Praveen Joshi has been living in Medicine Hat since the event centre opened in 2015. He is now vying for a set on city council.--SUBMITTED PHOTO
Praveen Joshi spent much of his career in hotel and business management, and now hopes for a spot on city council.
Born in India, Joshi has spent the last 20 years in the United States and Canada. He moved from Regina, Sask. to Medicine Hat in 2015 to open Co-op Place.
“I loved the arena, but I had the opportunity to be a regional GM for a couple hotels in town for WestMont Hospitality Group.”
Afterwards, Joshi opened his own consulting firm in hotel management. He was hit hard when COVID began.
“I’m still doing that,” said Joshi. “It’s not as great as it used to be, but I’m hopeful it will pick up pretty soon once everything gets better.”
Joshi, his wife Tania and son Tanishq have made a happy home in Medicine Hat.
“I lived in other small towns similar to Medicine Hat all over the place,” Joshi said. “But this is one of the best communities.”
Joshi says his platform is simple. He’ll focus on responsible budgeting, economic recovery, business diversity, mental health, traffic safety and communication.
“Other than my platform, there is an array of things that have happened in city council that people are worried about … I’m going to work on each one of them,” explained Joshi. “I think the biggest thing is not just me working; I have to work with the people and the residents.”
If elected, Joshi can’t wait to get started.
“What am I going to do right away? I’m going to jump in,” said Joshi. “I’m going to hold a town hall meeting every month if I get elected. I’m going to pick a place where people can come and sit down with me and let me know what they think about things, and then I will take their worries to city hall.”
Even though some remark that Joshi hasn’t lived in the city for long, he assures the public he is here to stay.
“We’ve made a home here in Medicine Hat, we really love it here. I’m not going anywhere. I’ll give my 100% to the community and I’ll do the best I can for my people.”
I applaud your ingenuity in leaving the pamphlet at my house. Tells me you think outside the box.