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CMHA-Alberta Division has been informed by the CMHA-Alberta Southeast Region (CMHA-ASER) Board that they have made the difficult decision to cease operations effective immediately due to financial pressures.
Providing community mental health care programs and services, including suicide prevention support, in Medicine Hat and throughout Alberta is a priority to CMHA-Alberta Division. We are dedicated to ensuring the ongoing delivery of effective programming in Medicine Hat. CMHA-Alberta Division will be working with local partners and other CMHA regions as part of this process to determine the best path forward.
All questions specifically related to the current CMHA-ASER operations should be directed to CMHA-ASER Board Chair Carole Hillson, mcarolehillson@gmail.com. Questions regarding programming can be directed to CMHA-AB Division CEO (interim) Mara Grunau, ceo@cmha.ab.ca.

As entrepreneurs, we often find ourselves juggling numerous tasks, wearing multiple hats, and feeling the weight of an ever-growing to-do list. There comes a pivotal moment when our plates are not just full but overflowing, signalling the need for a change—a moment when growth becomes essential to your business. Understanding these signs can pave the way for a more efficient and thriving business.

Recognizing the Signs

1. Overwhelmed + Overloaded

When the day-to-day responsibilities start encroaching on your ability to strategize, innovate, and focus on critical business aspects, it's an obvious sign that you're stretched too thin.

Take my experience with social media—I was swamped with it, barely leaving any wiggle room to work on larger items, reach out to clients etc. That realization pushed me to contract another individual to help me with the more day-to-day items which has significantly helped my work process! I try to keep a number of freelancers/contractors in my back pocket to ensure I have access to professionals who could help fulfill projects, responsibilities etc.

2. Limited Scalability

A successful business isn't just about meeting current demands; it's about having the bandwidth to scale and grow for the future. If your workload inhibits your capacity to take on more clients or projects without compromising quality, it's an indicator that your business model might need reevaluation.

3. Mental Health Impact

Statistics shed light on a concerning trend: entrepreneurs tend to sideline their well-being in the relentless pursuit of business triumph. Neglecting self-care amidst the pressures of running a business catapults burnout rates. It's crucial to recognize that nurturing your mental health directly influences your business's effectiveness.

However, let's be honest—it's far easier said than done. Entrepreneurs often pour every ounce of energy into their projects, clients, or the overall business. Struggling to strike that balance? Consider seeking guidance from a mentor or coach to help navigate those barriers. I understand this struggle firsthand—I'm deeply passionate about my work, and as a result, I've found myself skipping meals, up at all hours of the night and sacrificing personal and family time for work commitments.

Steps to Ready Yourself for Growth

1. Assess Your Workload:

Create a detailed inventory of your tasks. Identify repetitive or time-consuming responsibilities that could be delegated or automated. For instance, social media management, administrative tasks, sales, or customer service might be prime areas for offloading.

Consider bringing on a contract position, part-time, (or if needed) full-time employee to help manage the workload. One of the biggest 'clicking' moments in my career was understanding that 'in order to make money - you need to spend money' which really speaks to the importance of investing in your business.

2. Evaluate Your Scalability:

Consider your current workload in relation to your capacity. Are you turning down opportunities due to limitations in time or resources? Assess the potential for expansion and determine if additional support or restructuring is necessary.

You may find yourself wanting to take on more even with your overflowing plates, thinking ‘I’ll find a way to make it work.’ But the question truly is.. Can you? Maybe you put more effort into this project but by default, something else will suffer in return. As entrepreneurs, it is extremely common for us to take on too much and we find it very hard to ask for help, or admit that we may need assistance.

3. Prioritize Mental Well-being:

Entrepreneurship can be demanding, but it shouldn’t come at the expense of your health. Incorporate self-care practices into your routine and be mindful of stress triggers. Remember, a healthy mind drives a successful business. 

‘‘Work-life balance” is something every business owner has heard and strived for. Find ways to shut off your ‘work brain’ and fill pockets of time for self-care, family, or friends. You are more than your business, remember you are a human who has needs, wants, goals, desires etc. If it helps, try scheduling personal time in your calendar - force yourself to prioritize your mental well-being.

Conclusion

Recognizing the signs that it's time to grow your business is the first step towards a more sustainable and fulfilling entrepreneurial journey. Delegating tasks, reassessing scalability, and prioritizing mental well-being are not just business strategies but essential components for success. Embrace growth not only for your business's sake but for your own personal fulfillment.

Glen Motz, Member of Parliament

Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner

November 28, 2023                                                                                     For Immediate Release

News Release

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The launch of the 2024 Canada Summer Jobs (CSJ) program is now open. When young people have the skills and experience they need to join the workforce, they benefit our communities and economy.

Employers from not-for-profit organizations, the public sector and private sector organizations with 50 or fewer full-time employees can apply for funding to hire students next summer. Full-time job placements will become available starting in April 2024.

Glen Motz, Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat–Cardston-Warner stated, “I would encourage not-for-profit organizations and eligible employers in Medicine Hat–Cardston–Warner to apply. Let’s empower our young people by assisting them in developing their skills and gaining valuable workplace experience.”

National priorities include: youth with disabilities or organizations that provide services to persons with disabilities; youth underrepresented in the labour market; youth in rural/remote areas; experience related to skilled trades; sustainable jobs that support the protection of the environment.

In Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warne_r, MP Motz’s local priorities will also focus on:_ not-for-profit organizations; small businesses; municipal activities; agriculture; and projects supporting local and regional tourism development.

Canada Summer Jobs employer applications are being accepted from today until January 10, 2024. Employers interested in applying for CSJ 2024 funding can submit their applications electronically through the Access Grants and Contributions Online Services - Canada.ca website – Youth Employment and Skills Strategy (YESS).

For more information and to apply, please visit Canada.ca/Canada-summer-jobs or phone 1-800-935-5555.

In the end, all that was missing was the, “Build Back Better,” logo.

On Nov. 29th, Danielle Smith’s United Conservative government went all-in on the Net Zero agenda, announcing one of the largest subsidies in provincial history to one of the world’s largest corporations to help retrofit a Fort Saskatchewan plastics plant.

The Dow Chemical plant was rechristened as the Path2Zero project, referring to the plan to capture all carbon emissions from the plant’s operations.

The cost to Alberta taxpayers will be $1.8 Billion, not in loans or guarantees, but in direct subsidies. Federal taxpayers (including Albertans) will be on the hook for another $400 Million.

Sharing the stage with Smith at the announcement was Justin Trudeau’s handpicked Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, a member of the World Economic Forum’s Board of Trustees. Dow is also listed as a partner on the WEF’s website.

It should also be noted that back in April, Dow’s board officially selected Linde as its clean hydrogen partner for the project. Linde is a participant in the United Nations Global Compact, a group dedicated to pushing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Folks, something stinks and it isn’t carbon dioxide.

While many countries around the world are currently stepping away from expensive and often counterproductive Net Zero commitments, there appears to be no closing the 24/7 corporate welfare buffet here in Alberta.

While Smith’s government ostensibly opposes the federal carbon tax, it has done nothing to curtail its own industrial carbon tax – which is tied directly to the federal carbon tax’s rates (which are set to increase from $65 per tonne today to $170 per tonne in 2030).

Even worse, the government’s joint statement on the Path2Zero project went so far as to praise the provincial carbon tax, stating, “We are pleased that Alberta’s… stable industrial carbon pricing system… made Alberta the most attractive choice.”

You heard that right, tripling the provincial carbon tax over seven years is apparently, “stable.”

Just shut up and pay more. We’ll tell you what’s good for you.

If it wasn’t clear before now, Alberta’s government is back to playing the Jason Kenney game.

Sure, Smith talks tough when the cameras are on – but she’s more than happy to play ball with the federal government and the World Economic Forum the second you’re not looking.

Keep this in mind as Ottawa and Edmonton continue their feud over electricity regulations.

As I have written previously, virtually every industry expert agrees that the Trudeau Net Zero 2035 plan is unworkable in the real world, and will lead to brownouts. But Smith’s Net Zero 2050 plan will also cost Albertans tens of billions in higher rates, delivery charges, and taxpayer-funded corporate welfare.

As it happens, both plans are deigned to meet arbitrary objectives that were set by foreign bureaucrats, and neither plan has ever been directly ratified by Canadian voters.

Funny how that works.

There is a term that perfectly describes these Net Zero plans, which are supported by both provincial and federal governments, backed by lobbyists from global companies, and driven by international organizations like the WEF and UN.

The term is railroaded. We’re being railroaded.

So, for now, it’s, “All aboard the Net Zero express.”

You’re getting a ticket whether you want one or not.

Is your home winter ready?

By Valerie Fraser

As the weather begins to dip into the negative digits, we all start to pull our winter coats, toques, mitts and scarves out of storage. As you get yourself prepared for winter, don’t forget to also get your home winter ready. Steve Fraser, Owner/Inspector at A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections in Medicine Hat and SW Saskatchewan, assists and educates his clients on effective winter property maintenance tips that will help preserve the lifespan of the properties and save them money in the future.

“A home inspection isn’t just about protecting your investment, but also about protecting you and your family,” says Fraser, who is a licensed professional property inspector as well as a certified WETT (Wood Energy Technology Transfer) inspector. “Our inspections provide the homeowner with a customized home maintenance schedule as a way to assist them in maintaining the value of their investment.”

According to Fraser, cleaning gutters with downspouts and downspout extensions is vital to ensure that when the snow melts on the roof it is able to travel away from the home. Fraser says if the water is not allowed to travel away from the home, blockages in the drainage system can create stagnant water that can freeze and thaw, which will eventually cause unnecessary wear to the shingles, which can cause leaking into the home.

Fraser also suggests homeowners check their attics for proper ventilation.

“During colder months, there’s an increased risk of moisture within a home’s attic space. If given a pathway, warm, moist air finds its way into the attic and condenses before it’s able to exhaust through various venting systems,” explains Fraser. “The harsh, cold temperatures turn this condensation into frost and, as the weather warms up, the frost melts and can cause serious damage to the sheathing, roof framing, insulation, and living space below.”

Additionally, Fraser encourages homeowners to conduct a walk-around of the home's exterior with an outdoor sealant. “If you find a worn out or cracked sealant at the windows or holes on the exterior, it is best to seal those areas,” Fraser says. “This home maintenance routine will pay off in avoiding leaks into the house.”

Not sure how to accomplish some of your winter home maintenance tasks? Not to worry. Fraser and his team at A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections are the experts in providing personalized property consultations. However, for those more keen on DIY, here are a few tips on how to save time, money, and frustration this winter.

Furnace and heating systems

“Check and clean or replace furnace air filters each month during high usage season to reduce energy costs. It is also beneficial to switch thermostats out for programmable options. Ventilation systems, such as heat recovery ventilator filters, should be checked every two months.”

Hot water tanks

“After consulting your hot water tank owner’s manual, drain off a dishpan full of water from the clean-out valve at the bottom of your hot water tank to control sediment and maintain efficiency.”

Faucets

“Check all faucets for signs of dripping and change washers as needed. Faucets requiring frequent replacement of washers may be in need of repair or replacement.”

Prevent pipe freezing

“Have your underground sprinkler systems blown out and winterized, and exterior faucets and water lines drained and insulated.

Prepare winter essentials

“Locate snow removal tools, such as snow shovels, plows, and snow blowers. Make sure they are ready to go.”

Electrical cords

“Check electrical cords, plugs, and outlets for all indoor and outdoor seasonal lights to ensure fire safety. If showing signs of wear, or if plugs/cords feel warm, replace immediately.”

Steve and his team at A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections are available for a winter home consultation to ensure that your home is winter-ready!

Contact Steve at 403.878.7580 and check out A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections website for great home maintenance tips at www.abuyerschoice.com/medicinehat.

November 23, 2023

Dear Members,

Yesterday we cut through the fog created by government about who provides primary care in Alberta. Our colleagues across the health care spectrum deserve respect and support. So do family physicians, who cannot be replaced by nurse practitioners. Integrated teams have been demonstrated to be the best model for primary care — evidence supports the model. It is misleading to suggest otherwise.

I made that point on Global News, CBC and AMA's X account. The Section of Family Medicine spoke out in a communication to section members. And I have submitted and hope to see a similar op-ed in tomorrow’s Edmonton Journal

I want to say thank you to the members who are working so hard with the AMA to develop a new model for longitudinal family practice. Government has invited this work and promised to address the crisis. You can read about that work on the AMA website (member login required), and I urge you to stay informed and share your input.

Regards,

Paul Parks
President, Alberta Medical Association

Medicine Hat, AB – The City of Medicine Hat, in partnership with the Community Food Connections Association, is relocating the Kipling Community Garden to Osborne Park in Crescent Heights. Starting Spring of 2024, the tennis courts in Osborne Parks will close, paving the way for the community garden.

Much of the infrastructure for the facility will remain onsite, such as the perimeter fence, lighting, asphalt court surface, and parking lot. The gardens will comprise of above-ground planters, thus minimal modifications are needed to repurpose the facility.

“This location was strategic as the current tennis court is nearing the end of its service life and boasts an established irrigation system for the gardens,” says Jamie McLeod, Manager Asset Planning, Parks and Recreation. “By repurposing underutilized spaces, the City is emphasizing responsibility and sustainable urban planning.”  

In December 2022, City Council endorsed and approved the donation of land where the Kipling Community Garden currently resides. This parcel of land will facilitate the construction of an affordable housing complex with the local organization, Medicine Hat Community Housing.

“Relocating the Kipling Community Garden to Osborne Park is an example of how challenges can be transformed into opportunities for the betterment of our community,” says Ryan Staples, Project Coordinator/Surface Landman, Environment Land and Gas Production. “With its existing infrastructure, Osborne Park is an ideal location that minimizes waste and maximizes utility, benefiting both the Community Food Connections Association and our local residents.”

With the impending closure of the tennis courts at Osborne Park, residents are encouraged to utilize other tennis facilities in the community. Additionally, developments at Jeffries Park will be soon underway to create a multi-season playing surface. 

To learn more about Community Gardens in Medicine Hat and their benefits, visit: https://www.foodconnections.ca/garden. 

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For media inquiries, please contact: media@medicinehat.ca

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**Medicine Hat, AB **– Recognizing the challenges residents face in finding reliable and timely information amidst an abundance of internet content, the City of Medicine Hat has launched a weekly digital feature, Neat to Know, a communication initiative that will compile significant City-related news into a single, easily accessible link.

"Launching this effort is part of our ongoing strategy to continually improve communications to residents in Medicine Hat,” says Director of Communications, Engagement and Marketing, Colleen Graham. “We have a high volume of information to share with the community, some of which is very complex, yet we know that everyone is inundated with information every day. Neat to Know is not a fix-all, but it is designed to streamline information into one source, offering a singular, weekly digest that makes City news consumable and readily available with one click."

This initiative will compile a weekly digest of key updates from the City of Medicine Hat such as new projects, service disruptions, road closures, arts and culture events, educational features, City Council highlights, and more. Each item will be summarized to highlight the main takeaways, with an option to access more detailed information via a link to the City of Medicine Hat website for those interested in exploring a specific topic further.

Neat to Know will not replace other communication tools like social media posts and feature stories, news releases, and public advisories, but will enhance current efforts by providing a consistent, predictable source of City news and information for residents, ultimately simplifying how they receive and process news in an ever-changing technology landscape.

"As a communication specialist, our team is constantly navigating the complexities of the misinformation age and the evolving landscape of technology, particularly in social media," says Kelli Ireland, corporate communications specialist. "Social media is a primary information source for the public so we need to be constantly adapting our strategies. This involves leveraging new tools and trends, strategically circumventing algorithms, and choosing optimal times and days for posting. The platforms are always changing, and we need to be changing with them.”

Residents can expect to see a weekly edition of Neat to Know on City social media accounts and published on the City website, and can even sign up to have it delivered to their inbox.

Read the first edition of Neat to Know on the City’s news page.

Receive Neat to Know and other City news by signing up to our e-notifications at subscribe.medicinehat.ca. 

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For media inquiries, please contact: media@medicinehat.ca

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Medicine Hat, AB – In partnership with Family and Community Support Services, the Digital Wellness Coalition, Students Association of Medicine Hat College, and What Matters to Hatters, the City is hosting a series of film screenings and interactive discussions centered around the documentary, The Great Disconnect.

The Great Disconnect is a film that delves into the importance of community connections at the grassroots level. It explores the critical reasons and methods for establishing and nurturing these connections, thereby encouraging a dialogue about creating inclusive social spaces and enhancing community well-being.  

"The value of community and neighborhood connections cannot be understated,” said Anabell Marroquin, Community Resource Worker, City of Medicine Hat. “Research shows that people who feel connected in their community, whether at a geographic level or in an interest group, live a more fulfilled life and can give back to the community. Social connections have a significant benefit on both physical and mental wellbeing.”

To make the film accessible to as many residents as possible, there are multiple viewings of the film at four different locations. 

Scheduled Viewings:

Thursday, Dec. 7 at 1 p.m. – Medicine Hat Public Library*. Seats are on a first come, first serve basis. 
Thursday, Dec. 14 at 7 p.m. – Esplanade*. Reserved seating. Free tickets can be accessed at tixx.ca.

*Events also feature a round table discussion planned after the film viewing.

Following the film, attendees will have the opportunity to engage in roundtable discussions, sharing insights and ideas on building community connections.

For further information, see the Great Disconnect Trailer: https://vimeo.com/297421782

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For media inquiries, please contact: media@medicinehat.ca

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MEDICINE HAT, AB - A joint investigation between ALERT and the Medicine Hat Police Service has led to charges against three suspected drug dealers.
The investigation concluded on November 14, 2023, when a search warrant was executed at a home in the city’s North Flats neighbourhood. ALERT Medicine Hat’s organized crime team seized 126 grams of fentanyl, 43 grams of methamphetamine, as well as two conducted energy weapons.
 
Jewelry, and a large number of bicycles, including several e-bikes were also seized as investigators believe it to be stolen property.
 
The drugs seized have an estimated street value of nearly $30,000. Meanwhile, investigators are trying to return the stolen property to its rightful owners.
 
“It’s common that these types of investigations also lead us to seizing stolen property. The impacts of drug activity in a community, big or small, affect our neighbours and sense of community safety,” said Staff Sgt. Ryan Thorburn, ALERT Medicine Hat.
 
The investigation began in October when ALERT received information regarding the trafficking of methamphetamine and fentanyl in the city.
 
 
Three people have been charged, while charges are pending against three additional suspects.
Jacqueline Dopp, 45 years old of Medicine Hat, is charged with:  

1. Possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking;
2. Possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking; and
3. Possession of a prohibited weapon x2.

 
Tammie Melnick, 39 years old of Medicine Hat, is charged with:

1. Possession of methamphetamine for the purpose of trafficking;
2. Possession of fentanyl for the purpose of trafficking; and
3. Possess Identity Documents x 10.

Cole Mowatt, 40 years old of Medicine Hat, is charged with:

1. Forgery x 3;
2. Possess Identity Information

 
Members of the public who suspect drug or gang activity in their community can call local police, or contact Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477). Crime Stoppers is always anonymous.
ALERT was established and is funded by the Alberta Government and is a compilation of the province’s most sophisticated law enforcement resources committed to tackling serious and organized crime.

Parents looking for help understanding and guiding the development of their children from age 12 to 18 can now turn to a workshop series available at Medicine Hat College.

Parenting Through Adolescence is facilitated by clinical psychologist, Dr. Emily Wang, and Master of Social Work/registered social worker, Shawn O’Grady, who together help parents understand what can be a challenging time in their children’s lives.

“This program will help parents better understand their child and learn strategies to effectively communicate, avoid conflict, and work through negative behaviours, in a way that helps instill positive mental health in children as they approach adulthood,” says O’Grady.

Made possible through The Brandon Niwa Legacy Fund – The Beej Project -- the five modules within the workshop series are designed to help parents better understand their adolescent’s brain, develop strategies for relationship building, navigate neurodivergent diagnoses, and manage high-risk behaviours in adolescents. Parents are welcome to join the second module scheduled for Saturday, November 25.

Jennifer Kerslake, director of community engagement at MHC, says the need for the workshop was identified by MHC and its advisory panel, a group of professionals from the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education, Medicine Hat Public School Division, Prairie Rose Public Schools, and Medicine Hat Police Service.

“At Medicine Hat College, we believe it is important to offer opportunities that help to meet the needs of our communities,” says Kerslake. “We are grateful to be able to provide our region with these exceptional mental health resources and partnerships because of the generosity of the Niwa Family.”

To learn more and to register for the upcoming workshop series, please visit www.mhc.ab.ca.

For information about The Beej Project, visit www.mhc.ab.ca/BeejProject

Launching Midnight Madness Tonight

Tonight's the night! Medicine Hat's eagerly awaited annual event, Midnight Madness, is set to dazzle downtown from 4:00 pm to 12:00 midnight. Hosted by The Downtown Collective and the Medicine Hat & District Chamber of Commerce, this celebration brings together the community for an unforgettable start to the holiday season.

A Festive Downtown Extravaganza

Right now, downtown Medicine Hat is transforming into a festive wonderland. Scheduled strategically on the Friday before Black Friday, the event encourages early Christmas shopping while highlighting the charm of local businesses.

Vibrant Activities Underway

From now until midnight, downtown comes alive with an assortment of activities. Live music fills the streets, and the holiday tree lighting ceremony promises to brighten the night with festive spirit.

Support Local, Shop Local

Participating shops and boutiques are offering exclusive deals and discounts, inviting everyone to kickstart their holiday shopping while supporting local entrepreneurs with incredible deals!
Check out the shopping deals!!
https://chamber.medicinehatchamber.com/midnightmadness

Check Out the Agenda

For a detailed breakdown of events, refer to the Midnight Madness Agenda and ensure you make the most of this evening's entertainment and community spirit.

Community, Unity, and Countdown

Midnight Madness isn't just about shopping; it's a celebration of unity within the community. It's a time when locals gather to embrace the festive season and the lively atmosphere of downtown Medicine Hat.

Embrace the Current Magic

As the clock ticks toward midnight, downtown Medicine Hat is pulsating with energy. Whether you're seeking fantastic deals, live entertainment, or simply want to soak up the holiday spirit, tonight promises an evening filled with joy and camaraderie.

Join the Festivities Tonight

If you're in Medicine Hat, tonight's the night to experience the enchantment of Midnight Madness. Head to downtown Medicine Hat and be part of this magical celebration, creating lasting memories of this special event.

The year is 2030.

Carbon taxes and inflation are driving up the cost of everything, the housing crisis has made home ownership a distant dream for our kids, and the gap between rich and poor has never been larger.

This might sound like some far off doomsday prediction. It’s not. In fact, it’s a simple restatement of headlines from this year, 2023. The doomsday scenario as we move towards to 2030 is much worse: The disappearance of Canada’s middle class.

Since the Second World War, our economy and society has greatly benefitted from having a strong middle class. It has afforded us social cohesion, higher levels of education, improved healthcare, not to mention scientific and technological advancement.

Yet for decades, the pressure on the middle class has grown more acute, with the cost of living outstripping wage growth. And every step of the way our politicians have promised to do better while objectively making things worse.

While governments like to crow about economic growth, the fact is the growth we are experiencing today is not lifting living standards. By one estimate, food prices have risen by 41 per cent since September of 2013, while hourly wages have only increased by 24 per cent. The numbers are even worse for housing, as various levels of government have simultaneously restricted supply while increasing demand.

The current federal government’s decision to keep increasing its inflationary carbon tax at the same time it vastly increased the money supply was just gas on the fire.

But that isn’t even the whole story. The federal government alone increased taxes on Canadians in five areas in 2023 alone, imposing a second carbon tax, ramping up mandatory CPP and EI contributions, and hiking liquor taxes. Here in Alberta, the government gave with one hand while it takes with another. Yes, the province suspended provincial fuel taxes, but it also hiked its industrial carbon tax with committing to Net Zero 2050 objectives, which will drive up the cost of electricity and heat for decades to come.

Is it any wonder that cost of living/inflation is the top concern of 69 per cent of Albertans, according to a recent poll? In fact, the Angus Reid’s economic stress index suggests 39 per cent of Albertans are struggling financially. This is the second highest result in Canada, behind only Manitoba at 42 per cent.

In the short term, however, Canada faces a much larger problem: Interest rates.

To fight inflation, last year the Bank of Canada started ramping up interest rates, from 0.25 per cent to 5 per cent today.

Officials started out dismissing concerns about short-term rate increases because inflation was “transitory.” More than a year later, Bank officials are now warning the high interest rates might be here to stay.

So what’s the big deal?

Our country has the highest levels of household debt in the G-7, and three quarters of that debt is mortgage debt. About two thirds of that mortgage debt will need to be renewed prior to 2026, with half in 2024-25. Higher interest rates will mean substantially higher payments.

We’re seeing the spike already. In February 2022, the average monthly mortgage payment was $1,460. It’s now above $1,900, up more than 30 per cent. Those payments could rise another 15 per cent by the end of 2024, 30 per cent by the end of 2025 and potentially 45 per cent by the end of 2026.

In practice, this means billions in disposable income disappearing, all while mortgage defaults start increasing. It also means a once in a lifetime recession that can’t be papered over with borrowed money.

The temptation, for politicians, will be to simply extend amortization periods for mortgages, and carry on as usual.

This passing-the-buck solution allows them to keep doing what they have grown accustomed to doing - keep increasing spending, keep running up debt, keep hiking taxes, keep printing money, and keep whittling away at the middle class. Given the opportunity, most politicians would be happy to keep whistling as the economy falls of a cliff.

The better long-term solution is for government to come to the realization that inflation is caused by inflationary policies, and reverse those policies. This means abandoning pointless green energy schemes that do nothing for the environment while making people’s lives more expensive. It means ending corporate welfare for subsidy-dependent industries that the private market does not support. It means reducing the burden on taxpayers, particularly the working class.

If politicians ever get serious about reducing inflation through government policy, it would allow the Bank of Canada to decrease interest rates sooner. Of course, that approach requires governments to do what families do and live within their means.

At this point, I’m not taking bets that politicians are interested in doing the right thing… even if it means doomsday for the middle class.

Medicine Hat – The City of Medicine Hat has recently installed two new Electric Vehicle (EV) charging stations at Towne Square in the city’s downtown.
“We’re charging forward to support the transition to low-emission vehicles,” said Grayson Mauch, Director of the City’s Utility Distribution Systems. “Improving access to charging stations ensures our community can welcome tourists and residents who have made the switch to electric vehicles.”
Funding for this project was provided by the SouthGrow Regional Initiative (SGRI), in partnership with the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre (MCCAC), and Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), through the Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program (ZEVIP). The grant covered $20,000 while the City contributed just over $27,000 for the upfront capital costs.
Two Level 2 pedestals, each with two charging ports, are located at the northeast corner of the Towne Square parking lot at 603 First Street SE.Each of the four ports can provide 8.3 kilowatts (kW) each.
Mauch adds, “We chose Towne Square for our first install because it is a high use, well illuminated lot that is always open to the public. We’ll continue to seek out and commit funding to build out our public EV charging network from here.”
Users will initiate a charging session and pay $2 per hour through the Hypercharge iOS and Android application. Drivers are not subject to Hot Spot parking fees while hooked up to an EV charger.
EV drivers can map charger locations, including Towne Square, on the PlugShare website or app.
For more information, visit www.medicinehat.ca/ElectricVehicles

Written by Chris Brown, Head of Marketing and Community Engagement

Book Sale supports buying materials, running programs

Set a reminder for Thursday and then set your alarm for Friday.

It’s Book Sale day. Day one to be specific.

Yes, the traditional fall Friends of the Medicine Hat Public Library Society Book Sale is back on Nov. 17-18. It’s been known to attract a long lineup well before the library doors open at 10 a.m.

"The Friends of the Library book sale is an important event for the library and the community,” says chief librarian Ken Feser. “It provides extra revenue for the library and provides a new home for our old books that have been removed from our collection. It is also much loved and anticipated by the community. Book sale days are among our busiest days of the year."

The Friends of the Library says the money raised from the book sales are used by the Library to purchase materials or to run programs. There are usually two book sales each year – one also takes place in the spring – and between them typically raise between $5,000 and $7,000 for the library.

