Neat to Know: May 1, 2025
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Your weekly roundup of City news, updates, and other important information.
We’re at Shape Your City!
Pop on by Big Marble Go Centre today and say hi!
Over 15 departments and teams are in the main lobby from 4 to 7 p.m. for this drop-in Shape Your City event. Learn about a variety of initiatives here.
While supplies last, there will be giveaways and, for those of you with kiddos, free childminding in the playroom!
The project teams are keen to connect, share, and learn more from you about the work they do to support our municipality.
Sweep on rockin’ in the free world
We began the residential portion of our 2025 Spring Street Sweeping Program on Monday – crews are already finishing up Zone 2 and will move into Zone 3 today!
The commercial portion of Zone 3 will continue to be swept outside of business hours to reduce our impact to the businesses in the area.
Stay up to date on all the latest street sweeping information and progress at the link below.
No campaign, no gain
There’s still time to participate in our Litter Blitz campaign! This year’s event began April 26, and runs until Saturday, May 3.
If you're out picking up garbage outdoors around the city, take a photo of yourself and tag the City of Medicine Hat on Facebook or Instagram for a chance to win a great prize!
Needing Litter Blitz supplies? Grab them this week at Big Marble Go Centre, Police Point Park, and the Parks and Recreation office (88 Kipling Street).
And, participants are encouraged to RSVP to our appreciation barbecue, held May 3 from 12 to 2 p.m. at Police Point Park.
Learn more about prizes and to RSVP to the barbecue at the link below.
Southwest Substation: Powering possibilities, energizing tomorrow
Last week, we received regulatory approval from the Alberta Utilities Commission to construct the Southwest Substation (MHS-11) that will improve electric delivery to the City’s south. The substation will alleviate congestion, enhance system reliability and accommodate future growth. It is located on land within the municipal boundary at SE 15-12-06W4.
Preliminary work will be evident on site in the coming weeks, but actual construction will begin in the spring of 2026. The anticipated in-service date is early 2027.
The Orange and Black are back!
The Medicine Hat Tigers won the Highway 3 Rivalry in Round 3 of the WHL Playoffs Wednesday night!
The Tigers swept the Lethbridge Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Finals to reach the WHL Championship series for the first time since 2007.
We’re excited to offer our Co-op Place Express service for at least two more home playoff games this season – learn more about the service below.
Hark! The Herald Tennis Courts
Starting Monday, May 12 (weather permitting) we’ll begin rehabilitating the Herald Tennis Courts, and constructing a beautiful new amenity!
The Herald Tennis Courts (located at 4 Avenue SW/7 Street SW) are past their anticipated lifespan and require rehabilitation to continue serving as a popular public amenity on the South Hill.
Once completed, the space will be converted to one tennis court and one basketball court, there will be a brand-new surface, as well as fencing repairs and lighting upgrades!
Roadway resurfacing program
We began preliminary work on our annual roadway resurfacing program this week.
The work includes infrastructure repairs adjacent to the roadways targeted within this year’s program. Road milling and repaving will follow. The full roadway resurfacing program is expected to conclude by September 30.
This year, construction will occur on sections of the following four roadways:
- Maple Avenue SE
- West Boundary Road
- College Avenue SE
- South Boundary Road SE
Check out a map of the exact work zones in each location, and learn more on the work within this program below.
Downtown sidewalk replacement
Crews have begun select sidewalk replacement on the 500 block of 3 Street SE as part of the Downtown Utility and Surface Upgrade Project. Weather permitting, this work is anticipated to only take a few days.
We are working hard to minimize the disruption of this and all other construction in this project. Thank you for your patience! We look forward to getting this work completed and having a smooth, new sidewalk surface on this block for downtown patrons.
Visit our website to learn more about the Downtown Utility and Surface Upgrade Project.
An Unexpected Discovery
In 2023, the City of Medicine Hat broke ground on an important new project—a Residuals Management Facility to support the Water Treatment Plant. This new addition is designed to meet updated environmental standards and help protect the South Saskatchewan River by safely handling waste materials from the treatment process. The facility is being built just south of the river, near the TransCanada Highway.
But as crews began digging, something interesting happened.
During early excavation work, archaeologists monitoring the site spotted something unusual—fragments of fire-broken rock, animal bones, and even a carefully crafted bone tool. These weren’t just random bits and pieces—they were clues to a much older story hidden beneath the surface. The discovery was quickly reported to Alberta’s Ministry of Arts, Culture, and Status of Women, and construction was paused to allow for further investigation.
