stampede is seeking funding commitments from both the City and Province, with the ideal construction timeline targeting completion by June 2027. Officials say the new facilities will improve patron experience, accommodate larger events, and support the Stampede’s long-term modernization and expansion goals.
  
  
• Mayor Linnsie Clark, re-elected in October 2025, is focused on rebuilding trust with residents and reforming City Hall after a tumultuous term marked by conflicts with Council and staff. Clark says her goal for 2026 is to improve transparency, accountability, and public feedback processes, making City Hall more “customer-focused.” Several incoming Councillors have expressed hope for collaboration, though they acknowledge challenges such as low morale, vacant senior positions, and lingering political issues from the previous term. Clark and Council will also need to address provincial concerns over a new homeless services site, the City-owned power business, and the Medicine Hat Stampede’s request for funding for grandstand reconstruction. The Mayor is aiming to use the fresh Council dynamic to move past the infighting and set a more positive direction for the City in 2026.
  
  
• Medicine Hat residents can recycle their real Christmas trees at several locations in the city until January 30th, 2026. Trees can be dropped off at the Northlands Co-op Recycling Depot, Kipling Street Recycling Depot, or the southwest corner of the Medicine Hat Mall parking lot. Residents are asked to remove plastic bags, stands, tinsel, and decorations before drop-off. Real trees can also be taken to the City’s compost facility. Artificial trees are not accepted for recycling and should be placed in grey waste carts or taken to the landfill if they cannot be reused or donated. More information is available on the City's website.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

🪙 This Week’s Sponsor: 🪙

This week's sponsor is you! We don't have big corporate backers, so if you like what you're reading, please consider making a donation or signing up as a monthly member.

Having said that, if you are a local business and are interested in being a sponsor, send us an email and we'll talk!