Provincial government investment in Medicine Hat has been the right decision

The provincial government has invested more than $65 million — and counting — in funding for Medicine Hat’s municipal infrastructure since Jan. 1, 2016.

In addition to those funds, there are those which went towards two schools which broke ground since May 2015 and are now open along with the completion of modernization upgrades to two city high schools.

Another $6.5 million has been provided to the city to fund flood prevention efforts with millions more committed to the continued renovation work at the Medicine Hat Regional Hospital as well as projects ranging from the Veiner Centre, airport improvements, Little League fields and the trap club.

Some believe investments by our provincial government in our city’s roads, sewers, emergency services, flood mitigation efforts and grassroots community endeavours were misguided.

To some, the idea of investing tax dollars in our community to keep Hatters employed improving essential services while employing Albertans during one of the worst downturns in a generation is a faulty proposition.

Over the past three years, when I see a Hatter working on one of these provincially-funded projects, making a living for their family in our wonderful city while building for the future, I know investing in Medicine Hat was the right decision.

There are those in our city who believe otherwise.

They believe our children shouldn’t have modern schools and municipal infrastructure.

They believe we shouldn’t have held the line when it comes to ensuring Hatters continue to have the same level of health care as three years ago or improved the facilities in which they receive those services.

They believe there should have been cuts to the education services offered in Medicine Hat as well as to the number of health-care workers in our city.

There is a tiny minority of Hatters who believe in a financial alchemy that would allow no changes in public services and reduce spending. But like the wizards of old who spent their days telling their king they could change lead into gold, this minority won’t provide any insight — let alone a written framework — into how they can do more with less.

I believe the investments this government has put into our city, and communities across the province, will result in a better Alberta.

Investments in Alberta’s oilsands continue as the 260,000-barrel-a-day Frontier Mine proposal moves to the next stage of its development this week. And with natural gas investment stagnant in southeastern Alberta due to low commodity prices, the budding renewable energy investment in our area is primed to provide good jobs to our citizens and source of revenue for ranchers.

Southeastern Alberta has the potential to be the centre of the next generation of energy production.

Low natural gas prices also has benefits as the provincial government has launched its second round of the Petrochemical Diversification Program (PDP) to encourage value-added products to be produced.

Sadly, there are those who describe the PDP and the long-standing oilsands royalty cost recovery program as corporate welfare and who oppose programs which have a proven track record of encouraging development of provincial resources.

Bob Wanner is MLA (NDP) for Medicine Hat constituency.