Neat to Know: August 27, 2026 | City of Medicine Hat

Aug 27, 2026

Neat to Know is a roundup of City news, updates, and other important information. You can expect to see the week's most interesting content and even some that may have not been delivered through our regular channels.

How is the City’s budget built?

With 2027-2028 budget development in full swing, let’s talk about how Medicine Hat’s finances are structured. In Medicine Hat, the City’s budget is divided into four distinct areas, each of which is funded differently:

Municipal – funded by grants, admissions, license and permit fees, property taxes
Land Development & Real Estate – funded by the sale of surplus land
Rate-based Utilities – funded by utility rates and fees on a cost-recovery basis with a rate of return to maintain, upgrade or replace infrastructure (like power lines, sewer pipes, landfill space, etc.)
Energy Production – funded through the commodity price for the electricity and natural gas we produce and sell

The Municipal budget is the only segment that requires a portion of funding to come from property taxes.

Land Development and Real Estate, Rate-Based Utilities, and Energy Production are considered to be three self-sustaining business units, meaning they recover the costs required to operate, and are reported as individual entities in our financial ‘books.’

Each of these areas are described in greater detail on our website. Head to medicinehat.ca/budget to learn more.

Medicine Hat Transit Route 10 adjustments

Route 10 changes have come into effect as of Thursday, August 27. These changes will improve schedule reliability across all routes!

Transit has had trouble staying on time on Route 10. During times of increased ridership this can mean missed connections which affect the schedules of other buses in the system.

After conducting a survey with transit riders to address this issue, especially those who utilize Route 10, a summary of changes includes the following:

The route had previously travelled west down 12 Street NE. The three stops on the north side of this section will be serviced by the existing Route 11 stops on the south side of 12 Street. Two southbound stops on Division Avenue have also been removed with this change – they will be serviced by the existing Route 10 stops on the east side of the street. Signage was placed at these removed stops in advance of the change indicating the nearest stop to access.

View the new Route 10 in the updated Ride Guide and the MHTapp.

These Route 10 changes are a result of survey feedback surrounding these proposed changes, including how riders use the route. 560 transit users submitted feedback, including the following:

76% indicated that changes to improve on-time performance were important to them.
73% indicated that these changes either don’t affect – or positively affect – their current travel habits.
88% of responses indicated that it would be easy to adjust accessing their stop from a different location or route nearby if needed.
Nearly 70% of responses indicate they’re okay using a different route or the other side of the street to access transit services.

Statutory holiday transit service

The third-and-final statutory holiday is coming up for our statutory holiday transit service pilot project! The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation has been selected as the final day of the pilot project. Service will run from 8:15 a.m. to 7:15 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 30.

The decision was made following an analysis of ridership over Family Day and Canada Day usage. Canada Day had over double the ridership than Family Day. Staff anticipate an increased demand for transit service from employees commuting and residents accessing services throughout the community on this mid-week statutory holiday. Overall, the pilot is providing valuable information on community demand for transit service on statutory holidays.

Please note there will not be transit service on the upcoming Labour Day statutory holiday (Monday, Sept. 7).

Labour Day hours

And, as noted above with transit service, hours and services at various City of Medicine Hat facilities will be affected by the Labour Day statutory holiday next Monday.

Visit our holiday hours page to view what to expect for City facilities and Waste Collection on Labour Day.

medicinehat.ca/holidayhours

Demolition upcoming for two Kipling Street buildings

As a reminder, the demolition of two unused buildings located at 345 Kipling Street SE will take place starting Monday. Demolition will last from August 31 to September 2.

Read our public advisory to learn more about what to expect.

Art in Motion

Saturday, Sept. 12 | 12 to 5 p.m. | Esplanade & First Street SE

Art in Motion returns this September, and preparations are well underway at the Esplanade. As one of our largest annual events, it brings together our team and countless community partners to create an afternoon filled with creativity, connection, and discovery.