“Beyond raising funds for our public library, the book sale makes reading accessible to all,” Lisa Galecki, a member of the Friends of the Medicine Hat Public Library Society, told the Medicine Hat News. “Books and stories take people to new worlds – they entertain and enrich. In past years, readers have been able to find up to five books for a dollar. We have books for kids of all ages, easy readers, teens and young adults, and fiction and non-fiction books. There’s something for everyone, and we always have rare and unexpected treasures.”

There will be thousands of gently-used books available as well as DVDs and CDs.

The sale is a great opportunity to stock up on all the reading, watching and listening materials you need for the next few months.

“It’s also a perfect opportunity to sign up for a library card if you don’t yet have one. Cards are free for city residents thanks to the generous sponsorship of local businesses,” added Galecki.

The sale takes place on Nov. 17 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Nov. 18 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Honor Currie Room and the Legion Room downstairs at the library.

Redcliff Public Library is holding its own book sale on the same dates from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. As one commenter on our Facebook page said, “2 used book sales! This must be a dream.”

Follow us on social media: @mhpubliclibrary

MEDICINE HAT, AB - Three Medicine Hat men have been charged with assault following a disturbance that occurred during the afternoon of November 8, 2023, in the 200 block of 2nd Street NE. Upon arrival patrol officers located a man who had been seriously assaulted and required treatment for his injuries.
The MHPS Criminal Investigation Section investigated the matter and identified three men in connection to the incident. Resulting from this investigation the following individuals have been arrested and charged with;

Jeremiah James Alfonse Amero (33 years of age)

• Assault Causing Bodily Harm
• Breach of Release Order x 5

 
Isaiah Cole Wawia (28 years of age)

• Assault Causing Bodily Harm
• Breach of Release Order x 3

 
Ryan Joseph Paskaluk (26 years of age)

• Assault Causing Bodily Harm

The three males were held for Judicial Interim Release Hearings and remain in custody pending their next appearance in Medicine Hat Provincial Court.
The victim of the assault remains in hospital. 

This Remembrance Day marks the 75th anniversary of United Nations Peacekeeping.

As many of you know, Canada was instrumental in creating the first UN peacekeeping mission during the Suez crisis in 1956. Since that first mission, more than 125,000 Canadians have served in peacekeeping efforts in dozens of countries. About 130 of them lost their lives. Like those who served for our country in the First and Second World Wars, the Korean War, the Gulf War, as well as more recently in Afghanistan, many of our peacekeepers also returned home with life-altering physical and mental injuries.

Many of us have a personal connection to Canada’s military history. For me, my Great Uncle was wounded in the First World War. My wife lost two people close to her family in the Second World War, including an uncle and her mother’s first husband. I’m sure your family lost loved ones as well. Remembering their courage and sacrifice is a duty we can all be proud to accept.

Unfortunately, even as Canada increases our military presence in Europe and the Middle East, it seems appreciation for our military history is waning at home.

Back in May, the Government of Canada announced changes to the passport, including the removal of the Vimy Memorial. For shame. This battle in April of 1917 saw four divisions of Canadian farm boys ordered to do something that no other Allied force had done in the First World War: take Vimy Ridge. Marching into a wall of screaming lead, they accomplished the impossible at a horrendous cost, with more than 7,000 wounded and 3,598 killed. In retrospect, historians and political leaders alike have argued that this battle was the place where Canada truly became a nation. Removing the Vimy Memorial from the passport is inexcusable.

As far as 2023 is concerned, the news gets worse. Earlier this fall, the Parliament of Canada went so far as to honor with a standing ovation a former Nazi SS soldier, sparking a scandal that ultimately resulted in the resignation of the Speaker. That any federal official could be so ignorant of history as to praise one of our nation’s enemies in the Second World War as a “Canadian hero,” is astounding.

These are just the latest incidents in what is becoming a trend.

According to a 2021 article in University World News, two of Canada’s most prestigious universities - McGill and the University of Toronto – don’t require a military history course to earn a PhD in history. In fact, our nation’s only military studies department (outside of military college) is at the University of Calgary.

Going back a few years earlier, a public opinion poll found a shocking lack of public knowledge about the Battle of Vimy Ridge, with only 47 percent aware that it took place during the First World War. When presented with a photo of the Vimy Memorial, just 12 percent could identify it, despite the fact that many of us carry a picture of it with us every day. It has been depicted on the $20 bill since 2012.

For me, this declining military history knowledge and appreciation is just sad. There are many lessons to be learned from the victories and the sacrifices of our armed forces. We can learn from their example that every single one of us is capable of summoning courage, living with honor, and acting with resilience in the face of great adversity. To me, there is no more important lesson we can pass on to future generations.

This is partly why I believe it is so important for us to support organizations like the Royal Canadian Legion. In addition to serving our veterans, they work with our schools to bring a different perspective to students. They have the ability to go beyond the impersonal dates and statistics to spark children’s imaginations, helping them to gain a deeper understanding of what it means to be Canadian.

This Remembrance Day, many of us will make our annual trip to the local cenotaph to remember those who fought for us and the freedom we enjoy. I was raised to believe that honoring them is important, we also need to find inspiration in their courage and sacrifice.

When we do that, we can more fully embrace their legacy.

Our Military Deserves Better

As we approach Remembrance Day, I wanted to take a moment and reflect on the service of our men and women in Canada’s military.

Members of our Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) wholeheartedly commit to protecting our great nation and place themselves in harm's way if the call of duty demands it.  However, it is painful when one considers the many ways in which this Liberal government has failed them.  

All too often, this government has failed to supply our deployed troops with the equipment they require to be successful.  Verifiable stories of gear shortages left soldiers purchasing their own modern ballistic helmets and hearing protection, rain gear, vests, and belts to carry water and ammunition while deployed in Latvia. Our female soldiers struggle with the ill-fitting body armour issued in haste. Even basic food supplies have been problematic on deployments.  When soldiers were told to eat at local restaurants while posted overseas, bureaucratic backlogs left troops thousands of dollars in personal debt and their families back home struggling to offset the financial stress.  

This broken system has reached a point where soldiers are leaving the military faster than the pace to replace them. But who can blame them when we are not able to supply the tools they rely on or food while they are deployed on active duty. Adding to that, this government’s domestic natural disaster focus, rather than a national defence and NATO obligation focus, it’s no wonder CAF is currently 16,000 personnel short, are in a constant state of crisis and have low morale.

To make matters worse, the military's Chaplain-General has had to brief the Chief of Defence Staff, about the increasing number of active CAF members seeking food and housing assistance just to make ends meet at home. It's a troubling situation that shouldn't be happening in a prosperous and caring nation like Canada.

But let's be honest - actions speak louder than words. If the government genuinely appreciates the dedication and sacrifices of our soldiers, then it's time to rectify this situation.

Back in 2017 the Senate of Canada reported that the government was only funding 1/3 of the military’s needs and would require $2 Billion in new money per year to maintain operations. Yet, just weeks ago, Trudeau announced he would be cutting CAF funding by $1 Billion, leaving us astoundingly short to meet our NATO obligations. It’s no wonder that Canada’s allies don’t take us seriously. They even excluded us in the security partnership agreement between Australia, the Unites States and the United Kingdom (AUSUK).    

As we approach Remembrance Day, we honour the sacrifice, dedication and selflessness of the men and women that serve our country and those that served before them. But it is also time to recognize that our military members deserve better. It's time for a new government that will demonstrate its commitment to the well-being of our men and women in uniform and the financial commitments that our military requires. It's time for real change. Our Canadian Armed Forces cannot protect our country with the Liberal Government’s apathetic approach.  This Prime Minister is just not worth the cost!!

Today, in a letter to AMA members, President Dr. Paul Parks stated the following regarding concerns about potential changes to AHS structure and delivery of medical services by the UCP government.

Dear Members,
 
You are likely already aware the government has now unveiled plans to “disaggregate” health care services in our province. This restructuring will ultimately see the establishment of four separate crown corporations responsible for various aspects of health care:

• Primary Care
• Acute Care (remaining within AHS)
• Mental Health and Addictions
• Continuing Care

For some time, there have been concerns about the effectiveness and quality of health care delivery in Alberta. We have heard this from members, who have told us that they want government to address suboptimal health care outcomes. We also know that many members support more authentic local decision-making in the health care system.
 
Nevertheless, it is crucial to approach this restructuring responsibly and carefully to ensure these changes do not have adverse impacts on patient care or lead to longer wait times and poorer access for Albertans. As these new functional organizations are being established, our primary concern is continuity of care for the people of Alberta. We must make sure that patients can navigate this new system seamlessly, without disruptions.
 
I have told government that physician co-design is vital, and the AMA has a role to play in guiding the path forward. Our health care system is already in a fragile state. The consistent message I have been hearing from physicians across Alberta is that any changes made in our system must involve input from experts on the front lines – the physicians and allied health care workers who are dedicated to patient care. While it is reassuring to see that the government is committed to consultation, we will be working diligently to make sure they get and heed our input.
 
As government moves forward with their proposed new structure, we will be attentive to the representation rights of physicians working in these other organizations. We will be working to ensure there are answers to questions like: what is the most effective physician representation in a disaggregated system? How will physicians who work in more than one of these entities be compensated? Will physicians have privileges in more than one of these organizations? These and other questions will all require clear answers that support physicians as system leaders.
 
With respect to the proposed governance structure for primary care, government has told us their new model does not propose operational control over clinics. But this will be another area where physicians will need clarification and reassurance and the AMA will be working with members to ensure family physicians and rural generalists are heard and their input respected.
 
While the details and impacts are unclear, what is clear is that physician engagement in each of these new organizations will be critical. The AMA will advocate for our voice at the decision-making tables. Physician representation will remain our priority as these new governance structures are stood up. Physician involvement at the ground-level will help to ensure proper functioning and collaboration across these functional domains.
 
We will be working to ensure that the interests of physicians and our patients are safeguarded during this transformation. Your dedication and expertise are invaluable, and your insights are critical in shaping the future of health care in our province. Together, we can work to ensure that these changes result in a more efficient, effective and patient-centered system for all Albertans.
 
Regards,

Paul Parks
President, Alberta Medical Association

This summary provides a brief overview of City Council meetings and does not reflect all discussion and debate. For full details, download the  agenda package  or watch the full meeting on the _ **City of Medicine Hat’s YouTube channel_**. 

City Council adopted the following items into the corporate record:

• Audit Committee meeting minutes of October 10, 2023
• Development and Infrastructure Committee meeting minutes of October 10, 2023
• Public Services Committee meeting minutes of October 10, 2023
• Corporate Services Committee meeting minutes of October 12, 2023
• Council Committee of the Whole meetings minutes of October 23, 2023
• Public Services Committee meeting minutes of October 23, 2023
  City Council received the following items for information:
• Police Commission meeting minutes of September 27, 2023
• 2022 Municipal Indicators
• Tri-annual Management Report for the period ending August 31, 2023
• Audit Committee Outstanding Items – October 10, 2023
• Development and Infrastructure Committee Outstanding Items - October 10, 2023
• Public Services Committee Outstanding Items - October 10, 2023
• Corporate Services Division - Introduction of New Directors
• Corporate Services Committee Outstanding Items - October 12, 2023
• Medalta 2022 Annual Report
• Memorandum of Agreement - Firefighting Services with Cypress County
• Community Vibrancy Advisory Board Meeting Minutes - July 26, 2023
• Public Services Committee Outstanding Items - October 23, 2023
  Natasha Carvalho, Executive Director and Peggy Revell, Community Education and Awareness Coordinator of the Medicine Hat Women’s Shelter Society (MHWSS) presented to City Council on Family Violence Prevention Month. Ms. Carvalho summarized the services that MHWSS provides in the community and shared information regarding the launch of a significant capital campaign to expand and enhance the shelter’s facility to address current and anticipated demand.
  Under unfinished business, City Council passed Bylaw 4736, a bylaw to Amend the Public Roads Bylaw. The amendments include the ability to establish multi-use crossings at specific locations within the City’s Heritage Trail System where a multi-use trail crosses over a roadway and where it is appropriate to require motor vehicles to yield not only to pedestrians, but also to persons crossing the roadway while riding or using a bicycle, skateboard, scooter, e-scooter, inline skates or roller skates. It also includes an amendment to allow children under fourteen to legally ride on a sidewalk. First reading was given at the September 18, 2023 meeting of City Council.
  Under new business, City Council approved a motion to take no action on a funding request from the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede (MHES) until the following has been received:
• 5 years income and expense projections for the MHES operations and events including proposed new/expanded facilities.
• Business plan outlining operations of MHES proposed facilities including:
  • Current utilization rates of MHES facilities and event attendance
  • Projected utilization rates of MHES facilities including proposed new/expanded facilities
  • A description of how the new/expanded facilities will promote Medicine Hat as a hub in the agribusiness corridor
• Analysis on scaling of existing facilities to accommodate desired target events
• 10-year capital expenditure plans for all MHES facilities identifying any backlog of required maintenance
• Detailed repayment plan for the requested $7.5M interest-free loan
  City Council approved the 2023-2024 Waste Management Strategy. This plan will replace the now expired 2012-2022 Waste Management strategy. This in-depth strategy guides the development of robust and cost-effective programs and systems related to waste reduction, diversion, and disposal. The City of Medicine Hat benefitted from the 2012-2022 waste management strategy with noteworthy outcomes including residential curbside recycling, leaf and yard waste collection/composting, annual waste roundups and landfill airspace enhancements.
  City Council approved a 2023 capital budget amendment of $1,000,000 for a food waste composting piloting project, funded through working capital (which, subject to grant funding, would be offset on a 50% cost-sharing basis up to a maximum of $500,000). The City of Medicine Hat’s 2023-2032 Waste Management strategy identifies food waste composting as one of the biggest opportunities for waste diversion with conservative estimates of 3,700 tonnes of residential waste diverted from the landfill to the composting site.
  City Council approved an increase of funding in the Parks and Recreation 2023 Tangible Capital Asset Drainage & Erosion Remediation Infrastructure program from $378,000 to $478,000; provided by a third-party grant (Trans Canada Trail), as well as a recommendation to accept funding of $2,000 from third party (Trans Canada Trail) for operating; to be used for the decommissioning and repurposing of the Trans Canada Trail Pavilion in Strathcona Island Park. This remediation is to stabilize the location east of the 3rd Street NW trail connection previously impacted by overland drainage erosion and river scour. A section of the multi-use trail (Trans Canada Trail) will be repaved at the project location.
  City Council approved a motion to enter into new lease agreements with the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club and the Connaught Golf Club, with the agreements containing key terms and conditions as stated in the report and other terms and conditions to the satisfaction of the City Manager and City Solicitor.
  City Council gave first reading to Bylaw 4798 to amend the Gas Utility Bylaw. The amendments would see the implementation of a single commodity rate for gas for residential, small business and commercial customers that is based on wholesale market commodity prices and is calculated monthly. This proposed structure would be in effect until a third-party review of the City of Medicine Hat’s energy business (COMCO) is complete. A non-statutory public hearing will be held on November 20, 2023.
  The next City Council meeting will be held in Council Chambers in City Hall on Monday, November 20, 2023 at 6:30 p.m.

Read this article on our website.

News Flash---

UCP in no danger of becoming Wildrose 2.0

The hot topic of the week seems to be the United Conservative Party’s recent annual general meeting.

Like every other political party AGM, members in attendance elected new board members, and approved new policies aimed at influencing the government’s future priorities. Upon its creation, the UCP was supposed to be a grassroots-driven party, so member input was supposed to be encouraged and embraced.

Apparently, this concept is controversial to some political commentators, who resorted to click-bait headlines and outdated narratives to describe the meeting.

In a display of bias worthy of the CBC, probably the dumbest take coming out of these reports was the idea that the UCP is becoming Wildrose 2.0.

I mean, I wish.

Of the 27 policies approved by UCP members last week, the vast majority can be seen as the grassroots rejection of the intrusive agenda adopted under the Kenney administration.

The members strongly opposed vaccine passports and mandates, demanded stronger protection for freedom of speech, and called for legislative changes to better protect the rights of parents in the K-12 education system.

These are issues I have personally raised both inside and outside of government, and contrary to the bleating of Kenney’s inner circle, they are issues that can be easily resolved. All the government has to do is admit its failures and start listening to the grassroots.

I certainly applaud the efforts of UCP members to fix these failed policies; there is plenty of room for improvement. Will the Smith government turn over a new leaf? Anything is possible, but the fact that none of these issues were adequately addressed over the past year does not give me much hope for meaningful change.

What the media commentators don’t seem to understand is that even if the government adopted every one of these 27 new policies wholeheartedly, a complete overhaul would still be necessary to restore the government to fundamental conservative principles.

Here is a short list of the basic economic issues that were not addressed by the party’s membership:

• Government spending. The government of Alberta has a spending problem. Under the NDP the UCP complained about it, but once in government, the UCP saw fit to increase spending. The government needs to spend less so that it can tax less.

• Taxes. The government may have tabled legislation to require a referendum for income tax increases, but that doesn’t do anything to reduce income taxes or prevent other tax and fee increases for Albertans. And like the former PC government’s balanced budget legislation, this new legislation can be easily repealed, making it effectively useless in the long term. It’s an empty gesture.

• Free markets. No single force interferes in our free market more than the government, whether it’s through regulation, subsidies, corporate welfare, or the direct investment of taxpayer money in corporate ownership. Alberta needs “No more boondoggles” legislation to prevent governments from rigging markets for its friends, and to get the government out of the business of being in business.

• Property rights: Property rights exist in Alberta as part of the Bill of Rights. Unfortunately, the Bill of Rights doesn’t apply to the Government of Alberta, which can legally seize property on a whim. If we’re asking Albertans to invest in Alberta, this must change.

• Lobbyist and Electoral reform. Nothing kills investment like corruption. Alberta needs to significantly tighten the regulation of lobbying, which is surprisingly more lax than in Trudeau’s Ottawa. Furthermore, the Kenney government’s changes to electoral finance laws opened the door to foreign funding of PACs, leaving our system prone to undue foreign influence.

These economic issues are at the heart of what it means to be a conservative, and they were at the core of Wildrose policy. More than any other party in recent history, Wildrose championed smaller government and economic freedom.

As a proud former Wildrose MLA, I can tell you for certain that the UCP is in no immediate danger of becoming Wildrose 2.0.

But you probably won’t hear that from the CBC. It doesn’t fit their narrative.

#ableg #medhat

This past summer, I was out and about thrift store shopping. I was on the hunt for toy dinosaurs – larger size, not the 2-inch variety – as to turn a flower bed into a dinosaur habitant in my daughter’s back yard. Finding a few good specimens to purchase, I took a walk around the store to see what other treasures might catch my attention. As it turned out, that day I found a wall plaque that certainly did catch my eye. It was a RCMP centennial crest wall hanging. Heavy for its size, looked like wood but probably fashioned of some resin composite – carved or stamped with provincial crests within a 13-inch circumference. I had to buy it! I have a small connection with the RCMP with my nephew a more recent 3-year member and my uncle, a retired, long serving, highly regarded member. The 1873-1973 centennial commemorative plaque brought back memories of my high school history class where I remember learning of the 100-year history of the force. This lovely wall hanging celebrated this centennial and this year (2023) is the 150th anniversary of the RCMP – leaving no question my treasure was 50 years old. 

A flood of RCMP trivia came back to me. Does anyone else remember the Charles Dickens connection? Frances Jeffery Dickens (son of Charles) was one of the first officers of the NWMP in 1874. Frances’s arrival to Canada closely followed the “march west” which brought the original 300 NWMP members to SK and AB. Frances Dickens served at Fort Walsh, Fort Macleod and Fort Pitt. By 1880 he was promoted to Inspector. Awaiting a pension in 1886 – at the age of 42 – he died of a heart attack in Moline, Illinois while on a lecture tour. I have many memories of telling the story of the “Red Coat Trail” during my eight years working in visitor services. Some paper maps refer to a highway route as such. The question always came up with many travelers, “What does the Red Coat Trail mean?” The outstanding nature  of the RCMP’s red surge uniforms is obviously why the 1300 km historic land trail was named. The 1874 march west from Winnipeg (Fort Dufferin) to Lethbridge (Fort Whoop-Up) is south of what is now the Trans Canada Highway. Being on this route, it’s no surprise Medicine Hat has a Royal NWMP monument, situated near the third tee of the MH golf and country club. Just a stone cairn remains of the former NWMP barracks. From 1883 to 1893, there were 13 buildings which housed 25 members and their horses.  The river crossing included a ferry landing in the area of what is now Police Point Park. Another obvious naming of a significant historical location. Most Canadians know Regina, SK is the sole training academy for RCMP recruits and the prestigious heritage center, dedicated to sharing the stories of our national police force. It is only fitting my thrift shop find made its way back to Regina. My aunt and uncle from Regina visited Medicine Hat last month – my same uncle who spent his whole career in the RCMP. I showed them the commemorative plaque I purchased months before. He recounted being on duty during the 1973 centennial celebrations in Regina -- standing guard while Queen Elizabeth’s entourage drove from Hotel Saskatchewan to the RCMP Depot for the celebration. I am thrilled my unusual artifact allowed us to remember such interesting stories. I am glad my family took it back to Regina where it belongs.

Gino De Paoli - Tigers Staff Writer

Medicine Hat, AB – Ethan McCallum (Brandon, MB) and the timely saves that followed him in his second career start proved to be the difference needed, while Hayden Harsanyi (Calgary, AB) would score his first goal in the Western Hockey League. As part of the Medicine Hat Tigers 4-1 victory over the Everett Silvertips Saturday night at Co-op Place.

A fast paced first period saw both starting goaltenders busy as Tigers starter McCallum & Silvertips goaltender Tyler Palmer would deal with 12 & 13 shots respectively. On a Silvertips power play, Tigers captain Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) would set-up Andrew Basha (Calgary, AB) for his 5th of the season and second shorthanded goal of the campaign to make it 1-0 Tigers at 15:25. But on that same power play, the Silvertips would solve McCallum as Beau Courtney would one-time the tying goal in the 1st making it 1-1 at 16:21.

Another busy period in the 2nd period for both goaltenders as Ethan McCallum made twelve saves in the period including a handful of opportunities on the second power play of the game for the Silvertips. Tyler Palmer would make 11 saves in the second, but no one would be able to solve either goaltender to push that 1-1 score to the third period.

In the third period the first 1:44 would prove to be the difference as Hayden Harsanyi (Calgary, AB) would score his first WHL goal at 1:27 from Oasiz Wiesblatt & Tomas Mrsic (Surrey, BC). Then 14 seconds later, Bogdans Hodass (Jelgava, LAT) would score his first of the season from Wiesblatt & Harsanyi. Everett would get a pair of power plays to try and cut the lead but McCallum stood tall making 29 saves for his first WHL win in his career. While Hunter St.Martin (Edmonton, AB) would finish things off with an empty net goal.

With the win the Tigers are the 4th WHL team to ten wins with a 10-5-2 record. Sitting alone atop the Central Division standings.

For more details visit the article here.

Medicine Hat, AB – Despite a one goal lead heading to the third period. The Medicine Hat Tigers dropped a 6-3 decision to the Portland Winterhawks Wednesday night.
The first period saw plenty of action from both sides as starting goaltenders Evan May (Nanaimo, BC) & Jan Spunar would be busy until the Tigers found the back of the net at 5:37. Captain Tyler MacKenzie (Red Deer, AB) would re-direct a Reid Andresen point shot that would bounce off the post, off Spunar’s skate and in to make it 1-0 Tigers. Portland would respond on a turnover in the Tigers zone as 03′ born Gabe Klassen would wrist home his 8th of the season putting things all square at 1-1.
Medicine Hat would have the last response of the period as on the power play, Hunter St. Martin (Edmonton, AB) would tip home his 4th of the season from Dru Krebs (Okotoks, AB) & Shane Smith (Cessford, AB) at exactly eight minutes left in the opening period.
The second period would start on the right foot for the Tigers as Kadon McCann (Cochrane, AB) would be open at the side of the Winterhawk net at 3:26. Reid Andresen (Saskatoon, SK) makes the perfect pass over for McCann’s mark in the second.
Portland would respond late on the power play as Josh Davies would tip his 6th of the season at 15:36 to keep things tight heading to the 3rd.
In the third Portland would tie it as Jack O’Brien would sneak his 4th of the season past Evan May to make it 3-3 at 2:55. Followed immediately by Josh Davies banking a shot off a skate 54 seconds to give the Winterhawks their first lead of the game. Then penalties would hit the Tigers as Diego Buttazzoni would bury two different power play marks at 8:44 & 9:28 on route to the 6-3 win.
For more details visit the Medicine Hat Tigers page here.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - Sources who wish to remain anonymous have told the Sentinel that they are owed thousands of dollars by the Nickel Group Developments who are known for tearing down the heritage home at the corner of Division Ave and First Street and building 4 multi-story town homes.

The Sentinel called the number listed online only to get a recording that they were not available to take the call. The development at the corner of First and Division currently has two of the properties occupied by owners and 2 that have been listed for almost 2 years and are yet to be completed.

Upon further investigation, the Sentinel learned that multiple contractors are potentially owed thousands in unpaid invoices.

The Sentinel was able to connect with Nickel Group Developments principal, Chris Nickel, by email for comment and he stated that “the properties are owned by the first mortgagee on title. The 1st ST properties were all once sold, material prices went through the roof and people backed out of deals. The company was then unable to operate.”

If you are a contractor affected by this or a similar situation the Sentinel would welcome you to tell your story. Contact us Here or news@suncitysentinel.ca

Written by Ken Feser, Chief Librarian

Bolstering Safety and Social Work program are part of the ask

The Medicine Hat Public Library has approached the city with its funding request for 2024.

The library has asked the city for $2.6 million in funding for next year, an increase of $372,957, or 17%, over 2023 funding. It is a major increase and a bold request. Here’s why the library needs that additional funding.

First, our funding is down from where it was in the past. Our 2024 ask is only 12% higher than what we received in 2018, and it is actually below 2018 when adjusted for inflation. Funding cuts in 2019-20 didn’t hurt too much during COVID, but now we’re welcoming more patrons and visitors through our doors than during the pandemic. Our use is back up and we need to staff desks and deliver services.

Many of our costs have increased. The amount we pay for wages, utilities, maintenance and other things has gone up and we can’t control that. Known inflationary increases account for 43% of our increase.

Security in our facility is a top priority and we did a major study this year to determine how to keep our spaces safe. We need security guards or equivalent staff in our building. That accounts for 21% of the increase.

Finally, we have some high priority additions we would like to make. We want to bolster our popular Social Work program that has helped Hatters of all backgrounds. The program is funded by Medicine Hat Community Housing Society, but we would like to add a few extra hours and protect the program from any future funding cuts. We would also like to increase hours for our Youth Advocate who is working with teens during a mental health crisis. We need previously cut funding for call-in staff restored to cover sickness and vacation absences. These additions account for 30% of the increase.

We know that money for funding increases doesn’t grow on trees. We also know the city has many competing needs and requests for support. We wouldn’t ask for this increase if we didn’t need it. It is worth noting that the city provides great support to us already in the form of existing funding and also assistance with our building, our grounds and more. We hope that the city is able to help us this little bit more.

Follow us on social media: @mhpubliclibrary

Generally speaking, most small-c conservatives believe in economic freedom; the idea that each and every one of us should have the right to benefit from our own labour and control our own property as we see fit.

As such, we believe that governments must restrain itself from interfering in the free movement of labour, capital, and goods. Think of economic freedom as the polar opposite of central planning, where governments seek to control and coerce markets into meeting arbitrary goals set by authority figures.

Economic freedom is not just a slogan. It is something that can be quantified and tracked, using a variety of indicators, including the size of government, the effectiveness of courts, freedom of trade, and regulatory efficiency. High economic freedom rankings are important because they are closely linked with the reduction of poverty, longer life expectancy, and improved quality of life.

Historically speaking, Canadians have enjoyed relatively high levels of economic freedom, although our nation has been slipping of late according to two recent reports.

Both the Heritage Foundation’s 2023 Index of Economic Freedom and the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of the World report rank Canada in the top-20 globally. The Heritage Foundation shows Canada falling slowly since 2011, with a steady downturn over the past four years. The Fraser Institute report illustrates a long-term slide dating back to 1980, with a similar strong downturn starting in 2019.

Not surprisingly, both reports note a similar cause: growth in the size of government. The Fraser Institute ranks Canada 99th out of 165 countries on this front, with the Heritage Foundation marking Canada at 35 per cent in government spending and 32.2 per cent in fiscal health.

