A Calgary judge backed Medicine Hat city council's finding that Mayor Linnsie Clark broke its code of conduct. Eli J. Ridder/CHAT News

By Olivia Thorington

YEAR IN REVIEW 2024

Mayor Clark, in year-end interview, says she remains ‘isolated’ at Medicine Hat’s city hall headed into 2025

Jan 1, 2025 | 7:55 PM

—

Mayor Linnsie Clark closed out the year in the way that she spent much of it: in front of a CHAT News camera taking questions about the conflict that has divided Medicine Hat’s city hall over the course of 2024.

Now, as the city turns to 2025, Clark says there are still unresolved issues, saying she remains locked out of certain areas of city hall.

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: April 2-5

Apr 02, 2026

What's On

Top five things to do at the Medicine Hat Public Library in April

Apr 01, 2026

WHAT'S ON

Here is what's on this weekend in Medicine Hat: March 27-29

Mar 27, 2026

“It doesn’t feel great, it feels like an intention to isolate me a little bit,” Clark said in a year-end interview with anchor Dan Reynish.

“The fact that they felt the need to lock me out, rather than just trust that I would adhere to the sanctions, is, frankly, a bit demeaning.”

One of the six restrictions placed on Clark prohibited the mayor from entering the administration area of city hall.

In her August ruling, Justice Rosemary Nation reversed four of the sanctions, agreeing with Clark’s argument that they were disproportionate. However, she left the council sanction requiring Clark apologize to Mitchell in place — which the mayor did in September.

However, Nation sent back a sanction restricting Clark’s contact with staff for council to work out logistics. That sanction prohibited Clark from entering the administration area of city and banned her from direct contact with other staff.

Nation said a total ban from direct contact with staff besides the city manager is disproportionate and unreasonably restricts Clark in her mayoral duties.

The justice wrote council should consider an appropriate sanction that reasonably protects the city manager but does not restrict Clark from performing her duties as mayor.

That hasn’t been resolved, according to Clark, underscoring the tensions that remain at city hall and the challenges of fully restoring trust and collaboration.

“Certainly the division probably hasn’t been completely healed but that that’ll take time,” Clark said.

“We’re growing together a little bit more and hopefully that continues throughout next year.”

Clark will on Jan. 28 give the mayor’s annual “state of the city” speech typically used to highlight council’s accomplishments and give a preview of its goals headed into the final months before the October municipal election.

Medicine Hat’s city council meets next on Monday.

— with files from Dan Reynish