City Notebook: Grants roll in for jobs strategy

By COLLIN GALLANT on July 16, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Economic development is the height of hurry up and wait, and that extends to the city’s carbon capture and hydrogen attraction strategy.

A recently released report on the clean burning fuel states a strong market could be developed in the region, but needs to be fostered over the next several years.

A $2.5-million grant to explore CO2 capture and storage from the city’s power plant involves several years of study and engineering design.

Even the amount of a federal grant toward carbon capture – first reported by the News this week – will be under wraps for a while.

Natural Resources Canada tells the News that details of a front-end engineering grant won’t be released until a final agreement is signed.

If you want to eyeball it, the 11 successful projects from across Canada will receive a total of $50 million.

When people shake their fists at elections calling for “jobs!” they want them now.

The upshot however is that half the $11 million council allocated to “Clear Horizon” from a long-cancelled gas drilling budget could be picked up by other levels of government.

“We don’t see the city going on this in isolation,” utility head Brad Maynes for the Infrastructure committee last week. “The price is too big. We expect our industrial partners to come on board.”

Two views here are from those who recall the city spending $6 million on a solar thermal project (not solar panels, it must forever be noted), and another from those who continuously demand action on the jobs front.

Festivities

Going west and east, Bow Island Days and Maple Creek’s Boomtown Days both got underway Thursday and ramp up as they run through the weekend.

Foremost Rodeo celebrates 75 years in 2022, and let’s have a hand for the folks behind the restart of the Elkwater Rodeo this past Canada Day.

Staying in the region

Anyone remember Meghan Chisholm, the Swift Current native who swam the English channel in 2009? Well, she’s back at it with the goal of tackling the 163-kilometre length of Lake Diefenbaker as part of a six-woman relay team on Tuesday, July 19.

The exercise hopes to raise $10,000 for the Regina YWCA and the LaRonge Woman’s centre.

Chisholm revealed to the News’s sister publication in Swift Current that upon completion of her 25-kilometre part she plans to celebrate by eating a whole watermelon. Yeah.

Also taking rotating 75-minute shifts in the water are Dionne Tatlow, Adrien van Dyke, Elise Truscott, Kelsey van Dyke and Nichole Robinson, all of whom most certainly deserve to have their names in print.

Quick ones

Happy anniversary to Top Hat Bingo. The joint venture of a number of local service clubs turns 35 this weekend with some festivities planned… Suffield Community Park was renamed in honour of former area county councillor Alf Belyea, who died in office last fall… NATO training is taking place at CFB Suffield this month, but there’s still no strong statement about what’s next for the British Army at the firing range. More Challenger II tanks were deployed to Poland this week… How’s this for a reversal: Pinecliff Energy announced early this month, it has extinguished 100 per cent of its long-term debt – thanks largely to wild natural gas pricing this winter – which is virtually unheard of in the oil patch.

A look ahead

There’s no council meeting next week as it is customary to skip the second meeting in either July or August. Wednesday marks the deadline for UCP leadership candidates to make initial deposit for entry fees in the contest — that will determine who is onstage when Medicine Hat hosts a debate on July 27.

100 years ago

The city planned to build a rubbish incinerator near the Seven Persons Creek as part of a plan to relocate the “nuisance grounds,” the News reported in mid-July 1922, but engineers told council the diversion of that creek into Ross Creek would have to take place further downstream to avoid pooling.

Soviet Premier Lenin had been murdered, the British Press surmised, and was being impersonated by an aide.

Canadian Pacific Railways reduced wages by 7-cents per hour one week after a railway tribunal ordered that Western Crow freight rates be lowered to address rising inflation in the country.

In local church circuit baseball, Washington Avenue pitcher Partridge struck out 22 Knox batsmen at the Dominion Avenue diamond as the Washers won 16-2. At the high school grounds, St. John’s edged Westminster 9-8, though controversy ensued when an out-of-order batter was discovered mid-count.

A telephone would be installed at Elkwater immediately, MLA William Johnston told the News.

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