Updates: Stampede hopeful Medicine Hat city council agrees to partner on fixes, upgrades

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Stampede ‘hopeful’ city will work with it on funding despite delaying decision

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4:00 P.M.

‘One of the best decisions’

Medicine Hat-based political consultant Jim Groom says council’s decision to defer was a good choice amid economic uncertainty.

“There are so many things in the air right now that I think putting it on pause is probably one of the best decisions that the council could have made,” he told CHAT News in an interview.

“It’s just so many tenuous issues right now that make it almost impossible to make a solid decision one way or the other.”

One of the challenges highlighted by Groom is a looming Alberta budget that could see impacts from low oil prices and potential U.S. tariffs on Canadian energy.

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3:00 P.M.

Partnership with the city

Lori Siedlecki, president of the Stampede, said that there were points in Monday’s council meeting that made the Stampede board hopeful for something to come together to move the project forward.

“They discussed a couple of different funding models last night, and I don’t think they’ve landed on anything yet, although there’s a recommendation,” she said.

Siedlecki said that was the first time they’d heard of the models as a board, and that they haven’t yet discussed possibilities yet.

She said that the strategic plan has been very hard to develop over the past four years with the uncertainty.

Ron Edwards, general manager of the Stampede, said that council has three scenarios in the development of the project.

“They’re going to either do half of it, just build a grandstand for us, or help us with the purchase of a grandstand,” he said.

“They’re going to do the whole event centre, which we do need, because that allows us to use it 365 days of the year instead of about 55 days of the year,” he added.

“Or they’re not going to do anything.”

Edwards said that he looks forward to a partnership with the city.

“It’s just that we know what we need, and if they’re willing to help us, then I think it’s a win-win for the community,” he said.

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2:00 P.M.

What’s the wait?

The basis for the city’s public services head Joseph Hutter to ask council to delay a decision on if and how it will give the Stampede cash for its revitalization effort was based on Alberta’s choise on pitching in or not.

“It is recommended that such a decision be postponed until the Province has made a decision on future funding for MHES following the Province’s sustainability assessment on provincial agricultural societies,” Hutter wrote in a report to council.

The Alberta government hired the Deloitte firm to carry out a “sustainability assessment” that intends to assist in the understanding of “challenges and opportunities to better position our agriculture sector and rural communities for success.”

While the assessment’s findings have been provided to the seven regional societies, it’s not publicly available.

Hutter wrote the Alberta government’s decision on how to proceed with the findings is expected in the first quarter of 2025 — by March.

At that time, council will have more clarity on the province’s contribution to Stampede and what to do next.

CHAT News has contacted the Alberta government for comment.

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1:30 P.M.

‘Not getting picked on’

Coun. Andy McGrogan says the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede is “not being picked on at all” in response to a question from CHAT News anchor Dan Reynish.

WATCH: Tuesday interview with McGrogan

He said the Stampede’s request for millions of dollars in funding — up to $23 million with one of the options — is a huge number that requires serious deliberations.

“It’s probably the largest ask I’ve ever heard of in our community, it’s a very serious thing,” McGrogan said on CHAT News at Noon on Tuesday.

McGrogan sits on the Stampede’s board as the city’s representative.

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12:30 P.M.

Grandstand has life until about 2026

Lori Siedlecki, president of the Stampede, said that council deferring their funding request on Monday was not the outcome the board was hoping for.

“However, we feel hopeful with their proposal scenario suggestions that they have, that they
were willing to work with us and we can hopefully come up with a decision together,” she said during the Tuesday news conference.

Siedlecki said that there’s a ticking clock on the worn north grandstand.

“We only have about…another year after the summer and it will have to be re-evaluated,” she said.

“At that point, it will probably eventually have to come down.”

The Stampede recently invested $200,000 into the grandstand to keep it going for longer.

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11:30 A.M.

Grandstand’s importance

Ron Edwards, general manager of the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede, says the grandstands are crucial to the organization’s events.

“Without a grandstand, you can’t bring in the events that we bring in over the year,” Edwards said.

He also spoke to the importance of the Stampede’s goal to expand a multi-purpose room underneath the stands at the grounds.

“We’re increasing it from 200 patrons to 500, and within that complex, we have three or four breakout rooms that we absolutely need,” he said.

Stampede officials say expanding that room — one of the options the city and province could help fund — will help it generate more revenue year-round.

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MONDAY EVENING

Council delay

Council on Monday signed off on a staff recommendation to defer deliberations to supply millions of dollars in grant funding for the Stampede’s revitalization project until the Alberta government decides if it will also pitch in.

The province hired a third party firm in 2024 to conduct a study on the financial sustainability of agriculture societies across Alberta and expects to reveal how it will proceed with its funding of such organizations in a matter of weeks.

Should the Alberta government’s decision provide “a sustainable outlook” for the Stampede, staff recommends the city work with its board to explore building options to reconstruct an ailing north grandstand and cover 50 per cent of the cost through a grant.

The reconstruction effort would come at a total cost of nearly $30 million, with the province providing 40 per cent of the cash and the Stampede coming up with 10 per cent.

Another option put forward by the Stampede is for a larger, $39-million project that would add a deck addition and the construction of a multi-purpose room that would tie into an existing hall on the grounds, along with the grandstand fixes.

While most councillors were eager to finally kick off deliberations nearly three years after the Stampede first came forward with its vision to council in February 2022, they voted to delay talks until after hearing what the province will do.

Several councillors were reluctant to wait. Coun. Robert Dumanowski event voted against the deferral, in what he said was a matter of principle.

“We have a incredible organization who has been part of our heritage for a hundred-plus years,” he told reporters after Monday’s council meeting.

“I firmly believe that there’s not a citizen in this community who doesn’t, in some way, appreciate some touch point with the Exhibition and Stampede and all their facilities, and the entertainment value that they bring to this community.”

While the Stampede is known for its summertime flagship festival, it holds hundreds of smaller events throughout the year.

Its impact to the Alberta economy in 2023 ranged from an estimated $13.7 million to $17.3 million, according to a report from Serecon, Inc.

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MONDAY EVENING

‘Increased anxiety’

During Monday’s meeting, Coun. Allison Knodel said she has “increased anxiety” over the revitalization project’s rising costs, citing heightened economic pressures.

Knodel said she is ready to support the project, “regardless of risks.”

“We as a community need to see a success story, we’re at the point where it’s about time,” she added.

Coun. Alison Van Dyke said she supported waiting.

“It would be poor stewardship of the public purse to commit to funding of this magnitude without having all of the relevant information before us,” Van Dyke said.

Coun. Andy McGrogan said the Stampede’s request has kept him up at night and he’s looking forward to making a decision.

“I wasn’t going to do this, but I am going to support this motion being it looks like it is a small delay,” McGrogan said.

Like others on council, he noted the magnitude of the funding ask.

“It’s the most probably has ever been asked of a council…other than spending it ourselves, so it’s a very huge decision,” the former police chief said.

Mayor Linnsie Clark and Coun. Ramona Robins were not present at Monday’s meeting.

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by Eli J. Ridder, Jayk Sterkenburg