City Notebook: Not much boom in the fireworks debate just yet
By COLLIN GALLANT on November 30, 2019.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant A bylaw to restrict the sale and use of fireworks in Medicine Hat had a pretty quiet time at first reading this month, but, as those in the business say, that was first reading. They’re usually just to get business on the table for further debate at the next meeting, though it’s recently been in vogue for some council members to make objections known early. There was nary a comment about the reintroduction of the bill that several councillors were skeptical of in the summer, suggesting some allowances need to be made. The bylaw essentially reimposes the status quo from before fire code changes last spring that gave municipalities the ability to ban (or not) firecrackers, Roman candles and other whiz-bangers inside city limits. The fire department says they are a fire risk in a semi-arid climate, and developing a permit system for one-offs would be unwieldy. Monday’s council agenda shows a presentation is planned by Perry Logan, executive director of the Canadian National Fireworks Association. The News interviewed him two weeks ago on the subject. His industry association’s position is that if local retailers aren’t selling the low-grade recreational fireworks then they’ll enter the community illegally, and a relaxed bylaw is a better approach to regulating them. Utility rate Hatters will hear about utility fee changes for 2020 as council hears the business plan updates for the various utility departments at its first meeting of December on Monday. That morn, Hatters will also likely learn that the monthly price for power will be the highest on bills in about four years. That’s partly due to heavily depressed prices in 2015 and 2016, but also because a price cap that was in place during this year and last has been cancelled by the province. Medicine Hat sets its monthly commodity charge at the average of prices around the province, and initial indications are the calculation will land above the 6.8-cents per kilowatt hour mark. Under the cap system, which saw power companies paid the difference out of carbon levy revenue, customers never saw a rate higher than 6.8 cents on their bill. The actual price has been above that in 12 of the past 23 months, but was last charged over 6.8 cents in January 2015. A look ahead Council will hear the updated business plans from the energy and utility business divisions on Monday night, a fireworks bylaw, and likely have some discussion about a $23-million water treatment plant upgrade made necessary by new federal guidelines about discharge water quality. Of note, the project is the largest city construction effort mentioned in the 2019-2022 budget. 100 years ago Mayor Brown used a pre-election debate against challenger Rev. Morrow to announce the Stettler Cigar Factory would move to the Hat in the spring, largely because of his negotiating prowess, the News trumpeted on Nov. 29, 1919. A slate of candidates from both the Citizen’s Committee and the Dominion Labour Party jousted in a public meeting at the Empress Theatre ahead of the annual nomination day and a one-week campaign. Introducing Brown, Wlm. Cousins stated no Hatter was more responsible than the incumbent for bringing the soon-to-be complete Canadian Northern rail line to the Hat from Hanna. J.W. Morrow responded that he as much as anyone wanted growth and prosperity for the city, but progress in the new age meant taking a progressive stance and crediting the people for prosperity, not capital. The only women on the stage, Mrs. Susan MacArthur, a Labour candidate, was interrupted during her address by a woman in the audience and chastised on “moral grounds.” The Candidate made a “forceful and dignified” defence of her integrity, according to News reporters, and the woman was shouted down by the crowd when she persisted. Local school trustees vowed to increase the high school graduation rate, which sat at 5 per cent. In Ottawa, the feds dissolved the War Trade Board. A proposed reorganization of the military for peacetime suggested Medicine Hat be home to a field battery and machine gun company, with the 175th Battalion to be renamed the 5th Battalion, Alberta Regiment. An outbreak of smallpox in Eastend was the top concern in southwest Saskatchewan. 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 27-26
