News

asmith@medicinehatnews.com The Paperback Stage has returned from a long hiatus, but their rendition of C. S. Lewis’ The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe has been well worth the wait. With the script adapted from the book itself by the production’s artistic director, Richard Grafton, it is a rare occurrence that a review can comment [...] Read More »

bmiller@medicinehatnews.com With an aging wooden grandstand still “barely standing” and the motivation to attract more tourism dollars and hold larger conferences and events in the city, the Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede is looking forward to working with elected officials in 2026 as it continues to seek funding for repairs and expansion. Stampede officials say [...] Read More »

The City of Medicine Hat will see building and operations closures through the final days of 2025. City hall will be closed Dec. 25-28 and open for regular hours Dec. 29-31. It will be closed Jan. 1 and open again for regular hours Jan. 2. There will be no waste collection Dec. 25 and 26, [...] Read More »

asmith@medicinehatnews.com While drought conditions continued for much of the region this year, 2025 was a year of innovation for southeastern Alberta. Rain did arrive later into the early part of the growing season, but for many farmers the precipitation came both too little and too late to prevent reduced yields. In Cypress County, the consistent [...] Read More »

zmason@medicinehatnews.com It has been a historic year of upheaval for health care in Alberta. The system-wide overhaul the province dubbed a ‘health-care refocusing’ was announced in 2023 and began in 2024, but 2025 was the year organizational changes came to fruition. Between the changing face of health care in the province, high-profile inquiries into service [...] Read More »

Here is a roundup of stories from The Canadian Press designed to bring you up to speed … One-third of Canadians optimistic about 2026: poll This year has been marked by economic upheaval, global conflict and climate change-induced natural disasters, and only a third of Canadians are optimistic things will get better in 2026, a [...] Read More »

Frigid temperatures across much of Western Canada include advisories warning parts of Alberta to prepare for a snowy Christmas Eve and Christmas Day As much as 10 to 20 cm is expected to fall by Christmas morning in Central Alberta, and Environment Canada is asking drivers to consider adjusting travel plans to take into account [...] Read More »

RCMP in the Northwest Territories have issued a response to concerns raised following the Dec. 14 arrest of a wanted suspect, 25-year-old Elias Schiller. The statement says Schiller was wanted on outstanding warrants when he was stopped by police on the side of Highway 3, near the small community of Behchokǫ̀. Police say that after [...] Read More »

VICTORIA — Veterinary pathologist Stephen Raverty says answers about the recent deaths of three whales this fall in British Columbia waters could come out in early January. Raverty says one of the whales showed injuries consistent with a collision with a vessel, but the investigation is ongoing. He has been involved in the investigation of [...] Read More »

OTTAWA — This year has been marked by economic upheaval, global conflict and climate change-induced natural disasters, and only a third of Canadians are optimistic things will get better in 2026, a new Leger poll suggests. Asked about their expectations for the new year, 35 per cent of respondents said they were optimistic that 2026 [...] Read More »

Over 200 Blood Tribe members took part in The Blood Tribe Resource Fair Thursday in Standoff. The event was the first of its kind, says Levi Little Moustache, Director of Blood Tribe Employment and Skills Training (BTEST). “The event today was a collaboration of all the HR departments (including) all the departments under Blood Tribe, [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDapulido@lethbridgeherald.com Misconduct allegations from more than five years ago finally culminated in a disciplinary hearing for Lethbridge Police Service Chief Shahin Mehdizadeh this week. The Lethbridge Police Commission held the hearing Thursday at City Hall to address misconduct allegations against Mehdizadeh regarding an incident that took place in March 2021. The allegations were made [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDjmanio@lethbridgeherald.com A perpetual challenge for not-for-profit organizations is funding for their charitable work. In support of its continuing mission, Lethbridge Family Services (LFS) is hosting an inaugural gala called “Spring to Light” on April 25 at the Agri-Food Hub and Trade Center, featuring Canadian comedian, television personality, political satirist, and author Rick Mercer. “This [...] Read More »

Some Lethbridge homeowners might be surprised to see an almost 14 per cent increase in their education taxes when they get their property tax bill this spring. According to the Government of Alberta website, education property taxes are increasing for 2025-2026 after being frozen in 2024-2025. For Lethbridge residents, this will amount to a 13.8 [...] Read More »

LETHBRIDGE HERALDabeeber@lethbridgeherald.com Efforts to raise $30 million to improve cardiac care in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat are paying off. Three new donation commitments totalling $350,000 mean a fundraiser to establish the Southern Alberta Cardiac Centre of Excellence has reached about a third of its goal. Campaign manager Jordan Cleland said Wednesday about $10 million has [...] Read More »