City notebook:Water report is an insult to southeast, intelligence

By Collin Gallant on July 13, 2024.

There has been a torrent of discussions about water supply this spring and summer in Medicine Hat, but a new report from the province’s auditor general shouldn’t be lost in the deluge.

The report finds province “lacks effective processes to manage surface water allocation and use. And public reporting on surface water and the outcomes of surface water management is lacking” across the province.

That’s lawyer-ese to say that water use and licensing, the subject of acute concern this year, isn’t being properly managed or even being evaluated through much of the province.

That was during a three-year period (2019 to 2022) studied by investigators, but it’s hard to believe that things were notably better beforehand, or probably since.

It should raise an uproar in the southeast which has been subject to a moratorium on new water licenses since 2006.

To what effect?

No one bothered wonder.

Chances it will get better?

Same.

Opening up talks about first-in-time-first-in-line water licenses?

Sounds risky.

It also sounds like another instance of long-standing practice in this province of simply enacting something to operate on auto-pilot.

Did the provincial government essentially go to slept on the issue after implementing the South Saskatchewan Regional Plan, which governs development in this region?

That plan is due to be updated, but will the result be more of the same old, wait-five-minutes-and-the-weather-will-change mentality?

Water scarcity, or at lease reliability, has been the major mountain to climb in Southeast Alberta for 120 years.

Every one and their farm dog knows the importance of water access.

The City of Medicine Hat is planning to include a water-as-economic-driver study in the next budget.

Regional governments are arranging drainage and storage programs largely on their own dime.

The current premier and MLA for Brooks Medicine Hat appears to be in whole hog on building reservoir capacity, and irrigators have been happy to help with a now-growing list of projects.

Most responsible corporate and municipal citizens in the south have signed on to a water sharing agreement to help out this year.

It would be a shame to have it all just drain away without any real or measurable gain.

Quick ones

– The rumour mill has it that two new major renewable power project applications for Cypress County could be dealt with soon.

– Alberta set a summer power demand record earlier this week while temperatures in the high 30s blanketed much of the province. However, one year after the whole de-regulated market looked like the wheels were falling off, prices don’t appear to be going wild. But, that remains to be seen.

-Speaking of power profits, Saskatchewan’s Crown power’s annual report, released this week, shows SaskPower earned 5 per cent net income ($184 million) in 2023 as power sales reached a near record $2.8 billion.

Art

Tributes are flowing this week for Indigenous artist Alex Janvier, who died at age 89 this week.

Hatters should know that one of the lasting accomplishments of note is Janvier’s large mural in the legislature that was commissioned by the Office of Speaker Bob Wanner, during his term in office.

If you’re in Elkwater this weekend check out one of Janvier’s works that is currently being displayed on loan from the provincial art collection at the new visitors information centre.

A look ahead

Council meets Monday to discuss potential amendments to the capital construction program in the 2025-26 city budget. Cypress County will consider naming wild boar a pest in legislation that would allow the control to control population that is present in Saskatchewan and threatens to spread.

100 years ago

Water pressure in the city was affected by the habits of Hatters, not a lack of capacity, the News reported on July 17, 1924.

An “enormous” drain in the early evening hours was attributed to gardening by city engineers who said no problems were found in the pipes or reservoir that handled 3 million gallons per day. Leaving the task to after 9 p.m. could help.

By a 30,000 vote margin, voters in Saskatchewan approved government control of liquor distribution over continued prohibition on July 17.

In baseball news, the Typos (sponsored by the press union at the News) would host Leader for a double bill.

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.