Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 247

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark won re-election last fall despite being heavily outspent by challenger Drew Barnes. Clark’s campaign cost $9,600, roughly one-fifth of Barnes’ $53,600, which included substantial spending on staff and polling. Clark won by a 765-vote margin in a six-candidate race, earning 32% support to Barnes’ 28%. Other candidates spent between $0 and $24,224. 
  
  
• City staff in Medicine Hat are urging more public engagement before Council decides on allowing urban hens in backyards. The City presented three options to Councillors: adopt a new comprehensive bylaw regulating backyard hens with licensing, flock limits, training, and neighbour consent; amend the Responsible Animal Ownership bylaw to remove chickens from the livestock prohibition, which requires no additional engagement; or halt the project entirely. Advocates have long pushed for urban hens, citing benefits like self-sufficiency, composting, and reduced landfill waste. Staff stressed that clear public input is vital, noting concerns around nuisance, public health, and proper care for the birds. Cities including Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Airdrie, Grande Prairie, and St. Albert already allow limited backyard hens under specific regulations. Council is expected to review the issue and potential bylaw changes in a public meeting during the second quarter of 2026.
  
  
• City Council had a busy last meeting. Councillors approved borrowing $65.75 million for the 75-megawatt Saamis Solar project, part of a $131.5-million initiative slated for 2028. The debt is supposed to be repaid over 25 years through taxes or utility rates, supplemented by Energy Transition Reserves. The City is also resuming its Rural Renewal Program starting in May to attract skilled workers in sectors like healthcare, technology, and construction. While neighbouring areas withdrew due to limited business participation, Medicine Hat has already issued 134 candidate endorsements. Furthermore, a $380,000 provincial grant was approved for the Medicine Hat Police Service to implement body-worn cameras and digital evidence systems. This project follows a 2023 provincial mandate aimed at improving public safety and accountability, with funding distributed through 2028.
  
  
• Alberta’s Budget 2026 includes a $59-million, three-year commitment to enhance healthcare infrastructure in southern Alberta. This funding is designated for a new cardiac catheterization lab and the expansion of intensive care and diagnostic capacity at Chinook Regional Hospital and Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. Specifically, the project will add 18 ICU beds in Medicine Hat and up to 54 ICU beds in Lethbridge. Building on $5 million in initial planning funds from 2025, the initiative is moving toward the construction phase. By providing specialized services locally, the government intends to reduce the necessity for patients to travel to Calgary for vital care.
  
  
• The City of Medicine Hat has launched a new festival and event application process to make planning and hosting events easier and more efficient for organizers. The updated system streamlines multiple steps into a single application, offering clearer timelines, consistent updates, and greater transparency throughout review, approval, and permitting. Dedicated event liaisons will guide organizers from start to finish, helping coordinate requirements and communication across City departments, with involvement adjusted based on event size. The City says the improvements aim to support both returning and new events, which contribute to community life, local vibrancy, and economic activity. Organizers can visit the City’s Festival and Event Planning webpage to start or renew an event.

🚨 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!