Former Oyen resident becomes Medicine Hat’s Mayor
Linnsie Clark is the new Mayor of Medicine Hat. Not only is the 41-year-old the youngest person to hold the position in 50 years, but she’s also the first lawyer to hold the post since the First World War. Residents of Oyen may remember her during her formative years, as she grew up in the Oyen area.
Clark said, “It was a real privilege growing up near Oyen, in the middle of nowhere really. We had a party line at one point. We weren’t isolated but really insulated with a big family, with five kids, playing in a pond, playing on machinery and bike rides. It was a great opportunity to learn a lot of stuff and grow a connection with nature. That continued when we moved to town at age eight because my parents still had a ranch south of town.”
After graduating from high school in Medicine Hat, Clark went to the University of Lethbridge, then the University of Victoria, where she earned a law degree. She spent the following decade with the Hospital Employees Union in Burnaby, BC, eventually becoming the Director of Legal Services. Following a brief period in Edmonton, Clark returned to Medicine Hat in 2017.
“Time flies, but I always intended on coming home. The opportunity with the city was truly amazing,” she said. Clark was a lawyer with the City Solicitor’s Department. “I like the smaller town feel, and Vancouver didn’t have that,” she said.
Clark noted her decision to run for Mayor was difficult, but she believes the municipal government’s priorities and values are drifting away from those in the community. “We know we are stronger as a community than as individuals and know we need to work together - all of us - to succeed,” she advised. “It’s always important to draw more people into the political arena and make that more accessible, so you get more perspectives.”
On a personal note, Clark said she is drawn to people who have a positive outlook on life. People who recognize that despite our differences, we can still be respectful and caring towards each other.