This, of course, brings us to the other side of the economic freedom coin: economic responsibility.

Simply put, governments have a responsibility to nurture the economic freedom of their citizens. This means creating a competitive economy, where individuals and businesses succeed based on what they do, and not whom they know. It means ensuring a level playing field where unnecessary taxes and regulations are minimized. It means respecting property rights. It means getting the government out of the business of being in business.

On this front, Canadian governments are failing the public – even Alberta’s. According to the Fraser Institute’s Economic Freedom of North America report, Alberta has slipped to 47th place among the 92 subnational jurisdictions in North America.

In fact, the so-called Alberta advantage only exists when you compare our province to other Canadian provinces as we rank 50thin terms of taxes. We are also below average in labour market freedom and the freedom to trade internationally, ranking 51st in both categories.

These are not good numbers – and definitely not something our government should be bragging about. Rather, they are a call to action for Alberta to get back to the small government policies that served our province so well in the past. This means not just holding the line on taxes, it means cutting taxes.

Alberta, like every other Canadian government, needs to spend less so that it can tax less.

In addition, like every Canadian government, Alberta needs to get its bureaucratic central planners out of the way. The more government interferes in the free movement of labour, capital, and goods, the more our quality-of-life declines.

In short, if we want more economic freedom, we need our governments to start exercising economic responsibility.

#ableg #medhat

The pumpkin spice latte, or PSL if you will, is a drink highly anticipated and adored by many. Though that is stereotypically white women, I believe the PSL is a delicious seasonal drink that everyone can enjoy.

Recently, I noticed that there is no one perfect recipe for a PSL, and just like snowflakes, no two seemed to be the same. One leans more toward spice, while another is heavier on the pumpkin. This made me curious about the differences in the PSLs offered by every cafe in town. Yes every cafe, which happens to be ten in total. Yes, ten. But now, you may wonder, who would be crazy enough to risk their health, well-being, and maybe even their sanity to try ten pumpkin spice lattes?

Well, that would be me (and a very supportive friend). So, strap in as I take you on my journey of guzzling latte after latte of seasonal spiciness to find the one and only "Best PSL in Medicine Hat!"

Zucchini Blossom Market & Café

My first stop on this peculiar quest was Zucchini Blossom. A favorite of mine for their fantastic sandwiches and soups. Their latte, however, left a bit more to be desired. 

The presentation was nice, complete with a little latte art, even though it was in a to-go cup (a nice touch). However, I found it very milky and watery, leaving the pumpkin and spice flavors washed away in the background. Despite this, I would recommend it as a very beginner-friendly latte, especially for someone who loves a milky coffee and wants to try dipping their toes into the PSL waters.

My Rating: 4/10

Friend's Rating: 5/10

Station Coffee Co.

Next up was the wonderful, well-known, and well-loved Station. I must say I was very pleasantly surprised by Station's latte. It wasn't overly sweet or too bitter, and had a good balance of coffee and milk. I could taste the notes of pumpkin and the spice, and overall, it was a very enjoyable experience to drink. However, the aftermath was a different story.

I am aware that mixing pumpkin and spices with coffee and milk isn't the most stomach-friendly combination. But Station's PSL really did a number on me, in a way that none of the other lattes did. So, even though the taste was worth the aftermath, I had to deduct some points for that.

My Rating: 8/10

Friend's Rating: 9.5/10

nosh.

A fairly new and unique downtown cafe serving a variety of "Kawfees" and "Kokteyls" (their spelling). But I was there for one drink only, and one interesting drink I did indeed get. First off, their presentation was quite nice, with a quote written on the outside of the cup, "the best is yet to come" (bonus points for that). Though, unfortunately, the latte was not the best which was coming. 

It's hard to describe the exact taste of nosh's PSL because it was like no drink I have ever had before. It was very milky and watery, with a strong herbal spice flavor. Like traditional pumpkin spice mixed with... lavender? I’m unsure if it did contain tea, but the taste was a unique combination of herbal tea and coffee.

It wasn't my favorite, but after sipping on it for a while and getting over my initial confusion, it did start to grow on me. If you're looking to try something more unique that still gives those cozy fall vibes, I would recommend giving this a try.

My Rating: 4/10

Friend's Rating: 3.5/10

Country Crumbs Bakery & Cafe

Next up was Country Crumbs, my go-to spot for cronuts (if you haven't tried them yet, I seriously recommend doing so immediately).

Though their drinks menu is on the smaller side, they still had a PSL. The taste of their latte was quite unexpected. It smelled like strong espresso and tasted like it too, like an Americano. There wasn't much spice or pumpkin flavor, only a faint aftertaste. 

Also this one really got my heart pumping, although to be fair, I was four lattes in, but I hadn't felt the caffeine much until trying the Country Crumbs PSL.

If your go-to drink is an americano, but you still want to embrace the fall spirit by ordering a PSL, this is the drink for you.

My Rating: 2/10

Friend's Rating: 3/10

Poolhouse Cafe & Roastery

Poolhouse, formerly known as Madhatter Coffee Roastery, is a newly renovated cafe with a PSL that didn't disappoint. While it was technically a "pumpkin pie latte," I consider that close enough.

It was creamy with very prominent pumpkin and spice flavors, precisely what you would want from a pumpkin pie latte. It was slightly on the sweet side for my taste, but perfect if you want the experience of drinking an iconic fall dessert.

My Rating: 8/10

Friend's Rating: 8/10

Cafe Verve Inc.

Cafe Verve, like Poolhouse, offered a unique take on the seasonal classic, with a “pumpkin pie latte”. The presentation was very nice, with whipped cream and seasonally appropriate orange sprinkles. 

What I found really enjoyable in this latte was the balance of sweetness. It wasn't overly sweet, and didn’t lack the comforting, dessert-like quality you’d want in a pumpkin pie latte. While it wasn't as heavy on the spice as I'd like, again, it was a pumpkin pie latte, not a pumpkin spice latte. So the lack of spice was understandable.

My Rating: 8/10

Friend's Rating: 7/10

MT Nest Cafe & Market

MT Nest, a relatively new addition to the cafe scene with a beautiful pink interior. Their PSL was fairly standard with a good balance in terms of sweetness. However, it was slightly on the milky side, which isn't my preference. It also lacked that hint of real pumpkin taste that I enjoy.

But what caught my attention the most was the slightly smoky aftertaste it had, which I am unsure of was intentional or not.

My Rating: 6/10

Friend's Rating: 6/10

Ooh la la! Coffee Shop

Ooh la la, a small Parisian-themed cafe, did live up to its name by delivering a truly delightful and flavorful PSL experience. It was an interesting adventure of the senses, offering a unique blend of spices that gave a twist to the classic pumpkin spice. The spices were fairly strong and overpowered any pumpkin taste, though it was still flavourful enough that I didn’t really mind.

It's a perfect choice for those who appreciate the bold, spicy side of a pumpkin spice latte, and want to try something new.

My Rating: 8/10

Friend's Rating: 6.5/10

Homestead Market

Homestead Market, a market and cafe located near the airport, really surprised me with their latte. I hadn't visited them much, only a couple of times, so I wasn’t sure what to expect. But their PSL truly stood out.

The presentation was great, featuring whipped cream and the perfect blend of pumpkin spice and coffee flavor. Even though I was already eight lattes in, I easily drank the whole thing and honestly wished I had gotten a larger size.

What also made the experience even more memorable was the super nice barista who crafted this amazing latte, proudly showing me the beautiful presentation of whipped cream topped with cinnamon before she had to cover it up with the lid. I also really enjoyed that one of my favorite quotes was written on the outside of the cup, "progress not perfection."

If you want an amazing fall drink experience, do yourself a favor and visit Homestead Market.

My Rating: 10/10

Friend's Rating: 9.5/10

The Copper Leaf Cafe

Finally, my last stop was Copper Leaf Cafe, nestled in the Gaslight Plaza, and a favorite go-to place of mine for their amazing dill pickle grilled cheese. Their PSL was creamy and milky, and I was glad to find out it was made with real pumpkin! I could definitely taste the difference.

While it perfectly captured the pumpkin essence, the spice level was pretty subdued, making it a mellower PSL overall. If you want more authentic pumpkin flavor with a subtle hint of spice, this is definitely a latte to try.

My Rating: 7/10

Friend's Rating: 6/10

And now... (drumroll please), I present to you my final ranking and favorites in the categories of Most Classic, Most Unique, Best Spice, Best Pumpkin, and Best Overall.

Most Classic: Station Coffee Co.

Sometimes you just want a nice, predictable, balanced, delicious PSL, and Station's latte was just that.

Most Unique: nosh.

While it wasn't my favorite PSL, it did start to grow on me, and it was undoubtedly the most unique.

Best Spice: Ooh! la la Coffee Shop

I really enjoyed the flavor of this latte and how it paid homage to the iconic classic PSL, while still giving it its own unique spin.

Best Pumpkin: The Copper Leaf Cafe

It's probably no surprise that Copper Leaf’s latte, with real pumpkin, is definitely my pick for the best pumpkiny flavor.

Best Overall: Homestead Market

This PSL was a delightful experience in every aspect, and the light at the end of the tunnel on my latte-tasting journey. I really can't recommend it enough.

My Final Ranking

(Favorite to Least Favorite)

1. Homestead

2. Station Coffee

3. PoolHouse

4. Ooh la la

5. Cafe Verve

6. MT Nest

7. Copper Leaf

8. Zucchini Blossom

9. nosh

10. Country Crumbs

While I may not ever want to look at another pumpkin spice latte again, I can say this quest was a very fun, unique experience, from which I surprisingly learned a lot. And I hope you did as well.

Now, onwards! I encourage you to have a PSL quest of your own and celebrate Halloween by exploring which cafe’s latte sounded the most appealing to you, or try all ten! Though, I don’t recommend trying them all in one day.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The Sentinel has learned that CWB has decided to close the Medicine Hat branch by March of 2024 in a move to downsize operations.

The Sentinel reached out to CWB and Angela Saveraux, a spokesperson with Canadian Western Bank provided the following statement:

"Canadian Western Bank has made the difficult decision to permanently close our banking centre in Medicine Hat, effective March 19, 2024. We remain committed to serving our clients through online channels and our nearest location in Lethbridge, Alberta."

Sources who wish to remain anonymous have told the Sentinel that upper management came to the Medicine Hat Branch this past week and informed staff of the decision. There was not much warning and staff feel blindsided by the decision.

Clients of the branch are to expect letters from CWB outlining the decision to close the branch. The Norwood location of CWB has been open for 8 years after moving from its Kingsway Avenue location in 2015.

Written by Chris Brown, Head of Marketing & Community Engagement

Ranked as the fourth best library in Alberta

Word is getting around on a popular travel website about the Medicine Hat Public Library.

MHPL is ranked as the fourth best library in Alberta on Tripadvisor. The library has seven reviews on the site, all of which give it five stars.

The most recent review says “This place has it all. Micro fiche of the Medicine Hat News from inception forward, E books, movies, music, a very good children's theatre and numerous book sections.”

It goes on to say, “You can read mags, papers and enjoy the sun while you knit, stitch or just take a break.”

Other reviews praise the library as state of the art, say there’s a great selection of books, CDs and reference material of all sorts, and note the view of the South Saskatchewan River adds to a calming, peaceful atmosphere.

The staff also stuck out to reviewers, who call them “wonderful“ and “pleasant and helpful.”

The three libraries ahead of the Medicine Hat Public Library are Strathcona County Library in Sherwood Park, Stanley Milner Library in Edmonton and Cochrane Public Library in Cochrane.

Three other libraries in the Shortgrass Library System are in the top 20. Brooks Public Library is No. 13, Bassano Memorial Library is No. 17 and Graham Community Library in Ralston is No. 19.

Follow us on social media: @mhpubliclibrary

Hi Friends,

We're well into cold and flu season and it's a good time to learn about what the flu is, actually.

Influenza, commonly known as the flu, is a contagious respiratory illness caused by influenza viruses. This seasonal menace can strike individuals of all ages and can lead to a range of symptoms, from mild to severe. Understanding what influenza is, its symptoms, and how to manage it is essential for staying healthy during flu season. In Canada, numerous health resources are available to help educate and inform the public about the flu.

What is Influenza? Influenza is a viral infection that primarily affects the nose, throat, and lungs. It can cause a wide range of symptoms, including fever, cough, sore throat, body aches, fatigue, and even more severe complications. The virus is highly contagious and can spread through respiratory droplets when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks. The incubation period for influenza is 24 to 72 hours. Adults with influenza remain infectious for 3 to 5 days after onset of symptoms, and children may remain infectious for up to a week after onset. Influenza viruses can change over time, making it necessary to update the flu vaccine annually to provide protection against the most prevalent strains. Note that antibiotics will not work on a virus.

Symptoms: The symptoms of influenza typically include a sudden onset of fever, chills, fatigue, and body aches. Other common symptoms are a dry cough, sore throat, and nasal congestion. Gastrointestinal symptoms like nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea can also occur, but are more common in children. Influenza typically lasts a week to 10 days. It's important to distinguish between the common cold and the flu, as the latter tends to be more severe and can lead to complications such as pneumonia.

Management: Managing influenza primarily involves supportive care to relieve symptoms and prevent complications. Rest, hydration, and over-the-counter medications to alleviate fever, pain, and congestion can help. Antiviral medications are available and can be prescribed by a healthcare professional, especially for individuals at high risk of complications, such as the elderly and those with underlying health conditions. Getting an annual flu vaccine is the most effective way to prevent influenza.

Canadian Health Resources

1. Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC): The PHAC is a valuable resource for comprehensive information on influenza in Canada. They provide updates on flu activity, vaccination programs, and guidelines for healthcare professionals and the general public.
2. Canadian Immunization Guide: The Canadian Immunization Guide, maintained by the Canadian government, offers detailed information on the seasonal influenza vaccine, including recommendations, vaccine components, and administration guidelines.

Understanding influenza, its symptoms, and how to manage it is crucial for maintaining public health during flu season. Canadians can rely on the Public Health Agency of Canada and the Canadian Immunization Guide as trusted resources to stay informed and protected against the flu. Remember that annual vaccination is your best defense against this contagious and potentially severe illness.

Stay informed, stay healthy!

Matthew Jubelius, RN

Hey Friends,

I'll take a guess that most of us have had and unfortunate experience of a toxic workplace. If you haven't, here's what you're not missing. These environments affect our careers, but also impact our health.

Toxic workplaces are those that are characterized by negative, unhealthy, and often abusive behaviors by colleagues or management. Unfortunately, toxic workplaces are all too common, and their effects can be damaging to businesses in several ways.

• Reduced productivity: Toxic workplaces can lead to low morale, high absenteeism rates, and low motivation among employees. This can reduce overall productivity, leading to missed deadlines and a decline in the quality of work produced.
• High turnover rates: Employees in toxic workplaces are more likely to leave their jobs, which can result in high turnover rates. Constant turnover can lead to instability within the organization, increased costs associated with recruiting and training new employees, and a loss of institutional knowledge.
• Increased stress and health problems: Working in a toxic environment can lead to stress, anxiety, and other mental health problems among employees. Physical health problems can also arise from prolonged exposure to stress, such as high blood pressure and heart disease.
• Damage to reputation: If employees are mistreated or feel unsupported in their workplace, they may share their negative experiences with others, which can damage the organization's reputation. This can lead to difficulty attracting new employees and customers.
• Legal issues: Toxic workplaces can lead to legal issues, such as lawsuits for discrimination, harassment, or wrongful termination. These legal battles can be costly and time-consuming for businesses.

Wrapping up, toxic workplaces can have a detrimental effect on businesses in several ways. They can lead to reduced productivity, high turnover rates, increased stress and health problems, damage to reputation, and legal issues. To prevent toxic workplaces from forming, businesses must prioritize a healthy work culture that promotes respect, open communication, and support for employees. This can lead to increased employee satisfaction, higher productivity, and a more positive work environment.

Did you know that Virtunurse provides employee health and wellness support including mental wellness? We elevate your team's health to impact your business operations. Learn more about our Employer Health Solutions.

Stay Healthy,

Matthew Jubelius, RN

Hi Friends,

Well, here we are in the pre-winter (or recent snowfall) grind. As we stay warm and get back into the routine of work and school, don't forget about all of those happy memories and good things going on in your life. Keep them at the forefront of your mind.

Happiness is a positive emotion that is associated with well-being and contentment. It has been shown to have a positive effect on mental health, including reducing the risk of depression and anxiety, improving self-esteem, and promoting resilience. Here are some ways in which happiness can affect mental health:

1. Reduced stress: Happiness can reduce stress levels and promote relaxation, which can have a positive effect on mental health.
2. Improved mood: Happiness can improve mood and promote positive emotions, which can have a positive effect on mental health.
3. Increased resilience: Happiness can increase resilience, making it easier to cope with challenges and setbacks.
4. Improved relationships: Happiness can improve relationships and social connections, which can have a positive effect on mental health.
5. Improved self-esteem: Happiness can improve self-esteem, promoting a positive self-image and reducing negative self-talk.

Here are some tips for promoting happiness and improving mental health:

1. Practice gratitude: Focusing on the positive aspects of life and expressing gratitude for them can promote happiness and improve mental health.
2. Engage in activities that bring joy: Doing things that bring joy and pleasure can promote happiness and improve mental health. Sometimes, it's just about the little things...
3. Cultivate positive relationships: Building positive relationships with others can promote happiness and improve mental health.
4. Practice self-care: Taking care of oneself through activities such as exercise, healthy eating, and relaxation can promote happiness and improve mental health.
5. Seek professional help: If struggling with mental health issues, seeking professional help can be important for promoting happiness and improving mental health. It can be tough reaching out, but please remember that you're not alone.

Putting it all together, happiness can have a positive effect on mental health, promoting relaxation, improving mood, increasing resilience, improving relationships, and promoting self-esteem. By practicing gratitude, engaging in joyful activities, cultivating positive relationships, practicing self-care, and seeking professional help when needed, individuals can promote happiness and improve mental health.

If you have questions about mental wellness and would like to chat, our team is here to help.

In health,

Matthew Jubelius, RN

Your pension is none of Trudeau’s business

Last week, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took his anti-Alberta condescension to a whole new level, lecturing the government of Alberta for consulting on the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan.

Fresh off a Supreme Court ruling detailing how his government violated the Constitution of Canada with regard to its C-69 “no more pipelines” law, the Prime Minister seems determined to repeat his mistake.

In his open letter to the Premier, Trudeau stated he has instructed his cabinet and officials to do “everything possible” to ensure the CPP remains intact.

As a member of the Alberta’s Fair Deal Panel, which recommended the adoption of an Alberta Pension Plan back in 2020, I can tell you for a fact that your pension decisions are none of the Prime Minister’s business. Section 94A of the Constitution gives provinces the final say over legislation concerning pensions.

Trudeau knows this. He is a proud Quebecer. He knows that his home province started its own pension plan as an alternative to the Canada Pension Plan back in 1966. He also knows that, by law, an Alberta Pension Plan would have to offer comparable set of benefits to the CPP, and that both the CPP and APP would need to be portable across the country.

He just doesn’t care.

Instead of acknowledging Alberta’s concerns with regard to recent CPP contribution hikes, or any of the many other ways the federal government stacks the deck against our province, he would rather lecture and threaten Albertans. It’s a smoke screen, meant to divide and infuriate people.

Of all the nonsense included in Trudeau’s open letter, I found one statement particularly galling: "Withdrawing Albertans from the Canada Pension Plan would expose millions of Canadians to greater volatility and would deny them the certainty and stability that has benefited generations.”

The fact is the CPP, through its own changing investment decisions, is doing far more to expose Canadians to unnecessary volatility.

Spoiler alert: Those who believe that the Canada Pension Plan simply invests in companies that offer the best financial return are in for a rude awakening.

When it comes to issues like climate change or social justice, the CPP has gone full woke activist, openly bragging about its efforts to interfere in markets and push a variety of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives.

One of the ways they do this is through proxy voting used to pressure the companies it invests with. According to the CPP’s Proxy Voting Principles and Guidelines, the CPP will “monitor ESG factors and actively engage with companies to promote improved management of ESG.”

If that sounds familiar, it should. Trudeau’s federal government has announced a plan to impose mandatory ESG reporting on all publicly traded companies.

The CPP’s policy goes a step further, making it clear that in some cases, the CPP will pursue investments that don’t offer the best short term return to you, the investor, in favour of long term ESG goals.

Despite the fact that Canada’s population is aging, inflation is devaluing the standard of living for millions of seniors on fixed incomes, the CPP is increasing its stake in so-called “green” companies. According to its 2023 report, the CPP has currently invested $79 billion (nearly 14% of the $570 billion fund) in such companies, with a plan to increase this to $130 billion by 2030.

As a member of the Fair Deal Panel, I can tell you that we heard concerns from thousands of Albertans regarding the federal government’s willingness ignore jurisdictional boundaries, to bend any law, and to torque any process to pursue its goals.

One of the key concerns I have heard about the idea of an APP is that it would just end up being used as a funding vehicle for the government of the day’s latest economic diversification schemes.

That’s why we noted, in our final report, that,” Any fund manager(s) selected for the APP fund would be guided by a clear governance and accountability mandate to deter political interference.” As the debate over the creation of an Alberta Pension Plan continues, it is incumbent on the government to outline the details of this mandate.

At the end of the day, an APP can’t just be CPP West. It has to be better.

Your pension is none of Trudeau’s business. It shouldn’t be Danielle Smith or Rachel Notley’s business either.

Women in Business Medicine Hat, a non-profit society dedicated to supporting women in the business community, is thrilled to present Empowerment Day 2023 featuring the esteemed 2x Olympic athlete and Medicine Hat native, Sage Watson. This eagerly anticipated bi-annual event will take place on Friday, November 24th, 2023, at the Wyndham Garden Medicine Hat Conference Center, 954 7th Street Southwest, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 7R7.

Women in Business Medicine Hat serves as a vital network for women in Medicine Hat and the surrounding area. Comprised of a dedicated committee of 13 volunteers representing a diverse range of businesses and organizations within the community, the organization's primary mission is to connect women from all walks of life, foster valuable relationships, and, above all, create a supportive and enjoyable atmosphere for all.

This event is just one of the ways Women in Business Medicine Hat fulfills its mission. Empowerment Day 2023, led by the remarkable Sage Watson, offers an exceptional opportunity for women to come together, learn, grow, be inspired, and overcome hurdles. Sage Watson's story of triumph as a 2x Olympic athlete exemplifies the spirit of resilience and determination that Women in Business Medicine Hat seeks to promote within its community.

Empowerment Day 2023 will feature Sage Watson sharing her personal experiences and strategies for success, including overcoming obstacles. Her engaging storytelling and practical advice will leave attendees feeling empowered, prepared to tackle challenges, and ready to unlock their full potential.

Women in Business Medicine Hat is an inclusive organization with no membership fees or obligations. It is run by local women who organize three annual events, including Empowerment Day, as well as Wine and Cheese and the Inspire Luncheon. Each event offers something unique to its attendees, and all women in the community are invited to participate. An email contact list is maintained to ensure that everyone interested is kept informed of upcoming events and opportunities.

In addition to the inspirational program, attendees can enjoy a buffet dinner included with the ticket, featuring maple-roasted ham, roasted potatoes & carrots, salad, and cheesecake for dessert. A bar will also be available, providing refreshments for all. As an extra treat, there will be door prizes for attendees.

Don't miss this incredible opportunity to be a part of Empowerment Day 2023 with Sage Watson, hosted by Women in Business Medicine Hat. Join us on November 24th and be part of a community that celebrates women in business, growth, and empowerment.

For ticket information and event details, visit our website at https://www.wibmedicinehat.com/

About Women in Business Medicine Hat

Women in Business Medicine Hat is a non-profit society committed to supporting women in business in Medicine Hat and the surrounding area. This working committee, composed of 13 dedicated volunteers, serves various businesses and organizations within the community. The organization's mission is to connect diverse groups of women, build relationships, and, above all, have fun.

Event Details

Event: Empowerment Day 2023 with Sage Watson
Date: Friday, November 24th, 2023
Time: 4:30pm
Location: Wyndham Garden Medicine Hat Conference Center, 954 7th Street Southwest, Medicine Hat, AB, T1A 7R7
Website: https://www.wibmedicinehat.com/ 
Tickets: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/empowerment-day-2023-with-sage-watson-tickets-714929492357?aff=oddtdtcreator&utm-source=cp&utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing

About Sage Watson

Sage Watson is a 2x Olympic athlete and renowned speaker/empowerment coach. Born and raised in Medicine Hat, Alberta, Sage is committed to helping individuals unlock their full potential by sharing her experiences, wisdom, and passion for personal growth.
https://www.instagram.com/sagewatson/
https://www.sagewatson.org/
https://olympic.ca/team-canada/sage-watson/

Medicine Hat – The Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) and City of Medicine Hat (CMH) announce the return of the crime map, an interactive community safety tool that displays calls for service throughout the community.
“Keeping the community informed about police activities and matters concerning community safety is a top priority for the MHPS,” says Chief Alan Murphy. “Developed in partnership with GIS staff from the City of Medicine Hat Operations Technology and Intelligence department, citizens can now view call data to be better informed about what events are occurring in their neighborhood.”
“The City continues to engage GIS-based solutions across departments, sharing and leveraging location data for internal and external users,” says Nigel Forster, GIS Specialist. “Collaborating with the Medicine Hat Police Service helped create an easy to read, visual location-based dashboard to expose crime statistics for our community.”
The map refreshes every 24 hours and displays data for the previous six-month period. To protect the privacy of individuals, calls are aggregated and pinned to cross street locations rather than specific addresses and are categorized according to the Uniform Crime Reporting standards.
The map is viewable on both the MHPS and CMH websites. Visit mhps.ca and click on the Crime Map link located under the Quick Links menu or download the MHPS mobile app, which is free and available for both Apple and android devices. Alternately, click the crime map button at medicinehat.ca/maps.

Medicine Hat - Managing Director of Energy, Land and Environment Rochelle Pancoast issued the following statement to correct inaccurate information that was shared at the October 16th public hearing to amend the Electric Utility Bylaw and establish an interim electricity rate.

“At the public hearing, I shared messaging that the City of Medicine Hat considered volume metrics related to Medicine Hat’s electricity business confidential and would therefore not be released to the public. At the time I made this comment, my team and I were unaware that total volume data is publicly available through a partner organization. I recognize that this unintended discrepancy may have caused confusion, misunderstanding, or concern and, as such, I wish to extend my sincere apologies for anyone that may have been impacted. 

“We provide an annual report of volume statistics to our regulator, the Alberta Utility Commissioner (AUC), but the AUC has indicated that the data is only used in an aggregated form (together with other market participant data), specifically to protect individual entity data. On the other hand, since the public hearing occurred, we learned that the Alberta Electricity System Operator (AESO) does publish City of Medicine Hat volume data. We did not anticipate that the data would exist since similar data shared with the AUC is confidential and we did not create a report with that information for the AESO. Because we don’t naturally have the need to look outside the City for this data, we missed an area on the AESO website where it is reported. We have since verified with the AESO that they capture hourly, moment-in-time data from the City’s real-time production feeds. From that information, they unilaterally create total volume reports. We were unaware this information was being assembled and published, as our earlier due diligence related to a Freedom of Information Request failed to discover the reports.

“I acknowledge that my inaccurate messaging may have unintentionally eroded the trust residents and stakeholders place in our organization. While errors do happen, I recognize the heightened attention that this topic has within our community, and I wanted to personally ensure that my message was appropriately corrected in a similarly public way. 

“The availability of City production data, together with the City’s financial reports will allow an approximate average unit cost calculation, however, I will continue to caution that average cost per kilowatt-hour (kWh) is not representative of a typical cost-based approach. Rather, each customer class (residential, commercial, industrial, etc.) has different factors that impact the more meaningful class-specific unit cost. Capital and operating costs, together with variable costs (fuel and carbon costs) are allocated across customer classes and those costs are further impacted by factors including customer class-specific consumption (volume) levels and consumption shape (hourly, seasonal), class-specific risk premiums, provincial grid sales and purchases, and more. Applying a simple average across these classes is misleading, and we maintain the view that accurate unit cost information is commercially sensitive. That view will be revisited if the Council endorsed business philosophy revisit results in a preference for a cost-plus approach.

