City Notebook: Circular economy? More like a web

By Medicine Hat News Opinion on June 12, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Maybe its the ebbing of widespread and internal sense of terror felt during the global pandemic, but economic observers in the region have gained a spring in their step.

“Better days are ahead,” declared Coun. Phil Turnbull at council this week at the end of a fairly concerning presentation by the city’s chief financial officer.

But there is some reason for optimism.

Invest Medicine Hat is shifting dough to downtown development grants, and touting renewable energy, land development, new businesses like never before.

Hatters just can’t seem to help themselves from buying and selling houses.

Even the mixed bag of Alberta outlook seems easier to face.

In Edmonton, municipal, provincial and federal government politicians welcomed a new hydrogen plant, announced with few finalized details of government support.

The proposal is to build a $1.3-billion hydrogen plant, curiously scheduled on the same day TC energy announced the official end of the Keystone XL project, costing the government of Alberta $1.3 billion.

That opens the door for a NAFTA-style lawsuit over the cancelled project, but also pipe in the ground near Oyen connected to nothing at either end.

Medicine Hat was also in pipeline news last week when the News reported TC Energy had cancelled a pipeline loop that was to bring new gas supplies to the Gas City. They say it’s now uneconomical, which in all likelihood, means a potential client no longer needs long-term supply, which is not exactly great news, as unexplained as it may be.

Of course, there’s renewed conversation about local hydrogen production (see above mention), but without natural gas to transform into the cleaner burning fuel, you need a lot of water and a lot of renewable power production.

The Hat’s got potential for one in spades, though the other is kinda iffy.

Bringing it all together, the federal government will halt approving new thermal coal projects, like the ones currently embroiling the UCP government.

Not widely reported was the fact the head of the Australian coal interest, Atrum, Zoomed into a meeting of the Municipal District of Taber earlier this week.

The presentation is apparently part of a charm offensive about responsible development at the headwaters of irrigation country where sparkling water is powering the development of “Canada’s Premier Food Corridor.”

Food news

In related news, the Town of Bow Island is signing up with the SouthGrow initiative, a band of municipalities and minor to major companies that have had no shortage of success lobbying government or luring industry to the Highway 3 corridor nearer to Lethbridge.

It’s centred on Lethbridge County and the M.D. of Taber, but Bow Island is the furthest eastern outpost sitting in the County of Forty Mile.

A look ahead

June is in bloom, and the first day of summer is a week from Monday. A pessimist will note that’s when the days start getting shorter.

100 years ago

Nelson Spencer, the two-time former mayor and current MLA, was running to become the “first Medicine Hat man to represent the riding in Parliament,” the News quoted the candidate as saying in the June 3, 1921 edition.

At a mass meeting at the Empress Theatre, the Conservative candidate lauded his support for former Prime Minister Robert Borden’s aid to farmers in the region.

Across town at a meeting of Railway workers at Elm Street School, Labour leaders pledged to stump for United Farmers candidate Robert Gardiner, who farmed near Acadia Valley.

“We don’t want all farmers or all labour men in parliament, but we want to be properly represented,” said chairman Peter Simpson.

The vote to replace deceased MP Arthur Sifton was to be held on June 27.

Auto and horse races, as well as an “airship” display, were being arranged for the annual agricultural fair on June 28, extending to the Dominion Day holiday.

Premier Stewart was in Ottawa to negotiate agreement for provincial control of natural resources, as well as an agreement on managing federal grazing leases.

The wives of naturalized British subjects who were charged a $1 administration fee to register to vote in Alberta elections would have the money remitted, the Attorney General of the province announced.

The Liberal Party of Saskatchewan was returned with a huge majority after Conservatives run as independent candidates and the new Progressive Party captured six of the seven ridings they contested.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com