Business Briefs: City will renovate, restore Saamis Tepee in five-month project next year

By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on December 9, 2023.

https://www.medicinehatnews.com@MedicineHatNews

The Saamis Tepee will go dark next summer as major renovation work is scheduled between April and October, the city of Medicine Hat announced Friday.

In spring of 2024 work will begin to repaint the entire 215-foot-tall structure, including masts, while the current red and blue “zig zag” portion will be matched to the 2010 design. The backsides of mural pieces will be painted while the artwork will be preserved.

Walking paths around the 160-foot-wide tepee will be mostly accessible, but along with vehicular traffic, may be restricted at times during the five-month project.

Highway work

Municipal works crews will be repairing and replacing bulbs in traffic lights along the Trans-Canada in the city over the next two weeks, the department stated this week

The stretch of the Highway 1 is the responsibility of Alberta Transportation but is maintained by local municipalities under agreement.

Gas, power prices stall

The market costs of two main commodities handled by the city’s utility company – power sold to the grid and natural gas bought off the provincial pipeline system – appear to be dropping in price.

Travis Tuchscherer, head of business analysis in the utility department, told a city committee that good supply and mild temperatures are pushing down the price of gas. The city’s forecast average price for 2024 is now $2.20 per gigajoule, down from a recent estimate of $2.74, while the power price is also moderating.

“Weather is having an effect on prices,” he said.

Third Street work

An open house this week for downtown business owners detailed planned work next year to upgrade underground utility water, sewer and drain lines as well as streetscape. Officials stated during budget discussions last month that the work will upsize water mains in the vicinity.

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