YXH-YYC: What Councillors Said About the Stampede Trip
The event in Calgary was organized by a group of local organizations:
Economic Development,
Tourism Medicine Hat,
the Medicine Hat Accommodations Association,
the Southeast Alberta Chamber of Commerce,
Medicine Hat College, and
the Medicine Hat Sport and Event Council.
Councillors were invited to attend as part of a collective effort to promote the city.
The Owl attended two committee meetings yesterday. After the open portions ended we asked the four members who attended with the mayor about their Calgary Stampede trip, Councillor Clugston added his perspective as well.
Here is what they said. And, just as importantly, what they didn't.
How the YXH-YYC Stampede Trip Happened
Earlier this week, The Owl emailed all councillors who went to the Calgary Stampede. Not one responded. Whether that was deliberate or not, maybe they just did not have time to read all their emails - that is a whole other subject. So we took the opportunity of attending the committee meeting in person to ask questions.
Councillor Bill Cocks, who was one of the five who went to Calgary, explained how it came together. We spoke with him after the morning meeting.
Cocks said the city told council members they had room for four councillors to attend alongside Mayor Clark. It was the first hands up that got to go.
Joint delegations to Calgary had been done before, but this was the first time council members attended as official representatives of the city.
Councillor Ted Clugston said he had been criticized when he was mayor for not getting out of town enough to promote the city. This was an effort to change that.
Council members were told they would get a hotel for one night. Nothing fancy - rooms were pricey during Stampede so nothing downtown. Cocks reported that Councillor Phaff stayed with friends.
They also had a job to do. Cocks said Selena McLean Moore, Director of Economic Development, gave them instructions: if she brought people to them, they were to engage with those people. Their job was to promote Medicine Hat.
What Mohammed Said
Later that day, Councillor Mohammed was the only one of the three council members on the Development and Infrastructure Committee committee who was willing to answer questions.
He said a number of organizations participated in the event in a collective effort to promote Medicine Hat.
The event was well attended - more people than other events they had heard of. Ministers were present, including Jason Nixon, the Treasury Board president. Mohammed said conversations focused on provincial grants and opportunities for Medicine Hat.
Aerospace and defence were big topics. Mohammed said people from Calgary and Edmonton often do not know what Medicine Hat does in those areas, so the event helped raise awareness.
When asked if the public would get a report on the trip, Mohammed said Selena McLean Moore is working on one. He also said he responds to questions if people ask him directly, but he did not think a formal report was necessary for every meeting.
He raised legitimate concerns about proprietary information - some things cannot be disclosed until they mature, like land purchases or developer negotiations. But he agreed the public has a right to know how tax dollars are spent.
When The Owl suggested that council could look at Calgary's transparency model, where council members list every meeting with every person, including the subject, date, and location, Mohammed agreed.
What Reynish Said
Councillor Dan Reynish is a former journalist. He spent years as a talking head for CHAT TV, reading what others produced for him.
When asked about the trip, he said: "I believe Colleen (Graham, Director of Corporate Communication) is working with you on that."
When told no one was working with The Owl on it, he said: "You should talk to Colleen."
He would not answer any questions about the trip. He named the wrong person - it is Selena McLean Moore (Director Economic Development) , not Colleen Graham - and then clammed up.
A former journalist would not answer questions.
What Phaff Said
Nothing. She packed up her things and left.
What the Premier Did
Councillor Cocks told The Owl that Premier Smith did attend the event but she was ushered out of the venue shortly after speaking. There was no opportunity to speak with her. So while the premier did attend the event, they were not partying with her.
They networked with ministers, business people, and other stakeholders, promoting Medicine Hat and raising awareness about what the city has to offer, especially in aerospace and defence.
The Bottom Line
Three councillors were at the meeting. Only one was willing to answer questions.
Mohammed was open and explained the trip's purpose. He acknowledged the public's right to know and was even open to council adopting some of Calgary's accountability model.
Reynish, a former journalist, deflected to staff and would not answer.
Phaff said nothing and left.
The public now has a clearer picture of why the trip happened and what council members hoped to accomplish. The Owl will continue to ask questions and report the answers.
