NEWS PHOTO EMMA BENNETT
Katherine Perez, Medicine Hat area manager of Bee Clean Building Maintenance, attends the State of the City Address at the Medicine Hat Lodge on Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019.
Medicine Hat News
Now that a substantial public works campaign is completed in Medicine Hat, “it’s time for the private sector to follow in behind,” Medicine Hat’s mayor told a mostly business crowd Tuesday during his yearly address.
The State of the City address is held each year in late January to discuss local activity, but has often involved a glimpse of major announcements or policy shifts.
Tuesday’s event at the Medicine Hat Lodge ballroom was capped with the announcement that Folium Biosciences would build a hemp processing and oil packaging facility in the city’s north end. The two plants, expected to comprise 110,000 square feet and cost US$30 million to build this year, will eventually employ 250 workers during operations, said Kash Shan, the company’s CEO.
That boost of workforce is on top of more than 400 full-time positions expected with the Aurora Cannabis plant is operating later this year, and a host of other positive, albeit smaller, economic items.
“Anyone in Medicine Hat who wants a job can have one,” said Clugston, who heavily touted the city’s part in attracting not only Aurora to the city, but also Hut 8’s data processing facilities, which came with a massive power contract that Clugston said was “transformative” for city finances.
The major announcements were judged to be the story of the year by the Medicine Hat News for 2018, and came after several years of intensive public building projects.
Those have positioned the city well he said, still with an advantage when taxes and utilities are considered in concert, and “wanting for nothing.”
“There’s a billion dollars in private investment happening in this region right now,” said Clugston, who lauded the work of city contracted economic development provider, Invest Medicine Hat.
“A few years ago we were talking about the possibility of contracting out economic development, and wondering if we’d be throwing good money after bad. Now we’re announcing 500 jobs, 250 jobs, 50 jobs. I tease … but these are big numbers. That’s what’s happening around here.”
Along with Aurora and Hut 8, Clugston cited other projects, such as the Flying J truckstop, which employs 40 Hatters opening last fall, renovations at the Medicine Hat Mall, new hotel construction and other commercial development.
“We haven’t lost a single industry and even got (chemical producer) Methanex back a few years ago,” he said. “Everywhere is losing retail but we’re gaining retailers.”
Clugston didn’t wade specifically into the coming provincial or federal elections. However, he did criticize other levels of government and said if Hatters are upset about the recent decision by the province to fund a supervised consumption site downtown Hatters “should consider voting for a party that would have the opportunity to cut their funding.”
Clugston also introduced new city chief administrative officer Bob Nicolay to the sold-out audience and provided a brief tribute to departing public services commissioner Karen Charlton, who is retiring after a 42-year career with the city this spring.
