City notebook: Hey, we like hockey too

By Collin Gallant on December 8, 2018.

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Edmonton and Red Deer will jointly host the 2021 world junior hockey tournament, it was announced this week.

Such news could spur some Hatters to throw up their hands and wonder, “Boo-hoo, what about us?”

It should set more industrious minds toward securing a neutral site exhibition game for the tournament.

Or, as some media minds in Calgary have suggested, a joint bid in that city and either Lethbridge or the Gas City.

When Calgary and Edmonton hosted the 2012 tournament, warm-up games were held in locales of Camrose, Brooks, Olds, and even Three Hills. Not the Hat however, which didn’t have NHL regulation size ice and was still mired in debate about a new arena.

It would be sad to say the only thing we’re lacking now is foresight or gumption.

New home, same auction

The annual Santa Claus Fund Auction is set to take place tonight at the Fieldhouse at the Cypress Centre. It’s a new location — 27 previous auctions were held at the Corona Hotel tavern — and the hope is to draw in more Hatters for the good cause.

It’s the largest fundraiser for the effort to provide toys for children and food vouchers for families having a rough go this year.

Chief auction organizer Lorraine Schmaltz this week noted the emphasis is on giving, there’s a variety of items and attendees should go in with the idea they’ll make a donation, take home an item and have a good time.

“It’s not your typical auction sale or a rich man’s event,” said Schmaltz, the Corona manager.

She is handling her 28th auction, while auctioneer Darren Lutz is back again to oversee the proceedings that begin at 7 p.m., following entertainment that begins at 4 p.m.

“We’ve been really blessed to have them and other great volunteers,” said fund executive director Deanna Doerksen. “They (Schmaltz and Lutz) have been instrumental.”

Christmas calendar

— Medalta Potteries will hold the final day of its Christmas Market today, Saturday, at the national historic site, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

— The Conservatory Christmas concert goes Saturday, 7 p.m. at the Eresman Theatre, and Sunday at 2 p.m, with cash and food donations going to the Medicine Hat food bank.

— School for the Performing Arts Christmas showcase is set for Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Esplanade.

— The College Choral Ensembles perform their winter concert on Wednesday night at Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church.

— The Mahoney and Friends Holiday Party takes place on Friday, Dec. 14 at the Esplanade.

— “Christmas at the North Pole” staged by the Medicine Hat Concert Band is at the Esplanade on Sat. Dec. 15.

Moos and the blues

A new study at the University of British Columbia suggests that cows can be pessimistic. I’m not sure what, exactly, they have to be optimistic about, though breeding bulls might be an exception.

A look ahead

Christmas may come early as local economic developers are awaiting the results of this year’s renewable energy auction that last year resulted in the Capital Power Whitla Windfarm being given the go-ahead.

Typically, oilpatch firms would right about now be announcing their 2019 capital budgets, and some are, but others are delaying until January hoping for a clearer look ahead at oil pricing.

100 years ago

A first contingent of 80 returning soldiers passed through Medicine Hat on an overnight train to the west coast, the News reported on Dec. 5, 1919.

It was further announced that the soldiers in Europe would be brought home in order of seniority of units. Ottawa had previously announced that officials would no longer process compassionate requests for early discharges which had flooded in since the hostilities ended on Nov. 11.

A total of 28,000 cases of Spanish influenza had been reported in Alberta. In the south, the Burdett region was considered most serious, but hospitals in Brooks and Taber had been overwhelmed and closed.

Women’s groups in the city were called to city hall in order to elect representatives to a civic reconstruction committee that included business, manufacturing and labour interests.

The British government announced a revised number of war dead would rise above 1 million considering that most men considered missing were now assumed to have died. A union of British merchant seamen announced they would declare a general strike if the German Kaiser was not tried for murder.