Neat to Know: April 17, 2025
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Your weekly roundup of City news, updates, and other important information.
Good Friday hours of operation
Hours and services at various City of Medicine Hat facilities will be affected by the Good Friday statutory holiday on Friday, April 18.
Visit our holiday hours page to view what to expect for City facilities, Medicine Hat Transit, and Waste Collection on Good Friday and Easter weekend.
Hop on, Hatters! Ride the bus for free this Earth Day
Leave the car at home this Earth Day and still get where you’re going!
Medicine Hat’s HAT Smart program supports residents in making environmental and energy-conscious choices and has partnered with Medicine Hat Transit to offer free bus service on April 22, 2025.
Choosing public transit over driving a personal vehicle can reduce greenhouse gas emissions and is one of the most effective ways to lower your carbon footprint. Every bus ride helps cut down on traffic congestion and improves air quality in our community.
Tiered water rates
Last summer, we talked a lot about water conservation and while we were lucky to avoid severe drought conditions, the importance of reducing water use remains.
Municipalities around the province are introducing innovative ways to work collectively with their residents to use less water, and we are too! Our new water rate structure incentivizes consumers to use less through seasonal tiered water rates in effect from April 1 to October 31. Learn more at:
Permit processing service levels
Our Planning and Development Services department has established Levels of Service (LOS) for permit application processing times, with a commitment to publishing quarterly reports.
This effort will provide predictable service levels to further strengthen confidence among the development community and all permit holders in Medicine Hat.
Service levels pertain to Development Permits, Building Permits, Trades Permits, and Business License Applications.
Check out our service levels and the first quarterly report on our website.
View service levels and Q1 report
New ODR in East Glen
The East Glen outdoor rink is getting rebuilt starting next week! This extremely popular outdoor rink (71 East Glen Drive SE) is a premium destination for skaters in the southeast corner of the city.
Crews are anticipated to start demolition of the existing rink as early as Wednesday, April 23.
Construction of a brand new high-board rink will take approximately six weeks after demolition. The work area will be fenced off during construction, with minor traffic accommodation for construction parking. The nearby trail system is expected to be unaffected.
We’re excited to bring this new amenity to Medicine Hat!
Community Spirit Awards
Do you know an individual or organization in your community who has made a big impact? Nominate them for a Community Spirit Award before Monday, June 16 at 4:30 p.m.
West of Centre podcast
Didn't get a chance to attend CBC's live taping of their West of Centre podcast Wednesday evening at the Esplanade Arts & Heritage Centre?
You can watch it all on their YouTube channel below!
Downtown construction set to resume
Work on the Downtown Utility and Surface Upgrade Project along Sixth Avenue SE and Third Street SE will resume on Tuesday, April 22, 2025.
The final phases of construction are anticipated to be completed by late-June 2025, weather permitting.
Downtown businesses remain open during this work! To help ensure access, we’ve provided 20 free parking spots at the Transit Terminal Parkade for the remainder of the project.
Read more on the remainder of this project, including the upgrades in each phase, as well as parking availability below.
Read more
Free compost day #1
I scream, you scream, we all scream for... free compost! This Saturday, we’re holding the first of three free compost days in 2025.
Event details:Bring a shovel and container, and come load up (limit of 10 gallons per household).
Can’t make it on April 19? Our other free compost days are Saturday, May 10 and Saturday, September 13 – same place, same time!
Our SureGrow multi-purpose compost in an all-natural soil amendment produced by the City from materials in our annual organics collection program. Check out medicinehat.ca/suregrow for more information.
A Fast-Paced Explosion of Science, Wordplay, and Fun!
On Wednesday, April 23, during Spring break, take your family to one of two representations of The Alphabet of Awesome Science at the Esplanade. Join professors Lexi Con (the Word Nerd) and Noel Edge (the Science Freak) on a wild, alphabetical adventure where giant, chewy words spark jaw-dropping science experiments!
For each letter of the alphabet, Lexi picks a weird and wonderful word that inspires Noel to perform quirky, messy, and explosive scientific demonstrations — from things that squish and squirt to those that float, fly, erupt, and explode.
This dad-joke-loving, prank-pulling duo deliver a show that's spectacular, hilarious, gross, and fascinating — and no two shows are the same! The audience decides the order, and the professors have just 52 minutes to complete their alphabetical countdown. (That’s only two minutes per experiment!)
Get ready for a whirlwind hour of award-winning, alphabetical, scientifical chaos!
Get tickets hereLitter Blitz and Earth Day Bash
This year, we're kicking off a full week of Litter Blitz activity by participating in the Interpretive Program's Earth Day Bash in Police Point Park on Saturday, April 26. Join us on-site for tons of family-friendly Earth Day activities and to pick up your Litter Blitz supplies.
Scheduled Earth Day-related events:
- Saturday, April 26: Join us in Police Point Park for the Interpretive Program's family-friendly Earth Day Bash from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m.
- Saturday, April 26 to Saturday, May 3: Take part in the city-wide Litter Blitz community clean-up
- Saturday, May 3: Thank-you event - Join us back at Police Point Park for an Appreciation BBQ, sponsored by HAT Smart (hatsmart.ca) - the event starts at 12 p.m. - RSVP here
Check out the full details on how to participate in Litter Blitz and enter for a chance to win one of several great prizes below!
Join us May 1 at Big Marble Go Centre for Shape Your City
This in-person event is an opportunity to interact with representatives from various City departments and ask questions about existing and new initiatives. There will be a fire truck onsite and free childminding in the playroom! While supplies last, you can also pick up a litter blitz clean up pack and/or a bike bell giveaway. For a full list of the 15+ departments participating, check out the project page.
Go Tigers!
The Medicine Hat Tigers are one win away from the Eastern Conference Finals in the 2025 WHL Playoffs!
The Tigers and Prince Albert Raiders duel in Game 4 tonight at 7 p.m. in Saskatchewan - you can cheer on the beast from the southeast for FREE on Victory Plus! Watch the away feed, with Tigers play-by-play broadcaster Will Bryant at the link below:
If Game 5 is needed, the Tigers will be back home for a 4 p.m. puck drop on Saturday, April 19. That means the Co-op Place Express would be back as well! The first buses would leave at 3 p.m. from the Medicine Hat Mall.
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