Jesse Gill/CHAT News

By Jesse Gill

POTENTIAL CLOSURE MEETING

Public consultation meetings begin for two Medicine Hat elementary schools facing potential closure

Dec 3, 2025 | 8:12 AM

The first of two public consultation meetings regarding the potential closures of a pair of elementary schools in Medicine Hat starts Wednesday night.

The meeting for Southview Community School will be held at the Medicine Hat Public School Division Central Office at 601 First Ave. SW. It begins at 6:30 p.m. and runs until 8 p.m.

Thursday’s meeting for Webster Niblock School will also be from 6:30 p.m. until 8 p.m., but will be in the Medicine Hat High School Cafeteria at 200 Seventh St. SW.

MHPSD board chair Catherine Wilson said that declining enrolment and underused buildings are prompting the review.

“We had a value scoping done, which included Alberta Education, architects, and our executive team, the board of trustees, where we went through to look at the capacity of all of our schools,” Wilson said in November.

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“When you think that we have 17 schools in a city, which is now widespread, and we have schools in every area, and sometimes two or three schools in that area with 200 children or less. We’re just not getting the proper utilization out of them,” she added.

“We are looking at doing this because we have the children at the front of our minds for this.”

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READ: Medicine Hat Public School Division to hold public consultation on two potential school closures

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Wilson said the Board of Trustees and the executive will be there.

“Whenever a decision like this is made, we want to do it in collaboration with our community. This is not something that any of us takes lightly,” Wilson said in early November.

“We know that our hearts are in some of these schools. We have memories, and it’s emotional. And to think about closing schools, it’s not always wonderful to look at, because you have ties to these. You’ve got spirit ties to the schools,” she added.

“I think this is your opportunity to come and share your opinion, and we together will come up with what’s best for our community.”