Redcliff, County mayors reiterate need for regional collaboration
Redcliff, County mayors reiterate need for regional collaboration
Redcliff, County mayors reiterate need for regional collaboration
By MEDICINE HAT NEWS on May 15, 2026.
Redcliff Mayor Chris Czember delivers a speech to the audience Thursday afternoon.--NEWS PHOTO BRENDAN MILLERMedicine Hat News
The leaders of Medicine Hat’s closest neighbours emphasized Thursday at an event promoting regional partnership the importance of collaboration.
The Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce hosted its first annual State of the Region event Thursday. The luncheon invited community leaders from Medicine Hat, Redcliff and Cypress County to listen to addresses from each of the three municipal leaders and pose questions, replacing the longstanding State of the City address..
Cypress County Mayor Dan Hamilton says smaller municipalities like his benefit from regional advocacy to help generate support and inspire change from federal and provincial partners.
“Rural municipalities face unique pressures,” he said. “We manage large infrastructure networks with a small population. We support major industry that benefits the broader province. We are all directly impacted by provincial policy, assessment changes, downloading and unpaid property taxes from industry operators.”
Hamilton says the county is eager to work constructively with provincial partners and industry, and is committed to advocating for accountability and sustainable funding from higher levels of government.
Redcliff Mayor Chris Czember says economic development is the key strategic priority for all the region’s municipalities, but growth has to be responsible.
“We are not interested in growth simply for the sake of growth. We are interested in growth that our infrastructure, our tax base, schools, recreation system, emergency services and residents can actually support,” he said.
The three leaders agreed there is a need for further collaboration with public safety.
“I think you’ve heard today where our values include regional, like as we mentioned, the importance of emergency planning collectively,” said Medicine Hat Mayor Linnsie Clark. “Fires don’t respect municipal boundaries. Nor do floods.”
In response to a question about the potential for expanding agricultural investment in line with Canada’s Premier Food Corridor, a network of municipalities around Lethbridge pursuing the expansion of agri-food in southern Alberta, all three leaders agreed that growth has to be thoroughly considered to avoid a strain on water resources.
“We need to be really calculated and careful about how we do that so we don’t waste that resource. We want to bring in good paying jobs. If we’re going to do it, we just need to make sure we do it very carefully,” said Clark.
None of the three municipalities have yet finished their annual strategic plan.