Clayton Stevens Seeking Seat To Bring Central City Concerns to Council

Most residents of the Flats neighbourhood will recognize Clayton Stevens as the owner of Starlight Convenience but the small business owner is now seeking to represent the entire city as a Medicine Hat councillor.

Originally from a farm near Hays – a straight drive down Hwy. 524 from the Hat – Stevens has been living and working in the city for the past eight years.

And he’s looking to bring the perspective of a small business owner to council chambers and, “try to represent the Flats, Riverside, Southeast Hill a little more.

“Right now, we don’t have that representation. I believe it’s necessary for city council.”

Stevens says the city needs to become self-sufficient with funding lacking from higher levels of government and more needs to be done to keep younger residents employed in the community.

He’s also critical of some of the changes to roadway infrastructure taking place, specifically, the completed Division Ave. South project and planned Kingsway and Third Ave. North alterations.

“If the larger, established companies can’t do business because our road networks are being destroyed, that’s detrimental,” said Stevens.

Stevens was also one of the loudest voices advocating for the Flats neighbourhood when social disorder issues tied to the Mustard Seed, down the block from his business, were at their peak.

“I do believe those services need to be in the city but we have to find an appropriate place for them and the city, along with the province and the Mustard Seed have to be able to work together to find them a new place to operate out of,” he said.

Council transparency is also an important topic for the candidate.

“We have to keep people in this area actually believing that our little city is actually looking out for our little city,” he said.

While there may be reasons for closed meetings, council should at some point release information, “keeping people aware of what’s going on in the city.”

In addition to owning the Starlite, Stevens said he’s also in touch with residents through his part-time job taxi driving.

Between the two roles, Stevens says he’s in touch with all aspects of Medicine Hat society and gets an earful about issues within the community.

It’s those voices he’d like to bring to the council table that, “normally wouldn’t have the chance to have without a vocal person like me in city council.”

Stevens is stressing building agri-businesses, giving new Canadians a chance to utilize their skill sets and providing opportunities for young people coming out of post-secondary school are key in driving economic development in the community.

“I just believe we are squandering so many opportunities and it’s a shame,” he said. “We have some of the best agricultural in the world right here but we don’t see it.”

The candidate nomination period for the 2025 municipal election ends on Sept. 22.

The election will be held on Oct. 20.

Candidates who would like to have an election profile broadcast and published by the Medicine Hat Owl can contact alexmccuaig@comtv.ca to schedule an interview.