“There are inherent challenges when a public entity like the City of Medicine Hat operates a for-profit enterprise, particularly in such a complex field. A for-profit business often deals with confidential or proprietary information that must be protected for competitive reasons, and this aspect can be difficult to balance with public expectations of transparency. However, I accept responsibility for making statements about the confidentiality of volume data that I have since learned were untrue, and I sincerely apologize to those who were frustrated with my inaccurate response. Please rest assured of my commitment to uphold the highest standards of accuracy and professionalism.”

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The APEX Alberta partnership is organizing the first Business Growth Trade Show in Southeast Alberta on October 25, 2023, from 6 to 8p.m. This event offers entrepreneurs and municipal leaders the chance to learn about government programs by connecting face-to-face with the organizations that provide these services.

The Business Growth Trade Show is a one-stop social event for entrepreneurs and local leaders. Entrepreneurs can access services such as grants, workforce support, and business expertise. Municipal leaders can explore programs like energy and housing initiatives, workforce attraction, and support available to local community entrepreneurs.

"Companies and communities in the region have expressed interest in grants and programs, but we know they lack time to access them," says Tracy Stroud, Regional Innovation Network Manager, APEX Alberta. "This led to the idea of the Business Growth Trade Show, which provides a convenient hub for businesses and community leaders to find information about various government-funded services and programs. It's like a buffet of support options for entrepreneurs and municipalities in Southeast Alberta, all in one place."

Business owners and community leaders are invited to attend this event for free to make those in-person connections. "We are happy to announce that this event is free to attend, thanks to our partners and primary funder, Alberta Innovates," says Jordan Pomrenke, Events Coordinator, APEX Alberta. "We all want to make this event as accessible and valuable as possible."

If your organization offers a government-funded service for those in Southeast Alberta, APEX Alberta welcomes you to contact them for a spot at the Business Growth Trade Show. "If you have received government funding to aid businesses or municipalities, this event is a great chance to connect with potential clients and demonstrate how you can be of assistance," says Pomrenke. “Space is limited, so please contact us as soon as possible to ensure a spot.” For further information, please visit www.apexalberta.ca/business-growth-tradeshow or contact info@apexalberta.ca

By Darlene Gray

The people of most societies are made up of the wealthy, the middle class and the poor. How each of these groups are defined tends to be determined by country or region being assessed. The wealthy and middle class are frequently depended on to care for the poor, doing their best to provide the necessities of life. Often this is done by donating money, food, clothing etc to the poor and homeless asking nothing in return.  

For some here in Canada this have developed a me mentality and at times an unwillingness to work. But with each handout many people have a lower and lower respect for themselves leading them to even worse behavior and greater dependence. I believe ever greater dependence on government for social services, abandonment of personal and familial responsibilities and loss of respect for authorities have greatly contributed to the financial and social crises we face. For some homelessness, drug abuse, crime, suicide and more are the side effects of the way in which help is offered to them. 

Could it be that for some it may be far more beneficial to help them use or develop their skills, giving them opportunity to be successful, rebuilding their self-esteem? The big question is how? 

One possible way is by applying the sawdust principle on individual, charity, corporate, and government levels. The sawdust principle suggests that as businesses and other organizations we make the most of everything that we use. Finding ways to use the scrap materials, unused intellectual property, wasted advertising space and more. 

First As believers we have a responsibility for the widows and orphans, sharing what we have with fellow believers in need. There is a second aspect to this mandate as found in 2 Thessalonians 3:10, ‘if one does not work they neither should they eat’. (1)(see below for a full contest of this passage).

I’d like to loosely share a story I once heard This sawmill owner went back to work and began asking himself how he could help the poor work and earn a living, he then saw that the sawdust was being swept up at the end of the day and in general trashed. Yet there were many things that could be done with this sawdust. He found other businesses that were using this by-product, discovered they were struggling getting the product they needed and would be willing to purchase the products from individuals and or collectives. So he took the steps to ensure the option to sell sawdust was set up. (2. For more info check out the link below)

He then arranged for the plant to be opened after the plant shut down to invite the unemployed to come in and clean up the shop with the sawdust being their pay. (Somewhat like the gleaners’ principle in the story of Ruth and Boaz). It worked great. The sawmill owner had his shop cleaned up, the other manufacturers had enough sawdust and the poor had a source of income and a greater self esteem.

Another person hearing the story owned a coffee shop. He found a way to apply this principle. He asked one fellow that used to come in to get a free coffee if he would be willing to sweep the floors and other small cleanup jobs in exchange for coffee and food. This worked very well for both people. Several customers saw this happening and found ways to try the same thing in their business with levels of success.

On a local basis I recall that at one time a worker from Redi Enterprises used to bring down a client to clean the nursery toys on a Tuesday. It gave the client a sense of value and clean toys for the children to play with. At times businesses will hire a person often challenged to do some of the simpler, highly repetitive jobs for an hourly wage. This frees up the higher paid staff from these tasks so they are able to be more productive in other areas.  

Another way in which this was practiced is at one time the government would subsidize primarily charitable organizations to hire willing individuals who were accessing social service funding with the goal of helping these individuals develop skills, confidence and experience so that they could get jobs. Iin many cases abilities were reawakened, new skills learned, and a much greater confidence gained. I personally witnessed several individuals’ self-esteem grow so much so that they were able to gain gainful employment. I believe this was a good use of tax dollars.

The question I have is: what is our waste? What if we took time to explore our ‘sawdust’ and rather than use it to increase our personal income we use those areas to help people earn goods/services or even some income as individual families. Is there anything that can be done to help those who are in need? Is there a way that this waste could be turned into cash for someone? I challenge us all to take a few minutes to go through your work day and see if there is something you could offer to an underemployed person take steps toward financial independence.

1. Thessalonians 3:10 Context
7For yourselves know how ye ought to follow us: for we behaved not ourselves disorderly among you; 8Neither did we eat any man's bread for nought; but wrought with labour and travail night and day, that we might not be chargeable to any of you: 9Not because we have not power, but to make ourselves an ensample unto you to follow us. 10For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat. 11For we hear that there are some which walk among you disorderly, working not at all, but are busybodies. 12Now them that are such we command and exhort by our Lord Jesus Christ, that with quietness they work, and eat their own bread. 13But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

2. Introducing the Sawdust Principle: How to Use your Business Byproducts to Create new Growth Opportunities | by Pete Sena | Medium

**Medicine Hat, AB **– The City of Medicine Hat is aware of power quality fluctuations typically observed as “flickering lights” within our franchise area (City of Medicine Hat, Redcliff, Dunmore, and parts of Cypress County).

An outage occurred recently on a provincial transmission line during high winds, leading to reports of power fluctuations across the Southeastern Alberta region, especially during peak usage times.

The City of Medicine Hat continues to monitor and assess our connection to the provincial grid. No additional impacts are anticipated. 

As a small local online newspaper, we've always prided ourselves on being a community-driven organization where diverse voices can be heard, stories can be shared, and our community can connect. It's been our mission to celebrate our unique local stories, and we don't merely see ourselves as a news source. We're a platform that thrives on the freedom of self-expression, where our community members are the authors and contributors.

The Roadblocks: Bill C-18 and Meta's Stance

Bill C-18, an amendment to the Broadcasting Act, was introduced to regulate online streaming services. This legislation, in principle, was designed to ensure that foreign tech giants like Netflix and Amazon Prime contribute to Canada's cultural industry by financially supporting Canadian content creation. While this goal has its merits, it's the collateral damage that has sent shockwaves through local news outlets like ours.

Meta, the parent company of Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, swiftly responded to the new legislation. In what many view as a retaliatory move, Meta imposed restrictions on news content shared by Canadian users, which effectively limits the visibility of articles from community-driven platforms like ours. The broad definition of "news" within the law has left even small independent publishers like us caught in the crossfire.

Silencing Voices: The Harm of Impeding Community-Driven Content

The harm of silencing voices, particularly those from small community-driven platforms, cannot be underestimated. Our platform has always been a space where we elevate the stories, experiences, and opinions of our community. We celebrate the diversity of our local narratives and cherish the voices that often go unheard in the mainstream media. Bill C-18 and Meta's restrictions have muzzled these voices and limited the freedom of self-expression.

The restrictions on sharing content also create a troubling lack of access to information. Our readers, who rely on us for local stories, are now faced with fewer opportunities to engage in the topics that matter most to them. This limitation on access to content has broader implications for informed citizenship and community engagement.

The Positive Side: Navigating Challenges and Encouraging Freedom of Self-Expression

In the face of these challenges, there is a silver lining. It has been heartening to witness the resilience of community-driven platforms and the support of our readers. The restrictions may have muffled our voices, but they have not silenced them. We are exploring alternative avenues to share our stories, reaching out to our readers directly through email newsletters and other platforms.

The Bigger Picture: COVID and Political Context

To truly understand Bill C-18 and Meta's stance, we need to consider the broader context. The past few years have seen a proliferation of political misinformation and the spread of COVID-19-related conspiracy theories on social media. These issues sparked calls for increased regulation and moderation of online content, leading to the introduction of legislation like Bill C-18.

While the intention behind these measures is to protect public discourse and ensure responsible content-sharing, the unintended consequence has been the stifling of small community-driven platforms.

A Call for Balance and Local Resilience

The impact of Bill C-18 and Meta's actions is undeniable, but we hope for a more balanced approach in the future. Our voice and the voices of other community-driven platforms are crucial in building informed communities. We need solutions that both address the concerns about misinformation and support local content creators and community-driven content.

In the meantime, we remain resilient and committed to serving our community. We encourage our readers to subscribe to our newsletters and stay connected with us through various means. Together, we will navigate these challenges and continue celebrating the vibrant stories that make our local community unique.

Conclusion: The Power of Community-Driven Content and Freedom of Self-Expression

In the midst of these challenges, our determination remains unwavering. We believe in the power of community-driven content to connect people, amplify voices, and drive community engagement. Bill C-18 may have created roadblocks, but it won't deter us from our mission. Together, with your support, we will continue to share the stories that define us as a community, championing freedom of self-expression and community-driven content.

The road ahead may be uncertain, but our commitment to being a platform for the community's diverse voices is resolute. It's a commitment that we believe will prevail, no matter the obstacles we face.

BOULDER, CO - Medicine Hat born Elic Ayomanor lead a massive comeback win again coach “Prime Time” Dion Sanders’ Colorado Buffalos Saturday evening to beat the Buffs 46-43 in double overtime.

The 6' 2", 210 lb. wide receiver caught 13 passes for 294 yards and 3 TD's which set a single game record for Stanford. His 294 yards receiving broke the school record held by Troy Walters (278) against UCLA in 1999.

He was also named a PAC 12 Offensive player of the week. His list of accomplishments in the game are as follows:

• Had 13 receptions for 294 yards and 3 TD in Stanford's 46-43 double overtime win at Colorado on Friday night
• Set the Stanford program record for receiving yards in a game (294), besting the mark from Troy Walters in 1999 
• Second most single-game receiving yards in Pac-12 history (USC's Marquise Lee, 345 in 2012) 
• Most receiving yards by an FBS player since Ohio State's Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the 2022 Rose Bowl (347) 
• His 13 receptions are tied for the 2nd most in Stanford history, trailing only Simi Fehoko (16) at UCLA in 2020 
• His 97-yard touchdown reception is the longest by a Cardinal since Troy Walters' 98-yard score in 1999 
• First player in the Pac-12 with multiple touchdown receptions of 60+ yards since Washington's John Ross III on November 5, 2016
• Eclipsed 100 receiving yards for the first time in his career, becoming the first Stanford wide receiver with 100 yards in a game this season (second player overall)
• In first 5 games this season, had 15 receptions for 207 yards and 1 touchdown. Did not appear in a game last season as a true freshman
• The 2 longest plays of this season by the Stanford offense were Ayomanor touchdowns on Friday
• His 3 TD game is the first by a Cardinal since Simi Fehoko in 2020 at UCLA
• 1st Stanford player to be name Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Week since Simi Fehoko in 2020

Their next game is Saturday at home against the No. 25 UCLA Bruins in a classic PAC 12 battle.

Conservative values series

Equality of opportunity is more than a legal concept

As a group, most small-c conservatives agree on the importance of equality of opportunity.

We believe that all people are born equal in the eyes of our creator. As such, we reject the concept of limiting any individual’s opportunities based solely on arbitrary factors like race or gender. As such, we strongly reject concepts like slavery, which denies freedom, or caste social systems, which prevent individuals from reaching their full potential.

At the same time, we recognize that competition is healthy and necessary. In a world of limited opportunities, we believe that all people should have the chance to compete on a level playing field, maximizing the benefits of their work ethic, skills, and life choices.

We do not believe in equality of outcome, a system that leads to the state strictly controlling and allocating resources and opportunities. We believe that like freedom, the desire to create and achieve is innate in all people. Systems that fail to reward achievement lead to reduced productivity and a malaise that is damaging to the soul.

Legally speaking, Canadian governments have come a long way when it comes to equality of opportunity. We have laws that, when they are enforced, are quite clear that jobs, educational opportunities, health care and other services may not be denied based on certain characteristics.

I write, “when they are enforced,” because our laws are not even close to adequate when dealing with government corruption. Lawmakers of all political parties have been caught repeatedly lining up for their turn at the trough, rather than taking a hard line against cronyism. Meanwhile, police have proven unwilling to investigate such crimes, and the judicial branch to uphold even our weakest laws. Many judges, it seems, have become part of the problem. A recent investigation found that of the 1,308 judicial appointments by the Trudeau government since 2016, 76.3 per cent of the successful appointees who had made political donations had given to the Liberal Party.

Some opportunities are more equal than others, I suppose.

However, when it comes to equality of opportunity, there is a deeper problem present across Canada and much of the Western world, a problem conservatives have been slow to recognize. As I have written extensively, through a collapse in productivity and the standard of living, it is increasingly difficult for the little guy to get ahead.

Working families know first hand the effects of inflation on their household budgets in recent years. However, the collapse in living standards goes back decades, over which time governments have steadily increased spending, debt, and taxes all as real GDP per capita struggled and wages stagnated.

The bad news is we can expect this trend to continue, as the OECD currently predicts that wage growth in Canada will be dead last among its 40 member states for the next four decades.

Both Conservative and Liberal governments have been quick to hand out corporate welfare as some sort of miracle cure for this economic malaise. It’s not working.

Due in part to these policies, we are now living in a Canada where only dual income families can afford to buy a new home; where energy poverty forces seniors on fixed incomes to choose between food and heat.

In this environment, falling living standards have become an equality of opportunity issue.

In response, governments need to:

• Immediately cut spending. Governments need to stop running up debt, and stop printing money. Such failed fiscal and monetary policies drive inflation.

• Cut income taxes. If our goal is to bring back an economy where the little guy can finally start getting ahead, the best way to do it is by dramatically increasing the basic personal exemption for federal and provincial income taxes, which should also be indexed to inflation. For example, if Alberta wanted to truly revitalize our economy and give working families a real chance to get ahead, we could increase our BPE from $20,000 to $50,000. It is a reasonable target. The list of U.S. States with no income tax includes: Alaska, Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming.

• Scrap carbon taxes. Both Justin Trudeau’s and Danielle Smith’s carbon taxes must be eliminated. In a cold, rural, sparsely populated country, these taxes are particularly heartless as they regressively drive up the cost of basic needs like food, heat, electricity, and transportation.

• Put Canadians first for a change. Our governments need to step back from international agreements and organizations seeking to drive up costs for Canadians. Our major international competitors are not seriously implementing plans designed to hit arbitrary targets, like the Paris Accord. Yet our governments are foolishly charging ahead with centrally planned programs that sacrifice our standard of living. For example, both Ottawa’s Net Zero 2035 plan and Alberta’s Net Zero 2050 plan regressively drive up costs of a basic need – electricity – that governments really shouldn’t be taxing in the first place. This must stop.

At the end of the day, most conservatives agree on the importance of equality of opportunity. But in practice, far too little is being done. Instead, we are sitting back and watching as basic needs, like food, housing, transportation, heat, and electricity are becoming luxuries only available for the rich. That’s just wrong.

If we really believe that equality of opportunity is more than a legal concept, and that the human soul craves achievement, we need to reset our economy in a way that rewards achievement.

We need to encourage the little guy to get ahead.

Written by Chris Brown, Head of Marketing & Community Engagement

So much more than books!

The Medicine Hat Public Library has been part of the fabric of the city since 1915. Back then it was no more than a small reading room with a limited selection of books.

Now, more than a century later, the downtown location is a one-stop shop -- open to everyone -- for all things educational, informative and entertaining to foster lifelong learning and growth.

Asked who the library is for, chief librarian Ken Feser doesn’t hesitate.

“That's easy,” he says. “The library is for everyone!!!”

He continues.

“MHPL is a place where you can get your questions answered. It is a free spot to bring your family for entertainment and activities. It is a warm welcoming space for you if you are cold or lonely. It is a lot of important things to different people.”

The Medicine Hat Public Library is joining with libraries across the country to celebrate Canadian Library Month. This year’s theme is Libraries for Life. As well, Canadian Library Workers Day is marked on the third Friday of October. That falls on Oct. 20 this year.

The story of the Medicine Hat Public Library continues to evolve, with new pages and chapters added all the time.

“Libraries have always been an important source of information, knowledge and learning,” Feser says. “But they are also a place that brings people together, a common space in our community where everyone is welcome.”

There are of course still the traditional books, and plenty of them. But we also have them in eBook and audiobook formats. But the library now offers so much more than books.

There are electronic resources that put the world at your fingertips.

You can access materials of cultural and historical significance through Alberta Heritage Digitization Project. You can read newspapers from around the world on PressReader. You can learn the story of you and your family with Ancestry Library Edition.

There are DVDs of movies and TV series for your binge-watching needs. There are CDs from almost every genre of music imaginable. There are video games for all ages and interests.

And the programming here. Oh, the programming. If the library is open, chances are there’s a program taking place.

For the younger crowd there are weekly family storytime sessions and other events like our new Drop-in Family Day on Sundays. Activities for tweens and teens are always fresh, such as Anime Nights and the current Unity Circle program. When you’re here be sure to check out our just-opened Honeycomb House, which is becoming a popular hangout for teens.

Book clubs, Stitching in the Afternoon, Readers’ Theatre, and Cats and Coffee barely begin to scratch the surface of what we have for you adults out there. And there’s also the Library of Things and our Human Library Book collection.

The library is no stranger to special events either, like September’s Multi Cultural Fair and the Banff Mountain Film Festival each winter. We also host art exhibits and live music from time to time.

Did you know we also do bookings? You can book the Co-op Community Developmental Play Space, meeting rooms and even the library theatre for your family or organization.

All of these things are free with your library card, which by the way is free thanks to generous local sponsors.

Thanks to our cardholders and visitors past, present and future for being a part of the library community.

To learn more about the visit mhpl.shortgrass.ca and follow us on social media at @mhpubliclibrary.

**MEDICINE HAT, AB - The City of Medicine Hat has received official notice of a mayoral recall petition from Nicole Frey of Medicine Hat, in accordance with the Municipal Government Act **section 240.2(8)(a):

(8)  If a representative recall petitioner is confirmed to be a person eligible to sign the recall petition under section 240.4 and the notice of recall petition meets the requirements of this section, the chief administrative officer of the municipality must

(a)  within 7 days from the date when the notice of recall petition was submitted, publish the notice of recall petition on the municipality’s website.

The petition was received on October 4, 2023. Ms. Frey has been vocal about her concerns with city council and specific individuals through her social media platforms. Unfortunately she has blocked any public response to her posts. As per the disclosure she can be contacted by phone at 250-864-1192 or email at nicole@animalfoodbank.org for more information.

To read more about the process please find more information here.

To read more about Ms. Frey’s concerns you can read her detailed arguments for the recall here.

If there’s one thing that drives folks crazy, it’s politicians who say one thing but do another. This kind of hypocrisy is readily apparent, especially among conservatives, when it comes to promises of smaller government.

Generally speaking, most small-c conservatives believe that governments should be limited in size and scope. We believe the purpose of government is to protect individual rights and freedoms, and to provide security. We recognize the dangers inherent with invoking something as inscrutable as “the public good” to override individual choice, especially when deploying the state’s coercive powers. History has demonstrated that when governments begin to do so, they tend to start serving themselves rather than the people.

Unfortunately, the past 30 years has seen an undeniable expansion in the size and scope of government.

According to a recent study, Canadian federal and provincial government [debt](https://www.fraserinstitute.org/article/canadians-bear-weight-of-growing-government-debt-burden#:~:text=According to a recent study,governments ran during the pandemic.) has nearly doubled from $1.1 trillion in 2007/08 to $2.1 trillion in 2022/23. As a direct result, taxpayers are on the hook for tens of billions in interest payments, while inflation has risen dramatically. Printing money has a real cost; every dime you have saved is now worth less, and every product you purchase now costs more.

The larger government gets, the more intrusive it becomes both in our economy and in our lives. From an economic perspective, complying with government red tape now costs businesses more than $40 billion every year. The effects of regulatory overkill can be seen everywhere from the housing market to your cell phone bill.

We now even have governments using regulation to summarily kill entire industries, like coal fired electricity generation, natural gas heating, and oil production for gasoline. Even more concerning is our governments’ increasing reliance on so-called “sin taxes” like Trudeau’s carbon tax.

Let’s be clear, there is nothing conservative about carbon taxes, whether it’s Trudeau’s consumer carbon tax or Danielle Smith’s industrial carbon tax. These are both big government central-planning schemes run amuck, which are driving up costs for everyone.

Not for a second do I buy that these taxes are needed to “put a price” on carbon. Every consumer product in Canada had a price well before these taxes were created.

The monetary incentive to use less has always existed. Dads everywhere were turning down the thermostat, and moms everywhere were shutting off the lights when kids left the room long before Justin Trudeau came along.

What these new carbon taxes do is add to the pain felt by you and your family for the “sins” of going to work, heating your home, and buying groceries. They unfairly punish rural families more than city dwellers. Worse yet, like all sin taxes, they are severely regressive. As Smith and Trudeau jack up their carbon tax rates from $65 per tonne today to $170 per tonne by 2030, seniors on fixed incomes will be the hardest hit.

With billions in revenue now being provided by carbon taxes, it will only be a matter of time for governments to begin proposing other new sin taxes, like sugar taxes or meat taxes. The folks who are currently pushing for these types of policies do not respect our right to make such decisions for ourselves. For them, it is the state’s duty to engage in ideologically driven behavioural engineering, designed to coerce you into living your life their way.

Unfortunately, when it comes to problems like public debt, burdensome red tape, unnecessary regulation, and sin taxes, conservative governments across Canada have been among the worst offenders. The abject failure to shrink the size and scope of government over the past 30 years is now being felt by every one of us.

For conservative politicians to shake the stench of hypocrisy on this file, the public is going to need to see real results. Smaller government can’t just mean smaller than the NDP. It needs to mean spending less, regulating less, taxing less, interfering in the economy less, and respecting folks to make the right choices for ourselves and our families.

Ultimately, smaller government is about freedom, and freedom is non-negotiable.

As a business owner or a human resource manager, it is crucial to have a disciplinary policy and procedure in place. A disciplinary policy outlines a set of guidelines for employee conduct and outlines the consequences for breaching those guidelines. The policy and procedure provide clarity and structure to the organization's expectations and standards while enabling employees to understand the consequences of breaking rules or committing misconduct.

Without a disciplinary policy and procedure in place, your company operates in a gray area, leaving your business vulnerable to certain risks and legal issues. Disciplinary policies are critical for maintaining a safe and productive work environment and can reduce the impact of disruptions caused by disciplinary issues.

One of the primary reasons to have a disciplinary policy and procedure is to help ensure consistency and fairness in the way employees are disciplined. A consistent approach to disciplinary action helps prevent managers from playing favorites or making decisions based on personal biases. Additionally, a lack of disciplinary policies and procedures makes it difficult for managers to investigate complaints and allegations of employee misconduct impartially.

A disciplinary policy and procedure also help protect your company against legal claims and penalties. Without a clear policy outlining the consequences of unacceptable behavior, employees may be clueless about how to access help and may not understand the behaviour's severity. Therefore, they may not feel comfortable reporting incidents of harassment or discrimination.

Furthermore, disciplinary procedures should outline a range of disciplinary measures, including verbal warnings, written warnings, suspension, and termination. Supervisors should be trained to follow these procedures consistently and fairly. Failure to adhere to these guidelines could cause your business to face lawsuits related to wrongful termination or unfair disciplinary action.

"Nothing will kill a good employee like tolerating a bad employee". We have all heard this saying. The reality however is that it is true.

The existence of a disciplinary policy can make your employees feel valued, assured, and respected. When employees feel confident that their safety and well-being are a top priority, they are more likely to feel satisfied with their job and more motivated to perform better in their roles. This also includes understanding that poor-performing employees will be managed in a consistent and professional manner according to the policy. This, in turn, contributes to a positive and productive work environment and improves overall organizational performance and growth.

In conclusion, a disciplinary policy and procedure are critical components of a company's human resource management. Not having a disciplinary policy and procedure in place puts the company at risk of legal claims, reputational damage, and poor employee morale.

Successful organizations understand the importance of setting clear expectations and consequences for unacceptable behavior and ensure that their employees understand these policies and their relevance.

Therefore, it is essential to develop clear and well-communicated disciplinary policies and procedures that provide guidance on acceptable behavior and explain the consequences of breaking company rules. A disciplined approach to workplace conduct creates an environment of professionalism, trust, and mutual respect that leads to organizational growth and success. Red Rock HR can help design, and implement a progressive discipline program into your organization. Reach out for further information on how we can help you implement this program and Strengthen your Foundation.

Strengthening your Foundation: HR Consulting in the Heart of Medicine Hat

Two long weekends have come and gone. Most of us are familiar with the US Thanksgiving story from 1621 where the Pilgrims and Wampanoag people came together to share a big meal. The Canadian Thanksgiving story isn’t as specific, but still just as thankful. As early as 1578, English explorer Martin Frobisher and his crew enjoyed a meal to thank God for a safe passage through what is now Nunavut. That event predated the pilgrim story but Thanksgiving moved around the calendar as the British took over what happened in the colonies. The Canadian government did make the second Monday in October an official holiday in 1957. This is the only Thanksgiving date I have ever known.

Enter “Colonialism” and the trials and tribulations associated with Europeans discovering the “new world” which did not make life easier for our first nations people. The National Day for Truth and Reconciliation is ten years old but only 3 years since becoming a federal holiday. I have taken it upon myself to learn more and reflect upon how little I really knew about the plight of our first nations in the years of colonization. I began elementary school in the early 1960s. I graduated in the mid-1970s. Nowhere is my school memories do I recall learning about anything but who discovered or claimed lands in north America, by European countrymen sailing across the ocean to expand empires. I remember the lament, “In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue” as a very important year to remember for social studies class. Attending K-9 in a small town on the shores of Lake Winnipeg, to this day, the only history I know about my homeland is its claim to fame is “the heart of New Iceland”. My town was an Icelandic settlement in 1875 and the town grew from there. I’m certain there were indigenous people hunting and fishing well before 1875 as the red river cart was a big deal. A web search shows at least 14 residential schools were situated in the province of Manitoba, beginning in 1831. This information was never common knowledge. The only “Metis” story I remember learning about was Louis Riel. In the early years of Canadian history, forming a militia and leading a resistance against the government was not something to be celebrated. In more recent years, Riel is considered a champion for equal rights and social justice.

Orange Shirt Day and Every Child Matters have become a strong symbol and statement of solidarity. Imagine when September came, indigenous children were often violently and forcible removed from their families. This indecency began in the 17th century until the late 1990s. Over 150,000 children taken to 140 residential schools – with the goal of converting children from 4 to 16 years old – stripping their culture and values, forcing Christian behaviors in the brave new western world. Another web search on residential schools and I discover in 1831, the “Mohawk Institute” (an Anglican run facility) was the oldest continually operating residential school in Canada. These were colonial experiments which set the tone for many government funded religious orders to take advantage. How could church and government think this was holy and just!? We have all listened to and read about the lives of residential school survivors and learned about how many children didn’t make it home. Unfortunately, I am learning the truth very late in life; however, I will spend more time trying to understand reconciliation. In the spirit of healing and raising awareness, we must all recognize how our people were wronged and make an effort towards a greater understanding. My friend Brenda Mercer introduced me to the term “reconiliACTION”. Brenda is a force to be reckoned with. Sharing her sixties scoop stories and how the western ways have affected her people have shown me truth and reconciliation requires action.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - Sienna Elliot, who was previously reported as a missing person has been safely located. The Medicine Hat Police Service is appreciative the the support provided by the community locating Sienna.

