By Chris Brown

Meeting now at Higdon hall as interest soars

Restaurant owner wants to rally community for utility bill conversation

Aug 23, 2023 | 3:45 PM

MEDICINE HAT, AB – A Medicine Hat business owner is inviting anyone impacted by high utility bills to gather and make their voice heard to put pressure on City Hall to provide relief to residents.

All summer people have been raising the issue of their high electricity bills, with some saying they’re jumping a few hundred dollars in just one month.

Medicine Hat businesses can see jumps in the thousands of dollars. Sounantha Boss thinks the city should have done more before power rates and use spiked this summer.

“They should have probably made us more aware that ‘hey, this is possibly going to happen but you know what we’re ahead of the game. We’re going to help you guys, get some rebates to you or at least knock that, the electricity rate {down} as best as we can.’ Not have to make sure everyone calls in to get the {best} rate because that’s what we’re doing,” says the owner and manager of the Thai Orchid Room restaurant.

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“And for them to say it’s a provincial thing it’s not a municipal thing, yeah but provincial says you can’t charge more than this. They’re not telling you you have to charge a minimum of this. So it’s really it’s up to the city to set that and if they can do that they should, they should help where they can.”

Boss was shocked when her most recent bill totalled $3,940, up from the previous bill of $2,868.

She admits the air conditioning in the restaurant has been running constantly during this hot summer but says the bills are getting out of hand.

“We’re eating that cost ourselves,” she says. “We can’t afford to say ‘oh we’re going to pass it on to our customers.’ Already everything is at a premium. We can’t just expect people to pay an extra one or two dollars next time because we have to cover our utilities. That’s not how it works.”

Her restaurant is able to absorb the cost because it’s mostly staffed by family. She knows not every business owner is in the same situation.

READ MORE: Hatter hopes others can learn from his utility bill experience, with the city’s help

She’s concerned about the ability of other businesses, hotel and condo associations and homeowners and tenants to pay their bills.

So many people have indicated they want to attend that organizers have had to find an even bigger venue.

They’re now inviting people to Higdon hall on the Stampede Grounds, still at 2:30 pm on Tuesday August 29.

“Anybody who this affects and anybody who wants to be involved and to make something change, and make our city realize that we need something to change and we need to work together to find a solution,” she says.

Boss believes at least two councillors are planning to attend.

She wants them to understand it’s not just a couple of disgruntled homeowners or business owners who are frustrated.

READ MORE: Hatter starts petition out of frustration with city council

“It’s a lot more than that and I would like to see them take steps into making a plan of some sort so that when we do get into the winter that we’re not going to have the same huge increase and everyone will be again in the same boat,” she says.

“I know one of the councillors said they’ve been working on getting rebates to the utility customers etcetera but I know that’s only temporary. It’s not going to help. We need to have a long-term plan and I’m hoping that they can see that and we can do something.”

At Monday’s city council meeting, CAO Ann Mitchell said council has made utility relief an extremely high priority. City staff are examining options.