Barry Finkelman, director of the Medicine Hat Kiwanis Club, applauds with a crowd of 131 at the Medicine Hat Lodge on Tuesday as council members were introduced. Attendees included representatives from the city, school boards, Medicine Hat Police Service and CFB Suffield.--News Photo Brendan Miller
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
The Medicine Hat Kiwanis Club on Tuesday once again hosted the annual State of the City address and luncheon.
This year marked the 39th annual iteration of the event, which shrunk in size compared to previous years but still delivered on its mandate to bring business owners and other community leaders the latest insight into the future of Medicine Hat.
A finally tally of 131 people filled the conference centre at the Medicine Hat Lodge Tuesday morning to share a lunch and hear a keynote address from Mayor Linnsie Clark.
The Kiwanis Club focuses primarily on programming made for children and youth – raising money to support educational programs at all ages and encouraging a sense of civic duty in younger generations.
Current programming around the city also includes providing funding for flower beds, assisting the Salvation Army with Christmas fundraisers and maintaining the century-old Kiwanis Central Park.
President of the Medicine Hat Kiwanis Club Perry Bergum says providing a forum to keep citizens informed is in line with the spirit of community the club promotes.
“It’s good to get the public aware of what’s going on the city,” he said.
The club launched the annual event in 1986, when then-mayor Ted Grimm was invited to join the Kiwanis business club at their noon-time lunches at the Medicine Hat Legion. The mayor would deliver a 15-20 minute speech to a crowd of about 15 people in what became an annual event.
“The purpose of it is not to be a commercial for the city,” said club director Barry Finkelman. “The purpose of the event is the mayor, always in January, to come and talk about what his or her vision is for the future. The mayor is just one of a council of nine, but the mayor is still the civic leader, so it’s important that we hear from her and have trust in that leadership.”
Finkelman, who is also the district treasurer for the Western Canada section of the national Kiwanis Club, says he was happy to see all eight councillors join the mayor for today’s address.
With an all-new council and a new mandate for Mayor Linnsie Clark, he says the annual event takes on a special importance after an election year.
“We’ve come through a time when council went through a rather rocky time. This is a whole new approach,” he said.
Over the years the audience grew, and the event was scaled up to meet broader demand.
“The Chamber joined us for many years, and so this was an extension of that same vent. Instead of just Kiwanis, it’s now open to the community,” said Finkelman.
This year, the event was in danger of falling apart after its longtime partner, the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce, pulled support a month before the event.
Kiwanis found a new partner in the Medicine Hat Lodge, a collaboration Bergum says has already been extended to next year.
“The Medicine Hat Lodge came on board beautifully. They did a gorgeous job,” said Finkelman.
Next year’s State of the City Address will mark the 40th anniversary of the event.
