By Darren Rathwell

Leadership Lunch-in

Medicine Hat’s mayor and area leaders talk improving teamwork

Nov 9, 2021 | 5:16 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – The need for strong communication and teamwork between local politicians and organizations was emphasized during an online lunch gathering of area leaders Tuesday.

“Over the years we do fracture a little bit, there has been some times there has been a bit of ‘island protection,'” Redcliff Mayor Dwight Kilpatrick said during the event, adding communities and agencies haven’t always been focused enough on working together to achieve common goals.

“They’re all trying different things and to bring them all together – and it’s been tried before – it creates a huge group and when you get those huge groups it’s hard to stay focused and to get good consensus,” Kilpatrick said.

Medicine Hat’s new mayor also spoke about teamwork by local agencies and politicians.

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“A couple people have mentioned (during the lunch) the discourse hasn’t been that conducive to that type of relationship, of shared goal-setting and solutions orientation,” Linnsie Clark said.

“Sometimes there is a winner and a loser in a situation if you look at it from an individualist perspective,” Clark added, “But if you look at it from a regional perspective, provincial perspective, you see it’s a success. In some cases, we just have to change our perspective and if we feel we lost out on one (project) we can’t let that diminish (our) relationship.”

Clark also said teamwork is important when dealing with economic development, including business retention and expansion, and growth and development of the local workforce.

Community health and dealing with substance abuse and mental health are also points where collaboration is key, said Clarke.

The Leadership Lunch-in saw several local political leaders attend, including Brooks-Medicine Hat MLA Michaela Frey, Cypress-Medicine Hat MLA Drew Barnes, Medicine Hat-Cardston-Warner MP Glen Motz and Cypress County Reeve Dan Hamilton.