City Notebook: Has Medicine Hat become the Centre of the Universe?

By COLLIN GALLANT on December 31, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Don’t dismiss the idea too quickly.

Stranger things happened in 2022, and there’s some evidence that it is true, at least on the political front.

Elections might get decided in Eastern time zones, but the Hat seems to be a bubbling front of political thought.

The Gas City hosted campaign visits by Pierre Poilievre seeking the federal CPC leadership, and the Hat hosted all seven of the provincial UCP candidates in one of two debates in the race to replace Jason Kenney.

Danielle Smith was back again to run in a byelection here (more on this below) after Michaela Frey stepped down offering the Brooks-Medicine Hat seat to the new premier.

This was after Glasgo helped arrange a short-notice visit last spring to the city by Kenney for a HALO funding announcement and poorly attended luncheon ahead of his leadership review.

Convoy leader Tamara Lich, often noted as a city resident in national coverage, winds up as the local newsmaker of the year. That will no doubt spark a furious debate, because, frankly what doesn’t these days?

News event of the year? There was a new MLA, another heatwave and drought following a rainy June, the Royal Hotel blaze, a tornado south of the city and if you recall a pilot-less plane that crashed in to a south end home.

Auld acquaintance

Tip a cup of kindness for Hatters who featured prominently in the community and the News but passed away in 2022:

– Ted Grimm, the longtime mayor, passed away on Dec. 15 leaving much discussion about his legacy, public service and public utilities;

– Jim Hirsch, the former alderman (who, interestingly, was Grimm’s uncle) was charged with steering the committee to build the “new” city hall in the early 1980s;

– Curtis Noble, the head of the local firefighter’s union, died of pneumonia at age 41 this month;

– Lorraine Dalla-Longa, former head of the City Centre Development Agency, and downtown booster, died shortly after health problems came to light in the summer.

Are we missing something?

A city plan to build a huge industrial park on land leased to clubs in the city’s northwest stirred major aggravation and controversy nine months ago, but has been a sleeping dog ever since.

It slipped through a busy schedule this fall, but a number of local business personalities were upset when city hall observed the one-off federal holiday for the Queen’s funeral.

The short answer is such situations are written into union contracts that holidays include any such day deemed a holiday by the government. This also covers Sept. 30 for Truth and Reconciliation.

Also missed – though we can’t believe it – is a for-the-record mention that two new employees of city council are chief of staff Adam Nelson (most recently a top ministerial aide in Saskatchewan) and local communications staffer Rachel St. Jean.

Their job is to boost the city’s position on the lobbying landscape, which itself has changed following the byelection win of Premier Smith.

That relationship still has to be set after a busy fall for the new UCP leader, but we understand formal meetings are already scheduled.

A look ahead

City council has cancelled its first meeting in January, which would have been on Jan. 3, owing to a lack of business.

Ukrainian Christmas is Jan. 7, if you want to do it all again, or have another chance to reflect on how lucky you are.

100 years ago

There was “strong demand” for an Alberta Wheatboard and the UFA government would act early in 1923, according to political rumblings reported in the News as the year wound down.

Locally, as was practice, new and departing city council members were toasted at a civic banquet at the Cecil Hotel following annual municipal elections.

Rents at Diana Court and View Court in Medicine Hat would rise to $22 to $40 per month in the new year.

Elsewhere a heartening reunion was made when “Peggy,” a pedigree collie, somehow made her way home to Moose Jaw from being lost during a summer visit to the owner’s ranch near Prince Albert.

The Alberta board of censors issued an order against showing Fatty Arbuckle films.

The Burdett town hall burned down on New Year’s Day.

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