Sienna was reported as missing to the MHPS on September 26, 2023. Sienna has not been in contact with her family since July 26th, 2023. While her last known address is in Medicine Hat, she was reportedly seen in Edmonton, AB and Swift Current, SK in July and may have been making her way to Vancouver, BC.

Medicine Hat, AB – As summer draws to a close, the following washrooms and facilities will be winterized and closed as of Oct. 10, 2023:

• Saamis Rotary Park washroom
• Police Point West washroom
• Ross Glen Park washroom
• Kiwanis Central Park washroom and shelter
• Kitchenette and shelter in Kin Coulee Park
• Band shelter in Kin Coulee Park
• Skateboard Park in Kin Coulee
• Kin Coulee West washroom
• Lions Park washroom
• Echo Dale Regional Park campground washroom

The following washrooms will remain open throughout the winter months:

• Police Point Park washroom
• Strathcona Island Park washroom (Note: This will be closed once the weather gets cold to avoid freezing lines. Portable toilets will be installed.)
• Toboggan Hill washroom and shelter
• Southview Community Park washroom
• Strathcona Island Park boat launch washroom
• Echo Dale Regional Park – AJAX building and park washroom
• Veiner Centre washroom (Note: the winter hours will be 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.)

**Note: **The water tap at Saratoga dog park will also be turned off as of Oct. 6, 2023, to prevent the line freezing.

The Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede made a presentation to council this week that you could say was poor at best and insulting to Medicine Hat city council and taxpayers at the least..

General Manager, Ron Edwards took to the podium and presented the same presentation he has flogged for the last two years to a council that has grown tired of his antics. This is the third time they have pushed this project without any significant changes to the limited plan that does exist.

Sources inside city hall have told the Sentinel they were frustrated that there was no business plan, no idea of long term operational costs and no real community need for the expanded facility. It was an attempt to get funds from the city because they feel they are owed.

It’s one thing when a non profit agricultural organization like the one in Lethbridge works with the community and stakeholders to develop a plan to present to the province for funding. It’s another when the MH Stampede engages no one outside its inner circle and, like an impetuous child, keeps demanding funding and expecting it to happen.

The presentation was just another example of how tone deaf Mr. Edwards and the Stampede board are in a time of increasing costs to all Hatters. The current grandstand facility is used maybe 20 days at most in a year. When you look at the economic benefit of what is actually held at the grandstands it is not drawing thousands of tourists into Medicine Hat to spend money like the Calgary Stampede.

The more than $20 million the Stampede is asking for doesn’t include other costs taxpayers will have to pay for this project to proceed nor does it have an estimate on annual operating costs once it is built.

For an organization that gives nothing substantial back to the community, as it charges full fare to other non profits to use it's facilities, it’s insanity they think they deserve one red cent of taxpayer money at this point.

Years of poor financial planning and mismanagement under Mr. Edwards’ influence should not be rewarded with taxpayer money. When asked about the fundraising efforts they had done to date, there were no numbers and clearly no effort being made unless they got city money. The recent palace coup of the MH Stampede president only reinforces the iron grip Mr. Edwards has on the Stampede board.

It’s time for council to tell the MH Stampede the wallet is closed. There is no return on the “investment” Mr. Edwards says there would be. It is nothing but a vanity project and has zero long term benefit. The city would be better off taking back the land and developing much needed affordable housing than contribute to this white elephant.

Maybe if Mr. Edwards paid full fare for boarding his horses at Stampede grounds year round, which in itself is against city ordinances, there may be more in the kitty for his project.

We welcome the Stampede and Mr. Edwards to respond to this editorial.

REAL CONSERVATIVES BELIEVE IN FREE MARKETS

If it seems to you like the modern conservative movement is having an identity crisis, you’re not wrong. Nowhere is this more apparent than the waning commitment to free markets.

Generally speaking, small-scale conservatives understand that free markets are the most efficient and the most effective way to grow our economy.

The forces of supply and demand create competition, which helps ensure that the best goods and services are provided to consumers at the lowest possible price.

But who decides what the best goods and services are? In a free market system, you do. The free market is the most democratic economic system because it allows individuals to choose which products they will produce and consume.

Conversely, small conservatives are supposed to oppose government interference in the economy. There is a reason for this. Every time governments subsidize certain industries, invest taxpayer dollars in certain companies or use regulation to interfere in the marketplace, they effectively overrule the will of the people.

It should come as no surprise that Canada’s federal Liberal government has no respect for the will of the people as expressed by the free market. It seems every second month the federal government dumps hundreds of millions into global corporations for everything from electric vehicle battery plants to crickets-for-human-consumption.

Unfortunately, it seems provincial conservative parties are at the front of the line playing the same game.

Here in Alberta, for example, the government uses taxes and regulation to interfere in multiple industries, then proudly advertises its efforts online. No mention is made of the fact that such efforts contributed to a doubling of the electric bills that Albertans now pay.

Alberta has also set up an entire Crown Corporation to invest taxpayer dollars in chosen industries. The Invest Alberta homepage advertises that it has provided $19.3 billion to 883 active clients, creating 27,470 jobs. That works out to more than $700,000 per job created. Apparently, this “free market” conservative government thinks this is something worth bragging about.

I doubt former Premier Ralph Klein, who dedicated himself to getting “government out of the business of being in business,” would agree.

If provincial governments like Alberta’s United Conservative Party want to follow the federal Liberals down the path of Chinese-style central economic planning, they certainly can continue to do so.

If so, however, they should take word “conservative” out of their brand names.

Real conservatives believe in free markets.

October 05, 2023                                                                                    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

2023 NHSP Call for Concepts

Medicine Hat, AB – This week, the Call for Concepts (CFC) under the pan-Canadian stream of the New Horizons for Seniors Program (NHSP) was launched. The theme of the CFC is increasing the social inclusion of vulnerable populations of seniors.

Through this process, funding is available to organizations that have the capacity to act as a backbone organization and lead a collective impact plan. Backbone organizations are responsible for holding the funding agreement with Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) and providing leadership and coordination of the collective impact plan. Proposed concepts must be four to five years in duration, and applicants may request $1 million to $5 million.

Organizations have six (6) weeks to submit their applications, from October 4 to November 15, 2023 at 3:00 pm Eastern Standard Time (EST).

Applications will be assessed using the following criteria:

• Organizational Capacity: What is the organization’s capacity to reach vulnerable seniors? Include an explanation describing which group(s) of vulnerable seniors it currently serves; and its capacity to act as a backbone organization including how it has secured or plans to secure the commitment of collaborating organizations.
• Target group: Who are the vulnerable seniors the organization plans to serve with its proposed collective impact plan and why they are vulnerable (supported by evidence if possible)?
• Need: What is the need among vulnerable seniors the organization intends to address (supported by evidence if possible)?
• How: How would the collective impact plan address this need among vulnerable seniors?
• Innovation: The extent to which the collective impact plan includes innovative approaches to address the identified unmet need among vulnerable seniors.
• Results: The intended results and how they would be measured.
• Budget: How the funds would be used; and
• Letters of support: Letters of support to demonstrate the extent of existing community support for the application.

The online Application for Funding Form and the Applicant Guide are now available at  https://www.canada.ca/en/employment-social-development/services/funding/new-horizons-seniors-pan-canadian.html

Glen Motz, Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner stated, “There are many creative project ideas within the municipalities of Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner that could benefit the vulnerable seniors who live here. I would invite those communities and organizations to develop their plans and apply for this funding.”

The deadline to submit the applications is Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at 1:00 pm MST.

Being an artist can be gruelling.

Contrary to popular belief, artists aren't just weightless creatures that spend their days chasing butterflies in fields or kicking their feet in the air. A more accurate depiction would be a painter crying at 2 a.m. in the studio, second-guessing everything after countless hours of labor, or a writer spending years coming back to the same script only for them to wonder if it will ever be good enough to present to a production company.

Artists have the incredible ability to reach inside the deepest and most intangible parts of themselves and retrieve something beautiful that can be experienced by others. The wonderful thing is that art isn't born just from ideas but from the artist's journey itself. Despite the inherent rawness or beauty a work of art (or artist) possesses, 'success' isn't certain. The creation of the product is only half the work– an art career isn't sustainable if there are no hands, eyes, or ears waiting for your next project. Getting your work to your audience is the remaining part of the job.

In September, I released a single titled, ‘Again, Do It!’ from my upcoming album. Thus my search began, for ears specifically, but I remain open to any limbs in general.

If you are an artist, hopefully, this can give you a glimpse into what the process of promoting can look like (emphasis on 'can,' not 'should'). If you aren't an artist, perhaps you are a sadist who enjoys reading about other people's misery.

‘Jessikah Babe? Never heard of her.’

The ideal way to promote one's music would be to tour, but since that isn't an option for me right now, I started promoting with what I've got– a laptop and ten fingers.

To start the process, I made a list of radio stations, music magazines, music blogs, and playlist curator avenues that would potentially be interested in my music. I sat down at my kitchen table as fresh as a daisy at 11:30 a.m., ready to take on the world, and a full 15 hours later, I finally dismounted from my perch at 2:30 a.m. like Gollum, feeling nothing short of morally reprehensible. It felt underhanded to reach out to people with carefully calculated e-mails and shiny press kits to convince them to want me. Especially since I did it for 15 hours straight.

Nobody prepared me for how violating it would feel to not only be a salesperson for my work– but also the product being sold. After years of developing myself and my craft, it's morbid to have to put on the proverbial fishnets in an attempt to get someone… anyone… to want what I had to offer. Unfortunately, it's not enough to plainly present your work and say 'Here it is!'

I wish it was. That's why the whole promotion process feels so manipulative and dishonest.

I started my day writing blurbs for my website and making my press kit. That is when the tightrope walk began. When advertising yourself, you want to avoid coming off as arrogant, but at the same time, you don't want to be too vague or dismissive about what you have to offer. When it came to selecting press photos, I felt like both the beauty pageant child who didn’t want to be there and the overbearing beauty pageant mother. Once I finished tailoring my website and press kit, I began sending off the e-mails. I sent one e-mail after another and before I knew it, I felt like one of those desperate mall kiosk salespeople that follow your eyes as you try to avoid them. At this point, I wished someone would have shot me with a tranquilizer dart and put me out of my misery.

My villain era.

After I had reached my e-mail sending capacity, I took to Reddit to promote my song. There are subs dedicated to placing music on Spotify playlists, and many of them run off an algorithm. Once your song gets enough upvotes, it automatically gets placed on one of these playlists until it gets cycled out. The downside of these subs is that they are bursting at the seams with other desperate musicians promoting their music, so it isn't exactly a yellow brick road paved directly to fame.

After a while, every upvote button, subject bar, and comment section felt like a slot machine and made me feel more discouraged and exhausted than when I began. Sharing my music in these wastelands started with the sentiment of ‘please graciously lend your ears to my song, good sir’ and slowly devolved into ‘peepee poopoo listen to this!’ Shockingly, ‘peepee poopoo’ got more attention than my other posts did (thanks to the attention-grabbing title no doubt), cause it’s all about setting yourself apart, baby!

I was still in greedy salesperson mode when a precious and innocent user who made Minecraft music videos commented on one of my posts saying something along the lines of, ‘Great job with the music video. Wish I could do something this artistically good.’ Instead of just saying ‘Thanks!’ and moving along, I elbowed my way into his long-term memory archives by turning it into a 'meaningful' interaction so that he wouldn't forget about me and my music as soon as he closed the app. Satan himself possessed me and responded ‘Can I see some of your work?’ even though I didn't particularly care.

He responded with, ‘Omg, you’re one of the few people who ask back =) Here’s a link to some of the stuff I’ve made.’

At that moment staring vacantly at my screen like a hedge fund, I felt I proved to myself that I had what it takes to apply for a work visa in the United States, pay the appropriate fees, get accepted, get the necessary documentation, find an apartment in a nice neighborhood, book a one-way ticket, board the plane, land, unpack, apply for a job at a health insurance company, wait a couple of days until I hear back, get accepted, sit down at my desk on my first day, put away my lunch, boot up my computer, roll up my sleeves, and promptly deny health coverage to children dying from cancer.

I’m going to take the liberty of a keyboard smash right at this moment just to feel like I have some sense of humanity again K;AHJSDF AWEOIRQ OIAJF!!!

In the end, I actually enjoyed the Minecraft music videos, so I'm not completely evil incarnate. I don't want to experience the public self-flagellation that is self-promotion ever again! But... it is a necessary evil.

Selling my soul to playlist curators and fellow musicians.

In trying to make it into Earmilk’s prefrontal cortex, I stumbled upon a handy little gizmo called ‘SubmitHub.’ SubmitHub is a platform that allows you to send your music to websites, playlist curators, radio stations, blogs, and even influencers! I spent a couple of bucks chucking my song into different streams to see where I’d get a bite. So far, I haven't captured any interest, but I have gotten some valuable feedback from the people I sent it to. The general consensus seems to be that 'Again, Do It!' has some 'rocking grooves.' After I blew my money (ten dollars to be exact) and was left wondering where else I could squander my fortunes, I stumbled upon SubmitHub’s ‘Hot or Not’ rating system.

‘Hot or Not’ is like a glorified discussion board you see all the time in college where you have to comment on someone else’s post to get a grade. 'Hot or Not' randomly selects another user’s song, you listen to it, provide feedback in the comment section, rate it on the ‘Hot or Not’ slider, and move along to the next person. After you rate a certain amount of songs you get credits, and your music is shown to others to get rated. I thought this was an interesting (and free) way to promote my music, so I got to work.

The easy route would have been to fast forward through key moments of the song, drop in a few quick notes, and be on my merry way. However, I was conscious of the pitfalls of this whole gimmick and didn’t want to be ‘one of those people,’ so I tried to think of comments that weren’t surfacey and put some actual time and thought into my responses.

Even that air-tight plan turned into a nightmare of its own when it became just as convenient to drown the other musicians in deranged compliments and flaming praise, sprinkled in with a few spirited moments of CAPS LOCK!! At one point, I told a musician his stuff sounded like he was the kind of guy that would live in a mushroom, which wasn’t a lie because I truly felt that way and it did require me to think beyond the surface, but there are no consequences in ‘Hot or Not’ and I am permitted to make such comments. I could roll my empty skull across the keyboard for all they cared and still get my credits.

I got an email notification from the highly esteemed ‘Hot or Not’ less than an hour later and I was informed that I received my first comment on my song! Like a complete idiot, I actually let myself get excited for a moment. The commenter stated my opening lyric and said, 'Yes this is very good I can see the room for imagination here yes very moody and positive song.’

Ohhhh, so you listened to the intro and pressed skip? I'd rather be told I sound like I live in a mushroom.

The takeaway.

The biggest takeaway I got from the process is there isn't just one correct way to promote one's music. It requires a great deal of intuition and pattern recognition... and undeniable talent present in the work. Even if this first stint of promoting my music hasn't churned up immediate results (unless my song has suddenly hit the Billboard Hot 100 between now and checking my phone five minutes ago) it has shifted how I approach promotion in the future. One media outlet I spoke to, for example, doesn't care to write about singles since there are plenty of those to go around but is more inclined to do write-ups about albums. That piece of information alone made me do a reassessment of my process.

You have to spread your energy and resources wisely between maintaining your already existing fan base, acquiring more fans, networking with other musicians, and getting the attention of the industry as a whole. One of my greatest anti-inspirations for maintaining a fan base are the people who host live streams and say, 'I'm gonna wait a few more minutes for more people to show up before I start!'

No! If you have even one fan taking the time to show up and give you their attention, you better be putting on a good show. That mindset will grow your fan base, not waiting until they magically appear in your palms.

The psychological warfare of advertising unfolds.

Do you know why I wrote this article in the first place? Of course, it was a cathartic way for me to express my genuine distaste for promotion and advertising, but that's not all... this article was a long-winded piece of advertising to make myself memorable to you and to build a nest in your brain.

Do you know why I’m making this confession to you? To establish trust with you dear reader/piece-of-meat so that you are more inclined to support me because you believe I am honest and only ever have your best interests in mind. Establishing trust is essential in acquiring a customer base. You are a fool and I have swindled you.

There is nothing more cold and unfeeling than a face plastered on a billboard, no violation greater than the five seconds stolen from you before your YouTube video, and nothing more fraudulent than the photoshopped teeth in the before and after photos of toothpaste commercials. Regretfully, I have joined the ranks of these Decepticons and this article is my badge of honor. Please don't take for granted your civilized existence– I left my dignity behind in the aforementioned Reddit comment section. This conclusion is a call to action for you to go kiss someone you love, and whatever you do, please don't sell them any products! Xoxo, kiss kiss, hug hug, peepee poopoo, lovebombing, and world peace!

Sincerely,

Jessikah Babe

Editor's Note**_ Listen to Jessikah's newest EP and find more of her work here! https://jessikahbabe.com/again-do-it-epk_

Over the past two weeks, the hot topic in media (besides Trudeau’s latest scandals) has been the subject of creating a provincial pension plan in Alberta.

So far, the debate has centered on financial details. On this front, the case of a provincial pension plan is clear. Albertans can immediately pay less in contributions and collect more in pension payments under a provincial plan.

The fact is, Alberta has a younger and higher skilled workforce than most of the rest of the country. Should Albertans vote to leave the Canadian Pension Plan, the CPP will need to increase its contributions to remain viable in the long term.

What has not been discussed, is that the move to a provincial pension plan is not solely a financial move. Rather, it is one of the best levers Alberta has to fight for a Fair Deal.

Albertans have spoken, loudly and frequently, about the way our province is treated in Confederation. For several generations, we have been forced to defend our livelihoods, our standard of living, and Provincial jurisdiction, from an overreaching Federal government.

To make matters worse, it seems we have to constantly spur our own provincial government to fight back.

This was supposed to change in 2019 when more than a million Albertans elected the UCP to stand up for Alberta.

Then, it was supposed to change when the government’s Fair Deal Panel ran the numbers and provided that facts outlining the extent to which Albertans are being short-changed.

Then, it was supposed to change when Albertans voted 62 percent in favor on a referendum to remove the equalization section from the Constitution.

Then, it was supposed to change when Alberta’s Legislature backed my motion to “deploy every legal, economic, and constitutional tool at the Province’s disposal” to win a fair deal for Alberta.

But nothing has changed. If anything, Ottawa’s overreach has only grown, while Alberta has yet to take any real action to fight back.

Political posturing may be par for the course in Alberta Legislature, where talking points are issued daily and pay cheques are guaranteed, but out in the real world the status quo is no longer acceptable.

That was the message I received most clearly as a member of the Government’s Fair Deal Panel. Through that process I personally heard from thousands of folks who are sick a tired of being ignored and even vilified for demanding fairness.

The Fair Deal Panel provided a long list of tools the Province could use to start fighting back. These included the creation of a provincial police force, opting out of new federal cost-shared programs, and the creation of a provincial pension plan.

Which brings us back to the provincial pension plan. Once again, the government of Alberta is consulting through an online survey. The seemingly endless delay will continue for months to come, prior to a referendum with no firm date set, followed by a multi-year process for converting CPP contributions to an APP.

While media and the political parties seem set on framing the debate along political lines, most of the concerns I’ve heard about a provincial pension plan are the same.

First of all, folks want to be assured that they will be guaranteed 100 per cent of their contributions to date, for obvious reasons. That money belongs to contributors, not governments.

Secondly, Albertans want to be sure that their contributions won’t be used to fund political fads in the name of economic diversification. Whether its funding expensive and unreliable solar farms, or questionable carbon capture schemes, folks don’t want politicians within a country mile of retirement investments.

If we’re going to create a new pension plan, at the very least we need ironclad legislation to insulate the plan’s management from political interference. Better yet, we should allow contributors to directly determine where their funds are to be invested. We all have different priorities, why should we all be forced to fund the same things?

Providing that government can adequately address both of these concerns, there is no reason to delay. If we want to show Ottawa that we mean business, we should hold a referendum on the creation of a provincial pension plan at our first opportunity.

Set a date, no later than the next municipal election, and in the meantime get all of the mechanisms in place.

No more delays. We’ve waited long enough.

Canadians across the country, evident by increasing poll numbers, are connecting with the message of hope offered by Conservative Party of Canada leader Pierre Poilievre. This movement was made even more obvious when nearly 3,000 united, enthusiastic delegates gathered earlier this month for the Conservative National Convention.

Poilievre's inspirational speech offered hope for Canada under a future Conservative government. I believe this hope will only continue to grow as the significance of his ‘Bring It Home’ plans resonate with Canadians before the next federal election.

The foundation of Poilievre’s strategy returns a common-sense Conservative government that supports all Canadians by curbing taxes, cutting waste and caps spending. A plan that frees hardworking people to earn powerful paycheques to purchase affordable food, gas and homes in safe communities. The basics of which we took for granted prior to the Trudeau years.

To refresh your memories, it was only eight years ago that inflation and interest rates were rock bottom. Taxes were falling faster than at any time in Canada’s history, crime had declined 25 per cent, housing costs were half of what they are today, after-tax take-home pay was up, and the federal budget was balanced. What was, was thanks to a Conservative government focused on common-sense policies and responsible spending.

Today, 40-year high inflation, declining economy, sky-high taxes, 50 per cent increase in housing costs and a doubling of the country’s national debt caused by uncontrolled spending has placed Canadians in an unenviable financial position. People are fearful for tomorrow because they cannot make ends meet today. This tragic scenario playing out across the country must stop and that is exactly what a Conservative government is focused on achieving.

Poilievre's common-sense approach includes eliminating the costly carbon tax and reducing other taxes, finding a dollar in savings for every dollar of new spending, eradicating wasteful pet projects such as ArriveCan and the Infrastructure Bank, which together have cost billions with no benefit to Canadians. To reduce energy costs, the construction of pipelines, nuclear reactors and natural gas liquefaction facilities, for both domestic and export purposes, will be expedited.

Legislation which provides bail to violent repeat offenders and taxpayer funded drugs to those suffering from addictions, will be revoked. Firearm bans on hunters and sport shooters will be reversed in favour of bolstering our borders against illegal drugs and guns. Support for our Armed Forces will be restored, censorship laws cancelled, red tape on building projects reduced, along with many other initiatives to make life more affordable.

Trudeau’s ideological policies and reckless spending have cost Canadians dearly, both financially and emotionally. However, the current trend is reversible. With Poilievre’s clear message of hope, his focus on doing what is right for our country, and a common-sense Conservative approach to government, we can rebuild our country - together.

Please allow me to preface this article by saying any individual able to pursue a career in the arts is equally fortunate as privileged. The following objective is to shed light ironically on the same troubles and problems the industry and artists have had since the beginning of “entertainment.” For it is justified all the same as to anyone wanting to pursue their own dream and passion whether it be a: chef, lawyer, teacher, or tradesperson.

See, the film industry as a whole feels a lot like the wild west to me (exemplified by the ongoing strikes), where degrees mean nothing with no one clear-cut way to break in. Currently, the WGA (Writers Guild of America) whom just ended a 146-day strike and SAG-AFTRA (Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists), currently on strike halted all major tv and film development since May. Sadly, this will cause at least $3 billion to the California economy, not to mention global impact, like Canada where many American productions are offered generous tax reductions. Other businesses affected are hotels, restaurants, tourism, and local shops.

Being an artist myself in Alberta and having contacts in British Columbia, WE have been deeply impacted by the U.S. strikes. It does make one think why can’t Canada increase its own home content since after all when U.S. productions come up here, it’s our talent and crews they’re using. A great example is when HBO’s The Last of Us filmed around Calgary (2021-2022). One could barely walk outside without over-hearing a conversation about the fact a major production was being filmed in our backyard. But don’t forget others such as: Inception, Interstellar, Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Brokeback Mountain, Let Him Go, Cool Runnings, The Revenant, Unforgiven, The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, Fargo (tv), 3 Superman films, Wynona Earp and even Game of Thrones were (partly)filmed here as well, with some being nominated for Oscars. So, we have the means to do so, just not on the same scale with well-known names. But I do believe with a good story, characters, and quality production can make people talk and draw attention.

“You can’t be an artist! You’ll never be able to live off that.” Hence, why one WGA strike demand was for streaming share revenue which, actually makes sense when you think about how they took over from DVD, which played an important role for making back money after the initial release (a second wind if you will). The others are simple wage increases to match the rising cost of living and simple health benefits which everyone should be entitled to (and in order to claim must make a certain amount of money which due to lack of residuals many don’t make to qualify). It is the “Summer of Strikes” after all, demanding their fair share of spreading the wealth in this broken society.

Finally, is job security from AI. A major opposing force with this is, using trademarked materials without permission to train the programs which would then replace those exact people’s jobs in turn. Which of the time of this writing, 17 writers including George R.R. Martin have filed a lawsuit against OpenAI.

The funny thing is though, not ALL productions had to stop. Any independent production companies not associated with the ATMPTP (Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers) like A24 or other low-budget projects were allowed to continue due to agreeing with the terms set out by the union (fair compensation and working conditions). So, the question begs why could low-budget indies agree but not multi-million-dollar corporations? One obvious flaw was they’re all competitors not wanting to give in and lose their current hold on the market.

Yes, the film industry is a business that needs to be profitable but, corporations cannot make art, only artists can. Everyone can love a script but it takes just one person at the top to stop the entire show. A painting like an heirloom can make you feel all sorts of emotions and bring back memories but, ironically, when put on a price tag can really be devalued. Everyone and everything have their price in this world, all artists are asking for is their fair share, respect as much as worth.

Furthermore, the snowball effect has rolled into the departments of special effects and animation, now starting to unionise after the demanding hours and poor conditions. Fear of being boycotted from jobs was keeping them away but with the strength of WGA and SAG-AFTRA, they can finally step up setting a new precedent. For example, Marvel’s in house VFX team is the first time a solely special effects crew has (unanimously) unionized with IATSE aka International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, and that’s from a company that has made over $28 Billion. IATSE has stated they’re willing to go on strike if an agreement hasn’t been met by September 26, 2023, which represents thousands of behind-the-scene workers.

I do however wish to point out that it’s not always corporations at fault. Both Across the Spider-verse and TMNT: Mutant Mayhem were both produced by Sony however, had different studios working on their projects. Where Seth Rogen (TMNT) was praised for his consideration and creative freedom, Phil Lord (ATSV) was ruled unjustly for “unsustainable working conditions.” These two examples should not cross each other out but, point out the unbalanced nature of the Hollywood beast.

Day in and day out working-class actors walk through a revolving door of constant rejection, needing to find jobs flexible enough to allow us to run across town and back for an audition, book off time unexpectedly and cover shifts, but also pay enough for this month’s rent, while still finding time to hone our craft and take classes. But with that these types of jobs (typically server/bartenders) don’t come with health insurance and pay well. And most sadly realise this and take up a second career path never to return to the arts, which can you blame them? This career is not for the faint of heart even though we’re asked to tear them out and paint the silver screen.

Luckily, self tapes have taken over making audition opportunities more accessible for all. The catch-22 is now the number of submissions can double/triple/quadruple even, saturating the process. Also meaning, moving away from family and friends to either Vancouver, Toronto, or Calgary is necessary.

Believe it or not, booking 1 out of say 30-40 auditions could be considered “fortunate,” but so could 1 out of 60, and then there’s a lucky some booking a few per month or two. Of course, background/commercial work is different but the end goal is playing a character with an actual name opposed to “Security Guard #2.”

Majority of film industry related jobs are self-employed, so networking plays a huge role. On one side it can feel superficial as though people are just using others to get ahead; the other is building a tribe of like-minded people who you’ll form great bonds with because after all it takes many to make a film (look at any credits sequence). In order to survive in this industry, one needs their tribe to lean on, encourage, rehearse, and collaborate, because we know the specific struggles occurring.

Typically, that’s why you see similar faces around because you’re more inclined to hire a friend, like how the same actors appear in Adam Sandler films (which is genius since who doesn’t want to hangout with their friends for work)? Also, if you’re going to be seeing the same people over an extended amount of time, you’ll choose those that you get along well with and can read your mind. Yes, even your DiCaprio’s are technically out of a job when not making a movie, but when you’re in the 1% you can go a while without one, hence other ventures like brand partnerships, writing, directing, teaching a class… since there’s zero job security. Hence why so many tv shows are cancelled after a few seasons is because that’s when they’re able to renegotiate their contracts, or they’ll bring a show back with a new title so they can be paid at base salary again.

