By Chris Brown

In-person and online sessions

City gathering public feedback on recreation facilities, amenities

Nov 4, 2021 | 5:02 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The city is hosting in-person and online public engagement sessions as it continues the development of the Parks & Recreation Master Plan.

Three in-person information sessions, open to the public, will begin Friday.

“We’re challenged by our ageing infrastructure and have an opportunity to step back and look at all the pieces and then need to make decisions on how we invest our dollars, whether that means closing, replacing or repurposing the amenities that have reached a point where significant investment is necessary,” said Scott Richter, business & innovation manager with parks and recreation. “This engagement process is our chance to understand how residents want to allocate their tax dollars towards recreation facilities and amenities, how we allocate the efforts of thousands of local volunteers, and how the city should evaluate the fate of ageing facilities.”

Richter says many of our current facilities were built half a century ago, and are an example of good planning back then.

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He hopes people today will carry the same vision forward for the next half century.

“Everybody kind of owes it to themselves to pitch in and set us up for the next fifty,” says Richter.

“These facilities are great , some of them are aged a little bit and some need some help but it’s really about what do we want to be in the fifty years from now.” explains Richter.

The first session will take place from 2-4 p.m. at the Esplanade, followed by a second session from 6-8 p.m. at the Family Leisure Centre. Both facilities are participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program. Proof of vaccination, exemption or negative COVID test will be required to enter the facility, and masking is mandatory inside the building for the duration of the event. Details are available on the city website.

The third session will take place from 10 a.m. until noon on Saturday at the Medicine Hat Public Library, which is not participating in the Restrictions Exemption Program.

An online survey is also available on the city’s public engagement website, Shape Your City. The survey will be open to the general public until 4 p.m. on Nov. 18.

An online forum will also be available on Shape Your City beginning Nov. 5 at 1 p.m. Submissions will close on Nov. 8 at 8 a.m.