Neat to Know: March 6, 2025
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Your weekly roundup of City news, updates, and other important information.
Street sweeping
It’s news that will sweep you off your feet – it's time to sweep that sand off the street!
Our weather-dependent spring street sweeping schedule is set for the 2025 season.
Some spot sweeping has taken place this week on hills, main roads around the hospital, and select downtown streets. Arterial and collector roads are getting swept during March.
Read more for the full schedule, including residential, boulevards, school zones and more.
Meet us at the trade show March 7-9
A number of City departments will be on site and excited to see you this weekend at the Southeast Alberta Home and Leisure Tradeshow at the Cypress Centre. You’ll learn about:
- Home Fire Safety (Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services)
- After the Disaster (emergency preparedness and 72-hour emergency kits)
- Parks and Recreation
- Assessment and Taxation
- Election 2025 (register to vote!)
Family and Community Support Services grant
We’re now accepting proposals for the Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) grant for 2026 and 2027! A total of $407,000 is available annually for both years. The application window opened Monday, March 3 and remains open until Thursday, April 3 at 3 p.m.
Read more, apply, and register for an online information session here.
Lighting the (high)way
Alberta Transportation and Economic Corridors (TEC) is starting a phased streetlight project on Highways 1 and 3 on Monday, March 10.
Crews will remove and replace existing 600V streetlights along several sections of highway through town. The first phase of work on their project includes the following areas:
- Highway 3 - Between the Gershaw Drive SW interchange and 32 Street SW
- Highway 1 – At Redcliff, stopping short of the Saamis Drive SW overpass
Motorists can anticipate lane closures and speed reductions between the hours of 7 a.m. and 6 p.m. daily. Please obey the posted signage and proceed with caution in these areas.
The Highway 1 phase should be complete by May 13 while this phase of Highway 3 is slated to end June 9.
The following phases will also be completed in 2025:
- May 14 to Oct. 20 – Highway 1 – Saamis Drive SW overpass to east side of South Sask River
- Oct. 21 to Dec. 23 – Highway 1 – Kin Coulee to Turner neighbourhood
If residents require more information on this work, TEC encourages inquiries to be directed to the Engineering Consultant at: KMacDonald@islengineering.com.
Fire Safety
Our homes are more than just buildings—they are where we create memories, celebrate milestones, and keep our loved ones safe. That’s why it’s important to take simple steps to protect them. Medicine Hat Fire and Emergency Services (MHFES) has some fire safety tips for the home:
- Only working smoke alarms save lives—test them monthly.
- Plan two ways out of every room in case of fire and practice your escape plan with your family.
- Stay alert while cooking—never leave food unattended on the stove.
- Keep smoking materials outside and away from flammable items.
- Use BBQs safely, keeping them at least three feet away from your home and never grilling in an enclosed space.
MHFES invites you to join them us weekend at the Cypress Centre for the Home and Leisure Tradeshow! Stop by our booth to learn more and ensure your home is as safe, enter for a chance to win home safety prizes, and meet Sparky the Fire Dog on Saturday, March 8 from 1–2 p.m.
Craving daylight saving
Don’t forget, daylight saving time begins on Sunday, March 9!
With clocks springing forward, it’s a beautiful time of year to have an extra hour of daylight in the evenings to get out and enjoy the scenic views in our community.
March 3, 2025 Council meeting
City Council met on Monday, March 3 with the Tri-Annual Intermunicipal Development Plan Bylaw and Borrowing Bylaw on the agenda. The Tri-Annual Intermunicipal Development Plan passed second reading and Council will consider third reading at the next meeting on March 17. Council approved the Borrowing Bylaw 4847 to incur debt in the amount of $51,732,000 for debenture-funded Council approved 2025-2026 capital projects.
Read the highlights to learn more about these other items:
- Annual tax sale auction
- Commercial electricity rates
- New commemorative street name approved downtown
- Three notices of motion
Summer camp registration
Looking for summer camp opportunities for the kids? Look no further than our options at Big Marble Go Centre!
These full-day camps run 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday to Friday throughout July and August. If you require additional care for your camper, be sure to register for our Pre- or Post-Care programs (subject to availability) prior to the camp start date.
Our summer camps offer a safe, fun, and energetic environment where children are encouraged to try new activities, explore our community, and get active.
Camps are divided into three age groups, with activities tailored to be age appropriate:
- Explorers - ages 4-6
- Pathfinders - ages 7-8
- Trailblazers - ages 9-12
An exciting start to the month in Medicine Hat!
There’s no shortage of things to do this month, with a phenomenal lineup of events ranging from country music and a free family-friendly multicultural program to an adults-only Glow Paint experience!