Worst of all, no matter the: years of training, where you obtained your degree, whom you studied under, the countless hours memorizing lines of dialogue, at the end of the day something as little as being 3 inches taller than the lead could cost you the role. Hell, even if you’re perfect for the role but someone else has 100,000 more followers than you or just came off a popular show, could nab it for better publicity. Hence why Oscar winner’s have the pick of the litter for their next project. Of course, age, race, skill, location, union or not, type of production, nepotism, “who you know,” and/or someone better looking all play a role. Majority of gigs, especially union, do pay well. The problem being there’s more actors than jobs, so booking consecutively to make it one’s primary source of income is a struggle since the working-class actor usually makes below the poverty line. Catering may very well be the best meal someone will eat that week.

Then there’s headshots that must be updated with your current look but, “What if I want to grow my hair out and have a beard or colour it?”

“Well, are you willing to cut it for a day’s work on a commercial even though you just paid for new headshots? You have to look like you do in the photos or else how can we imagine you in this role?” Which is a silly thing since actors are able to morph into different people, but deciding on a haircut could also cost you a job.

Several things out of our hands play factors, and we hardly ever receive feedback so how can we possibly get better? Half the time when receiving sides (the script with our scenes) vital information is missing since we’re only given a brief description so we must interrupt and make a choice, which is fine if it’s in the room since the casting director can redirect but, if on self-tape you have to hope they can see what you’re playing at and able to make the change as an actor should.

Yes, any filmmaker worth their grain of salt would tell you they’d do this for free, which is why it’s easy to be taken advantage of starting out because we need all the experience/exposure we can obtain (never pay an agent!)

We’ve all heard, “It’s not what you know but who you know,” and that couldn’t be anymore true.

So, why do artists endure? I certainly haven’t made this profession sound appetising in the least, so why bother? Fair question. I’m certainly not ungrateful for all the opportunities I’ve had but over time it can really weigh one down.

I can’t speak for all, for myself though, choosing one job for the rest of my life always seemed daunting. With acting, one never has to settle. Yes, the main job is acting, and with that comes training of movement and speech, mind, breaking down a script, understanding the human condition, writing, auditioning, knowing the difference between stage and camera, and becoming vulnerable beyond the average person’s comfortability. We’re allowed to stay young at heart with bright imaginations playing dress up as superheroes to spies to warriors, only being limited by our own creativity. Done correctly can make people laugh, cry, angry, scared, etcetera all in one sitting.

As an actor, what a privilege it is being encouraged to deeply feel the full rainbow of emotions, able to experience a multitude of lives otherwise not lived without any real consequences. Say the things society won’t allow, like having that perfect insult otherwise only an afterthought, or telling off a boss, or achieving our wildest dreams like being a winner.

And it’s in this that all people lowkey wish to be a star but don’t understand the amount of preparation and dedication necessary to make you, the audience, believe what’s happening is real, that causes you those reactions. Why you cry when a character dies, or smile when they’re triumphant; because they’re portraying your soul in front of you, living vicariously through them. Even though they’re being demanded in an instant to “pretend” it’s the happiest day of their life when in reality that actor could have received info only 5 minutes prior that their apartment flooded. Acting is a real job! It’s definitely not as important as a doctor/nurse, educator, any blue-collar job, I can admit that but, it has its place.

Technically, yes, anyone can be an actor because we do it in our own lives all the time, whether you know it or not. Maybe it’s tasting someone’s terrible cooking, having a “work voice,” putting on a smile after a heartbreak…it’s why all actors suffer from Imposter Syndrome. We all want the same thing, to be in the 1% as a household name like your Pitt, or Depp, but outside the casting office is a room filled with lookalikes…so, why/how me?

Identity is a necessary thing to know of yourself in order to go through life but then, how does somebody separate themselves from the pack, to not be typecasted needing to show range? Constantly being criticized for being to short or tall, thin or fat, dark or light, young or old, ugly or hot? Or opinions from the internet, critics, being told to change your name so it has a better ring to it?

It’s tiring constantly having to reinvent what’s already been done for a new audience but, that’s also half the fun. With every new generation comes a new outlook. Unlike athletes there’s no retirement age for an actor, just age out of one category and into the next.

Filmmakers as a whole are storytellers, photographers, performers, writers, psychologists who must understand editing, music, lighting, a wide range of equipment (both new and old) all to some degree. Imposter Syndrome is further felt by many of us being generalists however, that’s why you form a crew. If you want to make movies, go find your film crew. Harder said than done but use each other for their strengths.

Parents, as a fellow artist, we don’t need to be undermined and told, “I think you’d be a better teacher or an electrician. That way you can have an actual career!”

“And a life I’d hate?” It’s completely dismissive and defeating (though many trades have a place on set). Chances are, they already know the odds and troubles of pursuing a career in the arts if they want to. Telling someone not do something will only drive them faster into it. So as long as it’s safe and healthy, try not to be like everyone else and be a roadblock. You very well could be a defining factor of them achieving their goal knowing you have their back.

Yes, one must be realistic in life…but life is short, and it’s about minimising regret. A contingency plan never hurt anyone, but why not be a little brave before the world takes you down? If you’re in it to become famous, wealthy and noticeable you’ll be chewed up and spit out because the artist life is a constant struggle. The only way you can possibly make it is by needing it as badly as you need to breath. Think of all the artists you know and love and how none of them have the same story of breaking in. There’s no one clear cut way. Some get lucky straight away, others it will take time but, if you give up, you’ll certainly never make it.

Without artists like actors, think of all the content you wouldn’t be consuming: film/tv, music, books, art, standup comedy, even professional wrestling. Think how much on tickets you’re willing to spend seeing your favourite artist? I’ll bet even they were discouraged multiple times growing up. You can’t tell me watching Dead Poets Society didn’t make you feel anything, something! Art is for the soul that can help heal it.

Movies can educate and inspire, give hope, or a feel of belonging; relating to the different human experiences we all go through but not all the same way. Through cinema we may ask questions of the universe, reflect, grieve, and escape; our way of coping with the world and our place in it. So maybe the question is NOT why, but why not me?

“You don't have to know how to make a movie. If you truly love cinema, with all your heart, and with enough passion, you can't help but make a good movie. You don't have to go to school.”   -Quentin Tarantino

*At the time of publishing the “WGA has reached a tentative agreement with the ATMPTP,” after 146 days according to the guild, though no specifics have been released as of yet. I’ve left in the strike information to inform others who may not have known what was happening and that it compliments the article as a whole.

As a business owner, have you ever found yourself in a situation where you don’t understand the legalities behind terminations, human rights, accommodations or leave of absences? The reality is that most small business owners lack the experience and expertise required to effectively manage their HR services. This can lead to serious risks that can hurt your company’s reputation, productivity, and bottom line.

Fortunately, outsourced HR services can help you manage these risks effectively. By outsourcing your HR services, you can get access to an expert who can help you navigate complex HR laws and regulations, while also ensuring that you are in compliance with all relevant legal requirements.

One of the key benefits of outsourcing your HR services is that you can reduce your risk of legal liability. HR experts can help you navigate the often-complex legal landscape around terminations, leave of absences, accommodations, and human rights. They can ensure that your company is legally compliant and that you are taking all the necessary steps to protect your employees’ rights.

Outsourced HR services can also help you manage the risk of employee turnover. When employees feel valued and well-supported, they are more likely to stay with your company for the long-term. HR experts can help you design and implement employee engagement programs that promote a positive company culture, improve employee morale, and reduce the risk of turnover.

Another area where outsourced HR services can help is by managing employee benefits. This can include everything from health insurance and retirement plans to vacation time and sick leave. HR experts can help you select the right benefits package for your employees and ensure that you are providing them with the support they need to maintain their health and well-being.

If you are like most small business owners, you probably don’t have the time or expertise to manage all the administrative tasks associated with HR services.

This is where outsourced HR services can help.

By outsourcing your HR services, you can free up your time to focus on running your business and growing your bottom line.

In conclusion, if you’re a business owner that struggles with understanding the nuances and intricacies of HR services, outsourced HR can help with risk management. With their expert knowledge, legal compliance, and support, you can effectively manage all aspects of human resources for your employees.

Outsourced HR ensures you are adhering to legal obligations and supporting your employees to help your business thrive and grow. So why wait? Consider outsourced HR services today with Red Rock HR Ltd.

Strengthening your Foundation: HR Consulting in the Heart of Medicine Hat

Reforming government: Who is in charge?

If you follow politics locally or nationally, you will notice a trend. The most hotly debated issues tend to fall along ideological and partisan fault lines. These tend to be the most divisive issues, and as a result they are the most likely to affect the outcome of elections.

However, with all the attention paid to these hot button issues, there are many others that get ignored to the detriment of us all. One such issue, which cuts to the core competency of government, is the so-called chain of command.

When dealing with any organization, be it a business or a government, the public deserves to know who is in charge. The expectation for clearly delineated areas of responsibility is key. Public frustration only grows as an organization become less transparent.

Such an issue recently came up at a Medicine Hat City Council meeting, where questions regarding the roles and responsibilities of senior City management were raised. In recent years, similar issues have been raised in numerous municipalities around Alberta. Citizen groups are growing concerned that Chief Administrative Officers and other bureaucrats are seen to be acting without clear direction from elected officials given publicly at open meetings.

After a decade serving within the provincial Legislative Assembly, I can tell you this is not just a municipal issue. As an MLA, I was constantly frustrated with our provincial government’s lack of a clear distinction between the executive and legislative branches of government. In addition, too many decisions affecting people’s lives are now being made behind closed doors within public agencies, boards, and commissions (there are well over 200 such organizations now in operation). As a result, government is growing less transparent by the day.

Ultimately, making government more transparent is not a partisan issue. Rather, it is an issue of leadership. Addressing this issue both provincially and municipally has to start at the top, with Danielle Smith.

The Premier needs to immediately and significantly de-bureaucratize government, be it within departments, crown corporations, or public agencies. Furthermore, the Premier needs to learn from the failed leadership of Jason Kenney and instruct the Premier’s Office to stop micro managing the agendas and processes of the legislative branch of government. The executive branch needs to stay in its lane, and allow elected representative to do their job.

When it comes to municipalities, the Premier should strengthen transparency provisions within the Municipal Government Act, especially when it comes to regulations over development and the expenditure of taxpayer money.

In addition, the MGA also needs to more clearly delineate areas of jurisdiction between municipalities and the province. One of the public’s major frustrations is not knowing which level of government to go to with concerns. For far too long, the province has tinkered with municipal issues, and vice versa. Mission creep has made it impossible for regular folks to know who is in charge.

At the end of the day, making government more transparent is about respecting the public. We periodically see polls showing that public distrust of government is rising. Conversely, it seems to many of us that our politicians and unelected bureaucrats are becoming increasingly distrustful of the public.

To both these groups, I would ask a simple question: Who is in charge?

I often ponder how one becomes creative, or if people are born creative, or perhaps being creative is a choice. I have never considered myself to be a “creative” person. Over the years, I have come to realize I don’t really enjoy being a “maker”. What is do enjoy is being a supportive audience member. Whether I sit in a theatre listening to a musical performance or taking a musical theatre show – I have been part of an audience. I was a cast member in one high school play and sang in different choirs in my youth but those experiences did not heighten my interest, the stage fright was enough to deter further stage activities. My 4-H troupe went Christmas caroling in 1970 where I ending up singing Silver Bells, with back round singers for the chorus. Unfortunately, I was the only one who remembered all the words to that song – my first and last solo. School art classes were just me, colouring in the lines or inside the box. My creative imagination just never moved past that.

In the last few years, many of my favourite television shows are on the “Makeful” channel. I find  myself drawn to watching all things where people are tasked to make things. Landscape or Portrait Artist of the Year, Pottery Throw Down, Blown Away, Sewing Bee, and even the baking/cooking shows, as those shows are filled with many talented, creative people and I am the target audience. Bringing the creative world closer to me, I like to surround myself with treasures made by people in the community who make wonderful things. This makes me part of the makers audience. My living space includes framed prints by local artists James Marshall,  Theresa Eisenbarth and Donna McClean, and an original painting by Mollie Webster. I have many pieces of Altaglass, a few purchased over the years through the sales hosted by Allan Jensen for the Historical Society, as well as a few original pieces purchased by my parents in the 1970s. My pottery collection is full of  Medalta reproductions of crocks and mugs.  My Hycroft China pieces connect me to the memories of my grandparent’s kitchen. Contemporary ceramic artists thrive in Medicine Hat and I have pieces of work by many makers: Les Manning, Jim Etzkorn, Aaron Nelson, Dixie Baker, and many other resident artists who have sold work at markets. Hatters are fortunate to have so many amazing people and creative entities in our midst.

A favourite art piece of mine is a mixed media canvas by Eco-Artist Natalie Oliphant. Eco Art is a new-to-me art genre. Discarded objects and memorabilia are saved from obscurity and strategically placed on canvases or body forms, bringing a new life to items most likely to end up in a landfill. My canvas has a personal connection as I had donated some old jewelry, watches and hardware Natalie used to create the piece. Natalie’s talent in producing thought provoking art pieces with found items resonates with me. Not everything beautiful is brand new. Regrouping, reinventing and placement can be a positive transformation. I should use this mantra as an awakening where my lack of a creative gene is considered. Being a patron of the arts is a necessary part of the creative process. I revel in that.

In addition to the recent announcement that the Rotary clubs are working together to reopen the Monarch Theatre in Medicine Hat, the four clubs in the city have a tradition of joint projects that benefit the community.

The Medicine Hat Rotary Club is the oldest of the groups, founded in 1918. The Saamis club has been in operation for over forty-five years while the Sunrise club celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary in June of this year. The newest club, Rotary Ignite, is a satellite club of Sunrise and has been in existence for almost three years. The Interact Club is supported by the Medicine Hat club at the Medicine Hat High School.

The clubs vary in size from over sixty members to ten, and they meet at different times during the week, with Medicine Hat and Saamis meeting every week while Sunrise and Ignite meet twice a month. Members meet together in person or virtually and special guests make interesting presentations at the meetings.

An example of the clubs coming together is shown in the photograph of flowers outside the entrance to the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital. The Saamis, Sunrise, and Ignite clubs funded the building of the flower bed and then each spring work together to plant the flowers. The photo shows the flowers in bloom in early September this year.

The clubs support each other financially and attend social and other events jointly. Each of the clubs has helped the city with trails and parks: the Rotary Centennial Trail connecting the city trails to Desert Blume, the Sunrise Rotary Trail around the campus of Medicine Hat College, and the Saamis Rotary Park in Southridge. The District Governor for the Rotary International district that includes forty-five clubs in southern Alberta will be visiting the clubs over the coming month, helping the clubs connect to the larger organization.

For further information about Rotary contact Keith Walker at kvwalker@telusplanet.net.

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Police Service and the City of Medicine Hat's Emergency Social Services team will host a Community Preparedness Event aimed to educate interested residents on how to be prepared for neighbourhood fires, storm alerts, and suspicious packages/activities.

The event will take place on Thursday, September 21, from 9:45 a.m. to 12 p.m. at the Unison Veiner Centre. Guests will be offered free admission, parking, refreshments, and door prizes.

This event is an opportunity for community members to engage directly with first responders and emergency management experts, gaining crucial knowledge to safeguard themselves and their loved ones during emergencies.

Interested parties are encouraged to register in-person at the event, by phone (403) 952-8984, or by email jeanetted@unisonalberta.com.

The 43rd annual Terry Fox Run took place in Medicine Hat on Sunday, September 17, in person for the first time since 2019. The Run was done virtually in 2020 and 2021 but not at all last year. The Sunrise Rotary Club took on organizing the event this year with a committee made up of members of the Sunrise and Rotary Ignite clubs as well as community members. The Kinette club had previously organized the Run.

The results of the committee’s efforts, with the support of the people of Medicine Hat, were incredible: the fundraising goal, as set by the Terry Fox Foundation, and based on previous years, was $7000. At the end of the run day almost $19,000 had been raised, by far the most ever from Medicine Hat. Since 1981, when the run first took place, the city had raised $128,000; now that figure stands at $147,000. Donations will be accepted until the end of the year so these amounts will positively change.

In 2019 there were 35 participants, so the organizing committee hoped to at least double that amount; on Sunday over 275 people ran, walked, rode bikes, pushed baby strollers, and brought their dogs. Twenty teams participated, and 325 people donated to help fund cancer research. This is the largest one-day fundraising event for cancer research in Canada, with runs taking place in over 650 communities and 80,000 Canadians participating. Terry Fox Runs also take place in thirty other countries, showing the tremendous impact this young Canadian had on the world.

The third Sunday in September is the day of the run, and this year September 17 was officially proclaimed Terry Fox Day in Medicine Hat by Mayor Clark. On Thursday, September 14 the lights on the Saamis Teepee were changed to red and white in honor of Terry Fox Day, the colours of Terry’s white t-shirt with a red maple leaf on the map of Canada across his chest.

More than thirty volunteers helped out at the Run with set-up, registration, water stations, food service, family games, and route marshals. The Medicine Hat Public Library was there with giant games; the Alberta Motor Association had a bubble machine; and the TuckedIn Jazz Collective band provided musical entertainment. Representatives from the provincial and city jurisdictions gave tribute to the legacy of Terry Fox in their brief remarks. Local radio personality Kim Johnston served as the MC and Ed Styles led a warm-up.

Leading up to the event the organizing team had the privilege of having dinner with Fred Fox, Terry’s brother, when he stayed overnight in the city en route from Regina to Calgary. The van that Terry and his run supporters used to travel across the country during the 1980 Marathon of Hope is currently on display at Heritage Park in Calgary. It is there for 143 days, the number of days Terry ran before the return of the cancer stopped him outside of Thunder Bay.

Schools will now continue the legacy with over 10,000 schools across the country participating in Terry Fox Runs and sharing the story of one of Canada’s greatest heroes.

If you’ve been thinking about changing careers or becoming a business owner, the home inspection industry is a great choice.

For starters, being your own boss certainly has its advantages, including controlling how much business you bring in based on the number of hours you’d like to work and, as a result, how much income you generate. The sky’s truly the limit!

And selecting the type of business you’d like to launch is also key.

Staying in the community you love

Regardless of where you live, there’s a need for qualified home inspectors. Even when your local economy isn’t on top of its game, homes must still be inspected as they’re built, bought, sold, renovated, and maintained.

This business has even been known to keep people employed in the community they love because work is steady and you’re never forced to move to another jurisdiction because ‘that’s where the jobs are’.

There’s a misconception that because someone owns a franchise, they’re not local. On the contrary, each A Buyer’s Choice Home Inspections (ABCHI) franchise is independently owned and operated within a local community. We empower local people who undergo rigorous training – well above industry standards – before becoming active within their communities.

Why join our franchise?

By investing in an ABCHI franchise, you’re able to launch your business while not having to start a company from scratch.

ABCHI is a turnkey business that’s successfully operating across North America and beyond. And our roots are proudly Canadian! In fact, our journey began in 2005 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A local real estate veteran started ABCHI because he was tired of encountering unprofessional and unqualified home inspectors. In just two years, we became the largest home inspection franchise in the country.

The major benefit to buying into an established business and trusted brand model is that it’s tried and true, and owners are able to bypass the uncertainty of launching an upstart business on their own. After all, many unsupported new businesses fail within the first year.

Through franchise affiliation, owners and inspectors benefit from being able to lean on a network of peers and learn from past experiences, while sharing best practices and gaining support through mentoring.

As is the case with franchises, there’s an initial investment required to be awarded a franchise and launch your business. We offer a proven method for success including comprehensive training, full inspector certification, business training and coaching, a complete Marketing strategy and state-of-the-art technology.

We’re dedicated to ensuring our inspectors are highly trained and certified, regardless of local licensing requirements. This is just one more way we set ourselves ahead of the competition.

Don’t worry about not knowing the business!

We can teach you everything you need to know about the home inspection business in order to run a successful franchise as long as you’re passionate about people and sales!

Join Canada’s largest home inspection company: https://abuyerschoice.com/join

Contact Steve at 403.878.7580 or Valerie at 403.977.7580 to discuss the opportunities available in Medicine Hat, AB and Swift Current, SK.

MEDICINE HAT, AB — The marquee lights of the historic Monarch Theatre will soon shine brightly again, as the establishment prepares to reopen under new ownership. The theatre, built in 1911 and heralded as Canada’s oldest surviving movie theatre, was recently sold by the City of Medicine Hat to the Monarch 1911 Society, a newly formed non-profit organization.

In partnership with The Rotary Clubs of Medicine Hat and managed by Plugged-In Media, the theatre aims to contribute to the community by reinvesting a portion of its annual revenues. The revenues, along with grant funding and private donations, will be channeled into community grants available to organizations around Medicine Hat.

“Drawing from the distinct expertise of each individual across our three partnership organizations, we’re equipped with a wide range of skills to benefit the Monarch,” says Frank Divine, Monarch 1911 Society. “As active members in the community, we’re committed to revitalizing this beautiful theatre for the residents. Our business plan is thoughtfully designed to contribute directly back to the community, and we have some exciting initiatives in the pipeline.”

More Than Just Movies

The Monarch Theatre is poised to undergo a transformation from a purely cinematic venue to a multifaceted community arts center. While it will continue to screen both classic and indie films, the theatre will also host a wide array of cultural events such as concert performances, spoken word presentations, and commercial events. The space will also be available for private functions like weddings and birthday parties.

“The vision is to create an engaging experience that pays homage to the Monarch's historic past while embracing a diverse range of artistic expressions,” says Dave Cruickshank, Technical Director of the Monarch Theatre. NOTE: Dave Cruickshank is a Sun City Sentinel contributor.

A Century-Old Tradition Continues

Locally cherished for generations, the theatre has seen more dormant days than bustling ones in recent years, particularly after the dissolution of the CCDA. However, under its new management, the Monarch is all set to reclaim its status as a cultural hub in Medicine Hat.

"We all look forward to revitalizing a space for the whole community to gather and feel comfortable in!" says Rob Pape, Theatre Manager, "Together, we can make the Monarch a place of community once again!"

“I'm thrilled about the transition,” said Aaron Nelson, Manager of Cultural Experiences and Events, City of Medicine Hat. “The City initially stepped in to purchase the Monarch to provide stability. With this sale, we're confident that the new owner shares our vision for the theatre’s significance and its potential to further enliven the downtown core."

An exciting calendar of events is in the works, promising a rich blend of experiences that both young and old can look forward to.

Grand Opening Details Awaited

Details for the grand opening are yet to be announced, but it is already known that the event will feature a screening of Luke Fandrich’s newly-completed documentary, "Your Cinema Needs You," which celebrates the Monarch Theatre itself.

“It’s been a long time coming, but we’re excited to begin this new chapter for the Monarch Theatre. The focus is clearly on creating a future while honoring our past, and welcoming another century of memories within these historic walls,” said Cruickshank.

As Medicine Hat's crown jewel prepares to open its doors again, it’s clear that the community will once more have a vibrant, versatile venue to call their own — one that honors its long-standing tradition while embracing the possibilities of the future.

https://themonarch.net - The Monarch's Website will be a place of event, programming and rental information, as well as a place to submit your thoughts, opinions and ideas.

For immediate updates and further information, stay tuned or contact robpape@themonarch.net

Self-defense is a bigger topic than most people realize. It boils down to setting boundaries. This means beating up a mugger counts as self-defense but so does, "Dude! You're in my personal space." In fact, most self defense doesn't involve fighting at all.

So, how do prepare someone to deal with a self-defense situation? The first step is to help students understand the nature of boundary violations. Too many self-defense courses focus on the stranger jumping out of the bushes but the reality is that 82% of the time, attacks come from someone the victim knows. They often start with little aggressions like subtle comments or "bumping" into you, and then they escalate from there.

It is also important to see the topic in context. The real issue is men (and it is predominantly men) attacking people. Teaching women how to respond to this behaviour is only a stop-gap until we fix the source of the problem.

It is just as important to define success. Survival. Any situation you survived was handled correctly. Too often women who have experienced violence are told, "Well all you had to do was..." by people who do not understand the myriad of factors that go into any conflict. If you survived, you did the right thing.

From there, it is important to understand how our brains work under stress, what legal options and restrictions we have to respect, and what force options exist. It would be easier if there were simple answers but the simple answers are almost never accurate answers.

If you would like to learn more, the Medicine hat Judo Club is running a women's self-defense course starting on September 26th. It runs for 12 weeks, on Tuesday evenings from 7:30-9 pm. For more information or to register, contact Donovan at info@medhatjudo.com.

**MEDICINE HAT, AB - **After a few years of vacancy, the fate of the Monarch Theatre is to be revealed by City Council at their regular council meeting on Monday as part of their New Business announcements.

According to meeting agenda posted recently, the sale of the city's oldest movie theatre is finalized. Per the council agenda:

"It is recommended through the Administrative Committee that City Council approves the sale of the Monarch Theatre to the purchaser with the following key terms and conditions:

• Purchase Price of $100,000.00
• The Property is sold “as is, where is”.
• The sale of the Property using a Real Estate Purchase Contract in a form and content satisfactory to the City Manager and City Solicitor."

Background

In June 2021, prior to dissolution of the City Centre Development Agency (‘CCDA’), the City acquired the Monarch Theatre with intention to facilitate transition to a new future owner that would use it in a way aligned with the redevelopment and vibrancy aspirations in the City’s Municipal Development Plan (‘MDP’). In January 2022, the City issued an Expression of Interest (‘EOI’) and received responses from interested parties, all of which indicated a desire to activate the space in ways aligning with the MDP. The City entered negotiations directly with a proponent interested in acquiring the facility. Negotiations were unsuccessful in arriving at terms mutually agreeable to both parties.

Following this, with Council direction, the City issued a Request for Proposals in December 2022. Three submissions were received. The preferred proponent was selected in accordance with the evaluation criteria: intended use; financial obligations of the City; organizational capacity and experience; and alignment with development plans and preservation of Historic Heritage significance.

The Purchaser intends to operate the Monarch Theatre as a movie theatre.

This deal will once again breathe life into the "Crown Jewel" of Medicine Hat. The Sun City Sentinel will post more details as they become available.

Written by: Candace Lundrigan, Cultural Programs Coordinator

Medicine Hat is unique for a city of its size. Hatters throughout time had to have an industrious and enterprising nature to create our vibrant and prosperous city. Our oasis in the prairie was far enough away from large city centers that our early community members had to pull together to create their own arts and entertainment. Where there is a will there is a way! Today we are a community of choice, where people come to live, work and play. We boast top class recreation and leisure facilities and there is no shortage of creativity, charming cafes, and culture to explore!

Art is an expression of the human experience. It is something that can connect us together. Art is varied and comes in many forms. Art is impactful and can put many things into motion. What better banner under which to create a community festival? Art in Motion is about coming together, celebrating our community’s talents and achievements, and recognizing our vibrant cultural fabric.

This Saturday at Art in Motion you’ll see a showcase of talented skaters or get in on the action and take part in skate school with Cousins Skateboard Community (in partnership with Medicine Hat Skateboard Association), a group of friends and allies who want to see skateboarding used to empower youth within indigenous communities. You can paint with local graffiti artist and Mural Fest organizer Jeff Goring and enjoy a sampling of the artistic talent their festival amplifies every July when it gives a platform to artists both locally and across the country.

Visit Towne Square and connect with our friends from Medicine Hat Public Library, as well as numerous other not-for-profits that help support our community. You’ll find The Mustard Seed there hosting activities and entertainment like live music, Magician Trevor Moore, market vendors, kids crafts, as well as handing out tasty treats!

Join in our collaborative paint by numbers window mural at the Esplanade then take a spin at our Pendulum Painting station creating colourful works of art! Add some colour to First Street as you create your own temporary chalk art masterpiece with the help of Painter Girl and our Art Instructor Candice! Catch a captivating cultural performance on the outdoor stage at SHINE, a showcase of music and dance presented by Saamis Immigration. SHINE is sure to sparkle with the vibrant costumes, creativity, and talent on display from our own backyard.

