The city began as a result of the river crossing of the railway and the branch line which goes to Lethbridge. The town began in the valley around the railway station. The city has expanded to over 50,000 people. It is a large regional center, servicing southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, and even into Montana. The economy is very diversified, with agriculture, petroleum and petrochemicals playing starring roles.

   The area around Medicine Hat is classified as semi arid. The area receives between 40 and 50 cm (15-20") of precipitation per year. Because of warm westerly winds summer and winter called Chinooks, the snow runs off quickly and the winds dry the ground in summer. I figure any place where there is cactus, scorpions and rattlesnakes is a desert. The winters are generally mild, and summers hot and dry. One feature newcomers have remarked on to me is the warm summer evenings, where shorts and t-shirts are warm enough until after midnight, sometimes all night long. As a result, golf and other summer activities like barbecuing are very popular.

   Medicine Hat is bisected by the river roughly in an east west direction, which is why streets run east and west, and avenues run north and south. This is the opposite of most cities. The streets number from the river on both the north and south banks. Division avenue bisects the main part of town, and avenues number from it going both east and west. This divides the city into quadrants. Those north of the river and west of division avenue are NW, those east of division avenue are NE, and so on. The majority of the city now is in the southeast quadrant.

There are eight basic areas in the city. In the north, is Crescent Heights, which is on the high hills overlooking the river valley. Parkview is an area which is on an intermediate plateau, and Riverside is on lower ground adjacent to the river. On the south side, the downtown area is beside the river to the west of the railway bridge. On the rest of the low land is the area called the Flats which is the oldest part of the city and boasts the largest parks. Overlooking downtown is the Hill area, and to the southeast is the area on the high ground which consists of Crestwood, Ross Glen, and Southridge. Generally, the farther away from the tracks and downtown you are, the newer your home.

There is an extensive system of trails for walking and cycling throughout the city, over 65km. of paved and crushed shale. There are numerous parks, playgrounds and outdoor activity areas like tennis courts, ball diamonds, horseshoe pits, and an obstacle course on the trail through Lions park. There are four outdoor pools, two indoor public pools, five indoor skating rinks, the arena, the YMCA, curling club and athletic park. Echodale park and farm are very popular and are located at the city's west end on the south bank of the river. The city boasts lots of trees, in fact that seems to be another thing that surprises people, and leads to comments about it being an oasis in the desert.

   The weather is generally warm and dry in the summer, and cool in spring and fall, and the winters are variable. Most are very mild, but about one in five is cruel. When I say mild, I mean there are a lot of days where it freezes at night, and thaws in the daytime, and we get one or two spells of cold weather for a couple of weeks or so. When I say cruel, I mean minus 40 or more for a lot of the winter, and few Chinooks. One interesting phenomenon is when a Chinook wind breaks through after a period of cold weather. The temp can go from minus 30 to plus 10 in a couple of hours. The kids all throw snowballs and make forts and snowmen, and if it lasts, all the snow and ice can be gone in a few days.

 Since Medicine Hat is somewhat isolated, being 170 km. from Lethbridge, 300 km. from Calgary and 225 km. from Swift Current, the people of the Hat have always made their own entertainment. There is a lively arts scene, with many amateur plays, an annual musical theater, the annual Jazz festival, Spectrum festival, the museum and art gallery bring in shows year round, there is the Medicine Hat Exhibition and Stampede, and many many more. The Medicine Hat College and adjacent Cultural Center are very active in many of the cultural activities in the community, including plays and concerts, pottery making, painting, quilting, paper making, music and lots of others. The college sponsors many community education courses where you can try things like furniture refinishing or Chinese cooking. The schools in the community are used extensively in the evenings for activities like volleyball and badminton as well as meetings. Whatever one's interests, there is probably a group interested and active.

   For being in the desert, the hunting and fishing fraternity is going strong. Boats are everywhere, and fishermen are too. There are numerous lakes rivers and reservoirs to fish in, and there is upland bird, migratory bird, deer, elk and antelope hunting. For the skiers there is Elkwater's Hidden Valley ski hill with 5 nice runs, a quad lift and a t-bar, and a nice chalet building. Fees are low, and lift lines are short or nonexistent. Elkwater is also a favorite getaway in the heat of the summer. It is in the Cypress Hills about 65 km. southeast of Medicine Hat, about 800 m. higher, and a lot cooler in the summertime.

   Medicine Hat's downtown is no longer the commercial center of the city, but has evolved into a very pleasant place with parks, benches, funky boutiques, specialty stores, banks and offices. The City Hall library and courthouses are along the river and downtown flows up and away from there for about 5 blocks.

   The commercial heart of the city is now in the southeast, along Dunmore Road, