Medicine Hat Minute: Issue 255

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

📅 This Week In Medicine Hat: 📅

• This afternoon, there will be a City Council meeting. The meeting begins at 5:15 pm with a short closed session. After the closed session, there will be a public hearing to gather feedback on four proposed rezoning changes, including plans for the former Riverside School site. The most prominent proposal would rezone the former school property from direct control to low-density residential, allowing for bungalow-style housing aimed at seniors following the demolition of the deteriorating building earlier this year. Other hearings include a proposal to rezone 800 Gershaw Drive for highway commercial use to support future motor vehicle-related development, as well as changes to two southwest properties to allow single-detached homes. A fourth proposal would rezone two northeast properties to permit two-unit attached housing with secondary suites. 
  
  
• Also on the agenda is a potential pilot program this summer that would allow alcohol consumption in designated City parks from July 1st to September 30th. Brought forward by Councillor Phaff, the program would also include public signage and communication to ensure park users understand where and how alcohol consumption is permitted. Community engagement is built into the pilot both before and during its rollout, with feedback collected on public opinion and impacts. After the pilot concludes, Administration would report back to Council with data on enforcement, safety, and community response, along with recommendations on whether the program should be expanded, modified, or discontinued.
  
  
• The Highway 3 Resident and Landowner Coalition is challenging the Alberta government’s design for twinning Highway 3, citing threats to agricultural livelihoods. While the group supports twinning, they oppose the "freeway" designation, which restricts direct property access from farm gates. Landowners argue this forces them to build costly private service roads across productive land. The coalition and the Alberta Chambers of Commerce advocate for a "highway" classification to allow more at-grade intersections. Landowners are expressing concerns that limited access will delay emergency services and that the Ministry has provided insufficient evidence to justify the freeway model. A petition submitted to the Legislature calls for preserving functional farm access.
  
  
• The City of Medicine Hat is introducing new residential parking permits for people living near the Moose and Hockey Hounds recreation centres, with applications now open ahead of current permits expiring at the end of May. Eligibility is limited to residents living within the block directly north of each arena, where time-restricted parking zones are in place. The program allows households to obtain permits for their vehicles, along with one visitor pass per household. Applicants must provide valid identification and vehicle registration, and can apply either online or in person at the Municipal Works office. Maps outlining eligible areas and short-term parking zones are available through the city. 
  
  
• FlixBus is expanding its Western Canada network, adding new routes and destinations that improve intercity travel options for residents in Medicine Hat. Starting May 7th, the updated service will connect Medicine Hat more directly with additional stops in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba, including Lethbridge, Swift Current, Moose Jaw, Regina, Brandon, and Winnipeg. The expansion builds on FlixBus’s existing Prairie corridor that already links major Alberta cities such as Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton. The company says the goal is to provide more affordable and flexible travel options, responding to increasing demand for alternatives to driving or flying. Medicine Hat’s stop remains at the downtown bus terminal, maintaining its role as part of a broader regional transit hub. The service will run six days a week and includes features such as online booking, Wi-Fi, and luggage allowances to support longer-distance travel.

🚨 This Week’s Action Item: 🚨

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