City Notebook: One week we’re the worst, one week we’re the best… or so we’re told

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on July 4, 2020.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

In the same month that the City of Medicine Hat was the worst when it came to per-person spending in the province, it’s also the best when it comes to limiting wage growth in the public sector.

That’s according to the Canadian Taxpayers Federation, which released two studies in the month, though critics frequently argue data is cherry picked to feed frustration with government and taxes in general.

Still, Medicine Hat, which got a wage freeze in 2017 from about 1,000 workers, was the top performing substantial city in Alberta.

When the CTF’s earlier spending study came out, local officials noted it didn’t account for utility operations. That led the lobby group to drop what should have been a bombshell and argued that city-owned utilities should be sold off.

But, bombshell it wasn’t, and there was a notable absence from local officials in the traditional vein of “rah-rah! City-owned utilities!”

Even Mayor Ted Clugston, who puffs up at the mention of the utility group, only offered a game “you can argue both ways” when it comes to public utilities, though he noted profits stay local rather than fly off to shareholders wherever.

That’s often the central theme of economic development campaigns here – part of the Hat’s mythology, really.

It’s certainly pushed out front since the north-end power plant essentially saved the city’s bacon in a budget crunch that would be a full-blown crisis had it not been for $80 million in power profits over the last two years.

Now however, when the roller coaster commodity business is discussed, electricity is often in the same breath as natural gas.

Getting back to wonky studies, the most notable has to be a 2018 report by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business that announced that Medicine Hat was the most sustainable municipality in Alberta.

That’s despite an official acknowledgement by city hall in 2017 that its budget was unsustainable, and a 10-year budget remake was launched to fill a 20 per cent structural deficit.

Turns out the CFIB criteria only looked at the amount of cancelled capital spending over the previous 10 years.

Medicine Hat’s score was boosted beyond all reason by a 2013 decision to cancel a substantial natural gas drilling program, knocking hundreds of millions off the books.

Keystone

Spotted at Friday’s official kickoff of construction of the Alberta portion of Keystone XL construction was Acadia Valley volunteer fire chief Roger Didychuk, who is also a bigwig at Site Resources group that got its start in Alberta’s smallest M.D. and will handle a big portion of the subcontracting on the line.

As far as kick-offs go, the “official” also requires some qualification as river bores were completed years ago and the pipe has been stockpiled so long, they’re now knocking the rust off it for coating.

And, of note, Oyen Mayor Doug Jones told the News last week that a big bonus for the town is the use of the rail yard that the town and the Palliser Economic Partnership partnered on to build in 2017.

The logistics yard that has Canadian National service from Saskatoon has brought in much of the heavy equipment required.

Sibling rivalry

A neat story this week told the story of local retired priest Fr. Fred Monk, who was decorated by the Gov. Gen for his charity efforts in Mexico.

With the honour, a Meritorious Service Medal (civilian), Monk is sanctioned to use the letters, “MSM” following his name as a title.

That has led to some banter between Monk and his brother, Alan (a retired opera singer and retired Officer of the Order of Canada, granted for his contribution to the Arts). The honour, actually higher than the service medal, allows him to use the designation OC.

“He’s got two letters, but I’ve three,” Fred Monk told the News with a grin.

Typically, the vice-regal announces new inductions to the Order of Canada on July 1, but with the council which deliberates on new candidates unable to meet, announcing honours was decided upon as an alternative.

A look ahead

City council will on Monday hear initial plans by the land department to sell the Kiwanis Centre (Elizabeth Street School) in the Flats as well as acquire and sell the Scouts Hall on Cuyler Road.

A public hearing will take place over allowing a horticultural greenhouse near the Gas City Campground be converted to produce cannabis

Monday’s will be the first council meeting “reopened” to the public since April (though with limited capacity). Proceedings will still be webcast and also shown on Shaw-TV (Cable 10).

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via emailÂ cgallant@medicinehatnews.com