City Notebook: Water into whisky

By COLLIN GALLANT on June 4, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Medicine Hat city council is prepared to release its new strategic plan on Monday, seven months after a sea-change election and lots of kicking around ideas by seven new members of the nine-person council.

What’s included is under wraps until it’s presented on Monday.

Typically such plans include variations on common themes of economic growth, vibrant community and responsible, efficient government.

But, the winners of the 2021 vote included a strong streak of social well-being in their campaigns, be they figuring out downtown safety and business issues, strengthening communities or supporting social services.

Recall, however, that it took more than two years from the 2013 election (fought entirely on the issue of economic development) for the council to release an economic development strategy.

These days, a month seems more like a year, and Hatters are probably wondering what’s changed so much since last summer.

A key point, however, is that budgets are where governments lay out their priorities, and what’s released Monday will be applied to 2023-24 city budget that will be developed this summer and fall.

Events!

This column recently wondered who could ever be mad at a hot air balloon, but Medicine Hat and Facebook continue to surprise.

Grumblers were out last weekend when flights of the inaugural Rise-Up Hot Air Balloon festival were delayed or cancelled by wind, and access to the Saturday night event was clogged by large amount of traffic. (Hey, I get it. We’re all antsy to get out of the house to events after two years.)

But it seems counter-intuitive to be upset because something is more popular than expected. As well, it’s hard to name a venue larger than Echo Dale.

It is hoped Hatters got to see a fly-by or two, and that the event is welcomed back with enthusiasm in the future.

Beyond balloons, last weekend featured the opening day for the Mavericks Baseball Club at the newly renovated Athletic Park, and the Conquer the Coulee cross country obstacle race at Kin Coulee.

If only there was playoff hockey?

This weekend’s agenda shows Spectrum (this weekend in Kin Coulee), and the conclusion of the Cirque de Soliel engagement at Co-op Place on Saturday night, along with a long list of smaller events that deserve more attention than space allows.

Coming up we see JazzFest (June 20-26), Canada Day, and the return of a full-on Medicine Hat Stampede.

Modern mystery

Life as a reporter has left me knowing that asking questions about the price of gas is like asking about the meaning of life. There’s no real answer.

However, one can only meditate on the current discrepancies between Alberta (where gas averaged $1.80 per litre on Friday) and Saskatchewan ($1.95).

You’ve probably seen the billboards that Alberta’s government cut its own 13-cent per litre fuel tax. Our neighbours are continuing to levy its 15-cent charge. Sooooo, all things being even, gas is only 2 cents cheaper in Alberta?

That doesn’t sound right, and it’s not.

Before the whole world went sideways, Albertans paid 8 cents less on average in late 2019.

A look ahead

City council will discuss new high-density zoning, council’s strategic plan (see above), and a potential land sale at its meeting on Monday night.

The federal government is prepared to make an announcement involving John Ware, the legendary Brooks-area settler and cowboy on Monday morning in Longview, Alta.

100 years ago

The opening day at the newly formed Connaught Golf Club was June 3, 1920 and was the result of work by “citizens who could not see their way clear to use the municipal course,” according to a note in the News on the day.

One hundred years in the future, IT workers at the Medicine Hat News corrected issues with an electronic archive, allowing for the resumption of a popular feature in a weekend musings column.

Back in the past, the golf course was so-named owing to its location near Connaught School on the southwest portion of the Hill area. Green fees for the season were set at $2, or $1 for ladies.

The dedication of the Cenotaph in the city took place on May 24 with a host of dignitaries, local bands, and officials.

A case of suspected bootlegging in Quebec hit headlines when police announced a chauffeur was paid $600 to deliver two barrels that in actuality contained 32 gallons of water. The judge adjourned the case one week stating there had been but one known case of water being turned into wine. The turning of water into whisky, said the judge, should bear further investigation.

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