From hands-on art activities and live entertainment to family-friendly fun and cultural experiences, Art in Motion transforms First Street SE into a vibrant celebration of the arts. Free to attend and designed for all ages, it's an opportunity to explore, create, and experience the incredible talent and diversity within our community.

Learn more about the street festival here!

Free compost giveaway and battery recycling

Saturday, Sept. 12 | 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 1453 Hutchinson Avenue SE

Our third-and-final free compost giveaway day in 2026 is coming up!

The event provides an opportunity for up to 10 kilograms of our SureGrow compost per household, along with a chance to safely recycle your used household batteries. Proper battery recycling reduces the chance of fires in our collection trucks and at the landfill.

We’ve provided 37,335 kilograms of SureGrow compost, and residents have recycled 170 kilograms of used household batteries over the first two events!

Learn more about our SureGrow compost at medicinehat.ca/suregrow.

And, if you have household batteries lying around and want to recycle them outside of this event, visit RecycleYourBatteries.ca to find a recycling location near you.

Painting in the Park

Four-week watercolour course with Ruth Adams

Sept. 2, 9, 16 & 23 | 5:30 to 7 p.m. | Strathcona Park

Take in the beauty of painting outdoors this summer. Painting in the Park is a four-week beginner watercolour workshop taught by Ruth Adams. The instructor will guide you through the fundamentals of plein air painting and nature observation.

Visit here to learn more and register.

Acrylic Alchemy - Structure, Colour, Atmosphere

Three-week Painting course with Ashlee Trcka

Sept. 10, 17 & 24 | 6:45 to 8:45 p.m. | Esplanade, Discovery Centre

Acrylic Alchemy - Structure, Colour, Atmosphere is a three-week beginner acrylic painting course designed to build confidence through the fundamentals of painting. Guided by artist Ashlee Trcka, participants will explore perspective, colour mixing and atmosphere while creating fall inspired urban landscapes in a supportive, skill-focused environment.

Learn more and register here.

Want to see more upcoming events, programming and activities? View all options at City of Medicine Hat facilities:

Alcohol in Parks – take the second survey

The Alcohol in Parks pilot program continues in Medicine Hat. The pilot program will run until September 30, 2026.

It allows users 18 years and older to responsibly consume alcohol while seated at designated picnic tables in Kin Coulee, Echo Dale Regional Park and Strathcona Island Park. Signage is posted on site to indicate which tables are included in the pilot.

Park users can take a survey during the pilot program period to let us know how this program affects you and your enjoyment of these spaces.

Learn more and take the survey on the Alcohol in Parks Pilot page on Shape Your City.

Leafy spurge update: The beetle buffet continues

We released around 2000 Copper Leafy Spurge Flea Beetles into Police Point Park last summer to target and control leafy spurge - a noxious invasive plant. The beetles are part of an initiative to trial cost-effective, natural ways to get rid of this invasive species and help our native plants and animals flourish, without needing to use pesticides.

Year 1 update

After Parks and Recreation staff completed a seasonal check, we can confirm the beetles have been doing their best Joey Chestnut impersonation and chowing down on some of the Leafy Spurge around the park. While it can take several years for the beetle populations to establish, there is some visible damage to the leafy spurge flower and seed heads, and some damage to stems in isolated areas (pictured below).

So, what’s next?

The adult beetles will soon be laying eggs on the soil near plants. The larva overwinter in the soil, and feed on the roots of the leafy spurge in the spring. We’re hoping they continue bringing their appetite into year two to combat this problem plant!

To view all our career opportunities at the City of Medicine Hat, visit our Careers webpage and sign up for job alerts.

Cashier

Permanent | Part‑time | On site

Make an impact at the City of Medicine Hat by delivering exceptional service at the front line of customer interactions.

As a Cashier, you'll play an important role in supporting City operations by ensuring financial transactions are processed accurately, efficiently, and professionally.

This position is ideal for someone who enjoys working with people, thrives in a fast-paced environment, and takes pride in balancing customer service excellence with a high level of accuracy and attention to detail.

Learn more and apply

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