Medicine Hat and District Canada Day Society disbanding

By Ryan McCracken on June 30, 2020.

The Medicine Hat and District Canada Day Society announced it is disbanding on Tuesday.

The organization sent a letter out to media outlets explaining how it came to the decision to disband. The letter also made note that the city would now be in charge of Canada Day celebrations.

“Given this development and the seeming lack of regard for the efforts of the Medicine Hat and District Canada Day Society, a special meeting was convened on June 18, 2020. At that meeting, a motion was made and approved to cease operations, dissolve the society, and to liquidate and dispose of all assets of the society in compliance with our bylaws and the Alberta Societies Act,” society president Garry Procter said in the letter.

Procter also made note of other issues the society had over the years.

On one occasion, Kin Coulee bathrooms were locked and people were unable to use them.

Another year, the society was told it would need to use generators to produce electricity for the celebration. The letter notes that this issue was resolved after a meeting with the mayor.

Last year, the letter states that concrete barriers were put in front of the municipal works building, meaning people could not park there. Procter also notes that signs were put up that caused unnecessary traffic.

The note also singles out this year’s cancellation of the fireworks display that was planned by the society.

“Despite the current global COVID-19 pandemic, the society had planned on proceeding with a live fireworks celebration that was also to have been televised on July 1, 2020. However the society learned from the media that the City had cancelled this, without consultation or dialogue with any member of the Society.”

The letter thanked the local businesses that partnered with this society to make the event happen every year.