City councillors asked for more information to be provided on a potential regional food waste processing facility that could cost the region up to $20 million to construct.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLER
bmiller@medicinehatnews.com
The region is one step close to building a composting facility to serve Medicine Hat, Redcliff and Cypress Country, however the estimated cost has ballooned to as high as $20 million, council heard Monday.
The city seeks to weigh the benefits of collaborating with regional partners as well as partnering with an international environment management company, as a solution to diverting tonnes of waste material from the main landfill.
The facility would also prepare the region for future legislation expected to tighten laws around waste management and recycling in the province.
The facility, as well as a city-wide program to collect and keep organic material, was the largest capital ask in the 2025-26 city business plan, however that cost has since doubled.
Estimates now peg the project between $18 and $20 million in capital, plus operation costs.
During an open city council meeting Monday, Redcliff Mayor Dwight Kilpatrick said the town is with Ambipar to meet waste management needs, the same company Medicine Hat staffers have engaged with in recent discussions.
Kilpatrick asked councillors to consider looking into a regional partnership that would come with environmental benefits in reducing methane in landfills as well as the production of compost and fertilizer materials that could be used locally by producers.
“What I’m here to do today is ask that you give our landfill and Ambipar a very good look and consideration to see if that would be something that you could see in the future as a working regional project.”
Kilpatrick was accompanied by Dan Hamilton, Cypress County Reeve, and a handful of staffers.
“And if you want to try it, I would also ask that you give it at least a two- or three-year trial,” Kilpatrick said.
Couns. Alison Knodel and Cassi Hider expressed support for the opportunity to work on regional partnerships.
“To me, regional partnership is this, you coming forward, us sending a letter to Redcliff, and then having you here is huge and I would like to see more of it,” said Knodel.
“I love the idea of working with our partners, we need to. We should have been doing this a long time ago with Cypress County and Redcliff,” echoed Hider.
Will Everts, an executive member with Ambipar, joined via webcam, and said the company has been operating at the Redcliff waste management facility since 2011, and told councillors Ambipar is assessing the city’s feedstock, also known as discarded waste materials, in a trial collection area to assess the level of contamination.
This data will give Ambipar more information on the costs to process materials and create a proposal to the city. However, referencing an industry standard, Everts says the costs can range from between $75 to $130 a tonne for contaminated feed stock.
The city and Ambipar expect to have completed the financial analysis in the first quarter of 2026.
If built, the facility would sort garbage that would go into a landfill while the organics portion would be broken down and cured to be used for compost.
“To the fine point of a nice, clean, earthy smelling compost that many of you probably buy at Canadian Tire or a local garden store and you’re putting into your flower pots, ” explained Everts.
Medicine Hat would also receive a portion of the tipping fees.
“A portion of that fee goes back to the local community and landfill.”
The city has other options as well for the future of its waste management; hiring a third party or allowing private industry to handle waste management.
“How does it impact the taxpayer,” asked Coun. Shila Sharps. “Do we want to spend $15 to $18 million with infrastructure and ongoing costs?”
Coun. Darren Hirsch asked city staff to provide an analysis on the return on investment and more information on pricing, and to return to council at a future date.
“My job is to understand the costs and make sure that the data that we’re getting is accurate and correct.”
Council unanimously voted for a motion to provide future council a presentation on the environment and financial impacts of a food waste processing facility.
