Neat to Know: January 15, 2026 | City of Medicine Hat

Jan 15, 2026

Your weekly roundup of City news, updates, and other important information.

Airport Master Plan public engagement

We’re set to conduct public engagement efforts as part of our Airport Master Plan development for the Medicine Hat Regional Airport (YXH). The plan’s purpose is to guide the future of YXH and establish its long-term vision for the next 20 years based on feedback from stakeholders, community members, and businesses.

Public engagement opportunities include five pop-up events around the City, as well as a survey to provide residents, organizations, and businesses from the region with a chance to share their perspectives on the future of YXH. The survey and pop-up events begin Monday, January 19.

Check out our Ways to Engage section below for more details on these events, how you can share your input, and stay up to date on this project!

Grant application windows open for 2026

Don’t forget that two of our exciting grant programs are now open for applications, with one window to apply closing in early February!

Community Vibrancy Grant

The Community Vibrancy Grant has one funding stream in 2026 – Community Project and Activities. The current application window is now open until Friday, February 6, 2026 at 3 p.m.

The Community Project and Activities application window has $55,000 in funding available.

Learn more about this grant program and how to apply.

Community Microgrant

The Community Microgrants program offers up to $500 in two funding categories:

Neighbourhood Connections
Community Arts and Culture

There is $10,000 available for each funding category. The 2026 application window will remain open until the end of the year or until all available funds have been allocated.

Here's where you can learn more about this grant program including each funding category and how to apply.

Real tree recycling

It’s hard to believe Christmas was only three weeks ago – warm weather this week has us feeling like it’s closer to Easter!

But, with it somehow being mid-January, here’s your friendly reminder you have two weeks left to dispose of your real Christmas trees.

There are several locations where you can drop off your real trees:

20 Northlands Way NE – Northlands Co-op Recycling Depot
240 Kipling Street SE – Kipling Street Recycling Depot
3292 Dunmore Rd SE – Southwest corner of the Medicine Hat Mall parking lot

Residents can recycle their real trees until January 30, 2026.

We ask that you please remove all plastic bags, stands, tinsel and decorations. You can also dispose of real trees at the Compost Facility located within our Waste Management Facility.

For more information on this service, download the Recycle Coach App, contact Environmental Utilities at 403-529-8176 or visit medicinehat.ca/landfill.

Beware of soliciting for CEIP upgrades

Medicine Hat is part of the Clean Energy Improvement Program (CEIP) which operates in municipalities all across Alberta, offering financing (and in some cases incentives or rebates) for home energy upgrades.

We’ve received reports of door-to-door soliciting in other communities, particularly related to solar upgrades, making unauthorized claims or guarantees related to the Clean Energy Improvement Program. We advise the following cautions:

Applications for the Clean Energy Improvement Program must be completed by the property owner. CEIP does not allow third-parties to complete and submit an application on your behalf.
Exercise caution when responding to advertisements or sales representatives, particularly those that ask you for personal information or guarantee financing or energy savings.
CEIP is a financing tool available through your municipality. The municipality does not sell property owners upgrades, such as solar panels, home insulation, or windows.
We encourage property owners to request multiple quotes for their projects and work with a CEIP Qualified Contractor (a list of Qualified Contractors can be found on myCEIP.ca).

Alberta Municipalities administers CEIP on behalf of each participating municipality. If you have any questions about the application process, please contact hello@myceip.ca or contact Medicine Hat’s CEIP office at 403-529-8244.

Learn more about the program at medicinehat.ca/ceip.

Public Reception - Celebrating six exhibitions

Friday, Jan. 16 | 7 p.m. | Esplanade

Join us for a public reception celebrating the Art and Design Faculty of Medicine Hat College, local artists Deborah Forbes, Kimberly Sibbald, Robert Weissmann, Inuit artist Pudlo Pudlat and TREX artist Sadia Fakih.

These exhibitions showcase local and national talent across drawing, painting, photography, glass, sculpture, installation, digital design and typography.

