Neat to Know: October 16, 2025

Electors can choose to cast their vote at any one of ten polling locations throughout the City on Election Day, Monday, October 20. Voting stations are open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. A new digital List of Electors will update in real-time across all polling locations to maintain accurate records of who has voted.

For more information about voting visit medicinehat.ca/voterinfo

To help minimize wait times on election day, residents are encouraged to register in advance.  Medicine Hat electors can register to vote, check their registration status, and update personal details using our online Voter Lookup tool.  Voters who are not registered can still register and vote at the polls. All voters must bring an acceptable form of identification.

Voter Look-up

Recent updates to the Local Authorities Elections Act ban the use of electronic tabulators so, for the first time in decades, the ballots from Medicine Hat's Municipal Election will be counted by hand. Ballot counting will begin after the polls close at 8 p.m. on Monday, October 20. Preliminary unofficial results for the 2025 Municipal Election will begin appearing on the City’s website as soon as counts are reported and updated hourly until 2 a.m. on election night. If ballot counting continues past that time, updates will resume at least once per hour during regular business hours until counting is complete.

Election results are considered official at 12 noon on the fourth day after Election Day. Results can be found at medicinehat.ca/electionresults.

We’ll now shift the spotlight to our Awards of Service recipients – new profiles will be added daily to the webpage linked above, so stay tuned!

Q3 report - permit application processing times

Our Planning and Development Services department has published its third quarterly report identifying how permit application processing times fared compared to the established Levels of Service.

Application types in the Q3 2025 report include:

• Development Permit applications
• Building Permit applications
• Trade Permit applications
• Business License applications

Read the full third-quarter update to see how we fared.

The Levels of Service are part of the department’s effort to provide predictable service levels to further strengthen confidence among the development community and all permit holders in Medicine Hat. The corresponding quarterly updates identify and measure desired levels to proactively improve community outcomes.

View past quarterly reports on our Business and Development Reports webpage.

Service level inventory

Our residents deserve a high level of service and operating standard for the municipal services we deliver, for a cost we can afford.

For instance, do you know we spend roughly the same percentage of our municipal operating budget to provide animal pound services as we do to operate Echo Dale Regional Park? How do we know? We have a new comprehensive service level inventory!

The Community Service Level Inventory is a detailed catalogue of City services, the cost to deliver those services, and the impact on the City’s overall budget.

Teens, this one’s for YOU! Teen Takeover is your monthly night of exclusive fun at the Big Marble Go Centre.

💥 Kick things off with an hour of all-out Nerf Rival chaos in the Fieldhouse
💦 Then hit the private pool sesh to chill, splash, and vibe with your friends.

Teen Takeover = your space, your rules.

👥 Ages: 13–17
💲 Cost: FREE with your membership or $8 youth admission

For more information and to register, click here.

Last Days to visit Colin Starkevich Exhibition: Forever Grasslands

Friday October 17 and Saturday October 18, Noon to 5 PM, Esplanade

Majestic golden hills and breathtaking coulees feel infinite in Forever Grasslands, a solo exhibition by Alberta-based artist Colin Starkevich. These large-scale paintings pay homage to the wildlife that thrives within this resilient ecosystem. As the viewer steps closer, they’ll encounter every blade of grass, every feather marked within these realistic depictions of wildlife, from the solitude of a rock wren above the South Saskatchewan River to the adventure of a prairie dog’s survival. These works speak to the significance of wilderness and the life within them.

Colin explains, “I feel the paintings in this exhibition raise awareness of the Alberta grasslands as well as celebrate the conservation efforts that maintain these wild spaces. The natural grasslands region motivates and inspires me to utilize my abilities as an artist.”

Gallery Admission is always PAY WHAT YOU WILL. Visit esplanade.ca for more information.

With the bulk of the construction season winding down for 2025, that means some beautiful new – or revitalized – amenities for Hatters to enjoy!

A couple of our recently reopened amenities include Herald courts, East Glen rink and court, and a section of trail between Gas City Campground (GCC) and Echo Dale Regional Park (EDRP).

Herald Courts now have a brand-new full basketball court, revitalized tennis court, and a new parking lot. Plus, users can enjoy the lighting and fencing upgrades. East Glen is now home to a brand-new high-board rink, basketball court, boardwalk, and lighting upgrades. Check out a video of these upgrades.

And, the GCC to EDRP trail closure was to accommodate repairs on two bridges. This work was done to ensure users can safely navigate this trail for years to come. Check out a video of this beautiful bridge work.

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