City councillors approved borrowing more than $65 million for the Saamis Solar Project after giving the 75-megawatt, $131.5-million renewable energy project the green light in early February.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
Monday evening city councillors unanimously approved to borrow $65.75 million in order to complete the 75-megawatt phase of the Saamis Solar project.
The $131.5-million renewable energy project was given the green light by councillors in early February after being debated among this and the previous council.
The city will borrow the funding from the province and other authorized financial institutions, and is required to be paid back in 25 years at an interest rate which does not exceed 10 per cent.
According to the bylaw of indebtedness, which was required to be issued by the Municipal Government Act, the city must levy and raise municipal taxes, user fees or utility rates to pay back the debt.
Back in 2023 councillors approved $7 million toward the purchase and supported the production of the solar energy production to offset compliance costs on city-generated, gas-fired electric generation.
The remaining funding for the solar project will come from the city’s Energy Transition Reserves.
During a Feb. 2 public meeting city staff told council they cannot release business details around the project to the public during negotiations, but strongly feel the solar project will be a profitable endeavour.
The initial 75 MW phase is planned on the northwest area of the approved project land, however the total footprint of the proposed expanded 325 MW project would be 2,270 acres north of Parkview Drive.
The city expects the project to be operational in 2028.
Rural renewal program
The city will resume its Rural Renewal Program, which is used to attract skilled workers to the region, in May after taking a pause last year.
Councillors voted unanimously in favour of resuming the program May 4 to support temporary workers in the community working on visas.
“We are looking to retain them in the jobs they are already doing and to attract highly skilled occupations as well,” said Tracy Tawiah, economic development specialist.
Originally the program was approved in 2023, and since Jan. 30, 2025 the program has issued 134 candidate endorsement letters for immigrant workers in Medicine Hat.
Cypress Country and Redcliff took part in the program but withdrew in February 2025 due to limited interest from businesses within their jurisdictions.
This year the program will focus on workers in key sectors like health care, technology, construction, manufacturing, aviation and agriculture.
Police body cameras
City councillors approved a one-time budget increase of more than $380,000 that will be covered in provincial grants to enhance the Medicine Hat Police Service’s implementation of body worn cameras.
The MHPS was successful in its application for grant funding to the Alberta Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services to improve its Digital Evidence Management Systems, which include officer body-worn cameras as well as related computer systems.
In 2023 the province mandated that all municipal and First Nations police services implement body-worn cameras for all frontline officers, and provincial policing standards were updated the following year.
The mandate was made to enhance public safety, trust and accountability by documenting officers’ interactions with the public.
The funding will be split over three years until 2028.
