City Notebook: Not so forgotten now, are we?

By COLLIN GALLANT on July 30, 2022.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

Another week of Medicine Hat being front and centre in the bigger news universe, what with a tornado, the United Conservative leaders debate here, and Tamara Lich’s legal saga continuing.

It’s like we’re an honest to goodness news-making city, down here in the “forgotten corner.”

But that was at least part of the goal of bringing the UCP leaders here to the Hat, according to organizers.

So, what’s in it for us, you might ask, that slipped through main debate topics of how best to bloody Justin Trudeau’s nose, or how to avoid an NDP win in about nine months time?

Well:

– Rajan Sawhney spent some time on her relatively brief time as Transportation Minister and work on the agri-food corridor that centres on Taber and goes east and west (mostly west at this point) on Highway No. 3;

– Leela Aheer slid in a mention of the hydrogen strategy, but modernizing the energy sector is a tricky line to walk for candidates – most like the idea of major plant upgrades, but hate the emissions requirements that make them necessary;

– Brian Jean noted to the News that Medicine Hat hasn’t had a cabinet minister in recent memory (though Taber-Warner MLA Grant Hunter was an associate minister for a time recently) and may have stolen our line, noting that his riding of Fort Mac is largely forgotten too.

Among general topics, Jean has the most of higher-than-you’d-think-was-necessary gas prices this summer. The price per litre has dropped about 50-cents since Jason Kenney announced a week ago Friday that he’s asked the Competition Bureau to look into an apparent lag in pump prices in the province.

Among the most substantive new policy statements from the leadership hopefuls, Toews said a permanent gas tax suspension of the 13-cents fuel tax when it hits a tipping point;

It went under the radar, but Danielle Smith told reporters afterwards that she feels there is already a mandate to move on a provincial police force and pension plans owing to last fall’s referendum results on an equalization question.

Summer done?

We typically joke about back-to-school flyers at the halfway point of the summer school break. Have you got your back-to-school e-marketing blast on your socials yet?

Zooming along

The return of the Boomtown Cup riding lawn mower race in Maple Creek last weekend brought in betting total of – drumroll, please, and get a load to this – $33,000!

That led to payouts of $10,000 during the charity fundraiser that was won by Kye Fahselt with three first-place finishes in his three heats.

The top recorded speed this year was 48 km/h.

While we’re at it

This year Logan Hay won a share of the bronc riding title at the Calgary Stampede, making a great story line because his dad is, of course, big name bronc rider Rod Hay.

The elder Hay won the first of four $50,000 Stampede titles in 1994.

The prize this year for his son was also $50,000. So, how’s that for inflation!

Now, there’s a lot more day money, of course, and a pool system, that ensures the eventual winner has a big payday, but shouldn’t the showdown cash be the big line on the marque?

A look ahead

Expect a decision of the city’s business incentive program and requirements during Tuesday’s council meeting, and potentially much more based on the in-camera agenda.

100 years ago

“Local gas fields preserved!” belted out a headline in the July 31, 1922 edition of the News. It referred to a lingering controversy brought by Calgary Power and Light to purchase and pipe gas from Redcliff to the city for its customers. Fearing a loss of position and depletion of the field, Hat and Redcliff officials joined forces to lobby the province to derail the process.

Rather than providing a victory, however, Premier Greenfield announced that since Calgary Power had no ownership or rights to the field, the issue couldn’t be decided by cabinet. The status quo was good enough for the News, which crowed that “Calgary men admit defeat” at local hearings “pack up their grips and head home.”

The United States was suffering a coal shortage.

The News printed a picture showing two people in Hampstead, England dancing to music delivered by wireless telegraph.

Ottawa would likely pass the Wheat Board Act before the harvest was complete.

The much publicized work by private investors hawking shares in drilling a community oil well in the Hat announced the rig had hit 1,000 feet down.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and a variety of topics for the News. Reach him at 403-528-5667 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com.