City Notebook: Life can be strange

By COLLIN GALLANT on July 31, 2021.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

It may be hard to shift gears, so to speak, and move to a post-pandemic mindset, but it’s harder still to understand the province’s cavalier moves this week or their apparent surprise that folks have real and urgent doubts.

After 18 or so months, most of the infrastructure and rules of the pandemic are being wound down by the Alberta government, which says vaccination rates have made the difference.

The vast majority of the medical community doesn’t like the plan, but many may argue the medical community is predisposed to being overly cautious.

If you don’t want COVID, they may say, get vaccinated.

A reasonable response might be that vaccines for those under 12 won’t likely be available until later this fall, so what’s the trouble with wearing masks on school buses for a few more months, or requiring sick kids to stay home for a week?

Outside the pandemic reality, kids are usually those described as be society’s most vulnerable.

They may not die from COVID at the same rate as seniors, but at our gut level, kids require the most protection.

For many Albertans that translates to getting them back into a normal school and social settings ASAP, but for many others health implications are deadly serious.

If the extreme, albeit bizarre argument against lockdowns last year was that seniors were nearing life expectancy anyway, how does that logic stand up to minor measures this fall to protect toddlers?

But any parent who’d jump in front of a bus to save their kid without a first or second thought, now has to think of what happens this September.

You must understand the emotion involved here, over-reaction or not, but so far they’ve got a largely ‘like it or lump it’ response.

It’s strange.

Comings and goings

Yes, the News is hiring again, but the News’ loss may be a gain for the local agricultural sector. Alex McCuaig who deftly handled court coverage among other things, is the newest correspondent with the Western Producer, and will be based out of the city.

As well, after a brief stint here, reporter Kellen Taniguchi is now well into his new promising position in Edmonton with the Postmedia chain.

Don’t fret, reinforcements are on route for what promises to be a busy, newsy fall, including the return of WHL hockey and at least one election, maybe two.

A look ahead

Council sits Tuesday at Medicine Hat City Hall where Mayor Ted Clugston says he will request a third-party audit into the process to contract out Invest Medicine Hat.

Also, the Canadian Football League regular season fires on Thursday.

Of special interest, Saturday’s late game features the RedBlacks at the new-look Elks, two teams where five names spring to mind.

100 years ago

City council members vowed they would close the newly constructed pool if “practical jokers” continued to plug intake and outlet valves, the News reported on Aug. 2, 1921.

The pool, which was to be left empty on Sundays, had in fact been filled and well-used that day without city employees in operation or a lifeguard on duty.

“It was beyond the ability of children,” the city engineers reported, who also found lumber jammed in the valves.

The “rainmaker” Chas Hatfield volunteered to forego part of his $8,000 fee for past summer, owing to uneven precipitation across the region, but promised a better spread at a new location for 1922 under the same contract terms.

He was to be paid $4,000 for every inch of rain above normal over the summer by the area’s Agricultural Association. Hatfield assured local officials that a new spot, perhaps 60 miles north of the city, would be optimal for his rainmaking process.

Council also debated exempting the purveyors of agricultural wares and equipment from a early closing bylaw that created a half-holiday on Wednesdays. The reasoning being that farm customers may be unaware of the hours and may be in urgent need.

Dentists should begin prescribing the use of a pipe to cigarette smokers as a means to avoid diseases of the gums and teeth, according to an address to American Dental Association. A related News editorial mused about the other benefits, including that a pipe “exercises particular fascination upon the masculine mind” and creates conversational interest not afforded to cigarettes.

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.