Jay Hitchen
COMMITTED TO THE COMMUNITY
-
Long time professional communicator and business owner
-
Pattison Media
-
The Cheesecake Cafe
-
-
Dedicated volunteer
-
Ride for A Cure cancer fundraiser
-
Medicine Hat Food Drive
-
Sandfly Music Festival
-
President/Sensei of Medicine Hat Judo Club
-
Issues & Political Concerns
TIME FOR CHANGE
Parks and Recreation
MASTER PLAN
I am truly passionate about this vision for our community. Medicine Hat has some of the finest parks and natural areas. Vision is needed to build on this legacy. We've taken positive steps towards a connected community but this is not the time to slow down. A connected city is a happy city.
The South Saskatchewan River
A GREAT RESOURCE
I am a proud to support the Waterfront District — Invest Medicine Hat The time is long past due for us to focus on this amazing city focal point. There are still many hurdles to cross but with your participation we will find a way to make this a prime attraction for everyone.
City Owned Utilities
FOR A BETTER FUTURE
This particular issue makes hatters very passionate. We love the fact that we own our own utilities but we have to be cautious that we don't get caught in the same mind set that had us hanging on to oil and gas wells past their prime. An educated decision is the only one to make and it has to be in the best interest of everyone. I will weigh all the evidence before making any decisions. The promise of a Hydrogen Hub has great potential as well. I would love nothing better than to see us capitalize on another resource that makes our city better for everyone.
BETTER CIVIC GOVERNMENT
TRANSPARENCY
Transparency is key to building trust. I propose we restrict closed-door meetings to ONLY those required by The Municipal Government Act. As part of building trust we must ensure immediate action on the information provided by Invest Medicine Hat review just completed. Implementing a “Value-for-Money” approach to civic government spending is essential. Deficit budgets are non-sustainable. We must place our emphasis on greener operations and attracting climate responsible industries.
Media Coverage
Radio visit by Autumn Hill
Former Broadcaster vies for a seat on city council
SEPTEMBER 18, 2021
Jay Hitchen: Longtime broadcaster, restaurateur wants to show off Medicine Hat.
BY MEDICINE HAT NEWS ON SEPTEMBER 18, 2021.
Former broadcaster wants to show Medicine Hat off to the world as member of city council.
Jay Hitchen wants a chance to show the world how wonderful Medicine Hat is as a new member of city council.
Hitchen began his broadcasting career in 1979 in a small town in southeastern Saskatchewan. After working his way up and with several other moves, Hitchen, along with his wife and two sons, moved to Medicine Hat in 1990 where he joined the management team at what was 1270 CHAT. Hitchen was very involved with the community and many different events.
“We did a lot of wonderful things in radio, especially in Medicine Hat,” said Hitchen.
After completing his broadcast career, Hitchen and a friend took over the Cheesecake Cafe in 2014. They ran it for about six years before Hitchen retired in the spring of 2020.
Hitchen says Medicine Hat has the reputation of being a “forgotten corner” and hopes to change that. He wants to help grow the population and retain young people who generally leave the city.
“I think there’s an opportunity now where more people are working from home. They’re looking for these beautiful little settings, like we have here, where they can set up shop.”
Hitchen says it’s time to make things happen, but knows that solutions to problems won’t be easy.
“It’s going to be important for the next council to focus on priorities and actually try and get something done,” Hitchen said. “That’s going to be a difficult process.”
Hitchen believes that his experiences within the community make him an ideal candidate.
“I’ve been in Medicine Hat for a long time, and I’ve worked with the city through my job in communications. That gave me real insight into how things work,” said Hitchen. “Communication is obviously where my biggest strength lies, I believe that my background gives me a unique position. Plus, I’ve been responsible for dealing with large budgets and a large staff.”
“I’ve been in this community for so long and been a part of so many things,” Hitchen said. “I really think that it’s time for me to quit relying on other people to make it the great community it is and actually chip in and help out.”
