Council hopeful Dan Reynish promises to be a trustworthy and accessible member of municipal politics should he be elected. He says Medicine Hat should be building infrastructure that attracts more events and visitors to the city.--Submitted Photo
asmith@medicinehatnews.com
Trust is everything for council hopeful Dan Reynish, and after years as the city’s own TV anchor, it’s something he feels he can provide.
Reynish says that moving into municipal politics is the logical next step in his career dedicated to working for the people of Medicine Hat, as he has a strong desire to continue to promote what makes the city, in his opinion, one of the greatest places to live.
“Over the better part of the last seven years, people have trusted me to tell them what was happening in Medicine Hat. They trusted me to tell them what was happening across Alberta, Canada and the world,” said Reynish. “We got through a pandemic together, through trust and honesty and never making any stories up, just always talking about the truth.”
He would bring that trust to his time on council, connecting residents to their governing body through that hard-earned connection and security that he is a part of the community at his core.
Looking toward his potential term, Reynish has the mental and social wellbeing of Hatters at the forefront of his mind. While there are many excellent programs within the city, says Reynish, Medicine Hat does still have a notable population experiencing homelessness.
“My godmother always used to say, you can throw a drowning person a lifeline, but that doesn’t mean they’re going to grab it,” said Reynish. “We just might have to work a little bit harder to make the programs for homeless people to be something that they want to be part of, something that they can trust. It can be difficult to trust when you’re used to living outside.”
This focus on wellbeing however, is not only for those in crisis, but also for the everyday person; Reynish would like to ensure there are enough opportunities within the city to keep people out in the community with places to go and things to do, making recreation infrastructure and planning or attracting notable events high on his list of priorities.
It is opportunities like these that keep the city connected, says Reynish, as events offer more than entertainment in the form of a hockey game or concert, but a chance to be social and to get to know other residents. This promotes an inclusive, accessible and vibrant city for every person who calls it home.
To sustain that vibrancy, Reynish also considers affordability something the new council needs to focus on.
“Obviously I can’t control the fact that everything in a grocery store costs twice as much as it used to, but there is a way that we can work hard to keep Medicine Hat more affordable, and that’s something that I want to be a part of,” said Reynish. He says he supports keeping the city’s utilities publicly owned, at least for the time being, though said he would be open to other possibilities down the line should it become the best option for Hatters.
What Reynish hopes to bring to council if elected is an open and approachable representative, committed to working hard to bring the people what they want and need for their neighbourhoods. He cited the possibility of the Southside Outdoor Aquatics Centre as an example of something worth exploring for financial feasibility.
“I’m going to be out there, I’m going to be on the front lines, I’m going to be accessible and, more importantly, people should know they can come and talk to me,” said Reynish.
In the weeks leading up to the election, Reynish will be active over his social media, including a means to invite him to come and knock on their door.
“I’m not going to be doing any street signs. I’m just going to make a donation to a nonprofit instead of putting up street signs, there’s just so many of them,” said Reynish. “I’m just going to focus on YouTube, Facebook and Instagram, and try to get my message out that way. And I really hope that on Oct. 20, people will remember my name when they’re in the voting booth.”
