Parks + Recreation: Facilities for the future

We aspire to provide our residents with an ideal network of parks and recreational facilities and amenities.

What do we mean by ideal?

1. We meet the needs of residents. Provide access to recreation within walking distance, have the ability for our youth to thrive and become the next Olympian, host national-level tournaments and events while showcasing Medicine Hat’s impressive collection of unique landforms and ecosystems – these are themes we’ve heard. We want to deliver, while ensuring we all have a place to go for a quaint walk, find solace, and appreciate the natural beauty that our city has to offer, regardless of our age and ability. Access to recreation for all people is front of mind. Let’s ensure everyone has their place to recreate, celebrate or even sweat at little.
2. We want to remain financially responsible. Building, maintaining and operating facilities and open spaces comes with a cost, and we have an obligation to taxpayers to remain financially fit. Let’s make decisions that we are comfortable investing in, and have a cost that residents are comfortable with.
3. It’s all about you. City council, staff and all individuals who are part of planning and delivering recreational services and operating our many facilities are accountable to you. We are determined to understand your perspective on the future of recreational facilities in Medicine Hat. Let’s give our elected officials as much information as possible to make informed decisions.

Let’s talk: facilities and amenities

Cities and communities across Canada are often faced with hard decisions on where to invest taxpayers’ dollars. In 2020, 27% of property taxes (approximately $20M) helped to fund Parks and Recreation operations and maintenance. In an average year, this includes building new recreation-based infrastructure, maintaining the amenities and facilities we have, and planning for the future.

What is this project?

We need to make decisions on how we invest our dollars. The City of Medicine Hat stands alongside numerous other communities that have similar challenges with ageing infrastructure and a dilemma on whether to close, replace or repurpose facilities and amenities that have reached the point where significant investment is required.

This engagement process is our chance to understand how Hatters wish 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. Do we retrofit and reinvest, or do we modernize and replace?

What facilities are affected?

Facilities including Heights Pool, Crestwood Recreation Centre and the Moose Recreation Centre have reached the point where significant investment is required. Do we invest in retrofitting them, or should we come up with an alternative strategy?

Outdoor amenities such as Echo Dale Regional Park and Police Point Park are in need of investment, but to what extent do we invest in their future redevelopment?

This engagement process is our opportunity to provide decision-makers with your perspective on how we best approach renewing old infrastructure and amenities, and the types of new infrastructure that best meets the needs of residents. This is not just about facilities and amenities that need significant investment due to age or condition – let’s work together to determine how decisions are made for years to come.

The ball is in your court. We hope you take advantage of the opportunity to participate in this process.

Read more about the Parks + Recreation Master Plan here.