Safe & Connected Communities
Every family deserves to feel safe, supported, and connected in Medicine Hat. Yet today, our community faces real challenges: addiction and homelessness, rising youth mental health struggles, the loss of affordable recreation options, and even the closure of our only youth shelter. At the same time, many young people are uncertain about their future pathways in education and work.
None of these issues can be solved in isolation. Addiction and homelessness require coordinated responses that balance compassion with accountability. Youth mental health depends on belonging, recreation, and mentorship. A strong community requires safe spaces for youth, opportunities for families to thrive, and clear pathways that connect education to careers.
The good news is, we already have the ingredients we need: dedicated service providers, strong organizations, and people who care deeply about our city. By working together we can build a Medicine Hat where families feel safe, young people feel supported, and no one is left behind.
Youth Mental Health and Belonging
Young people today face record levels of anxiety, depression, and disconnection. I know firsthand how belonging can change a life, because it changed mine. I want to see more spaces and programs where youth can connect, be active, and feel supported. This means the city working alongside schools, nonprofits, and healthcare providers to focus on prevention as well as crisis response. The city cannot solve this issue on its own, but we can be a strong partner and a voice that ensures youth well-being remains a priority.
How We Can Do This:
Create More Safe Spaces for Youth
Champion community spaces where youth can gather safely, be active, and connect, whether through recreation centres, skateparks, arts spaces, or drop-in programs.
Review city facilities to see where access can be expanded or costs lowered for youth.
Work with schools and nonprofits to identify the gaps where youth are being left. behind.
Focus on Prevention, Not Just Crisis Response
Advocate for upstream supports like mentorship, peer programs, and community events that strengthen belonging.
Partner with health providers and nonprofits to expand low-cost or free programs that address mental health before it becomes a crisis.
Position the city as a connector by linking resources and breaking down silos so families know where to turn.
Give Youth a Real Voice at City Hall
Propose a Youth Advisory Council that reports directly to City Council.
Ensure the council includes diverse voices (Indigenous youth, newcomers, students, young workers) so we hear the full range of experiences.
Use their input to shape city programs, events, and policies that affect young people.
Affordable recreation and access
Too many families are being priced out of sports, arts, and recreation. I want to expand access to facilities, skateparks, and programs that keep kids engaged. These are not luxuries.
They are essential investments in public safety, mental health, and community pride.
How We Can Do This:
Expand Free and Low-Cost Options
Build on the success of free festivals and family events by increasing access to low-cost recreation.
Explore community passes or sliding-scale fees so families are not priced out of city facilities.
Partner with businesses and nonprofits to sponsor free nights at pools, arenas, or arts spaces.
Invest in Youth-Friendly Infrastructure
Identify gaps in facilities such as recreation centres, skateparks, and arts spaces.
Ensure these spaces are accessible to families across all neighbourhoods.
Prioritize multi-use spaces that can serve both youth and families.
Support Families Directly
Advocate for funding partnerships that reduce costs for families.
Strengthen after-school and weekend programming to keep youth engaged and safe.
Involve parents in planning to ensure programs reflect real needs.
Youth shelter crisis
Medicine Hat’s youth shelter is scheduled to close in September. That would leave young people with nowhere else to go, and that is unacceptable. I will work with council and community partners to explore options for keeping those supports available. This could mean funding partnerships, temporary solutions, or advocating with the province. If we fail to protect vulnerable youth, the costs for our community will be far greater in the long run.
How We Can Do This:
Immediate Action on Closure
Push for a council-led review and emergency options to keep supports available.
Work with nonprofits, faith groups, and provincial partners to prevent a service gap.
Stability Through Partnerships
Advocate for sustainable funding partnerships between the city, province, and local organizations.
Explore models used in other Alberta cities that combine housing with wraparound supports.
Upstream Supports
Make sure youth shelters are a last resort, not the only option.
Invest in mentorship, affordable housing, and mental health supports to reduce demand for shelters.
Education and career pathways
Too many of our young people leave Medicine Hat because they do not see a future here. I want to strengthen partnerships between the city, Medicine Hat College, and local businesses so students can see clear career pathways and choose to stay. I will also propose creating a Youth Advisory Council so young people have a stronger voice at City Hall.
How We Can Do This:
Strengthen College Partnerships
Work with Medicine Hat College to align programs with local industries.
Advocate for more co-op placements and mentorship opportunities.
Position the college as a hub for innovation and collaboration.
Connect Youth with Local Opportunities
Launch initiatives that connect youth with summer jobs, apprenticeships, and entrepreneurial supports.
Explore a Youth Business Incubator in partnership with the college.
Recognize businesses that invest in local youth.
Youth Advisory Council
Establish a Youth Advisory Council reporting to City Council.
Ensure diverse representation from across the community.
Give youth a meaningful seat at the table on issues that affect them.
addiction and community safety
Why it matters
Addiction and homelessness are often linked, but they are not the same issue. Each needs its own solutions. This isn’t unique to Medicine Hat. Communities across Canada are grappling with how to balance compassion with accountability.
Many people ask: “How do you help people who don’t want to be helped?” That’s the tension at the heart of addiction. For some, stronger enforcement feels like the only answer. It’s true that increased policing and stricter vagrancy laws can reduce crime, but this comes at a considerable cost. Policing alone cannot address the root causes of addiction: trauma, mental illness, and poverty.
A collective response
In 2025, the Medicine Hat Resilience and Inclusion Task Force was launched to bring governments at all levels together with service providers and citizens. As a member of the task force, I strongly support this initiative because it recognizes something important: we already have the ingredients here in Medicine Hat to tackle this issue in a meaningful way. We have incredible organizations, dedicated service providers, and people who care deeply. The challenge is making sure these efforts are aligned, coordinated, and supported—not working in silos.
How We Can Do This:
Better coordination: Ensure all service providers, including health, housing, policing, and non-profits, are working together under a shared strategy with clear goals and accountability.
Investing in outreach and prevention: Support trauma-informed, peer-led outreach programs that meet people where they are, helping them build trust and pathways to recovery.
Recovery-friendly housing: Partner with non-profits to create supportive, low-barrier housing that stabilizes people so treatment and recovery become possible.
Balanced enforcement: Ensure laws are applied fairly to keep public spaces safe for families and businesses, while avoiding approaches that criminalize poverty.
Measuring progress: Track outcomes like reduced overdoses, fewer repeat emergency calls, and increased access to recovery programs—so we know what’s working.