Strong winds are expected today. Westerly winds gusting to 100 km/h are expected late this morning and this afternoon. These winds will continue into the evening hours. Winds will weaken this evening.

This rejection of media protocol coincides with actions that perpetuate media favouritism. During the Dec 8 2025 Public Services Committee meeting, Councillor Dan Reynish—a former anchor for the now-defunct (in Medicine Hat) CHAT TV news—actively steered city staff, suggesting they contact his former employer to propose featuring a city program on CHAT’s “Smile Sundays” segment. This suggestion, singling out one outlet while ignoring others like the local newspaper, CBC bureau, or The Owl, raises clear questions about council neutrality and the appropriate use of position.

The situation frames a damning contradiction: public outrage would rightly erupt if a pet were left tethered outside in the cold, yet human beings are expected to endure it with little more than a tarp for shelter. Occupational safety rules would forbid workers from similar exposure, but for those without housing, it is a mandatory condition of survival.

The impulse to create a magical Christmas moment is understandable. But true love for both the recipient and the animal means prioritizing their long-term well-being over a fleeting moment of surprise. A pet should be a chosen family member, not an unwrapped present. This holiday season, let’s break this harmful cycle and give the gift of thoughtful, responsible planning instead. The lives of countless animals depend on it.

Administration was given a mandate to solve the long term shelter problem in July 2022… We are no closer to a long term shelter solution than we were three and a half years ago.