02/27/2026
Here is an interesting post from Stephen Campbell - he has attempted to gain approvals from the City for several projects and had many difficulties and refusals that, in my opinion, should never had occurred. There are many stories of similar bad experiences when dealing with the City. We could have had a boutique Hotel downtown instead of a creepy Tin Can Alley. What a shame.
This is something that I care deeply about. I have had my own problems with the departments mentioned and I want to see both a change of procedure and a change of attitudes in these areas. City Hall has forgotten the reason for its existence - to be of help to citizens, not to antagonize and thwart their ideas and ambitions. If change is coming to the managers and employees I will salute the people that force the changes. It is about time.
I will make a separate post on this topic in the near future.
Stephen Campbell For Medicine Hat
February 22 at 11:00 AM
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I want to share a brief update following a productive and positive meeting I recently had with Pat Bohan and Jeff Popoff.
Although they are relatively new in their roles, we had a very open and constructive discussion about many of the challenges that I—and others—have experienced over the past four to five years when trying to start or expand businesses, participate in downtown revitalization, and contribute to initiatives such as Tin Can Alley. I was able to clearly outline the barriers I’ve faced, as well as the broader systemic issues that have made it unnecessarily difficult for people to move projects forward in this city.
To their credit, they listened carefully and acknowledged those concerns. More importantly, they were clear that the City of Medicine Hat does not intend to continue operating under the same model that caused so many of these problems in the past.
One of the most significant assurances I received is that the City itself will take responsibility for guiding applicants through the appropriate departments for licensing and approvals. Business owners should not have to rely on third party organizations, external boards, advocacy groups, or collectives to navigate basic regulatory processes. That approach created real and lasting problems—not just for me, but for many others trying to invest, build, and operate downtown and across the city.
I was also very direct about my experience with the CDA and with Invest Medicine Hat, and how those organizations came to have far too much behind-the-scenes influence over decisions that should have been made transparently by the City. Regardless of where people land on the specifics, I believe there is broad agreement on what residents voted for in the last election: fewer backroom structures, less indirect influence, and more accountability within City Hall itself. We hire public servants and administrators to do this work, and they should be responsible for it—openly, fairly, and transparently.
To be clear, I fully support business owners and community members coming together to collaborate, share ideas, and promote downtown—whether that’s planning events, marketing initiatives, or activities that bring more people into the core. That kind of cooperation is healthy and valuable.
My concern, however, is this: if we simply replace one influential organization with another under a different name, same actors, and it begins to shape licensing, approvals, or who is and isn’t supported, then we risk repeating the same mistakes that held our downtown back for years. Rebranding old structures does not fix old problems.
So, with respect to this new group “Downtown Voice”: if the goal is to promote downtown, support events, (like chilli cookoffs), and build positive momentum, that is welcome and I’ll support this 100% . But decisions around licensing, approvals, and business operations must remain with the City, under clear rules and transparent processes.
Those behind-the-scenes governance structures are exactly what we should be moving away from—not recreating.
Stephen
