Neat to Know: May 28, 2026 | City of Medicine Hat

May 28, 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.

Ready to quench: water bottle fill stations are now active

Good news for residents enjoying the beautiful greenery around the city during this hot weather: Our popular water bottle fill stations are installed and have been cleared to use for the 2026 season!

In 2025, the public drank 247,922 litres of high-quality water from these fill stations, which was 28% more than in 2024.

In 2026, we’ll have fill stations at the following nine locations:

McCutcheon Natural Area Trail across from 727 McCutcheon Drive NW
Police Point Drive NE near Preston Natural Area
11 Avenue NE near Viterra Trail
Ranchman Park at Ranchlands Boulevard NE
Jeffries Trail near 602 4 Avenue NE
Carry Drive Trail at Carter Crescent SE
Sunrise Trail at Sunrise Road SW
South Boundary Trail (behind Home Depot)
Southlands Park Cricket Pitch

View these locations on our iMap: https://arcg.is/0K0TeG0

Learn more about this service under the Water Services section at: https://www.medicinehat.ca/water

Construction begins on Medicine Hat’s Southwest Substation

Construction on the Medicine Hat Southwest Substation (MHS-11) begins next week. The new substation will help meet the city’s growing electricity needs and is expected to be in service in 2027.

Planning for the project began in 2019, showing how utility infrastructure often requires years of investment before residents see the final result.

Starting Monday, drivers may notice more construction traffic accessing the site from Highway 3, north of Township Road 122 near Saamis Prairie View Cemetery and Crematorium. Please use caution and follow posted signage and directions from construction personnel.

Read the announcement and check out the project page on Shape Your City.

Land Use Bylaw (LUB) Refresh: Impactful land uses

Regulating impactful land uses was a major theme raised by the community. Residents expressed concern about the location and concentration of high‑impact uses — such as community shelters and supervised consumption sites — particularly near residential areas.

The LUB Refresh responds by introducing clearer and narrower use definitions, creating a new Neighbourhood Community and Culture District for low‑impact uses, and requiring City Council approval for all high‑impact land uses. This approach improves transparency, strengthens public involvement, and provides greater control over where and how these uses locate.

You can learn more about the Land Use Bylaw Refresh by visiting our Shape Your City webpage.

What’s next? Feedback gathered over several years will be considered by City Council at the public hearing held during the June 1, 2026 Council meeting.

A time for the hearing will be available when the Council agenda is set on Friday, May 29.

Tax Instalment Payment Program spreads tax bill over monthly payments

By now, if you own property in Medicine Hat, you should have received your annual Property Tax Notice. Taxes are due on June 30 to fund the everyday services you rely on, like police and fire protection, road maintenance, snow clearing, parks, sports fields, swimming pools, public transit, and other neighbourhood infrastructure.

The Tax Instalment Payment Program is an easy and convenient way to pay with preauthorized monthly payments.

Paying in full or applying for TIPP before June 30 ensures you will not incur late penalties.

Learn more at medicinehat.ca/tipp.

Echoes From the Archives Podcast

Learn about all things Medicine Hat as Brian Konrad (Host of the Bring Back the Porch Podcast) and Esplanade Assistant Archivist, Jenni Barrientos chat about the city’s fact-fiction and stories that refuse to die!

From the alleged underground tunnel system and some of the weirdest, wildest tales pulled straight from historical files. Jenni is ready to set the record straight and share the fascinating stories she’s uncovered while working in the Archives. Expect history, myth-busting, and plenty of surprising moments along the way.

Listen here or wherever you get your podcasts.

Riverside Corridor Enhance project

Over the last year, the City has been working through a design process with the community related to a potential corridor upgrade along 3 Street N. We started by sharing a conceptual drawing for feedback from that many revisions were made based on public input. The revised design is now available for review, discussion, and feedback. To formally record your input on a variety of design elements, please complete the survey by June 15, 2026. Residents are encouraged to attend our last two open houses at the Elks Hall in Riverside Tuesday, June 2 between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., and 4 and 6 p.m.

Water Management and Adaptation Strategy survey

The City is developing a long-term Water Management and Adaptation Strategy to help plan for future water challenges. With pressures like extreme weather, population growth, and aging infrastructure, long-term planning is more important than ever and we want to know what matters to you.

