Clugston hints and hopes for economic announcement

Is there big economic news on the horizon? Anyone paying attention to recent comments by Mayor Ted Clugston would reasonably think so.

Elected officials and city staff are typically vague about economic development, what irons are in which fires, and the need for confidentiality.

Clugston however, has been known to tantalize in the past.

During election forums, he answered a question about power prices with a story about how he was recently touring around with representatives of unnamed major manufacturing interests.

“What’s the catch?” they reportedly asked.

The manufacturer reportedly was impressed by the new wings of the Family Leisure Centre.

“I’m hoping, but we’ll see” said Clugston when asked outright this week whether a major announcement was coming.

He also mentioned during a televised debate regarding the new production from the city’s new 43-megawatts power-plant...

“Most of it’s already spoken for,” he said.

Later in the week he clarified that “if” plans move forward, “then” maybe 35 megawatts would be required.

For perspective, that’s an incredible amount of power for a single entity. The entire city has only ever used about 170 megawatts at peak demand.

So, we’ll see.

Voting patterns

Add up the vote totals of all council candidates (99,779) and divide by the total number of ballots cast (17,308) and you’ll find the average voter marked only five names.

Similarly, of the 17,308 voters that cast a ballot, about 900 didn’t make a choice for mayor.

Some might assume it’s a “none of the above” situation, though it could also speak to more strategic voting style.

Picking fewer names in a “topeight” election gives a stronger nod for those candidates because a vote for any one else could weaken their chances at winning.

Another takeaway from elections here (where city website problems briefly interrupted an ongoing vote count) and Calgary (more so) was the flurry of frustration on social media over delays.

As well, voter turnout in this city dropped (only one of three voters bothered to do so). That means fewer people voted but interest in the results was higher. That’s weird.

Speaking of weird...

Does anyone else feel it’s strange that Tuesday’s wind storm seems to have cleared lawns and left them in fairly neat piles?

Judging from the strength of the storm, the bulk of local leaves are probably in Lake Winnipeg.

Trees are another matter. A good number lay where they fell.

Chainsaws roared throughout the city this week. And there’s little doubt we’ll see some of the remaining large trees come down as homeowners look to avoid future problems.

With many mature trees lost over the recent years, perhaps its time Hatters had a serious conversation about renewing the socalled urban forest with planting.

Passed away

Joe Carbury’s passing may have snuck by some this week.

The famous horse race and chuckwagon announcer at the Calgary Stampede grounds died on Tuesday at the age of 91.

A long career on the Calgary sports scene saw him announce boxing, CFL games and cover all sports for CFCN radio. That came after he got his start in Medicine Hat, providing play-by-play on broadcasts of the original junior Tigers in the late 1940s.

At that time he also met his wife Rose in the Gas City and became brother-in-law to former alderman George Renner and eventually an uncle to former MLA Rob Renner.

A look ahead

City councillors will be sworn in Oct. 30, the day before the Alberta Legislature reconvenes for its fall siting. Boo.

100 years ago

Charles Stewart became Alberta’s premier following Arthur Sifton’s appointed to the Federal War Cabinet in a union government in Ottawa, the News reported in Oct. 18, 1917.

Stewart, previously the public works minister, had farmed in private life and had been a major force in forming the Alberta Farmer’s Co-operative Elevator Company.

Locally, the Medicine Hat Liberal candidate Dr. Oliver Boyd stated he would support Union Government in the upcoming federal election.

Free Gas and water for war widows was extended by City council on a motion from Aldermen Marshall and Bell. The growing cost of the subsidy had been discussed in previous weeks.

An estimated 10,000 cattle were burned as a massive stockyard in Kansas City burned over two days.