City Notebook: Associate minister of natural gas takes on power

By COLLIN GALLANT on March 28, 2020.

cgallant@medicinehatnews.com@CollinGallant

In case you missed it, Dale Nally, the associate minister of the newly former Natural Gas portfolio in the Alberta cabinet, was given the added responsibility of electricity this week.

That puts him on speed dial for the City of Medicine Hat.

The city’s natural gas business unit has spent years trying to climb out of quicksand.

Alongside that, power profits are sorely needed if there’s hope of balancing the city budget in the long-term without severe pain or completely emptying out the city’s bank account.

To that, an oil price collapse is added, to the equation.

It’s the Gas City, not Oil-berg, but the last time there was a steep drop in oil prices, it dragged power prices down too.

As industrial activity declined in 2016, power demand fell and prices on the Alberta grid followed.

In Medicine Hat, where profits at the power plant depend largely on the export market, it led to a $5-million loss in 2016.

The city has made about $80 million in profits since then, but there’s plenty of need for extra cash.

In the corporate-financial sense, the key need is to bridge the city budget as it is rebalanced through eh Financially Fit Budget Program.

The city has already used about $100 million in cash reserves to replace natural gas dividends that were suspended in 2014.

That’s in the background of a public debate about how city hall could help citizens and businesses hurt but he COVID-19 pandemic response, but its a key part of the discussions.

Alumna

You never know where they’ll turn up, those reporters who cut their teeth in Medicine Hat.

This week former CHAT anchor Rylee Carlson showed up on television screens again with a report from London for CBS News. Yes, that CBS News.

It’s been about 10 years since she went on to bigger things from Medicine Hat, where a misconception likely still persists that Carlson was somehow related to CHAT news director at the time, Rhonda Carlson.

But, speaking of someone who is actually related to Rhonda Carlson, her daughter Sheehan Desjardins won herself a very prestigious scholarship this winter to study in the United Kingdom and report for the CBC.

It’s easy to predict big things lay ahead for her, but for now, she’s back in the Hat, waiting it out.

Quotable

Nichole Neubauer told the News this week that local farm and ranch operators have always taking their role in feeding the nation personally.

But, in a crisis, that has struck at deeply personal level, and for Neubauer, the idea of protecting and nurturing life arrived during calving on cold nights earlier this month

“Every one that you pull into the barn, you’re just thinking how important it is that every single one gets through,” she said.

A look ahead

The shine was really taken off April Fools Day for the media when the term “Fake News” gained popularity about four years ago.

All things considered, it’s doubtful any of the outlets that scrapped gag stories at that time will return them this year. Personal, subtle jokes are better anyway, and they are still fully endorsed.

But, as strange as it is to say, but please be responsible.

City council’s next scheduled meeting is set for April 6, with no potential changes yet announced to the format. Some new protocol could be announced this coming week.

100 years ago

Note: Due to a premium on time and space, the 100 years ago feature that appears in this space has been held. It will return in some form soon.

Collin Gallant covers city politics and variety of topics for the News. Reach him (still) at 403-528-5664 or via email at cgallant@medicinehatnews.com

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