June 25, 2015

Written by Mark Keller, director of college advancement
Featured in"On Campus" in the Medicine Hat News

The summer sun has climbed to its absolute peak in the Alberta sky and the City of Medicine Hat chose that moment to open a unique solar energy project in our community. That’s powerful symbolism.

Are we seeing new energy about, well, the business of energy?

I don’t have an answer to that question, but Medicine Hat College will be working with a national organization called Colleges and Institutes Canada (CICan) to bring samples of best practices in energy partnerships to town this fall.

CICan’s event, titled, “Energy Partnerships: Plug In,” will be held on campus November 5 to 7, 2015.

We’re planning to bring national and international experts to our city to offer a series of keynote addresses. A variety of concurrent sessions will feature the most recent and innovative practices in applied research, skills training, and engagement with local government, First Nations, business, and community organizations.

Medicine Hat makes a great host site for the symposium. The solar project I mentioned is just one example of a unique energy project. The wind turbines on the northern horizon are another, while gas-fueled buses and the Hat Smart program make the case that Medicine Hat does have unique knowledge to share.

Not only will Medicine Hat College have the opportunity to learn — that’s what we do best — we’ll also be taking the opportunity to put our physical assets to work in a different way.

Yes, we have a great campus full of labs, lecture halls, meeting spaces, cafeterias and cafes that serve the needs of students. But with additional planning and creativity, we’ll be drawing more value from the investment we have in campus infrastructure.

There are spaces here that might serve your needs in hundreds of different ways. Need a space to meet for a group of 25? That might be us. Need a space to meet with 150? That could be MHC. And if you need a space to get married in or celebrate after, that might be us, too.

This fall, we’ll be working to host 300 people from across Canada. We’re confident that we can do a good job showcasing the city and the region, and learning what’s needed to have even more successes in the future.

I think that drive is part of the new energy we’re feeling.

If you’d like to learn more about the energy symposium, or our campus facilities, feel free to give me a shout. Tip: you can find all college contact information from a link on the bottom banner of our web site.