After a thorough review, construction resumed in September 2023. Stantec, working on behalf of the City, completed a detailed report on the archaeological findings. That report has now been reviewed by the Archaeological Survey of Alberta, who confirmed that sharing this exciting discovery poses very little risk to the site.
And now, we’re thrilled to share it with you!
May 5 - National Day of Awareness for MMIWG2S+
The National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women, Girls, and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S+) is held annually on May 5. The day honours the lives lost, supports impacted families, and raises awareness of the ongoing violence faced by Indigenous peoples.
Medicine Hat College will be hosting an event on Monday, May 5 at 6 p.m. outside their main entrance. It will include an Indigenous prayer, a one-kilometre awareness walk, guest speaker and honour song.
Learn more on the event page on their website.
Community Hub Programs
Our Parks and Recreation Programming team is excited to introduce our new Community Hub Programs, coming to a neighbourhood near you! Community Hubs brings our awesome programming out into different community hub locations around the city so more kids can take part without needing to travel too far from home. These are drop-off programs, but parents are welcome to stay and watch if they’d like!
Fundamentals First
This program helps kids build core movement skills like running, jumping, throwing, and catching through games and sport-based activities. It’s all about building confidence, coordination, and a love for movement in a fun, supportive space!
- When: Thursdays | May 1 to May 22 | 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.
- Where: Crestwood School
- Ages: 6 to 8
- Cost: Free!
Foundations of Play
Each week explores a different kind of play—think imagination, movement, and everything in between! With guided games and open-ended activities, kids can discover, create, and connect in ways that help build confidence, creativity, and social skills.
- When: Mondays | 6 to 7 p.m. | May 5 to June 2 (No program on May 19)
- Where: St. Louis School
- Ages: 4 to 6
- Cost: Free!
These programs are free but registration is required.
Register here
Estimate your property taxes
Property taxes support services like police, fire protection, garbage collection, transit, parks, recreation, social services and more. Your property assessment is used to determine your share of the total taxes collected.
Tax notices will be mailed May 21, but Council has already passed the 2025 Tax Rate Bylaw so you can now estimate your 2025 taxes using our Property Tax Estimator tool.
Keep in mind that municipal tax is only one portion of the total property tax collected. Property taxes also include the provincial education tax (which is collected by the City of Medicine Hat, on behalf of the Province and submitted to the Government of Alberta), and a levy to support the Cypress View Foundation. This year, the education requisition will jump by 11.7 per cent due to an increase in education tax revenue required by the Province.
Community Microgrants program – host a block party!
Now that it’s springtime, and we’re all outdoors again, you may be thinking you want to host a neighbourhood block party! The City is still accepting applications for the Community Microgrants program! Community Microgrants are available up to $500 two funding categories.
- Community Arts and Culture, promotes community arts and heritage, and celebrates diverse cultures.
- Neighbourhood Connections, building neighbourhoods, fostering social connection and inclusion.
To learn more, visit the City website, or to apply click here.
Community Spirit Awards – nominations close June 16
Know a local community member who has gone above and beyond to contribute to the quality of life in Medicine Hat? Consider nominating them for a Community Spirit award. This award opportunity only comes around every two years, and it’s not too late. You have until Monday, June 16 at 4:30 p.m. to submit your nomination package. Find everything you need here.
Municipal election webinars
Presented by Alberta Municipalities and Rural Municipalities of Alberta
Now that our federal election has concluded, it’s time to switch gears to focus on our upcoming municipal election this fall. Alberta Municipalities is
If you're considering running for local council in a mid-to-large-size Alberta municipality, Alberta Municipalities (ABmunis) and Rural Municipalities of Alberta (RMA) are hosting a webinar to help you prepare for this year’s election. Any Albertan is welcome to attend this webinar to learn about the experience of serving on Council.
You'll learn about the roles and responsibilities of local office, how it compares to federal and provincial governments, and the incredible rewards that come with serving your community. You'll also get an inside look at how councils are structured, what’s expected of council members, and the unique impact you can have in a mid-to-large-size Alberta municipality.
Join Our Team – Specialist, Corporate Safety
We're excited to share an excellent career opportunity with the City of Medicine Hat!
We're currently seeking a Specialist - Corporate Safety to join our Utility Distribution Systems department. This on-site role is key to supporting employee and public safety while helping to shape a strong culture of risk prevention and compliance across our operations.
If you're passionate about safety leadership and ready to make an impact in a vibrant and welcoming community, we invite you to consider a future with us.
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