Head over to medicinehat.ca/waterstrategy before June 19 to complete a short online survey that seeks to understand:

which water challenges matter most to you
how urgent you think action is, and
your level of support for different approaches

When filling out the survey, you can enter to win a $75 prepaid credit card.

Sports Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony

Sunday, May 31 | 7 p.m. | Big Marble Go Centre

The City of Medicine Hat invites community members to attend the 2026 Sports Wall of Fame Induction Ceremony on Sunday, May 31 at Big Marble Go Centre.

Established in 1983, the Sports Wall of Fame recognizes individuals who have made outstanding contributions to sport in our community. Over the years, the Wall of Fame has grown into a lasting tribute to the athletes, builders, and leaders whose dedication and achievements have helped shape the sporting culture of Medicine Hat.

This year, the City is proud to welcome three new inductees to the Sports Wall of Fame:

Robert Grisonich
Wade Peterson
Wes King-Hunter

The public is encouraged to join us as we celebrate the accomplishments, leadership, and lasting impact of these exceptional community members.

JazzFest 2026!

June 16 – 21 | Various Times and Locations

JazzFest is bringing back local gems and international stars presenting the best jazz of the summer at their 30th edition of the event. There are a variety of paid and ticketed events, club shows and workshops throughout the city. This year you can look forward to the new Medalta Dance Party and community jam. There is a back up venue for any outdoor event in true rain or shine fashion!

Featured Concert Artists for 2026:

Kristin Korb / Jason Marsalis / Mary Ancheta / Ron Di Lauro Sextet / Francois Bourassa / Robert Lee / The Ostara Project / The Medalta Dance Party with Ciara Hager / Klave Latin Band / The Ray Charles Tribute Orchestra.

For more information and to get your tickets please visit here.

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

Smooth streets ahead: annual roadway resurfacing begins

The City of Medicine Hat’s annual roadway resurfacing program (milling and overlay) is set to begin Monday, June 1 in four key locations:

Redcliff Drive SW (7 Street SW to 13 Street SW) – View map
South Railway Street SE (5 Street SE to Kingsway Avenue SE) – View map
11 Avenue NE (Terrace Drive NE to Terrace Road NE) – View map
12 Street NE (Division Avenue North to 8 Street NE) – View map (2 pages)

These locations are selected based on priority identified in the City’s asset management plan. Work begins with infrastructure repairs adjacent to the roadways, including catch basins, concrete curb and gutter, and sidewalks, with resurfacing to follow.

Read the announcement for what to expect in the work zones.

Visiting Ranchlands?

Are you planning to visit the Ranchlands neighbourhood in the next few weeks? We just want to let you know that a section of Ranchlands Boulevard NE is closed in order to install water and sewer services to 10 new lots, known as “The Spur”.

From May 25 to roughly June 12, traffic will be detoured to Ranchman Crescent NE, so plan just a little extra time to get to where you’re going and adhere to all posted detour and speed signs to help ensure the safety of crews and residents.

Learn more at medicinehat.ca/thespur.

N-1 Electric Generation

You may hear the term “N-1” when people talk about the City’s electric generation business. It’s a reliability standard that means the power system must still meet peak local demand if one major component - such as a generator or transformer - fails unexpectedly.

For Medicine Hat, N-1 also acts as a limit on how much generation capacity the City can own. Under section 95(4) of the Electric Utilities Act, the City cannot own more generation capacity than is needed to reliably serve customers in our service area.

This means that while selling excess electricity to Alberta’s grid can be beneficial, and we participate as much as we can, the City’s generation capacity is regulated and our power is reserved for our customers first.

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

Program Leader

Temporary | Full-Time | On-Site

Are you someone who loves being outdoors, connecting with people, and bringing community spaces to life? The City of Medicine Hat is looking for a Program Leader to support our parks, pathways, and summer events.

In this role, you'll spend your time out in the community-supporting safe and respectful use of over 190 km of trails, connecting with residents, and helping create positive experiences at local festivals and events. If you enjoy a mix of outdoor work, community engagement, and hands-on event support, this is a great opportunity to make a visible impact in our city.

Learn more and apply

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