Dan Reynish wants to continue serving the people of Medicine Hat with a seat on city council

Reynish said mental health is a key priority, and pointed to city spaces like the Big Marble Go Centre as part of the solution.

“A big part of how people get honest and stay real with themselves is here. You come here to work out your frustrations upstairs in the gymnasium, you swim it all away, and that’s all part of Medicine Hat’s mental health. But it isn’t the only part of it,” Reynish said.

“You walk through the downtown core, and you see homeless people. I truly believe that Medicine Hat has enough great services in place to take care of the majority of people who want help.”

He also highlighted affordability, economic development, and city pride as priorities he would like to help address.

“We need to let people know that Medicine Hat continues to be a great place to come to work, to live, to do business. We need to get that message out there,” Reynish said.

“The message over the last four years has been a mixed message that maybe you can’t trust Medicine Hat, maybe Medicine Hat won’t be there for you when you need it to be,” he added.

“I believe that’s all important.”

Reynish said the council appeals to him as a team environment where he can collaborate with others.

He added that when the current council first started, there was so much hope and excitement for what they could do.

“On paper, they looked great. What looks great on paper doesn’t always play out off paper, and that’s one of the sad things about this current council is they didn’t work well together,” Reynish said.

“They didn’t like, or in most instances, seem to trust each other, and in the end, it’s all about politics. You’ve got to play the political game, and politics is sometimes thinking something, but not saying it out loud,” he added.

“You need to work behind the scenes, and that’s what I’m hoping the next council that I hope to be a part of will realize that less public, more private, but still keeping the lines of communication open with the public and letting them know what’s happening.”

Reynish has noticed that the lack of growth in the city has limited entertainment options.

“Part of good mental health is getting out and going to events. So I’d like to see Medicine Hat continue to grow or start to grow again,” Reynish said.

“Like, you talk about bringing new business in, and it’s so difficult for a business to open in Medicine Hat. The fees used to be $100 for a business license. Now it’s five, six, seven, even eight times that,” he added.

“We need to let them know that there are opportunities in Medicine Hat. That we’re going to work with them on the business fees, potential tax breaks to bring them here.”

Reynish has lived in Medicine Hat for the past seven years, after working as a weatherman in Regina.

He is best known locally as a longtime anchor with CHAT TV and previously hosted Saskatchewan Weekend on CBC for nearly two decades.

He also served as the provincial director of the Terry Fox Foundation in Saskatchewan, working with over 600 volunteers and managing a small staff.

“I spoke with all types of politicians, federal, municipal, and provincial politicians,” Reynish said.

“I’ve been talking with all of the politicians here in Medicine Hat, and before that, in Saskatchewan,” he added.

“I’ve got experience on committees, working with people, and more specifically, working with and being around politicians.”

Reynish said working as a television anchor in Medicine Hat, he was somebody that people in the city had to trust.

“They trusted me to tell them what was going on in their own backyard. They trusted me to talk with them about what was happening across Alberta and Canada and the world, and that’s something I do not take for granted,” Reynish said.

“The fact that people recognize me from TV is spectacular, but I want to earn their vote in order to honestly make it onto Medicine Hat City Council because of that trust and because people know that they can trust me; that’s what television has given me,” he added.

“But when people talk to me, they know that they can trust me. They know that I’m being honest and forthright.”

He said we also need to work hard to let people know how great Medicine Hat is.

“It’s great here, you’ve got to constantly be cheerleading, telling people why Medicine Hat over Lethbridge, or any other place,” Reynish said.

“We need to show them Medicine Hat, and I think they’ll realize this is the place that they want to be.”

Visit our dedicated municipal election page for more information on the 2025 municipal election and other local candidate profiles published to date.

by Jesse Gill

Dan Reynish wants to continue serving the people of Medicine Hat with a seat on city council

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