Strathcona Island Park is one of more than 200 manicured park areas maintained by the City of Medicine Hat totalling 840 acres of park land.--NEWS PHOTO ZOE MASON
zmason@medicinehatnews.com
According to an annual city report, 2025 was a good year for the expansion of municipal parks and recreation services.
At a Monday meeting of the public services committee, city staff gave a presentation on the Annual State of Parks and Recreation 2025 Community Report, highlighting notable achievements of the past year.
Two major successes highlighted in the presentation were the summertime Rec and Ride youth recreation and transit pass and the Bird e-scooter program.
The Rec and Ride program was introduced as a pilot in 2025. The pass, which sold for $50, provided youth aged 13-17 with unlimited access to transit services and YMCA and city recreation facilities for July and August, including Big Marble Go and the downtown and South Ridge YMCAs.
In addition to facilitating summertime recreation, the pass also represents an affordable transit option for working teens, offering substantial savings on the youth transit pass that usually costs $38 per month.
City of Medicine Hat recreation manager Lisa Kennedy told the committee that staff expected about 100 youth to pick up the program in the first year. The program well exceeded expected uptake, with 627 youth participating.
She says 99 per cent of pass holders indicated they would participate again, with the remaining one per cent mainly comprising youth set to age out of the initiative.
This year, city staff say they expect 750 youth to engage with the program.
The e-scooter program continued to perform strongly despite an unusually rainy July which caused a dip in ridership. A total of 22,977 rides were completed last season, serving 3,134 different riders and covering a distance of 57,058 kilometres.
The use of e-scooters as an alternative method of transport helped Hatters avoid 5,135 kilograms of carbon dioxide emissions.
E-scooters are picked up by the operator, Bird Scooters, and stored for the winter season. Scooters will return to the city in April.
City staff also highlighted an administrative overhaul of the application process for festivals and events. The major streamlining effort reduced redundancy to make it easier for applicants to apply to host an event.
Whereas applicants previously needed to complete five duplicative forms and contact six city departments, there is now only one form and one city contact for applicants, available online at the parks and recreation webpage.
Other achievements discussed Monday included the implementation of an irrigation control centre and water conservation strategies that have reduced water consumption by 30 per cent at targeted sites.
The city also secured $1.7 million in federal funding to plant 2,400 public trees over the next three years.
City staff also advanced facilities for the future for city council’s consideration, including the Southside Pool and Brier Run Sports Field projects.
The city’s exploration of a proposed large-scale recreation and fitness centre on the south side was paused by a city council decision in January. City staff say these projects could represent a more affordable option.
This year represents the midpoint for the 2022 Parks and Recreation Master Plan, which dictated a 10-year strategy for the city’s recreation system. As such, city staff will undertake a strategic review of the plan, suggesting any reprioritizations or reallocations that have developed over the last five years.
The city will also finalize its off-leash strategy for dog owners in 2026.
According to the 2022 Alberta Recreation and Parks Association survey, 85 per cent of Hatters go to a park at least once per week and 75 per cent take part in public recreation services at least once per week.
Ninety-three per cent of Hatters agreed that the city provides good quality parks.
