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Bassano
Ken Gousseau Canada Day celebrations and a parade
Medicine Hat News
in the summer, in addition to various
social events throughout the year.
With its prime location along the Trans-
Bassano is home to several local clubs
Canada Highway between Calgary and
and organizations, such as the Bassano
Medicine Hat, some call Bassano Alberta’s
Agricultural Society, the 4-H Beef and
Photo Courtesy Canadian Badlands Initiative
best-kept secret.
Horse Club, the Bassano Arts Council and
“People are passionate about Bassano,”
the Bassano Curling Club.
says Mayor Audrey Wilcox, citing as an
The Bassano Dam, located about eight
example the $1.4 million residents raised
kilometres southwest of the community,
last year to help rebuild the community
diverts water from the Bow River to
pool.
provide irrigation for 1,200 farmers via
Other projects are also planned in the
the Eastern Irrigation District’s network
town of just under 1,500 people. A new
of 4,800 kilometres of canals and drains
$650,000 town office is scheduled for
and 13 internal storage reservoirs.
completion in March and the first phase of
Revitalizing the community’s downtown
a 200-lot residential subdivision north of
area is another main priority for elected Photo Courtesy Canadian Badlands Initiative
the golf course will be underway in 2009.
officials in Bassano.
Bassano boasts a number of community
Wilcox and town councillors Ed Maurer, Les
“We want to revamp some of our store
facilities, including an airport, health
Schmidt, Darrell McCoomb, Rick Doherty, Kyle
fronts and there’s grants out there to help
centre, school, community hall and
Marks and Ken Andrejcin are also initiating
small businesses on main street spruce up
recycling depot.
a strategic plan in the middle of January to set
the area and maybe get a theme going,”
goals and chart Bassano’s future course.
The community hosts the Bassano Rodeo,
she says.
Medicine Hat
city & town profiles
Ken Gousseau Natural gas has been the principle source sector, have allowed the city to maintain one
Medicine Hat News
of energy in the Hat for the past 100 years of the lowest unemployment rates in the
– used to heat homes and generate electricity country at 3.1 per cent as Canada slipped into
During a visit to southeastern Alberta more
at a relatively low cost to the city’s 60,000-plus recession during the fall of 2008.
than a century ago, Rudyard Kipling told the
residents.
“The economy is affecting us a little bit,”
Medicine Hat News, “This part of the country
When demand on the grid is low, the city Boucher says. “But the demand for energy and
seems to have all hell for a basement and the
sells electricity to other communities, food will always be there, and it’s in Medicine
only trap door appears to be in Medicine
providing an additional source of revenue for Hat. I think we’re on a lot more stable ground
Hat.”
the municipality that in turn gives taxpayers than Ontario.”
Kipling was referring to the flaming natural
more bang for their buck.
Despite Gas City’s enormous energy wealth
gas wells that lit the landscape around the city,
In recent years, however, Medicine Hat and the prosperity that goes along with it,
which rests on vast reserves of the valuable
Mayor, Norm Boucher, and aldermen – Ted Boucher maintains the people of Medicine
resource.
Clugston, Robert Dumanowski, Julie Friesen, Hat are the foundation of the community.
John Hamill, Graham Kelly, Ty Schneider,
“It’s got to be the people,” Boucher says. “I
Jeremy Thompson and Jamie White – have
really like the attitude that they have and the
been promoting greater use of alternative
atmosphere that they create.”
energy sources and conservation, installing
solar panels to run the lights at the local
In addition to friendly residents, Medicine
Family Leisure Centre, for instance.
Hat has many other attractions, including
the Saamis Tepee, the world’s tallest tepee.
“It reduces the demand on the grid and the
The city is also home to several historical
natural gas used to produce it,” says Boucher.
sites, such as the Medalta Potteries National
Medicine Hat’s non-renewable natural gas Historic Site and St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic
resources, combined with a strong agricultural Church.
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