This home on Spencer Street was badly damaged by fire in September 2022, and is pictured in May 2025.--News Photo Collin Gallant
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Detailed information on the effort to clean up derelict and long vacant properties in Medicine Hat will be made public next month, though city councillors and staff are still discussing what more can be done to move the issue along.
It comes after almost two years of renewed effort to address rundown or boarded up houses, and two discussions at the council’s development and infrastructure committee this year.
The latest, on July 3, heard staff and bylaw enforcement officials discuss actions and limitations of dealing with owners, with promise of a full report to committee and council in late August.
That’s 18 months after city councillors called for increased enforcement, better co-ordination and even approved bylaw changes to strengthen the city’s position to force cleanup or demolition.
Committee chair, Coun. Shila Sharps, told the News on Friday the lingering issue is frustrating for members of the public and councillors.
“I think bylaw (officers) is doing a good job of enforcing the (unsightly properties) bylaw, but the bylaw itself – we’ve asked if there is enough meat on its bones,” she said. “In some ways there are limitations.
“One sticking point is whether the city is ready to dedicate funds toward (cleanup or demolition) bills.”
In the bylaw, the city can issue escalating fines or order remediation work, and if ignored, the city can contract work be done then attempt to recover costs from the owner.
One difficulty, said Sharps, is questions about adding budget dollars to bylaw enforcement, which is a department under the police budget, not the municipal budget. As well, police expertise may not extend to settling construction contracts.
Sharps and Coun. Andy McGrogan raised the issue in late 2023, leading to some changes in the bylaw. New measures included painting boarded-up windows or doors to match building trim and adhering to higher security standards. The definition of “good repair” and parked vehicles were also expanded.
Bylaw officials told committee this month they consider 37 properties as long-term derelict properties that they are monitoring. That is aside from more day-to-day complaints,
Last year administrators agreed the enforcement angle could appear convoluted to the public with the city’s planning department, building inspectors, safety codes, fire department and bylaw enforcement officers all playing a part in the complaint, and promised a more streamlined process.
Bylaw enforcement is preparing to launch an online complaint system, officials said.
As well in early 2024, finance staff also promised to study a move in Edmonton to create a new property assessment class in order to subject the properties to a higher mill rate. The move was thought to be a way to increase costs to owners and spur a move to demolish or fix up properties to avoid higher tax bills.
At the time, finance staff estimated the added costs of adding the class and inspecting properties would outweigh any new revenue from the tax.
A report included in the 2025 Medicine Hat property tax bylaw in April stated the Edmonton program was effective, offset additional costs of that city’s assessment department and will likely be expanded in 2027.
Of 294 Edmonton properties initially designated as derelict in 2024, about 90 were removed from the class before assessment dates, and an additional 62 were “demolished or remediated.”
Wetaskiwin and Ponoka have since introduced similar classes.
