Hat will wait extra week to swear in council
New councils throughout Alberta and the Medicine Hat region were sworn in on Monday, though Hatters will have to wait until next week before new city council members take up their positions.
In Dunmore, eight new Cypress County councillors took the oath of office then reelected Reeve Dan Hamilton and Deputy Reeve Richard Oster to the positions they held before the Oct. 18 election.
A byelection will be required to fill the council position for Suffield-Jenner ward that was held by Alf Belyea, who died earlier this month in what police suggest was a case of domestic homicide.
He was acclaimed to the position in September as the only nominee.
Swearing in of the new Redcliff council was set to take place Monday night, consisting of Mayor Dwight Kilpatrick and six council members.
Officials in the Medicine Hat City Clerk’s office are advertising a video feed of the city’s Nov. 1 swearing-in ceremony as perhaps the best option for Hatters interested.
COVID protocols and capacity restrictions will mean only about 20 seats will be available in the public gallery of council chambers.
That only provides about two guests each for the nine people elected last week, but attendance will be determined on a first-come, firstserved basis.
Eight successful council candidates, including six firsttime councillors, as well as mayor-elect Linnsie Clark, will assume their positions that night in a ceremony that starts at 6:30 p.m. It will be broadcast live on the city’s website and on Shaw-TV (Cable 10).
On Monday, elected officials were sworn in at Lethbridge, Red Deer and Calgary.
Edmonton’s new council will be sworn in Tuesday.