Image Courtesy What Matters to Hatters

By Chris Brown

What Matters to Hatters releases highlights from survey

Feb 21, 2023 | 2:27 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – Following a two-month survey and various engagement sessions a coalition of community agencies has a better idea of what community members like about Medicine Hat and what they want to see more of

From mid-November to mid-January members of What Matters to Hatters attended events like Midnight Madness and visited the Medicine Hat Public Library, Medicine Hat College, the Root Cellar Food & Wellness Hub and more encouraging people to fill out the survey.

What Matters to Hatters is a partnership between Alberta Health Services – Addiction and Mental Health Services, the City of Medicine Hat’s community development department, the Canadian Mental Health Association and the Veiner Centre.

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Coalition member Michelle Sauve says a total of 228 people responded to the survey, ranging from nine to over 75 years old.

She says the city’s trail and path system and its parks are popular features and the sense of community and events were other highlights.

“How friendly, generous and kind Hatters are and so at the ending of Random Acts of Kindness Week last week we really feel that we sense, that kindness in our community and so those were some really great results to find out,” she says. “People also shared things like the Together Again event and various cultural events in or community and the fact that we have so many free and low-cost events that are accessible for families.”

Sauve says that suggestions for a new community event kept coming up and the group is working with other community organizations to stage it in the fall. She’s not willing to share details just yet but says it is planned to be a week-long event that will have spinoffs that create awareness and understanding in the community.

She adds anyone who wants to help with the event can email whatmatterstohatters@gmail.com for more information.

Though Random Acts of Kindness Week is over, Sauve says it’s easy to keep the kindness going. She says it’s as simple as smiling, holding a door for someone or shovelling a neighbour’s sidewalk for them.

“We never know when we do something kind for a stranger how that might change the trajectory of their day,” she says.

You can find What Matters to Hatters on Facebook and Twitter to keep up with the group.