Hitchen a rider: Local man has a big goal for
The Great Cycle Challenge
Jul 30, 2021 | 4:24 PM
FEBRUARY 11, 2023
MEDICINE HAT, AB – Twenty-nine. Thirty-one. Eight hundred.
For Jay Hitchen that’s 29 kilometres he needs to cycle each of the 31 days in August to reach 800 kilometres for the Great Cycle Challenge.
“Every day, rain or shine,” he says.
While 29 kilometres a day for 31 days could be a daunting challenge, Hitchen says it’s easy for him to find the motivation to take on the Great Cycle Challenge. Since 2016 its raised money for the SickKids Foundation to help fight childhood cancer.
“When I have sponsors and I hear about how they lost a son or a child or how they’re currently battling cancer themselves, it helps me focus on how lucky and blessed that I am that I can actually hop on a bike and I can ride around and try and help them. So I think about them as I go.”
Hitchen is taking part for the fourth year. He got involved after two bouts of cancer himself and losing a close friend to the disease. He said he felt left with a void and questioned what he could do to help.
A friend suggested the Great Cycle Challenge.
“And it just gave me something to focus on, something that I could do,” Hitchen says. “So when you feel helpless, this actually gave you that outlet to say maybe I can make a little bit of difference.”
More than $21 million has been raised since 2016 and close to 115,000 cyclists have participated.
It’s free to register, and cyclists simply set a target to pedal in August and track their kilometres, and fundraise however they choose, setting their own target there as well.
“Whatever goal you want 10 kilometres, 1,000 kilometres, up to you,” says Hitchen. “Same thing with dollars, $10, 1,000, $10,000. Whatever you feel that you can raise to fight childhood cancer.”
Hitchen says the Great Cycle Challenge comes down to two simple things.
“If you love kids and hate cancer this is a great thing for you.”
You can find Hitchen’s personal fundraising page here. So far he’s raised almost $2,400 of his $3,000 goal.
by Chris Brown
Jay Hitchen recognized for Community Inclusion
OCTOBER 20TH, 2013
Sensei and President of The Medicine Hat Judo Club was honoured to receive this special award on behalf of the Medicine Hat Judo Club's outstanding efforts. Designing a program that has accommodated many skill levels and even some disabilities over the years.
Premier stands behind boycott of BC wine
FEBRUARY 07, 2018
MEDICINE HAT, AB — The boycott over B.C. wines is being felt in the Gas City.
Premier Rachel Notley made the announcement on Tuesday, as the tensions over the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain pipeline continue to escalate.
“Albertans didn’t want or invite this fight,” she said. “This is one good step to waking BC up to the fact that they can’t attack our industry without a response from us.”
“It’s sheer lunacy and I’m hoping that that’s what the premier going for because also banning a pipeline in B.C. is lunacy,” said Cheesecake Cafe owner Jay Hitchen.
The ban has already been put in place.
The Alberta Gaming and Liquor Commission will not import in any wines from the west.
It comes with an estimated $70 million blow to B.C. wineries.
Stores and restaurants will continue to pour the products and the Alberta warehouses will continue to ship the remaining stock they have. The AGLC estimates the 160,000 cases they have in stock will last about a month.
“It’s not a huge part of our wine selection,” Hitchen said. “It’s about 10 per cent of what we offer here.”
Hitchen said he knows the impact it could have on other restaurants and liquor stores moving forwards.
“It’s a ripple, it won’t be really anything that we can’t get around,” he added. “There’s lot of wine in the big wide world that we live in so there’s lots of competition. We like B.C. wines, we love catering to our neighbours, just like I’m sure they like beer from Alberta.”
That’s a message Notley herself is selling to Albertans.
“Next time you’re thinking about ordering a glass of wine, think of our energy workers, think of your neighbours, think of our community, think about our province and maybe choose some terrific Alberta craft beer instead,” she said.
It’s a message Hitchen said just might work.
“Beer drinkers now are just as snobby as wine drinkers,” he said. “You’ve got guys with their beer apps and they’re sampling different ones, lights, darks, lagers, pilsners. I mean, it’s becoming a whole culture into itself.”
by Ashley Wiebe