Embrace the energy of creativity and connect with artists and fellow art enthusiasts in our vibrant community. Explore techniques and mediums for creative expression through clay, wood, paint, fabric, glass, physical movement and much more. Play with movement as you Hula from the Heart with Pop-up Parks or get bold, bright, and messy with pigment and water blasters at our Colour Blast Zone - don’t forget to wear white! Help add to and then play in our Sensory Fort with our Arts Instructor Julie. Take creativity to new heights as you watch demonstrations by Sway Aerial Fitness. Play in the Sensory Bus with Sensational Path. Be on the lookout for roving entertainment from jugglers, stilt walkers and flo performers.

Festivals are all about fun, so we have fan favourites like food trucks, face painting, bounce houses, glitter tattoos, and much more! When the sun goes down enjoy more performing arts with a free rock concert with local band Snakes and the Riot opening for Hawksley Workman plus the beer garden is right there to quench your thirst!

This is more than an event – it's an experience that will spark inspiration and celebrate the beauty of expression in all its forms! For the first year ever, Medicine Hat is hosting the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Art Awards in the Esplanade from 4-6 PM, recognizing and celebrating distinguished and emerging artists of Alberta!

Mark your calendars for this Saturday, September 16 and spread the word! Let's come together to make Art in Motion a canvas of joy and a masterpiece of togetherness.

Photo: The scene at last year’s Colour Blast Zone! It was a hit with kids and adults alike.

Photo Credit: Randy Feere

Written by Stephanie Kuhn, Youth & Community Librarian

Grand Opening Raging Success

The Medicine Hat Public Library unveiled its latest addition to its plethora of resources on Saturday, September 9th: a dedicated teen space called The Honeycomb House. Approximately 850 community members attended the Grand Opening event including MLA Justin Wright and Mayor Linnsie Clark. From a free community BBQ (sponsored by South County Co-op, Contemporary Colors, Carpet One, and Davis GMC Buick) with live music, to video games on the library’s theatre screen, to family-friendly activities like LEGO building, to a very popular Youth Fair put on by various Youth Service Providers in YXH; all made for a very busy day at the Library!

What is The Honeycomb House?

Teens, ages 13-19, can call this new drop-in teen space their home-away-from-home within this new teen space where they will find video games, computers, study space, a cozy reading nook, and snacks! A library staff person will always be available to the teens visiting the space, including an on-call Child and Youth Care Counsellor. This space was designed for teens by teens. The members of our TIC TAC (Teens Initiating Change Together And Committed) volunteer group, played a huge role in designing the space to ensure it would appeal to their peers. From paint colours, to the furniture, to even the name of the space; these decisions were all made with direct input from YXH teens!

So whether you need a snack on your way home from school, free internet access to finish that looming homework assignment, or just need to chill out from the stresses of growing up; The Honeycomb House is here for you!

The Honeycomb House is open for drop-in* Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays from 3:30 - 7:30 PM; Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays from 1:00 - 4:30 PM; closed Mondays.

*unless otherwise booked for a library program.

Learn more:

To learn more about library programs for teens at the library, visit: https://mhpl.shortgrass.ca/services/teens

To learn more about our teen volunteer program, visit:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeQH0O6VSC9iXNk4vcfO7Q5SM-oQLjBIhgQjkaDDavccDzIdw/viewform

Follow us on social media: @mhpubliclibrary and @mhplteens

It was January 7th, 1968, Ukrainian Christmas Day at my Grandparents house in the rural area near the village of Arnes, Manitoba. This occasion was the first time I was encouraged to be part of the after-dinner clean-up. I had turned 10 years old in the fall of 1967 which seemed to open up my new role of being old enough to be helpful in the kitchen. Drying dishes was my assigned task. I noticed the fancy dinner plates read, “Bone China – England” on the bottom. The every-day dinner plates read, “Hycroft China – Medicine Hat”. My 10-year-old-self imagined England and Medicine Hat were both somewhere across the world, places where I could only dream of.

You see, in the Interlake region of Manitoba, where my family lived, life was often a challenge. I didn’t understand why my grandparent’s house didn’t have running water or a real sink. The large cast iron wood stove had a hot water reservoir and all cooking was done on that stove – even the house was heated by that stove. No wonder I was kept from kitchen duties until I was ten! That stove was a beast, in the most positive sense of the word. Many basins or vessels were used for water. A cold-water bucket for drinking and cooking was always in a prime location in the kitchen. Large sink size basins were used for washing hair, hands, feet, and dishes. That family celebration opened my eyes to the difference between my town life and the hardships of farm life. My family home was small but outfitted with hot and cold running water, including a full three-piece bathroom. The farm had the dreaded outhouse but my Baba always had the white enameled chamber pot for us kids to pee. Water was a coveted resource on the farm. It was only found in the well, carefully carried in buckets to the house and the barns. Hot water was even more of a luxury. The smaller cast iron wood stove in the summer kitchen was used to heat water during the summer months. Heating up the farm house was not a practical thing to do during the hot and humid summer months so that summer kitchen was well used.

I started asking a lot of questions of my grandparents but they did not speak English very well. My farm questions had to be answered by my parents, usually on the drive home – 30 kilometers away – half of that trip on gravel roads.  It is amazing how few technologies my grandparents’ farm had at their disposal. I realize how fortunate I was to have experienced a taste of that “homesteader” lifestyle. My family moved out of Manitoba – to Medicine Hat, in the summer of 1972. Many improvements took place on that farm in the years after my family relocated. I witnessed some upgrades take place, and I got to enjoy some new creature comforts while visiting the farm in future years. I reminisce about those years often and how many more memories I have running through my head…the “party line” phone, the milk/cream separator, the septic tank installation, the life sustaining gardens, etc. Imagine how thrilled I was when I saw my grandparents every-day China at Hycroft in Medicine Hat, Alberta, years later?!

MEDICINE HAT, AB - MHPS is reporting a male is in custody facing weapons related offences following a report of a disturbance at a multi suite residence this morning.

On September 11 at approximately 12:10 AM, members of the Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS), were called to the 900 block of 2nd Street SE following a report of a male with a weapon damaging property and attempting to gain access to a suite inside of a multi-unit building.

Patrol members attended and were able to contain the male to a suite and identified he was in possession of a weapon. As the male threatened officers, the MHPS Tactical Team and crisis negotiators were called in to assist.

At approximately 3:30 AM officers were able to gain access to the residence and arrest the subject without incident or injuries to the male or responding officers.

Resulting from this incident the male is in custody facing criminal charges including:

• Possession of a Weapon Dangerous to the Public Peace,
• Breach of Probation,
• Mischief to Property,
• and Uttering Threats

The male will be held for a Judicial Interim Release hearing and cannot be identified until the conclusion of the hearing.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The cookies are going to CRUMBL on Friday September 15th and Medicine Hat's newest food franchise is opening it's doors.

CRUMBL Cookies doors open at 8am Friday and close at midnight. Visitors will have a chance to win FREE cookies for a year!! There will be limited edition CRUMBL shirts to first 50 customers. A prize wheel will be on site from 1:00-4:00 PM with CRUMBL swag and accessories. There are prizes for EVERYONE. (While quantities last). Music on site from 1pm to 9pm.

CRUMBL offers a weekly rotating menu of cookies made from 200+ flavors. These cookies can be purchased in store, locally delivered, or shipped nationwide. CRUMBL features four specialty cookies each week along with the award- winning Milk Chocolate Chip and Classic Pink Sugar cookies.

Underpass closure is an admission of failure

As many in Medicine Hat have already heard, the City has installed gates to lock the pedestrian underpass to the downtown every night from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m.

This underpass has been open every day since I first moved here in 1974, probably much longer. However, the sad truth is that a rising tide of crime, drugs, violence, and homelessness, has changed the face of our City’s core.

According to the City, “the infrastructure is not being used as intended, particularly late at night.” For those of you who haven’t spent as many years as I have sifting through bureaucratic doublespeak, that means the City has given up on trying to police crime in the underpass.

As for the homeless who periodically retreat to the underpass seeking warmth, “the City has an obligation to do our best to protect from unintended consequences when we are aware of a safety concern that is preventable.”

Bureaucrat to English translation: “Move along.”

For a City Council that has repeatedly bragged about its progressive efforts to fight crime and homelessness, the pedestrian underpass closure should be seen as an admission of failure.

Just two years ago, in June of 2021, the City of Medicine Hat declared to the world that we were “the first city in Canada to functionally end chronic homelessness.”

Of course, within months community agencies were pointing out what has become increasingly obvious to anyone who spends time in and around our downtown area: the issue is far from remedied.

Today homelessness, whether it is related to unemployment, under-employment, addictions, or mental health issues, continues to plague our city despite the best efforts of dozens of dedicated social workers and volunteers.

We agree on one thing: Looking away isn’t going to solve this problem. But neither is fighting this cause with one hand tied behind our back.

For far too long, the City has focused its efforts on “ending,” homelessness on what experts sometimes refer to as social causes. While tearing back the stigma to address issues such as drug abuse, physical and sexual abuse, mental disorders, and others is vital, it doesn’t address the economic side of the equation.

The sad fact is, in our society, it is getting too difficult for the little guy to get ahead.  For decades now, incomes have not risen to keep pace with basic expenses, including housing. At the same time, taxes rise every year, outpaced only by the size of government and inflation.

With a shortage of housing (exacerbated by municipal restrictions on development), the cost of buying a new home is increasingly out of reach for all but wealthy and dual-income families. Meanwhile, according to a recent report from TransUnion, Canada’s household debt levels have increased 4.4 percent this year, to a total of $2.34 trillion dollars. This means that even those lucky enough to own a home are now working longer and longer to cover the cost of interest on their mortgage and credit card debts.

When it gets harder and harder to get ahead, the obvious side effect is that people lose hope. When more and more families fall into poverty every year, it becomes impossible to keep pace with treating the rising tide of drugs, crime, and other social causes of homelessness.

In short, any plan to end homelessness that doesn’t include a plan to improve incomes, economic stability, and quality of life for our friends and neighbors is ultimately doomed to failure.

If the City wants to fight homelessness, it is time to refocus on economic measures that help the little guy get ahead:

• Reduce property taxes;

• Reduce the cost of utilities;

• Reduce the size and expense of government;

• Reduce debt;

• Streamline and reduce business regulation;

• Encourage the creation of quality, mortgage-paying, private sector, full-time jobs.

When we grow a stronger local economy from the ground up, it benefits us all.

Most importantly, it helps restore hope for those who need it most.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - City Council approved a motion to move items 9.1, 9.2 and 9.3 to the top of the agenda.

Under new business, City Council approved a Cost Pressure Relief Program as amended. The program includes the following:

a)  $200 per month for the months of August, September, October and November be applied to each Residential Utility Account holder, including residential units represented by condo associations and other housing-based associations as a community cost pressure relief program, commencing with a double initial payment on the billing cycle of September 18, 2023;

b)  $500 per month for the months of August, September, October and November be applied to each Small/Medium Business Utility Account holder as a community cost pressure relief program, commencing with a double initial payment on the billing cycle of September 18, 2023; and

c)  the disconnect notice fee be waived between June 1, 2023 and September 18, 2023, inclusive of both days with credits to be provided for the months already billed and included on the customer's next bill; and

d)  the late fees be waived between June between June 1, 2023 and September 18, 2023, inclusive of both days with credits to be provided for the months already billed and included on the customer's next bill; and

e)  the NSF (non- sufficient funds) fees be waived between June 1, 2023 and September 18, 2023, inclusive of both days, with credits to be provided for the months already billed and included on the customer's next bill; and

f)   the total cost of $33.2 M which includes community cost pressure relief program and waived fees be funded through a budget amendment from City Financial Reserves.

Under new business, City Council approved a recommendation directing staff to:

a) Deliver a draft utility bylaw amendment for Council’s consideration that establishes interim electricity rates based on ‘best of market’ prices available in the province; and

b) Convene an independent (third‐party) review of the City of Medicine Hat (CMH) COMCO business unit to confirm overall strategic approach to ensure best value for the community.

Under new business, City Council approved the 2023 Community Spirit Award Recipients as follows:

Arts/Culture: Robert Pape

Civic Pride: Willy and Cindy Taillon

Community Inclusion: Kristen Sept

Compassion: Kym Porter, George Kovalev

Sports/Recreation: James and Coreen Sheardown

Volunteerism: Brenda Taylor, Kendra Albrecht, Terry Noble

Heart of Medicine Hat: Donna Serr

Change Maker: Karen Saffron

The recipients will be recognized at a ceremony at the Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre on October 18, 2023.

City Council adopted the minutes of the following meetings into the corporate record:

Corporate Services Committee of August 24, 2023

Administrative and Legislative Review Committee of August 28, 2023

Audit Committee of August 28, 2023

Council Committee of the Whole of August 28, 2023

Public Services Committee of August 28, 2023

Council received the following items for information:

Property Tax Exemption

Urban Forestry

Community Vibrancy Board meeting minutes of June 28, 2023

Facilities for the Future

Corporate Services Committee Meeting Outstanding Items

Public Services Committee Meeting Outstanding Items

Under new business, City Council passed Bylaw 4737, a bylaw of the City of Medicine Hat to amend the Municipal Police Commission Bylaw. The amendments will align the Police Commission Bylaw with the Province’s recently amended Police Act and with the City’s new Procedure Bylaw, including additional wording related to Council’s financial oversight of the Municipal Police Commission for the City of Medicine Hat and adopting a requirement for Council to consider the cultural diversity of the community when appointing members to the commission.

City Council approved that Kingsgate Legal be retained to perform the role of investigator under the Council Code of Conduct Bylaw on an as-needed basis, to be funded from the Council contingency fund.

Through Audit Committee, City Council approved a recommendation to reverse the April 17, 2023 reappointment of KPMG LLP for the City of Medicine Hat annual audit engagement for the 2023 financial statements; and approve the appointment of MNP LLP for the City of Medicine Hat annual audit engagement for the 2023 financial statements.

City Council approved a motion to direct staff to draft a letter of congratulations (on behalf of Council and sent by the Mayor) to accompany the Chamber of Commerce’s congratulations bundle to new businesses as well as any other grand openings of which Council is notified.

Read this article on the city website.

Filling the Creative Void

In the heart of Medicine Hat, on August 31 – a gathering that set the creative community abuzz with excitement. At The Yard, a group of passionate individuals came together for what can only be described as a Successful Creative Social.

The spark behind this event was a common sentiment: Medicine Hat lacked a dedicated space for working creatives to connect, share ideas, unearth opportunities, and create a community. The question loomed: How do they bridge the gap? How do they discover new projects and talents? It was time to turn these questions into tangible actions and put fate directly into the hands of the working creative individuals of Medicine Hat.

A Diverse Gathering for Creative Connections

This casual social welcomed all walks of creative life, from eager students and independent artists to seasoned freelancers and industry experts. The diverse crowd of attendees included musicians, painters, filmmakers, graphic designers, animators, and so much more. The energy of the group was electric, with each person contributing their unique flair to the creative mosaic of Medicine Hat.

But what truly made this evening unforgettable was the bridge it built between various creative disciplines. Actors met short-film writers, musicians connected with production companies, businesses met graphic designers and the sparks of collaboration flew in every direction. It was a testament to the power of synergy when artists from different backgrounds unite under one roof. It felt no matter the project, there was someone eager to jump on board and work with.

The Resilience of "Pulp"

This event was brought to life by a group known as "Pulp." In 2019, they laid the foundation for creative connections in Medicine Hat before taking a brief hiatus in 2021-2022. Their return to the scene speaks volumes about their dedication and passion for nurturing the local creative community. It's clear that these individuals are back, and they're ready to come back even stronger than before. Whether it is creator networking, private projects, or grant-funded opportunities, Pulp will always be there to support our local creators and help people express their creativity.

Supporting Local Talent & Building a Creative Hub

What made this event even more special was its unwavering commitment to supporting local talent. We believe in the potential that Medicine Hat holds within its creative community, and it was our privilege to shine a spotlight on it. The love and camaraderie shared that night were not only heartwarming but a testament to the vibrant creative spirit of our city.

Together, we'll continue to build a thriving creative hub right here in Medicine Hat, where connections flourish, ideas bloom, and art knows no bounds. The idea was for creative individuals to have a space to connect, grow their circles, and of course seek out opportunities.

For more info on potential opportunities or upcoming creator socials please reach out and/or follow Pulp's social media! https://www.instagram.com/pulp.free.digital.creators/

Photo credit: Jim Kuehn

MEDICINE HAT, AB - While council was unanimous and pretty much on the same page when it came to utility rate relief for ratepayers, some debate on how much, how long and the exact structure was had on the issue.

Both the Mayor and some councilors were wondering if the relief could be related to the actual utility costs of the consumer, not a flat rate as proposed. It was made clear to council that this is a cost relief program and not utility relief program and therefore could not be related to usage levels of each customer of the electric utility.

Sparks were flying - all pun intended - between councilors regarding the motion and debate around a strategic review of the power utility. It was clear that two camps emerged on the issue of a strategic review when the ownership structure of the utility was included in the motion.

Councilor Van Dyke, Chair of the Energy committee, was adamant that no ownership review be in the motion and made an amendment to remove it. Councilor Robbins, Dumanowksi and Mayor Clark all supported the amendment but were voted down by council 5-4.

Councilors McGrogan, Hirsch, Sharps and Knodel all spoke to a complete review is essential if council is looking out for the best interests of the city. All of them stating that a review does not mean that anything has to change from its current structure, but ignoring all options available, and the pros and cons of those options, would be a dis-service to residents of the city.

Councilor Dumanowski and Mayor Clark were stuck on the issue that bullet point one of the list of things to review was ownership, and did not want to focus on that as the first order of business in a review. There was nothing that stated that had to be done in the order listed but the councilors in favour of removing ownership as part of the review were using it to make a point that they supported city ownership and ran in the election on that issue.

Councilor Hirsch stated that many cities "use an MCC structure and there is much information out there that supports their use". Councilor Sharps asked acting COA Dennis Egert specifically if, "an MCC is still a publicly owned company." Mr. Egert confirmed that an MCC is an entity owned 100% by the City of Medicine Hat and allowed by the Municipal Government Act of Alberta if that is the structure chosen by council after a review.

Selling the utility, loss of public ownership, large bonuses paid to executives and loss of control were mentioned by councilors, along with the Mayor, as concerns they had about ownership structure review and were unwilling to review all options.

A timeline was agreed upon that administration would have some utility rate setting options and comparables for council to review by calendar year end in hopes of creating more flexibility and simplicity for ratepayers of the utility. It was a long debate an discussion and surely not the last one to be had before the next election in 2 years time.

Hatters deserve the final say on electricity profits

For most Albertans, today’s electricity costs are shocking.

As I noted in a recent column, our province’s electricity prices hit an all-time high in July, up a whopping 128 percent year-over-year.

There are plenty of reasons for this:

• Electricity demand is spiking in correspondence with our province’s rising population (up from 4.5 to 4.7 million over the past year). Most estimates have Alberta passing the 5 million mark in 2025 or 2026.

• The cost of a massive overbuild of Alberta’s transmission infrastructure is currently being passed on to consumers. By some estimates, power companies spent $13.5 billion in the last 20 years upgrading transmission, including the unnecessary and under-utilized Western and Eastern Transmission Lines at a cost of $4 billion.

• Both the federal and provincial carbon taxes are driving up the cost of everything. Now pegged at $65 per tonne, these taxes will rise in tandem to $170 per tonne by 2030. As virtually none of Alberta’s global competitors have a carbon tax, these policies are a recipe for job loss and economic decline.

• The accelerated coal phase-out adopted by the NDP in 2015 cost taxpayers $1.1 billion in direct payments to power companies. These costs are being paid out of the proceeds of the provincial industrial carbon tax. In addition, the loss of coal as our province’s most affordable and reliable fuel source means higher costs for consumers.

Things are only poised to get worse for consumers and local business owners in the years to come. Under the federal government’s Net Zero 2035 objective, costs will spike and reliability will vanish. Meanwhile, under the provincial government’s Net Zero 2050 objective, costs will also rise substantially, albeit at a lower rate. Either way, consumers lose.

While electricity costs are likely to continue to spiral out of control for most Albertans, Medicine Hat finds itself with a unique opportunity.

Since natural gas was discovered here in the late 1800s, the community has enjoyed a unique advantage. The municipally owned natural gas system turned on in 1902 and the community began generating electricity in 1910.

Today the City-owned electric company provides power for 30,000 customers including neighbors in Redcliff, Dunmore, Veinerville, and other outlying rural areas.

The question is, as the owners of their own electric company what do these rising costs mean for Medicine Hat residents? In the short term, the City stands to collect tens of millions in new revenue as prices soar.

The numbers don’t lie. Last year, the City budgeted to earn a $45.3 million electricity dividend in 2023. In reality, the City is on pace to bring in closer to $140 million, even with a $10 million per month discount (for the first six months of 2023) to consumers.

So what will City bureaucrats do with this rising tide of cash? Will they use it to protect families and local business owners from federal and provincial carbon tax gouging? Will they use it to reinvigorate the local economy and create a Ralph-Klein-style Medicine Hat advantage? Will they use it to reduce residential property taxes, which rose by four percent this year? Will they use it to pay down debt, soon to be over $500 million?

Or, taking a page from the federal and provincial governments, will they dump it into wasteful pet projects and ideologically driven economic experiments? I certainly hope not, but you have to admit this situation has real boondoggle potential.

It reminds me of that old bumper sticker, “Please God, give us another boom, we promise not to piss it away this time.”

At the end of the day, the City’s electric company belongs to Hatters.

If the City truly respects its residents, it should give local residents to final say through a referendum.

STANFORD, CA - Medicine Hat native Elic Ayomanor, who plays for the Stanford Cardinals, recorded his first receptions as a Sophomore player on Saturday.

The 6' 2", 210 lb wide receiver, had 3 receptions for 27 total yards, with his longest reception being 9 yards, in Saturdays win against the Hawai'i Rainbow Warriors. The Cardinals beat the Warriors 37-24.

The former Medicine Hat High student and football standout went to Deerfield Academy, a top prep school in Massachusetts to finish high school and prepare himself for the US game.

He is looking at dental school and business as his college educational focus.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The City of Medicine Hat administration is recommending power rebates for September, October and November to homeowners and small and medium size businesses that are on city utilities in the franchise area.

The proposal is for homeowners to receive $200/month and small and medium size business to receive $500/month for the next 3 months. The proposal is for a total of $25 million to be rebated to ratepayers. The power utility is forecasted to earn more than $60 million more than originally budgeted.

There is also a recommendation to waive disconnect fees, NSF fees and late fees from July to September and credits applied if those fees were already billed. These rebate recommendations are in addition to the Fair Entry Program approved by council in July.

Sources inside city hall have told the Sentinel that council is looking at alternative options such as a larger rebate, a longer rebate period and a long-term rebate policy that deals with power utility profitability rebates and profits being set in reserve to be reinvested into the community so that this issue does not come back to council over and over again.

The struggle on the issue within council has been around the fact that Medicine Hat taxpayers own the utility. If the utility makes profits it directly benefits Medicine Hat residents and property tax payers. There has been a concern around rebating profits to those utility customers that don't pay property taxes in Medicine Hat specifically when they also use infrastructure in which the power profits help pay the cost.

With the recent report on recreation and the costing of those potential projects being large, it could be said the excess power profits are now in the bank to pay for these new facilities. Residents in the surrounding area do benefit from these facilities and should they get a rebate when they do not pay property taxes towards building and operating the many facilities they benefit from and utilize.

This issue will be brought before council on Tuesday September 5th and there will be a group of ratepayers gathering in front of city prior to the meeting to rally support for this rebate.

A service club is a volunteer non-profit organization where members meet regularly to perform charitable works either by direct hands-on efforts or by raising money for other organizations. A service club is defined by its service mission and by its membership benefits, such as social occasions, networking, and personal growth opportunities. Service organizations perform many essential services for their community and other worthy causes. Rotary International’s moto is “service above self.”

Many of today's service clubs got their start as social clubs for business networking but evolved into organizations devoted more to service than to networking. Rotary was the first service club in the world, established by Paul Harris in 1905 in Chicago. It became international in 1910 when a club formed in Winnipeg.

Most service clubs consist of community-based groups with the same name, goals, membership requirements, and meeting structure. The clubs meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly on a recurring established day and time, commonly at mealtime. Most of the clubs started with a single club in a single city but then replicated themselves by organizing similar clubs in other communities. Service club organizations have become worldwide movements and have obtained official recognition as non-government organizations (NGOs) by the United Nations and various governments.

In Medicine Hat there are four Rotary clubs: Medicine Hat, Saamis, Sunrise, and Rotary Ignite. Each of the clubs meet at different times on different days. They are involved with fundraising and volunteering so that they can support needs within the community, across the country, and around the world. There are about one hundred members in the city and 1.4 million Rotarians in the world.

Other service clubs in Medicine Hat include the Kinsmen, Kiwanis, Optimists, Elks, and Lions. The Lions service club is the largest in the world, with over 1.5 million members.

In Medicine Hat the service clubs support youth (including the annual Rotary Music Festival), literacy (such as Sunrise Rotary Ride the Road to Reading at the Medicine Hat Public Library and scholarships to the Medicine Hat College), playgrounds (Saamis Rotary Playground) family activities (free public swimming from the Kinsmen, the Terry Fox Run), and walking trails (Rotary Centennial Trail, Sunrise Rotary Trail). They also provide support to areas in crisis, including the recent wildfires across Canada, and in areas around the world. In addition, funds support efforts in literacy in places like Guatemala and water/sanitation in Mexico and countries in Africa.

Service clubs welcome new members who wish to contribute to the betterment of their community and the world; younger people are especially encouraged to get involved. For more information on Rotary, or to be connected to a service organization contact Keith Walker, Co-President of the Sunrise Rotary club at kvwalker@telusplanet.net.

(photo shows some members of the four Rotary clubs at the end of a walk around the Sunrise Rotary Trail with newcomers at Saamis Immigration.)

**Unveil the grandeur of The Band of the Household Cavalry for 2 shows: **one the Esplanade Terrace at 2 PM (weather permitting) featuring their modern function band, followed by a full concert in the Theatre at 7 PM, performed by the band in its entirety!

A union of The Band of The Life Guards and The Band of The Blues and Royals since September 2014, this ensemble of over 60 accomplished musicians stands as a testament to military tradition. Bedecked in regal uniforms, and featuring drums, trumpets, brass, and woods they proudly resonate with centuries-old legacy.

Scheduled last year but called back home for the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, they are here for one day only for you to experience their harmonious brilliance under the command of Director of Music and Officer Commanding Major Craig Bywater BMus (Hons), MMus.

more information on the band visit https://www.army.mod.uk/who-we-are/corps-regiments-and-units/royal-corps-of-army-music/band-of-the-household-cavalry/

Both events are general admission, no tickets required.

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The security gates on Medicine Hat’s downtown pedestrian underpass are now in place and will be locked for the first time at 11 p.m. on Monday, September 4, 2023.

The underpass that connects South Railway Street SE and North Railway Street SE under the railyard will be closed nightly from 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. to prevent unintended consequences from misuse of the infrastructure.

Pedestrians are able to use the sidewalk along First Street SE as an alternate route to safely cross the railyard during the hours the underpass is closed.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The City of Medicine Hat has set its September energy commodity rates.

Natural Gas – all customers

The September natural gas default regulated rate (RRO) is $2.849 per gigajoule (GJ), down from the previous month of $3.215 per GJ. The rate is based on the average of the monthly gas charges set by Alberta gas distribution (pipes) owners. The City of Medicine Hat calculates the Monthly Reference Price based on the average of the rates approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission.

September 2023 Rate per GJ

Direct Energy Regulated Services (North and South) $2.724

APEX Utilities Inc. (Formerly AltaGas Utilities Inc.) $2.973

City of Medicine Hat Rate (based on the average) $2.849

The third quarter fixed contract natural gas commodity offering is $4.226 per GJ. Customers who sign a fixed contract between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2023 are guaranteed this fixed rate for 12 billing cycles (months).

The variable contract offering is based on the AECO (Alberta Energy Company) average market reference price plus $1.00 per GJ. The August rate is $3.596 per GJ (including the $1.00 premium). The rate for September will be released October 3, 2023.

