Posted on 20 May 2026 by Chris Brown.
Debate is growing in Medicine Hat and the province about Bill 28, passed by the provincial government on May 13.
The Bill updates the Libraries Act and gives new powers to the Minister of Municipal Affairs. Among them is the power to:
- Inspect libraries, interview employees, and access library records
- Regulate “the access to and the use and borrowing of public library property by members of the public.”
- Prohibit youth under 16 from accessing, using or borrowing library books and other materials containing “explicit visual content.”
Opponents of the Bill say it interferes with freedom of choice and access to materials, while the Province says it’s about parental consent.
RELATED: Bill 28 Information Page
Marko Atem from Rogers TV spoke with Chief Librarian Ken Feser, MHPL Board Vice-chair Megan Hilgendorf, and three library patrons about the Bill.
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