February 19th, 2026

News

Local News

  • MH Interpretive Program hosting casual drop-in event for curious wildlife lovers

    The Medicine Hat Interpretive Program is celebrating World Wildlife Day with a drop-in event to promote curiosity about the different species throughout the region and beyond. This free program is designed to “connect people with the natural world and inspire continued learning and action for animals and plants beyond the day,” a statement from MHIP [...] Read More »

    13 hours ago
  • Overall average market change for single family home up more than 7%

    bmiller@medicinehatnews.com The 2026 property assessment results show the overall medium market changes for single-family homes in Medicine Hat has increased by 7.5 per cent, and that will be reflected in upcoming assessment notices. During a council meeting Tuesday, city staff presented the 2026 property assessment results leading up to the July 1, 2025 valuation date. [...] Read More »

    13 hours ago
  • Alberta Municipalities wants more infrastructure investment in budget

    newsdesk@medicinehatnews.com Alberta Municipalities released a statement Wednesday asking the provincial government to increase investment in infrastructure ahead of next week’s budget announcement. Alberta Municipalities, which represents 264 municipalities across the province including Medicine Hat, says current provincial investments in local infrastructure fall short of meeting demand. The release states that over the last 15 years, [...] Read More »

    13 hours ago
  • Smith says immigration needs revamp, will discuss tonight

    zmason@medicinehatnews.com Premier Danielle Smith spoke briefly on immigration Wednesday following online comments by two high-ranking staffers. The premier suggested immigration will be a topic she will touch on during Thursday evening’s televised address. Smith’s chief of staff Rob Anderson responded to a post on X about population growth in comparative perspective, which showed Canada’s population [...] Read More »

    13 hours ago
  • Province says new portal will ease process for finding assisted living, continuing care

    zmason@medicinehatnews.com The Alberta government announced a new portal Wednesday that will streamline the process for finding and accessing assisted living and continuing care options across the province. At a press conference Wednesday, Premier Danielle Smith and Minister of Assisted Living and Social Services Jason Nixon announced the launch of the Assisted Living Navigation Portal. The [...] Read More »

    13 hours ago

National News

  • Ottawa making progress on defence purchasing reforms, Fuhr says

    OTTAWA — Ottawa is now well into its defence procurement reforms and plans to introduce changes to make it easier for small and medium-sized businesses to navigate government contracting. That’s according to Secretary of State for defence procurement Stephen Fuhr, who’s overseeing changes to how the federal government buys equipment for the military. He says [...] Read More »

    7 hours ago
  • Champagne unveils Ottawa’s ‘follow the money’ plan to tackle extortion

    The federal government is bringing law enforcement and financial institutions together in a bid to fight extortion operations targeting Canadian businesses and households. Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne is in Mississauga, Ont., today to announce a suite of new initiatives he says will make it easier for police to “follow the money” and disrupt criminal networks. [...] Read More »

    10 hours ago
  • Feds put up $50 million for Inuit-led university as part of funding package

    OTTAWA — The federal government is expected today to announce $50 million to help develop Canada’s first Inuit-led university. Indigenous Services Minister Mandy Gull-Masty will be in Nunavik in Quebec this afternoon, where she’s also expected to announce another $178 million in federal funding for tuberculosis elimination, Nutrition North and programs for children and families. [...] Read More »

    10 hours ago
  • Alberta Premier Danielle Smith to address province in pre-budget TV broadcast

    EDMONTON — Alberta Premier Danielle Smith is set to address the province in a TV broadcast Thursday evening and is expected to discuss immigration. Smith said Wednesday that rapid population growth coupled with slagging oil prices have put an unsustainable strain on the province’s finances. “You have to be a taxpayer before you start using [...] Read More »

    10 hours ago
  • Pneumonia hospitalizations rose dramatically last year, new CIHI data shows

    TORONTO — The Canadian Institute for Health Information says pneumonia hospitalizations rose by almost one-third across Canada last year. The data released Thursday shows kids between five and 17 years old were especially hard hit, with pneumonia hospitalizations more than doubling over the previous year. Dr. Jesse Papenburg, an infectious disease specialist at Montreal Children’s [...] Read More »

    12 hours ago

Southern Alberta News

  • First resource fair a hit in Standoff

    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 »

    10 months ago
  • Police chief’s 2021 lunch subject of disciplinary hearing

    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 »

    10 months ago
  • Everything falling into place for first LFS gala to be a success

    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 »

    10 months ago
  • Education property taxes set to increase in spring notice

    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 »

    10 months ago
  • Fundraising paying off for cardiac centre

    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 »

    10 months ago