Summary Natural Gas Rates

September 2023 Rate per GJ

Regulated non-contract $2.849

Fixed contract offering $4.226

August variable contract rate $3.596

(includes premium)

Electricity

Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting

The September electricity default regulated rate (RRO) for Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting customers is $0.25068 per kilowatt hour (kWh), down from the previous month of $0.29673 per kWh. The rate is based on the average of the rates for owners whose regulated rate tariffs are approved by the Alberta Utilities Commission under section 103(2) of the Electric Utilities Act for that calendar month as posted by the Alberta Utilities Commission on its internet page under Regulated Rate Option Regulation.

On Dec. 15, 2022, the Government of Alberta passed The Regulated Rate Option Stability Act through Bill 2: Inflation Relief Statutes Amendment Act which placed a temporary price ceiling of $0.13500 per kilowatt hour in January, February and March 2023 for Albertans who purchase power on the Regulated Rate Option (RRO). As of April 1, 2023, the cost difference between the RRO electricity rate from January to March 2023 and the temporary price ceiling will be added to the current RRO to recover costs until December 2024. The September recovery rate of $0.01215 per kWh will be added to the current RRO rate of $0.25068 per kWh for a total billable rate of $0.26283 per kWh. For more details about the recovery rate, visit medicinehat.ca/RegulatedRate. 

August 2023 Rate per kWh

Direct Energy Regulated Services $0.26071

ENMAX Energy Corporation $0.24512

EPCOR Energy Alberta GP (Edmonton) $0.25007

EPCOR Energy Alberta GP (outside Edmonton) $0.24680

City of Medicine Hat Rate (based on the average) $0.25068

• City of Medicine Hat recovery rate + $0.01215

City of Medicine Hat RRO billed rate $0.26283

The third quarter fixed contract electricity commodity rate offering is $0.16944 per kilowatt hour. Customers who sign a fixed contract between July 1 and September 30, 2023 are guaranteed this fixed rate for 12 billing cycles (months).

The variable contract rate for Residential, Farm, Small and Medium Commercial, Unmetered Services and Rental Lighting customers is based on the monthly average Alberta Power Pool price as established and published by the Alberta Electrical System Operator (AESO) plus $0.02 per kWh. The July variable rate is $0.17500 per kWh (including the $0.02 premium). The rate for August will be released Sept. 1, 2023.

Summary Electricity Rates

September 2023 Rate per kWh

Regulated non-contract $0.26283

(includes recovery)

Fixed contract offering $0.16944

August variable contract rate $0.20680

(includes premium)

Large Commercial, Industrial and Street Lighting Customers

The September default electricity rate for Large Commercial, Industrial and Street Lighting customers is based the regulated rate option of $0.25068 per kilowatt hour (excluding recovery rate).

The variable contract electricity rate for Large Commercial, Industrial and Street Lighting customers is based on the monthly average Alberta Power Pool price as established and published by the Alberta Electric System Operator (AESO) plus $0.02 per kilowatt hour. The rate for August is $0.20680 per kWh.

Going Green Charge

Customers also have a “Going Green” surcharge on their bill. This surcharge is for renewable energy purchased for residential, farm, small and medium commercial customers.

The Going Green surcharge is calculated monthly to recover costs incurred to purchase renewable energy.

The Going Green surcharge for September is $0.001 per kilowatt hour.

Read this article on the city website.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - With last week's friction at city council, there has been much talk in the community about council effectiveness and cohesion. The blatant personal attack by the Mayor on the CAO, regarding corporate staff restructuring, showed that things are fraying between the Mayor, administration and the rest of council.

Of course, there is no shortage of conflict in politics. No where does it say that council should be happy and cohesive on all issues all the time. City council is the most basic level of politics in our country. There are no parties and no party whip. It is nine individuals that are elected to represent the people of Medicine Hat. No one vote has more weight than another. It is the most basic forum for compromise and "horse trading". It's you scratch my back and I'll scratch yours.

Sources inside city hall have told the Sentinel that the Mayor was well aware of the changes that had occurred and were going to occur. The Mayor has been no stranger to what was coming on the legislative and organizational front. She unfortunately thought calling out the CAO in open council on the issue was her right. Unfortunately she was wrong.

As a lawyer you would think that the Mayor would understand procedure. Her seeking legal counsel to get an opinion on her procedural concerns has potentially put the city at legal risk. It was done without consulting council and at a cost to the taxpayer. Some councilors feel that expense should be born by her personally as she did not get council approval prior to getting a legal opinion and will move to make her pay the bill.

Either way, the Mayor acted outside her scope of authority and crossed a line of decorum within council chambers. By passing a number of bylaws at the last council meeting that limited her authority to act in certain capacities, council sent a clear message that they are tired of her approach to civic politics. With just over 2 years left until the next civic election, it will be interesting to see how she chooses to work with the rest of council or continues to act out in defiance. I guess it remains to be seen what comes next.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - It’s time to head back to school and our Medicine Hat Police Service School Resource Officers (SRO) are excited for the start of a new school year!

The goal of the SRO’s is to provide a visible police presence in the schools and work with the entire school community to create a safe environment while building a positive relationship between youth and the police service.

Cst. Taylor Olenic will be returning for his second year at Medicine Hat High School and Cst. Brent Bohrn will be heading back to Crescent Heights High School for another year as well. Both officers are looking forward to catching up with everyone and meeting new students and staff.

Cst. Matt Sanders is a new SRO this year and is assigned to Monsignor McCoy High School, St Mary’s School, and Notre Dame Academy. Cst. Sanders has been a police officer for 16 years, and his most recent assignment was in the Patrol Section. Cst. Sanders has previously been assigned to the Mountain Bike Unit, K9 Unit, and ALERT Section.

The SRO’s have offices within their schools or can be reached at:

Medicine Hat High School – Cst. Taylor Olenic – taylor.olenic@mhps.ca Ph: 403-928-7570

Monsignor McCoy High School – Cst. Matt Sanders – matthew.sanders@mhps.ca Ph: 403-458-1403

Crescent Heights High School – Cst. Brent Bohrn – brent.bohrn@mhps.ca Ph:403-458-0209

Have a great year everyone!

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Beginning August 31, 2023, Transit Services is piloting the implementation of Route 56 in the South aimed at improving service reliability, particularly during peak traffic periods. The new route will also offer direct access from Southlands Boulevard and Masterpiece Lodge areas to prime shopping locations including the Medicine Hat Mall and the Walmart area.

“We expect this service adjustment to improve mid-day bus connections and strengthen rider confidence in our schedule,” said Gordon Dykstra, Manager of Transit Services. “Our goal is to improve on-time performance and increase access from high density residential areas to service and shopping districts.”

Details of the Changes:

Implementation of Route 56: Starting August 31, Route 56 will address peak traffic challenges on Dunmore Road. Operating hours are 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m, Monday to Friday.

Routes 53 & 61 Adjustments: The Strachan Bay leg of Route 53 will be covered by Route 56 during mid-day. On Route 61, the Southland Drive and Masterpiece Lodge sections will be covered by the new route, allowing Route 61 time to efficiently access the Medicine Hat College during mid-day peaks. Schedule timing for all routes remain unchanged.

Feedback Collection: In September, Transit Services will actively collect feedback from riders both in person and online. This direct engagement with transit users is crucial for assessing the effectiveness of the new changes.

Evaluation Period: Feedback and transit data will be evaluated throughout October. Based on this data, further adjustments may be introduced in January.

Background: Increased and sustained traffic along Dunmore Road has made it challenging for transit service to Ross Glen and Southridge to adhere to schedule. This has frequently led to missed bus connections and unreliable periods of service. The introduction of the new Route 56 is a strategic move to address these challenges. The new service will be active during the peak traffic period, specifically from 11:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m., and will be piloted throughout the Fall season.

Residents and transit users are encouraged to share their feedback once the changes are implemented online at www.medicinehat.ca/transit-feedback.

Calling all financial advisors. We are looking for you to contribute to the Sun City Sentinel. With the cost of living going up and people being stressed about finances, now is a perfect time for you to provide sage advice to residents of Medicine Hat and Southern Alberta. Sign up and contribute as often and as much as you'd like. Be a local voice.

The Medicine Hat Judo Club is getting ready to ramp up again for the fall. Juniors and seniors will start again on September 18, 2023. As always, classes are at the Gas City Kiwanis Centre at 826-11 St SE.

“It’s going to be a very exciting and busy year for us” says Club President Scot McAlpine, “We have athletes looking for podium finishes at Nationals, others looking to gain some strength and confidence, and some just looking forward to working with friends. Our biggest success as a club is helping each individual with their personal goals”

To register, go to the website at www.MedHatJudo.com. For more information, see the website, their Facebook page (www.facebook.com/medhatjudo ) or email them at info@medhatjudo.com.

It’s a good question to ask, and a tough one to answer. It is similar to asking if food is good for kids. It all depends on what food we are talking about. If it is wholesome, healthy food then it is definitely good for kids. On the other hand, if the food is chocolate bars or potato salad that has sat out for a few days, then they should probably steer clear of it.

To be a healthy, positive experience for a child, a martial arts school (or a baseball team, or any other activity) has to have two characteristics. First, it has to be a good school. Second, it has to mesh well with your child’s wants and needs.

While there are no guarantees, there are a few indicators that point to a good school. The first is the environment itself. Is it clean? Well organized? Do the people seem happy to be there? One student who is reluctant to come to class is pretty common but most of the kids should be happy to be there.

The next indicator to look at is the instructor. If he seems more interested in payment plans, than your child and her goals, you might want to take a pass. If your child is there, a good instructor should speak directly to the child and not just talk with you.

Ask if you can watch a class. Watch for a fun class where students are active, and see whether the instructor has a plan or is just “winging it.”

Once you have some confidence in the school itself, the next step is to see if it is good for your child. What are your child’s goals? What are your goals? Competition martial arts clubs are generally not as good at teaching self-defense as a club that prides itself on the “martial” part of martial arts.

Whatever your goals and your child’s goals, make sure they mesh well with the school’s approach.

A good school, a good instructor and a good match with your child will make for a good experience for your child. Pay attention to what is happening and pay attention to your gut. If it seems good, it is worth looking into. If it feels wrong, walk away.

FORT MACLEOD, AB – The Fort Macleod RCMP said it has arrested two youths who allegedly vandalized the town’s theatre.

During the Fort Macleod PRIDE event on Saturday, August 26, 2023, officers were called to the Empress Theatre at approximately 8:30 p.m.

The Empress Theatre is an historic 112 year old performance and movie theatre located in Fort MacLeod, AB.

Empress Theatre board chair Denise Joel said the festivities included a drag show at the theatre Saturday evening. She indicated that she was sitting in the theatre, and about 10 minutes into the show, everyone could smell something “quite noxious.”

Joel stated that a group of youths seated near the back of the theatre had a jar of what the RCMP said was Fisher and Marten lure.

Fisher and Marten lure is a black, noxious smelling liquid or paste used as an attractant to trap wild animals. There's no telling what kind of damage a substance of this kind can make to 112 year old flooring when allowed to dry and set in a substantial quantity. The lure was contained in a large jar, which was poured onto the carpet in spots, and the rest of the contents of the jar were smashed into the foyer lobby.

The Empress Theatre is temporarily closed and will remain so until an adjustor can determine the exact damages.

Joel said there was an increased police presence in the areas where the pride festivities were taking place due to backlash.

The RCMP said in a news release that two youths were arrested, who cannot be named due to provisions under the Youth Criminal Justice Act.

The investigation by the RCMP is ongoing.

UPDATE FROM THE EMPRESS THEATRE FACEBOOK PAGE:

"Thank you for your words of love, support and encouragement, and your offers of help, time, energy and financial assistance following the events that took place at the Empress Theatre Saturday night.

The Empress rented the theatre to Drag Out the Love on Saturday evening as part of Fort Macleod's Pride Day celebrations. At the event, some individuals released a putrid, unknown substance in the theatre, creating some damage. They have been identified and arrested.

_We are currently working with RCMP, the Town of Fort Macleod, and other authorities to determine the best way to move forward. We will provide further updates as information becomes available. _

If you wish to support the Empress Theatre, please visit our website at MacleodEmpress.com for tickets to upcoming events or to donate.

We are so thankful for this community and our patrons. The Empress Theatre has experienced an amazing outpouring of love and support, and for that, we are grateful. Thank you to Fort Macleod Pride and the queens who put on an outstanding performance on Saturday! The Empress has always been, and will always continue to be, a safe and inclusive place for all.

Please remember: Love always wins! Thank you again."

It is important to mention that the Sunshine Sentinel stands in support of ALL people regardless of race, orientation, religion or political affiliation.

Medicine Hat, AB – As the summer season comes to an end, the Parks and Recreation department will prepare to close its outdoor pools and spray parks.

Spray Parks Schedule:

Ross Glen Towne Centre and Saamis Rotary – will remain open until September 4 with restricted hours of 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Kiwanis Central and Strathcona Island – will remain open until weather permits with restricted hours of 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.

Outdoor Pools – Closure schedule:

Strathcona Pool - closed on August 27

Hill Pool – last day of operation is September 4

Echo Dale Regional Park Swim Lake – last day of operation is September 4

For more information on indoor pools, including Big Marble Go Centre and Crestwood Pool, visit the City website.

Author Darlene Gray, Medicine Hat, AB

“Come to me, all you that are weary and are carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.”

(Matthew 11:28 New Revised Standard Version)

On a recent retreat I was amazed at the intricacies of the way in which the chapel ceiling had been designed. So many beams had been hewn from large trees and crafted to fit together to create such beauty and functionality. Built sturdy enough to withstand the wind and snow that is common in that area. I was also told that timbers are cut, shaped then shipped to the site where they

will be assembled. Then after being kept in the new location for some time, they were used to be built into this beautiful chapel.

As I examined the ceiling more closely, I discovered that some of these beams were beginning to split even though they had been seasoned correctly. They had been severed from the tree – roots that had given them life. In time I imagine that the cracks will have to be epoxied to bring them back to full

strength.

As I thought about this, I was reminded that as humans we are planted in the garden of God and his family. Family, friends, church family, and others brought across our path can be messy and leave us hurt and exhausted, and cracks like the ones in the timbers may form. If we don’t deal with the hurts the cracks can become deep. Humans will all eventually let us down, only God is perfectly consistent and loving.

I was also reminded of a method used by the Chinese to repair broken pieces of pottery, called Kintsugi. Pieces of pottery are reconstructed and fused together with gold creating an even more beautiful and stronger piece of pottery.

Just as the beams can be repaired and pottery can be pieced together by a specialist in these areas so we can be healed. Our healer? Deciding to lean into teaching and guidance of God through scripture and those called to be our faith mentors.

We are to honour those among us who have served well but now need healing and restoration. If “we come away to a place of restoration, rest, and encouragement” then our wounds can be healed, and we can once again be a useful and often even stronger part of the Kingdom of God.

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The Medicine Hat Tigers are proud to announce the commitment of 2022-23 leading goal scorer Brenden Lee (Seattle, WA) has committed to the University of Calgary Dinos for the upcoming USports season.

Lee, 21, played 79 games as a Tiger and 180 Western Hockey League season, scoring 53 goals & 46 assists for 99 points. While with the Orange & Black scoring 37 of those 53 tallies including 32 of them in the 2022-2023 season.

Brenden spent time with the Everett Silvertips & Saskatoon Blades before being acquired by the Tigers during the 2021-2022 season.

The Dinos are coming off a record breaking season winning the Canada West Division with a record of 25-3, while winning 23 games in a row.

The Tigers would like to congratulate Brendan & his family on continuing his hockey career while pursuing academic opportunities through the WHL Scholarship & Development program.

The porches will sing once again this year as Porch Fest returns to the Southeast Hill in Medicine Hat for a one-day event hosting 13 groups or artists performing on August 26, 2023. This event is the brainchild of Rob and Shannon Pape, who were inspired by a similar event in Ontario, PorchFest promises to be an unforgettable day of live music, community bonding, and artistic expression.

Imagine strolling through a neighbourhood adorned with historic homes and picturesque boulevards, where the sounds of local performers fill the air. PorchFest takes the concert experience to the great outdoors, as local artists set up their instruments on front lawns and porches, serenading audiences with their melodies. This event truly embodies accessibility, openness, and inclusivity – inviting everyone to revel in the joy of live music in a refreshing outdoor setting.

Rob Pape shares his excitement: "PorchFest is designed to be as inviting and inclusive as possible. It's a unique opportunity for Medicine Hat residents to embrace live music in a way they haven't before. The Southeast Hill comes alive with families, friends, and couples, all sharing smiles and happiness."

As the sun graces the sky with its warmth, you're invited to embark on a musical journey. From lawn chairs to delectable snacks, bring along your essentials for a day of auditory delights. Don't forget to bring your furry friends along to enjoy the festivities as well. And here's the best part – PorchFest operates on a donation-based system, ensuring that the magic of music reaches everyone.

The 2023 PorchFest Medicine Hat Schedule: A Melodic Marvel

Get ready for a day of harmony as the 2023 PorchFest schedule unfolds! With the weatherman predicting a delightful 28°C on Saturday, there couldn't be a better time to immerse yourself in the local talent that Medicine Hat boasts. The best part? It's all free!

Throughout the day, you'll have the chance to explore various performances, hopping from porch to porch in a symphony of sounds. The generous donations collected at each porch are distributed equally among all the performers, supporting the thriving local music scene.

Navigate the Musical Landscape with the Interactive Map

To ensure you don't miss a beat, PorchFest has prepared an interactive Google map that pinpoints the location of each porch and the time slot for each artist's performance. This handy tool guarantees you won't miss any of the musical magic that PorchFest has in store. Grab your friends, family, and fellow music enthusiasts and embark on a melodious adventure!

Don't miss out on this incredible opportunity to immerse yourself in the magic of PorchFest. Mark your calendars for August 26, 2023, and join us on Southeast Hill for a day of musical unity, community connection, and pure artistic bliss. Let the melodies sweep you away in a symphony of joy!

Remember to use #medicinehat and #medhat to share your PorchFest experience with our vibrant community. See you there!

Schedule

11 - 12pm | Jack Humeny | Evangelo's Music

12 - 1pm | Netty Mac | 20 4 St SE

1 - 2pm | Eileen Wotschell | 527 Belfast St SE

2 - 3pm  | Karli Frances & Tanner Fox | 390 Aberdeen St SE

3 - 4pm | Riverside Band | 443 Aberdeen St SE

4 - 5pm | Gypsy Road | 506 Aberdeen St SE

5 - 6pm | Alicia Bigras | 520 Belfast St SE

6 - 7pm | Cannonball Knights | 326 7 St SE

12:30 - 1:30pm | By Chance | 482 11 St SE

1:30 - 2:30pm | Kyle Church | 358 12 St SE

2:30 - 3:30pm | Gary Christensen | 837 4 Ave SE

3:30 - 4:30pm | 13th Avenue | 488 9 St SE

4:30 - 5:30pm | Greg Herman | 306 7 St SE

5:30 - 6:30pm  | Derek Hintz | 407 13 St SE

MEDICINE HAT, AB - Over the next couple of weeks Hatters can expect to see an increased presence of Bylaw officers in city parks and on the trail system.

The officers will be providing special attention to dog owners, making sure that the provisions of the Responsible Animal Ownership Bylaws #3935 are being followed in a manner that promotes the safety of these areas for all users.

A few of the provisions dog owners should be aware of include:

• Dogs may only be off leash on trails that are in designated as off leash areas, and when off leash must still be under the owners control.
• Owners must immediately pick up after their dog and carry a means of cleaning up dog defecation whenever they have their dog in public.
• Dogs must be licensed and have a valid license tag on them.
• Dogs must be prevented from chasing wildlife as it is dangerous and illegal.
• All trail users must be respectful of others and share the trails.

Officers will be keeping an eye out for opportunities to celebrate those owners who are modelling responsible pet ownership and those individuals will be provided with a small token of appreciation for their diligence.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - When it comes to travel, many people envision exotic destinations, serene beaches, or historic landmarks in foreign countries. The concept of exploration seems to be attached to places far away from our everyday lives. But what if I told you that the joy of discovery can be found right in your backyard? Yes, taking a city tour of your own city offers a delightful and often eye-opening experience that's not only convenient but also budget-friendly.

This was made abundantly clear when I decided to bundle the family up and take a long overdue ride on our very own Sunshine Trolley.

We often take for granted the places we see daily: the local park, the century-old theatre downtown (Canada's oldest movie theatre!), Western Canada's oldest brick house, or that "building that used to be [something else]". Even seeing again for the first time all the the brick, metal or chainsaw-hewn art installations scattered throughout the city. Acting as a tourist in your own city lets you see these familiar sites through a new lens. You start to notice details you've previously overlooked—perhaps the intricate architecture of a local pottery factory or the variety of flora in a public garden.

Bill Cox, our tour guide (along side with our intrepid bus driver, Ace), is a life-long resident of Medicine Hat. He regaled us with stories of locations from his childhood, how they have changed over the years, and how the city has evolved in so many ways... for better or worse.

Many of us know more about famous landmarks abroad than those in our own city. Taking a ride aboard the Sunshine Trolley allows you to reconnect with your own culture and history. You learn stories, facts, and historical tidbits that give you a deeper appreciation of your roots. This enriches not only your understanding of the city you call home but also your sense of community and belonging.

Did you know that the entire Connaught Golf Course was relocated from it's original home on the Southwest Hill to it's current location to make way for an entire neighbourhood for home-coming World War I veterans? Or that our signature giant Tepee was originally the ceremonial location of an olympic torch?

Local tourism is incredibly adaptable. You get a renewed look at so many familiar locations pointed out by a friendly host in as little as an hour and a half. This makes it an excellent option for families with children or for those with busy schedules who can't afford to take extended time off.

So, before you book that ticket to a far-off destination, consider the undiscovered world right outside your doorstep. Grab a ticket, make your way to the Visitor Center, and let yourself fall in love with your city all over again. The joys of exploration aren't limited by distance—they're only limited by your willingness to see the beauty in the everyday.

The Sunshine Trolley guided tours are hosted Thursdays and Saturdays in the summer for only $20.00 per person, and if you didn't get a chance to take a tour this year, it's a good chance to put it on your calendar for next summer!

For more information, head to https://www.tourismmedicinehat.com/features/sunshine-trolley

MEDICINE HAT, AB - Two people have been arrested and multiple vehicles have been recovered as the result of a joint investigation between ALERT and the Medicine Hat Police Service.

ALERT’s Medicine Hat-based Regional Property Crimes unit has recovered a stolen motorhome, two trucks, and a cargo trailer, with a total estimated value of $140,000. The seizures took place on August 18, 2023, at Kin Coulee Park in Medicine Hat and a rural property.

“Working with our policing partners across southeast Alberta, our specialized team is able to share criminal intelligence and target the most prolific property crime offenders. In this case we were able to locate the stolen motorhome and have it back to its rightful owners in a timely manner,” said Staff Sergeant Ryan Thorburn, ALERT Medicine Hat.

The investigation began after ALERT spotted the stolen motorhome at Kin Coulee Park. The motorhome had been reported stolen earlier that same day to Brooks RCMP. Two suspects were identified and arrested.

Further investigation led ALERT to search a rural property, located approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Medicine Hat, where two stolen pick-up trucks were seized. One of the trucks was previously reported stolen in Etzikom, Alta. and the other from Medicine Hat.

ALERT’s investigation is ongoing and additional suspects are being pursued. ALERT is also working to return the stolen property to its rightful owners.

Kathleen Rose, 25 years old, and Kayla Thompson, 25 years old, both from Medicine Hat, were each charged with possession of stolen property.

MEDICINE HAT, AB – In response to observed low river levels and water shortage advisories for river basins upstream of Medicine Hat from Alberta Environment and Protected Areas (EPA), the City of Medicine Hat will enact Phase 1 of the Water Shortage Management Plan effective Monday, Aug. 28, 2023.

With hot, dry temperatures expected to continue, City officials have been monitoring the South Saskatchewan River flow rates and water conditions upstream.

“Taking into account the water shortage advisories that have been issued by the EPA in major river basins upstream of Medicine Hat as well as other major Cities enacting their own various requests for public water conservation efforts, we have been preparing and are ready to enact Phase 1 of the City’s Water Shortage Management Plan,” says Jamie Garland, Interim Director of Environmental Utilities.

The City’s Water Shortage Management Plan provides guidance for City operations and the public to work together in reducing water usage by increasing water conservation efforts until the concerns of low river levels subside and water shortage advisories are lifted.

“Our priority is to ensure ongoing water treatment and distribution of safe, reliable drinking water to our customers,” says Greg Paxman, Interim Manager of Treatment Plants. “We encourage everyone to do their part in conserving water by following the City’s Phase 1 guidelines. This will help lessen the demand for water until the river flow rates return to normal levels.”

Phase 1 of the Water Shortage Management Plan asks for voluntary public water conservation measures. Voluntary actions include limiting the watering of lawns and gardens to 60 minutes per day not more than three days per week. This phase also details mandatory water conservation measures for the City to minimize non-essential water use by limiting actions like non-essential hydrant flushing and reducing watering in some City parks.

The City is in communication with the EPA and if river flow forecasts indicate continued low flow rates into autumn, and if voluntary water conservation measures are not having the desired impact, the City may enact Phase 2 of the Water Shortage Management Plan.

Residents can find information about water conservation and the details of Phase 1 on the City’s website at www.medicinehat.ca/waterconservation.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - The 2023/24 season is right around the corner and with that comes Open Tryouts for the teams. If you are interested in playing on one of the Medicine Hat College Rattlers teams, please check out the dates & times below:

Men's Soccer

Aug 30th: 6:30-7:30

MHC Soccer Field

Contact Damir Omerovic before the tryout

Women's Soccer

Aug 30th: 5:30-6:30

MHC Soccer Field

Contact Joe Taylor before the tryout

Women's Hockey

Aug 30th: 9:15-10:30pm

Aug 31st: 2:30-3:45pm

Both sessions will take place at the Big Marble Go Centre

Contact Chad Baron before the tryout. All positions welcome but preference is forwards and a goaltender.

Men's & Women's Golf

Aug 31st: 3:00pm

Desert Blume Golf Course

Contact Dillon Batsel prior to the tryout to let him know you are attending.

Men's Volleyball

Aug 31st: 4:00-5:30pm

MHC Gymnasium

Contact Trever Turner before the tryout.

Women's Volleyball

No dates

Contact Kim Jensen if you are interested.

Men's & Women's Cross-Country Running

Aug 31st: 6:15pm

Sept 5th: 5:00pm

Sept 12th: 5:00pm

Meet at the MHC Main Entrance and dressed to run. Contact Bill Corcoran prior to the tryout or if you are interested but unable to make these times.

Men's Basketball

Sept 5th: 5:30-7:00pm

MHC Gymnasium

Contact Rich Humphrey prior to the tryout.

Women's Basketball

Sept 6th: 5:30-7:00pm

MHC Gymnasium

Contact Clayton Nielsen prior to the tryout.

MEDICINE HAT, AB - After months of debate, multiple versions presented by staff, request from individuals, animal advocates and organizations, council passed the TNR bylaw as it has come to be known.

The issue at large has been how to humanely deal with the feral cat population in Medicine Hat. Many Hatters have weighed in on the issue through council meetings and passionate emails to councilors. Some feel it’s inhumane to let cats be in the wild, others accept that they are wild and unadoptable, but because they breed so frequently they have grown to be a problem that can’t be ignored.

The ultimate goal is to reduce feral cat populations in the area by removing in a humane way their ability to propagate. The bylaw was presented to council by Managing Director Brian Stauth. He reaffirmed council that this is a pure bylaw change and not a program that the city is funding nor are they budgeting requests for funding.

After comments and questions by a number of councilors, councilor McGrogan put forward a motion to amend the proposed bylaw. He stated “that after talking to a couple of veterinarians on the issue” he felt the only way he could support the motion was to add to the bylaw, standards outlined by the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association.

The guidelines include things like medical care standards pre and post op, vaccinations, addressing malnutrition and disease, eartipping, chipping or tattooing of the cat.

After some further questions of councilor McGrogan, the amended motion was approved unanimously and a second reading of the now amended motion was presented. No further comments or questions were had on the second reading and both the second and third reading passed unanimously, putting to bed one of the more contentious and time consuming issues this administration has had to deal with.

Many councilors addressed the emotional nature of the issue and that many of them are, or have been, pet owners and there is no “perfect” solution to the problem. The position of the Canadian Veterinary Medical Association on the issue can be found here.