Mayor, MLA exchange words

By Collin Gallant on November 7, 2018.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com @CollinGallant

Citing pot legalization, a possible supervised consumption site and now, the end of off-leash privileges near Kin Coulee Park, Mayor Ted Clugston unloaded Monday on other levels of government, and specifically on Medicine Hat MLA Bob Wanner.

And Wanner, who typically has not responded to such criticism citing his role as legislature’s speaker, did so Tuesday saying Clugston’s comments are “puzzling.”

This fall the mayor has been increasingly critical of the provincial and federal governments “downloading” costs and responsibilities to municipalities. Beyond that, he has accused Wanner of deflecting a number of controversial issues toward city hall.

On Monday, that included a plan to impose as of Jan. 1 an on-leash and on-path restriction at the Saamis Archeological site.

“Dog owners will be upset and I will encourage you, if you have a problem, to call your MLA,” Clugston told reporters following Monday’s council meetings, later adding, “I’m not taking ownership of it. Call your MLA.”

Earlier, council members accepted without debate or comment a city parks department plan to regulate pet activity in the area. Home to 5,000-year-old Indigenous encampment sites, it has been a provincially designated historic resource since 1984, but entrusted to the city’s care.

Last winter, public complaints about the state of the site led to discussions between provincial and city administrators, and the plan to limit off-leash access to help vegetation recover.

It was met with surprise and anger by dog walkers, who’ve been allowed to roam the site for decades.

Clugston made it clear Monday that their ire should be directed at the province, not city hall.

“This is a provincial historic resource, not a municipal historic resource … I want the province to own this issue,” he told reporters following the meeting.

“The last two or three months, the No. 1 issues I’m dealing with are from the other levels of government … Same with the consumption site, same with legalization of marijuana, the city did not do this,” said Clugston.

“The MLA is remarkably silent and difficult to find on any of these (issues).”

Wanner responded Monday stating that the Saamis site is a designated provincial historic site because city council petitioned for such status in 1984.

The current complaints were made by Hatters, he added, and current city council has the power to ask that the status be rescinded.

“That’s how the systems works,” said Wanner. “It’s Civics 101. You don’t have to be the speaker of the legislature or versed in parliamentary practice to know about this.”

Wanner also said Medicine Hat will be home to one of the largest recreational marijuana growing facilities in the world — the proposed Aurora Sun plant — which city council has heralded as a huge economic development victory.

To blame the province for the cost of writing a public behaviour bylaw or setting new land-use zoning, Wanner said, is “confusing to me at best.”

Clugston has criticized the province for not imposing stronger public use legislation, while the city simultaneously reverted to the provincial standards when local legislation stalled last month.

As well, he’s said the local process to zone and approve cannabis retail shops was a major local undertaking to comply with quickly changing provincial and federal rules. He has also come out against the value of two-year outlay of provincial funds to help with local policing costs.

“I’m extremely frustrated with the province and other levels of government for downloading some issues on to the city,” he said Monday of the dog park. “If I cut the snow removal budget and people’s snow wasn’t removed, I’d own that issue. I want the province to own this issue.”

He’s also often repeated that flurry of concerns from local business owners over a proposal to locate a supervised consumption site in the centre of the city shouldn’t be directed at him or city hall.

Wanner said the provincial government has made a priority of acting on the opioid epidemic, and he’s often in contact with advocates, police, fire and health workers on the subject.

“I haven’t done it in front of a microphone, but that doesn’t mean I’ve been silent on the issue,” said Wanner. “I know there are people who have concerns … but we are a caring city.”

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