There will be a cash bar and live music, as well as in-depth insights into each exhibition. Please join us in celebrating these artists and their exceptional expressions of creativity.

Visit the Esplanade website to learn more about these exhibitions and artists.

YXH Night at the Tigers Game

Saturday, Jan. 17 | 7 p.m. | Co-op Place

Take flight with YXH and the Medicine Hat Tigers this Saturday night!

The Medicine Hat Regional Airport is proud to sponsor the Tigers’ upcoming matchup against the Prince Albert Raiders on Saturday, January 17, as part of Airport Appreciation Night.

The evening will feature opportunities for fans to interact with airport staff, participate in an aviation-themed on-ice intermission activity, and enter to win a signed Tigers jersey through the Take to the Skies game at the airport’s interactive concourse booth.

For tickets and details, visit tixx.ca.

Local artwork installed at City Hall

City Hall welcomed a stunning new collection of local artwork last week. The exhibit features 44 photographs created by members of the Medicine Hat Photography Club and purchased by the City of Medicine Hat for permanent display throughout City Hall.

The collection showcases the work of 43 talented artists from our community. From serene views of Kin Coulee Pond by Dianne Finch, to striking images of bald eagles by Kyle Marchand, to powerful portrayals of Indigenous warriors by Terry Knodel, each piece reflects the beauty and spirit of Southeastern Alberta. The photographs capture a diverse range of subjects - landscapes, wildlife, landmarks, community members, and local festivals - celebrating Medicine Hat’s vibrant visual arts scene.

The artwork previously displayed at City Hall will be moved to The Esplanade and stored in the Collections alongside more than 1,000 other works of art, 25,000 artefacts and 1,000,000 archival records.

Next time you’re at City Hall, come take a peek at what was installed last week!

Have your say: Airport Master Plan

As noted above, we’re excited to welcome your input on our Airport Master Plan development across five pop-up events and a survey!

There are several ways to influence the Airport Master Plan at these events and in the survey, including the following:

Identifying what value YXH provides to you
Sharing your priorities to help shape the airport's vision and mission
Providing your view on what success is for YXH in the future

Engagement pop-ups

Monday, January 19

1:30 to 4 p.m. – YXH – Main Terminal building
4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Medicine Hat Mall - Centre Court

Tuesday, January 20

4:30 to 6:30 p.m. – Big Marble Go Centre

Wednesday, January 21

7 to 9 a.m. – Station Coffee Co.
10 a.m. to 12 p.m. – Medicine Hat Public Library

Survey

The online survey will go live on Shape Your City project page Monday, January 19, until Sunday, February 8 at 11:59 p.m.

Stay up to date

Stay up to date on the Airport Master Plan on the Shape Your City project page (linked above) by:

Signing up for the contact list or revisiting the page for project updates.
Reviewing the What We Heard Report drafted from the first round of engagement with over 30 primary airport stakeholders, including the key themes identified from their extensive input.

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

View all career opportunities

Community Job Fair – January 21

Hiring fairs help us find people with bright ideas that shine!

We’ll be attending the Community Job Fair at the Medicine Hat College next week to meet interested job seekers. Stop by our booth to learn all about working for the City of Medicine Hat.

Wednesday, January 21, 2026
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Medicine Hat College
299 College Drive SE
Medicine Hat, AB

See what other fairs we’ll be visiting here.

Parks Labourer

Seasonal, Full time

Are you passionate about the outdoors and looking for a rewarding opportunity to make a difference in your community this summer? As a Parks Labourer with the City of Medicine Hat, you'll play a vital role in maintaining and enhancing our beautiful parks, open spaces, cemeteries, and outdoor recreation amenities. This full-time seasonal position runs approximately from mid-April to the end of October, making it an excellent entry-level opportunity for individuals who enjoy hands-on work in a dynamic outdoor environment.

Join us

To receive updates directly to your inbox, subscribe to eNotifications for the categories that interest you. There is a navy blue box on the right-hand side of each of our news articles on our website that will allow you to sign up for a variety of list-serves, or go there directly by clicking the link below.

Sign up for eNews