City Notebook: Monday is anyone’s guess

By COLLIN GALLANT on October 16, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

There’s a thing in university called political science, but there’s no denying that real life politics is real life getting a bit difficult to decipher.

Can anyone honestly say what’s happening in Medicine Hat voters’ minds?

Especially when human interaction is limited in a still very isolating pandemic?

Maybe with yourself, or your friends or crazy in-laws on Facebook, but of the city?

That and a few more questions will be answered on Monday night when polls close in Medicine Hat, and the great debate that’s bubbled without an actual debate concludes.

Oh sure there are some Facebook polls out there, and lots of related typing, but in the absence of actual polling there’s not much to go on.

At one point you could rely on sign count, but that’s falling out of vogue (perhaps due to the price of lumber) though Dunmore Road looks like it needs wider boulevards.

“What’s the temperature at rallies?” a cigar chomping newspaper editor might have barked at a cub reporter if this was decades ago.

So, what role have social media and targeted marketing on platforms such as Facebook played in the election? It’s been a different year, no doubt, but is it really unexpected that campaigning would move more toward online engagement?

Unfortunately we may never know as the internet is by its nature nebulous.

There was even talk about a very first television ad in recent Medicine Hat political history, though if it materialized, it hasn’t made a major splash.

The issues are clear, so most folks say.

People calling for, and candidates campaigning on, change.

Others, in both cases, seek a return to normalcy, consistency, steady leadership but maybe in the age of COVID, both opposites are the same?

Election trail

– To this point, there hasn’t been too much mud thrown directly between mayoral challengers, but we still have the weekend to go.

In today’s landscape, people tend to equate what supporters say online to the candidate themselves, and there is no shortage of critics haranguing which ever candidate they see as the opposition.

– No matter what, city council will have at least four new members, which essentially equals or beats the recent record turnover.

In 2013, voters brought in five new council members compared to the previous term, but only three without previous council experience.

Two newcomers were added in 2017, including one with council experience.

– Turnout? Political observers have long speculated that a provincial referendum on “equalization” could drive voters who favour spend-conscious “fiscal conservative” to the polls. Others say that with the governing United Conservatives so unpopular, it could drive those of a different political strip to get out and vote.

Cramming?

One term voters may have heard this campaign that requires explanation is Accelerated Financially Fit. It is the city’s new budget plan, replacing plain old “Financially Fit,” which aims to reduce the operating budget’s dependence on reserve cash to replace the natural gas dividend.

A $15-million budget cut this year gets the city two-thirds of the way there at 2019 tax rates, but another $8 million would be needed in 2022.

Hockey talk

Tigers fans will note a new in-game sponsor for games at Co-op Place is something called “EDF.” Readers of the News will note that’s probably the same company which this fall began building the Cypress Wind farm south of Irvine.

Interestingly enough, the wind farm’s major contractor is Mastec Canada, and again News readers will realize that is the company that bought Big Country Energy Services a few years back, but closed the pipelining shop in Medicine Hat amid last year’s big slowdown in the patch. Who else remembers the Pipeline Tigers? How ‘bought the Cable Cats?

A look ahead

Saturday will be the last opportunity to cast an early ballot ahead of Monday’s general municipal election. As well, with temperatures expected in the 20C range this weekend, it might be your last opportunity to save your garden hose.

The first meeting of the new city council will be held on Nov. 1.

Once again the vagaries of present day have left no room for a trip to yesteryear 100 years ago. We’ll see autumn 1921 soon enough, however.

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