City Notebook: Helium seeps back into the conversation
By COLLIN GALLANT on January 11, 2020.
cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant For Medicine Hatters, talk of helium exploration is, well, old hat, but the subject was infused with new life early on this year by a review of activity in the sector in the national media. Niche investors and fans of spectacularly botched newspaper headlines will remember that the Medicine Hat News incorrectly declared in late 2017 that the municipal petroleum exploration company had found a “gusher” of the gas. Not true, we’ve said many times, but the endeavour faded generally into the background since then. For the record Medicine Hat did find the high-priced, but elusive element during a limited drilling program in Saskatchewan and Alberta. But, it’s likely not enough to justify going it alone in developing production and marketing apparatus. However, city officials state, Medicine Hat still holds rights, and there is activity in hunt for helium. “It’s early days, but it’s also exiting days,” said Brad Maynes, the city’s energy commissioner this week. He says the division continues to meet with private sector counterparts about potential partnerships – the city has always said it hoped a sort of consortium could build around the city’s participation, perhaps leading to processing facilities here. It’s flared up again after reports by The Canadian Press in early January. In late 2019, North American Helium announced it had a pipeline of new projects in the queue and hired new senior staff to guide the effort. Premier Scott Moe seized on the report as a sign of positive economic outlook in the mining sector (helium is “mined” technically). North American Helium, which is operating on the southern slopes of the west block of the Cypress Hills, Thor Resources in southern Alberta and Montana, and the Weil Group. The latter was the first to begin production as a facility near Mankato, Sask., and later announced it hoped to build a larger concentrating plant operating in Medicine Hat in early 2019. What’s old is new Pining for the days of Premier Don Getty, David Carter in the speaker’s chair, perhaps a run through of the Principal Group affair, or watching Ralph Klein go at it with Lawrence Decor or Pam Barrett? If you have afternoons off, you can watch “classic” reruns of Question Period on Alberta Legislature’s dating back to 1986, current Speaker Nathan Cooper announced on Friday. Find the channel on Shaw (Channel 930) or Telus TV (834), or online at assembly.ab.ca Erratum Last week it was incorrectly stated the number of councillors in Cypress County. The correct number is nine. A look ahead Two city committees meet this week in closed-door sessions. The Alberta government’s Fair Deal Panel arrives in Medicine Hat on Friday, Jan. 17 for a public meeting at the Stampede grounds. 100 years ago About $500 could be saved annually if Medicine Hat’s gas streetlamps were turned off during daylight hours, the News reported in Jan. 1919, but that may not justify the cost of manpower to accomplish the task. Presenting a report on the subject to council, utility superintendent Taylor estimated that going dark for an average of 12 hours per day would save about 19 million cubic feet of gas over one year. At the going rate of 2.75-cents per 1,000 cubic feet, the annual savings would be $522. Aldermen requested more information about staffing costs and wearage. A big week for Medicine Hat MP A.L. Sifton, the former Alberta Premier was promoted to secretary of state in a cabinet shuffle that saw him leave the ministry of public works. In New Year’s honours from Buckingham Palace, Sifton was also made a member of Privy Council. U.S. President Woodrow Wilson announced he would not seek a third term, upholding the convention observed by previous U.S. chief executives. A massive fire rocked the town of Hatton, Sask. on Jan. 12. A local charity hockey game in Medicine Hat raised funds for the family of Joe Hall, a Montreal Canadiens defenceman who died from Spanish influenza during the 1919 Stanley Cup final series with Seattle. The outbreak caused the cancellation of the series. 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 31-30
