A Kinsmen, Kinette dance in Medicine Hat from the 1950s. (Photo courtesy of the Esplanade Archives)

By Alex McCuaig

The gift that keeps on giving

85 years of Kinsmen, Kinettes in Medicine Hat

Oct 21, 2020 | 5:06 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Since 1936, the Medicine Hat Kinsmen Club has been an active member of the community, building no shortage of facilities in the city from the creation of Kin Coulee in the 1950s to the Kinplex in the 1970s to the skate park today.

So much so, it would be hard to throw a rock in the city without hitting a building without the Kin name attached.

Enhancing the community is what the service club is about, says president John Atkinson.

“We did gazebos at the hospital, we did a gazebo at the treatment centre – projects that help multiple people. That’s why we fund public skating and public swimming – for people who can’t afford to do it but still want to do it,” said Atkinson. “There is always that need.”

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Other Kin projects include the aquatic park at the Family Leisure Centre and the recent enhancements at the Medicine Hat Public Library’s children’s section.

But the popularity of service clubs as a whole has waned in recent years.

“I think with COVID, it’s really changed again,” he said. “People are wanting to come back and give back more because they see the importance now of giving back and doing more.”

Not to be outdone, the Medicine Hat Kinette Club was formed in 1941, only a few years after the Kinsmen – first as an auxiliary club then as its own stand-alone organization.

Their initiatives have ranged from Kinette Korner to supporting the city’s women’s shelter and Be Youth Centre.

President Lisa Maggrah says the Kinettes are a small but mighty club that is welcoming of new members looking to do a good turn for the community and themselves.

“We challenge each other, we help each other grow, we support each other, we’re there for each other,” said Maggrah. “It’s not just about how we serve our community, it’s about fellowship. It’s about fun. It’s about connection and building relationships.”

And the Kinettes’ commitment to Medicine Hat is no less than their male counterparts.

“Medicine Hat is a beautiful place to live and if we could add to that, then that’s what we’re here for,” said Maggrah.