The countdown is on. This week, WestJet pulls the plug on the only scheduled passenger flights serving Medicine Hat and Lethbridge—a blow that hasn't hit either southern Alberta city in decades.
Medicine Hat and Lethbridge officials are now in crisis mode, reaching out to airlines across North America in hopes of salvaging air service. Meanwhile, the Alberta government has launched a $5 million lifeline to attract carriers willing to reconnect the province's regional hubs to Calgary and Edmonton.
"This conversation is much more than flights," said Medicine Hat city councillor Yusuf Mohammed, who chairs the airport oversight committee. "It's actually the future opportunity for this part of our region. The airport is an asset, and air service is very important to us."
WestJet announced the route closures in February as a cost-cutting measure. The airline operated just one round trip daily to each city—Medicine Hat flights landed before 9 a.m.—but even that modest service proved unsustainable in the carrier's eyes.
What's Lost
For business travellers like Denise Yeast, the loss stings. She relies on quick trips to visit family, timing her return for Monday mornings to be back at work. "It's tough to run a business these days," she said, "but we are a large enough city. You think we could manage it."
Others speak to something deeper. Bronwyn Watson, greeting relatives arriving from Australia, voiced what many feel: civic pride. "We are proud to be Hatters, and to have an airport where people can flow in and out easily is important."
Without direct flights, residents face a brutal choice: drive 90 minutes to Calgary to catch connecting flights, or abandon air travel altogether.
The Province Steps In
Alberta's call for expressions of interest asks airlines to pitch ideas for boosting "connectivity" between regional centres and major hubs. The province is prepared to invest up to $5 million over two years to make routes work financially.
It's not a guarantee—and it's not quick. Medicine Hat has already contacted nearly two dozen carriers. Now, city leaders and the provincial government must wait to see if anyone bites.
For travellers in the region, the clock is ticking. Once WestJet exits, there is no backup plan in place.
This article is based on reporting from CBC Calgary.