The city is examining how to get more light out of distinctive streetlights in the downtown core about 10 years after the lamps were converted to use electric light rather than burning natural gas.--News Photo Collin Gallant
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant
Nine years after gas lamps lining downtown streets were upgraded to shine electric light, city officials are determining why some have lost their lustre.
Monday’s meeting of council’s utility and infrastructure committee heard that in response to concerns about safety in the city centre it is examining how to improve the ambient light given from light standards that were changed over from burning gas last decade.
“The lighting is from the lamps is not what we would expect from a public safety aspect,” said Brad Maynes, managing director of the division.
The city’s operations division (formerly known as municipal works) is now providing a different combination of bulb style and wattage on a block-by-block basis to determine the best scheme. Upgrades may be needed,
That would likely be included in the next budget cycle, which starts in 2023, said Maynes.
“We’re looking at different lights and options to create the proper ambient light,” he said.
“They are difficult to upgrade, but we’ll keep the historic aspect, but add new sockets.”
Committee members said they too had heard complaints about the street lights that line First though Fourth streets and avenues in the core.
Coun. Robert Dumanowski said attending last week’s Midnight Madness shopping event that the lights are performing with varying levels of success; some dim and others “almost too bright,” he said.
This comes after a major changeover movement began about 10 years ago to switch out gas lights installed in the 1980s as a nod to Medicine Hat’s pioneering pack back to electricity.
Former alderman Wayne Craven made the change a mission, saying it would brighten the area and make it a more attractive destination for diners and shoppers in the evenings.
Starting in 2012, the city began converting the lamps to electric at a cost of $1.5 million. At that time electrical wires were fished through gas supply pipes, then the distinctive lamps were retrofitted with sockets and LED bulbs.
Infrastructure update
The discussion item on the agenda was meant to provide members of the new council an overview of ongoing projects.
Administrators consider the vast majority of 2021 capital construction projects to be “on time and on budget,” according to Maynes.
The city’s flood berming program is now considered virtually complete as the South Saskatchewan River is concerned.
The major project in 2022 will be the construction of a $23-million residuals plant attached to the water treatment plant. It will receive small particles of debris and dirt in water drawn into the city’s water supply. Since that material is chemically treated, it can no longer be simply pushed back into the river.
That environmental regulation has been in place for some time, and Medicine Hat has until 2024 to become compliant.
The material is currently being stockpiled at the city landfill and will eventually be used to cap the pits when they are decommissioned over the next several decades.
Another result of the new regulations is the city power plant will no longer be able to return warm water to the river, a circumstance that has led to open water during winter months.
“We know the ducks have certainly enjoyed it,” Maynes said of the pending operational change.
