Medicine Hat’s Chris Hellman launches council run to address affordability, recreation

Property taxes went up 5.6 per cent in 2025 and is set to increase another 5.6 per cent in 2026, according to a budget passed by council last year. That works out to approximately $10 a month more for the average homeowner.

The rate increase was required to fund the city’s $89-million budget that aimed to account for inflation and some growth without cutting too sharply into reserves, a backup option that could happen anyways.

Another platform plank for Hellman, who owns Mr. Lube, is a goal to address the challenges that plague Medicine Hat’s downtown.

“Unfortunately there’s a large homeless population here, and it’s tough on the businesses down here and the people that want to work, live, and play,” he said.

“Collectively, as a community, we can come together and find solutions to make our downtown what it used to be: a vibrant place, a place that attracted business, a place that attracted people downtown.”

It’s not just the city’s core that Hellman, if elected, wants to rejuvenate.

“There was a time when the city of Medicine Hat, population-wise, was the same size as Lethbridge and Red Deer. Now we’ve stagnated at about 65,000 people, and they’re well over 100 (thousand). And we just don’t seem to see the economic development here that they see in those other cities,” he said.

Hellman argued the city has levers at its disposal to stimulate to attract new businesses to Medicine Hat. They would not only bring jobs and services to the city but also large commercial taxpayers he said can help alleviate residential rates.

Medicine Hat’s economic development division has spent much of the last 14 months rebuilding after a reset following the dissolution of its predecessor Invest Medicine Hat.

Recreation is also top of mind for the candidate.

Hellman is on-board with the current term of council’s efforts to build a south-end recreation centre.

City council in 2023 gave support to a plan that included a fitness space and indoor pool that would cost between $55 to $70 million. In November, council approved an action plan for that shortlist, including the preliminary steps council would be required to take to build the facility.

It remains to be seen how close Medicine Hat’s current representatives will get to some sort of final approval for the proposal but Hellman said he’ll pick up the torch if elected.

“We can either keep throwing good money at bad, old infrastructure, or we can throw some good money at something new and promising,” he said.

“And I think that would be a development in the south is what I would envision, and a pool,” he added, saying such a project could include a collaboration with the Medicine Hat College, too.

Hellman explained he isn’t deterred by the cost of a large capital project like the recreation centre because it can be paid off over decades, saying such an initiative will pay for itself over its time of use.

Medicine Hat’s city councillors, mayor and senior employees have been embroiled in a leadership crisis caused by disagreements over oversight, authority and procedure for the last year.

Hellman said his time serving a chair for the local chamber of commerce, health foundation and various other organizations gave granted him the experience to be an effective bridge builder.

“I know what it takes to work with a team, build consensus, and move forward as a team and get stuff done,” he said.

Hellman plans to both canvass door to door and meet with community groups to get a deeper understanding of what’s important to Medicine Hat voters this time around.

“The election topics seem to change every four years. What’s important now? And, you know, how can I help address that if elected?” he said.

“I’ll certainly try to take any opportunity I can to meet with community and get feedback from them.”

by Eli J. Ridder

Medicine Hat’s Chris Hellman launches council run to address affordability, recreation

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