Council Highlights August 16 2021

Eric Van Enk, Acting Managing Director of Invest Medicine Hat, and Chris Perret, Director of Land Development and Real Estate, presented Invest Medicine Hat’s 2021 mid-year update. The presentation featured the recently announced Southeast Alberta Hydrogen Hub, repositioning the City’s land portfolio, Waterfront District and downtown revitalization, the Medicine Hat Business Innovation Grant, Shop YXH, and an update on the recent interest from the film industry.

Through Public Services Committee, City Council approved the recommendation to award the two-year (2022-2023) Family and Community Support Services (FCSS) contract funding in the total amount of $674,654 to:

• LEARN Community Adult Learning Council - $24,500
  for Imagination Alive! – an intergenerational project between seniors with dementia in long-term care & high school students to create stories based in imagination.
• Medicine Hat’s Women’s Shelter Society - $110,000
  for the Musasa House – a family violence intervention and prevention program which provides long terms safety and stable housing for women and children fleeing abuse, looking to make a change and break free from the cycle of family violence.
• Junior Achievement of Southern Alberta - $13,230
  for a free program to educate students in grades K-12 about entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial literacy through experiential, hands-on programs.
• Community Food Association of South Eastern Alberta - $83,824
  to support the part-time position of Food Security Coordinator position to run the Good Food Club, the Community Gardens, the Food Forest, the Community Collective Kitchens program, the Healthy Eating on a budget program, etc., all to promote and support sustainable food resources in the community.
• Medicine Hat Family Service - $304,300
  to provide a family counseling service to all socio-economic families, all demographics, and all types of families.
• Bridges Family Programs - $138,800
  to address chronic, ongoing service gaps experienced by children, youth, and those caring for loved ones with FASD through the use of available technology and forming partnership(s) that were nonexistent before.

Also through Public Services Committee, Council approved a recommendation for the Community Vibrancy Advisory Board (CVAB) to establish an ad hoc committee to develop a plan, for Council’s consideration, to address the spirit and intent of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada’s report and calls to action by March 31, 2022. In addition to members of the CVAB, the ad hoc committee will include local Indigenous leaders, Elders and Métis Knowledge Keepers.

Councillor Friesen was granted a notice of motion and moved as follows:

I move that staff develop a recommendation that allows the citizens of Medicine Hat an opportunity to apply for community warmth twice in one year. The Community Warmth program is available to utility customers experiencing financial hardship, and is currently only available once per year per customer. Learn more about  Community Warmth.