town profiles


Hanna ◗ Population (2016): 2,559


◗ Land Area: 8.81 km2 ◗ Major Industries: Agriculture, Energy ◗ Largest Employer: ATCO Electric ◗ Mayor: Chris Warwick ◗ Incorporated: 1912 ◗ Major Tourist Attractions: Prairie Oasis Park, Hanna Pioneer Village and Museum, Hanna Swimming Pool and Waterslide


◗ Motto: “Worth the Drive” Oyen


◗ Population (2016): 1,001 ◗ Land Area: 5.28 km2 ◗ Major Industries: Agriculture ◗ Largest Employer: Big Country Hospital ◗ Mayor: Doug Jones ◗ Incorporated: 1913 ◗ Major Tourist Attractions: Crossroads Centre, Oyen Museum, Centennial Clock, Outdoor Shirly McClellen Leisure Centre


◗ Motto: “Blue Sky. Clean Air. Friendly People...”


Youngstown ◗ Population (2016): 154


◗ Land Area: 1.11 km2 ◗ Major Industries: Agriculture ◗ Largest Employer: K & M Gas Plus ◗ Mayor: Robert Blagen ◗ Incorporated: 1922 ◗ Major Tourist Attractions: Blood Indian Creek Park ◗ Motto: “Sportsman’s Paradise”


Newell County No. 4 30


◗ Population (2016): 7,524 ◗ Land Area: 5,904.67 km2 ◗ Major Industries: Agriculture ◗ Largest Employer: JBS Lakeside Packers ◗ Reeve: Molly Douglass ◗ Incorporated: 1953 ◗ Major Tourist Attractions: Lake Newell Resort Area ◗ Motto: “A True Prairie Paradise” (Resort Area)


Women in politics . . . It is written in the history of City Hall TONYA LAMBERT


This year, 2017, is municipal election year in Alberta. In October, Medicine Hat voters will be taking to the polls to elect a mayor and council for four-year terms. The Government of Alberta has been promoting the participation of more women in politics at every level, through the #ReadyForHer campaign. How have the city’s women fared in past elections? What are the benefits and challenges faced by female councillors? How do we encourage more women to run?


Women first entered politics in Medicine Hat when Lillian E. Gust was elected to city council in December 1950. Since then, at least one woman has held office every term except three (1980-1983, 1986-1989, 2010-2013). The high point for women in Medicine Hat politics came in 1989 when three women, Julie C. Friesen, Kathy M. Mandeville and Colleen E. Wilson, were elected to council, the only time that has happened in the city’s history. In total, 10 women have served on the Medicine Hat city council. The city has never had a female mayor, though women have stood for election.


Medicine Hat is slightly behind the provincial and national averages when it comes to women holding political office. Currently, women hold two out of nine seats on city council or 22 per cent. In the 2013 municipal elections in Alberta, women won an average of 26 per cent of seats on councils. The 2015 national average, according to Federation of Canadian Municipalities, is 27 per cent.


exception, having failed to elect a single woman in 2010. Statistics show that women are more likely to run for office in smaller communities and their representation on town councils is higher than in cities. This is because when they run, men and women have a similar chance of being elected.


“I think that things are improving for women in municipal politics in Alberta,” says Lisa Holmes, president of the Alberta Urban Municipalities Association. “I think that a lot of the issues and the negativity are being openly addressed which is the first step to making politics a more respectful environment.”


Choosing to Run for Office


by being open with people in your life because being a politician is not an individual journey, it’s a team sport


The Alberta Ministry of Status of Women’s #ReadyForHer campaign cites six reasons why women are still well in the minority in Canadian politics. One, women have less time to devote to office as they are still largely responsible for child care and domestic work in most homes. Two, fewer women have the type of background – business or legal – typically found in political candidates and may therefore feel or be viewed as less qualified. Three, sexism in many forms, such as online bullying or the ‘old boys’ club’ mentality make politics less appealing. Four, it is more expensive for women to run if they need to cover the costs of child care and housework. Five, fewer women are nominated or recruited by political parties. Six, incumbents are the most likely to get in and most incumbents are men.


In general, the number of women involved in municipal politics in Alberta has been slowly increasing since 2007, though Medicine Hat is an


Get your support network in place


For both men and women, the decision to run for a seat on city council is often the culmination of years of both civic and political service, as a volunteer and board member. These are years during which these individuals have devoted a great deal of their time and energy working to meet the needs and improve the lives of the people in their organizations and in the community in general. During this time, they learn how to work with others to accomplish change, get to know many people and discover other residents' concerns.


“If you are thinking of running, the first thing you need to do is know your community and there is only one way to do that – volunteer,” said former councillor Cathy Smith. “You find out about different things in the community, meet people in different areas. Then, you feel more confident when you stand up to speak on an issue because you’ve had some experience with it.”


Each candidate has their own reasons for choosing to run for municipal office. Aside from a


general desire to serve, many have been spurred on by the desire to bring about specific changes.


“I was really involved in the community,” says Smith. “When you’re really involved, you start to see some things where you think, ‘this isn’t right.’ "


In the end, however, many did not run for municipal council until someone else encouraged them to do so. For example, Helen Beny Gibson, who served on city council for 17 years, ran for the first time in 1957 at the behest of then Mayor Harry Veiner.


On the Campaign Trail


Once the decision to run has been made, a candidate needs to put together a group of volunteers to help with the campaign.


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