Medicine Hat Minute: Photo Library, Hobby Projects, and a Monarch Theatre Documentary

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

This Week In Medicine Hat:

• There are no meetings at City Hall this week on account of the summer holidays. Hopefully you’re all enjoying the long weekend too!
  
  
• Parts of Kiwanis Central Park - the splash park, the naturalized play area, and the basketball court - are open again after a two-month closure. Upgrades are being made to the irrigation system, and certain sections of the park will remain closed while work is completed.
  
  
• The Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce is creating “Local First”, a photo library of the city for copyright-free use. The Chamber is asking people to provide photos. Interested shutterbugs can email [email protected] for more information.

Last Week In Medicine Hat:

• The documentary "Your Cinema Needs You," created by Luke Fandrich of Editing Luke, has been finished. The film focuses on the history of the Monarch Theatre, which has been closed since 2021, and features interviews with over 30 people, including locals and individuals with ties to the theater. The documentary spans 112 years of history, and is expected to premiere at the Monarch this fall. Interestingly, the funding proposal had been submitted for the film just two weeks before the closure was announced, leading to uncertainty about the film's ending. Now, editing is complete, and the Monarch may actually open its doors again soon!
  
  
• The City of Medicine Hat mourned the passing of former alderman John Hamill, who served from 1992 to 1998 and again from 2001 to 2013. Flags at all City facilities were lowered to half mast for seven days in his memory. Hamill had a diverse career, including serving in the British Army, hosting a radio talk show, and working for various organizations. He ran for mayor twice and served 18 years as an alderman, leaving a lasting impact on the community. He served alongside current City Councillors Darren Hirsch and Robert Dumanowski, who called him a passionate and larger-than-life figure who always spoke from the heart and made decisions he believed represented the broader community.
  
  
• The organizers of the Better Living exhibit and competitions at the Stampede said there has been a lack of interest in earning ribbons and prizes for garden produce and hobby projects. While there were some impressive entries in categories like quilt-work and crafts from longtime supporters, there were large gaps in the crafts, baking, preserves, and garden categories. The Community Food Connections group, which aims to increase food security in the region, has seen increased interest in community garden plots but not in displaying residential garden produce or homemade goods. Entries are usually due the week before Stampede, so you could get started perfecting your homemade pickle recipe now if you want to win the top prize next year!

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