Local News
Parks plan has majority of new trees going to South Ridge
By BRENDAN MILLER on March 5th, 2026
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com According to city staff the community of South Ridge is set for a spruce-up after city councillors heard a majority of new trees that will be planted over the next three years will be in the south-side area. Scott Richter, manager of recreation, told council the city plans to plant a majority of 2,400 ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Another $500M tacked onto education property tax
By ZOE MASON on March 5th, 2026
zmason@medicinehatnews.com Hatters can expect to see property taxes increase this year as the province increases the education property tax for the second straight year. The province will collect an additional $500 million across the province, bringing the total to $3.6 billion. The education property tax is levied by the province to subsidize Alberta’s education system, ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Flu season now deadliest on record in Alberta
By ANNA SMITH Local Journalism Initiative on March 4th, 2026
asmith@medicinehatnews.com This flu season has proven the deadliest on record for Alberta, with more than 250 lives already lost. The respiratory dashboard reports as of Tuesday that there have been a total of 16,239 cases, which combines numbers for influenza A and B. From this, the province has reported 3,753 hospitalizations, 276 ICU admissions and ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Cypress County OKs $2K to help 20 Mile Irvine Rodeo celebrate milestone
By medicinehatnews on March 4th, 2026
Cypress County has committed to supporting the 20 Mile Irvine Rodeo for its 40th Anniversary. Council received a request Tuesday from the 20 Mile Rodeo Committee for a one-time $2,000 sponsorship. Recreation & community association co-ordinator Jody Phillips explained that as the rodeo is often a break-even event for the society, it lacks additional funds ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Budget 2026: Health spending breakdown
By ZOE MASON on March 4th, 2026
zmason@medicinehatnews.com Health-care spending is set to reach record highs in 2026-27, including more than $2 billion in costs related to the new corporate services corporation. Alberta’s Budget 2026 includes $34.4 billion in total health-care spending, $2 billion more than in 2025. Health care represents 41 per cent of the total budget. “Budget 2026 is our ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!City firefighters battled five structure fires in February
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 4th, 2026
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Last month Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services responded to 162 calls for service, including five structure fires and four ice and aquatics related incidents. Additionally, fire crews responded to 14 outdoor fires, 15 motor vehicle collisions and 20 calls for medical assistance. Fire chief Chad Eakins presented the Fire and Emergency Services 2025 ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Pembina donates LEGO STEM kits to local schools
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 4th, 2026
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Pembina Pipeline recently donated a truck load of STEM kits, which include LEGO, to the Medicine Hat Public School Division. Last week the school division received several hands-on LEGO SPIKE kits, which include lego pieces designed for students that include programmable hardware, motors, sensors and colourful building elements. The kits are designed to promote ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Library accepting donations now as annual Spring Book Sale draws near
By medicinehatnews on March 4th, 2026
Hatters can welcome in the spring with some new books, as the Medicine Hat Public Library kicks off the season with its popular Spring Book Sale. “The March book sale will be bigger and better than ever,” says Sue Masterman of the Friends of the Medicine Hat Public Library. “Be sure to come to the ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!City’s default natural gas rate drops again
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on March 4th, 2026
newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com The local natural gas default rate continues to fall in 2026. On Tuesday, the City of Medicine Hat set its March natural gas rate at $1.641 per gigajoule, down more than 60 cents from from January’s rate of $2.277. The January rate represented a similar drop from the month before, after December recorded the ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Council approves funding for downtown safety grants
By BRENDAN MILLER on March 4th, 2026
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com Property and business owners downtown can now apply for new funding made available by the city to purchase property improvements that enhance safety and crime prevention measures. City councillors unanimously approved a total of $70,000 available in 2026 to provide downtown properties a 50 per cent matching grant from between $250 to $5,000 for ... Read More »
Be the first to comment!Smith, Wright talk rural education with PRPS officials
By Medicine Hat News on March 4th, 2026
The Prairie Rose Public Schools board of trustees met with local MLAs on Tuesday to discuss challenges and opportunities presented for rural education. Trustees sat down with Premier and Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Danielle Smith and Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Justin Wright to cover the division’s continued growth and highlight how provincial decisions are supporting students and ... Read More »
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