The excitement kicks off this weekend at Co-op Place with two thrilling shows of Monsters and Mayhem. Then, on Wednesday, the Esplanade welcomes The Great Canadian Roadtrip 2.0 featuring Canadian Country Music Hall of Fame recipient Jason McCoy along with supporting acts Chad Brownlee and Jason Blaine.
That same evening, and again on March 13, a limited number of tickets remain for the adults-only Art Box: Glow Paint sessions at the Esplanade—your chance to unleash your creativity in a vibrant, neon-lit setting!
On March 15, from 1 to 3 p.m., take your family on a global adventure with Kid’s Passport to the World, a longtime favorite featuring interactive cultural experiences. Then, in the evening, Co-op Place heats up with a Tigers hockey game, while movie lovers can enjoy the Edmonton POPS Orchestra's Ticket to Hollywood on stage at the Esplanade.
And that’s all in just the first two weeks of the month—who said there’s nothing to do in Medicine Hat? 😉
Review all draft plans -- Transportation Master Plan
The Transportation Master Plan (TMP) lays out the long-term vision for the City's transportation network. The TMP also includes the Transportation Safety Strategy and the Active Transportation Strategy. The goals of the TMP are to foster healthy, sustainable communities and drive economic growth by ensuring safe, dependable travel, and efficient movement of goods.
All three draft plans are now available for review:
- Transportation Master Plan draft
- Transportation Safety Strategy draft
- Active Transportation Strategy draft
The project team will be available at two upcoming open houses to share, learn, and review these plans with you.
We invite the public to review these plans and provide feedback one of three ways:
- Attend an open house Tuesday, March 11 between 4 and 8 p.m. at the Studio Theatre, Esplanade
- Attend an open house Wednesday, March 12 between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. at Centennial Hall, Medicine Hat College
- Email your feedback to participate@medicinehat.ca by March 14
Learn more about the project on Shape Your City.
The allurement with procurement
Did you know that the Municipal Government Act requires municipalities to prepare and present audited financial statements for each calendar year? The annual report also allows us to highlight in writing our progress for the year. This time of the year is so exciting when the data from each department starts rolling in!
For instance, the procurement stats from 2024 were recently presented to Corporate Services committee. In 2024, the City awarded 112 contracts valued at $60.7 million through open competitions. Of that, $32.9M went to vendors within our region, $7.9M utilized other Alberta vendors and $19.9M was spent out of province/country.
For more information on how the City makes purchases, visit medicinehat.ca/procurement.
And did you know that the City carries approximately $8.7 million in inventory of over 4,000 types of products? This includes infrastructure items like power poles, parts, and tools so that we are ready at a moment’s notice to respond to unplanned maintenance, down to day-to-day materials like chemicals, cleaning supplies, personal protective equipment (goggles, sunscreen, gloves), and even envelopes. That’s neat!
Environmental Conservation Charge
The electricity, natural gas and water sections of your utility bill all include an Environmental Conservation Charge (ECC). The Environmental Conservation Charge was introduced in 2008 as a way to encourage residential customers to conserve electricity and natural gas, with the revenues used to provide a sustainable source of funding for energy conservation initiatives through the HAT Smart program. The ECC is now also applied to water for the first time this year.
The ECC is applied on what is considered to be high usage levels by adding an additional charge on each unit used in excess of a certain amount (defined in the respective rate bylaws).
The ECC is levied on:
- Every kilowatt-hour of electricity in excess of 950 kWh per month
- Every gigajoule of natural gas in excess of 19 GJ per month
- Every cubic metre of water in excess of 40m3 per month
The great news is that the money collected through this charge is redistributed back to homeowners who make environmentally-conscious home upgrades! Learn more at medicinehat.ca/utilitybill and hatsmart.ca.
Shopping Medicine Hat on an international scale
Al Sharma, Manager of Investment Attraction for Medicine Hat Economic Development, attended the International Council of Shopping Centers (ICSC) Conference in Whistler, BC in January 2025.
Al's objective was to learn more about the industry and network with stakeholders regarding Medicine Hat real estate. He generated significant interest in Medicine Hat among contacts he made at the conference.
Check out the full story on Medicine Hat Economic Development’s website!
Project Manager – Land Development
This position plays a vital role as a public land developer, overseeing the planning, engineering, construction management, and project management of land development projects.
This position focuses on end-to-end project management, from initial concept through to construction and commissioning, for commercial, residential and industrial land development.
Specialist – Event Technology (Lighting Director)
Are you ready to elevate the event experience in the City of Medicine Hat?
Well, here’s a great opportunity to bring creativity and technical expertise to a wide range of events and productions. This position is at the heart of delivering exceptional event technology services across our city facilities.
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