BILL SCOTT
Medicine Hat’s power champion passes away at 93
Bill Scott, the general manager of almost everything at city hall during the 1970s, has died, his family tells the News. He was 93.
The former public utilities head was also remembered Tuesday for completing a local powerplant expansion on a breakneck time table when it faced a choice of expanding or possibly being forced out of business in the late ’70s.
His plan kept the city in good stead with regulators, fended off a proposed takeover by Calgary Power and remained one of Scott’s proudest professional and personal accomplishments, said his son.
“He was so proud of that, and it’s so significant that Medicine Hat still has its own power,” said Jeff Scott on Tuesday.
As for civic pride, Scott remembered his father buying an ad in the News on his birthday in 2014, thanking Medicine Hat for being his hometown for 90 years.
“He loved this town and loved the people,” said Jeff. “He felt it was his duty to see it do well and grow intelligently.”
The funeral is scheduled for today, 1 p.m. at Westminster United Church.
Former mayor Ted Grimm remembered Scott Tuesday as a man “of the community,” who always considered the needs of local residents first.
“All of his actions and directions, they were always founded on his sense and feeling of the community,” said Grimm.
“He was very community minded ... a good manager, good engineer and a good, good man,” summed up Grimm.
In 1979, the local power plant relied on the City of Calgary’s generating company for standby power that was required under its electricity charter.
The same year, Calgary Power announced it would construct larger lines in southern Alberta, and made a closed-door offer to supply all of Medicine Hat’s needs.
The rates however, would rise steeply after the existing backup power contract expired in 1980.
Both Grimm and Scott saw it as a bad deal, but without the ability to supply its own standby power, the city risked having the deal forced upon it.
Scott’s plan was to build an off-site standby generator to satisfy the Energy Resource Conservation Board, but it would have to be done in just 13 months to meet a contract deadline.
“They would basically squeeze us out,” said Grimm, remembering negotiations.
“I told them we’d do it, then asked Bill if we could — he said ‘yes,’ and he did.”
Scott’s plan also included an eventual $15-million upgrade to then-new combined cycle technology, which made twice as much power with the same amount of gas.
After his retirement from the city, Scott advised Redcliff on the creation of the town’s utility company, Redgas.
He also taught home energy conservation at Medicine Hat College, loved playing baseball, singing in choirs and, later in life, travelling with his wife of 68 years.
Born in Medicine Hat in 1924, Scott worked the night shift as a blacksmith for CP Rail while in high school. After serving in the Second World War he earned a mechanical engineering degree, and in 1949 was hired by the City of Medicine Hat.
He retired 30 years later in charge of all utility divisions in the city — which now comprise six departments — as well as the firehall and transit system, according to his obituary.
He leaves a widow, four children and large extended family.