City Notebook: What’s in a name anyway?

By COLLIN GALLANT on March 18, 2023.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

You never can tell what’s gonna stick in people’s minds.

For me, it’s from the mid-1990s when the new NHL arena in Boston auctioned off one-night naming rights for charity.

One genius jokester crowd-funded enough cash and chose “The Boston Gardens.”

It was the Fleet Centre at the time and the TD Gardens today – even old-time hockey is very corporate – but you’ll remember that story, too, no doubt.

It’s relevant because talk about recreation facilities is back before a city committee. Worry about Medicine Hat falling off the map never really goes away, does it?

One councillor wondered aloud this week that if profits from Medicine Hat’s unique energy companies pay to build and operate rec centres or arenas, maybe the City of Medicine Hat’s name should be above the door?

Coun. Allison Knodel raised the point in committee meeting where a long-term rec facility plan was discussed for the third time in 18 months.

“How can we take that gift of our energy company and make it really tangible when we build to let people know there is a financial offset to the taxpayer,” she asked.

Interesting idea, but it’s also contrary to common practice across North America to sell naming rights as one of few avenues to bring in new revenue.

That further offsets costs, and there’s an argument to be made about opportunity cost between borrowing compared to investing reserve cash.

And there’s no doubt that South Country Co-op are fine corporate citizens.

But it’s lightning in a bottle if you want junior hockey fans and beleaguered taxpayers in other cities to take larger note of the Hat.

Committee Chair Ramona Robins on the subject: “It’s an interesting thread to keep wound around our finger so we can come back to it.”

Staying on Hockey

Consider this about the two recent sellouts at Co-op Place that were no-doubt helped by the appearance of super-prospect Connor Bedard to face the Tigers:

Attendance at each game was double or triple the usual gate, but the 50-50 pots were easily five to 10 times higher.

That speaks volumes about the compounding effect on “game night experience” at a rink that’s rockin’ and rollin’.

A pair of solid wins help, too, and in case you missed it the Tabbies are transforming from the WHL’s worst team last year to a middle of the pack playoff team today. Just imagine 12 months from now.

The fun could continue on Saturday night, when the Calgary Hitmen are in town and the rolled-over 50-50 pot starts at $53,000 (it was unclaimed last week!).

Or Hatters could go on comfortably grumbling about how things aren’t what they used to be.

A look ahead

City council will hear a presentation on the history of urban wells in Medicine Hat when it sits Monday as well as ongoing abandonment plans.

Also, members will be asked to approve a reboot of Invest Medicine Hat and allow hiring for long vacant economic development positions to begin ASAP.

100 years ago

Attention Easter shoppers, the E. Enlsey Groc. Co. Ltd, on 10th Street will raffle off a 100-pound bag of sugar to one lucky patron, the News reported on late March 1923.

The Canadian Pacific construction schedule of the year would include striking out on a 50-mile line northward to eventually Leader, Sask.

In London, Galatia could be apportioned to Poland, U.K. Premier Bonar Law told the Commons. That touched off protest among Canada’s 400,000 naturalized citizens from the former Austro-Hungarian province that had major centres in Krakow and Lviv.

A half-million dollar campaign to control grasshoppers in 1922 might stop large infestations in the future, an entomologist told a legislature committee.

Three special car loads of Alberta coal were sent to Toronto and Hamilton for manufacturers to evaluate as the province promoted sales and lobbied for special rail rates to supply the east with fuel.

“The man who taught the English to smoke” was declared bankrupt by a London court.

Nicholas Coundronis, 88, had fallen on hard times, but the merchant had sold the first “cigarettes” in England in 1858 and later America.

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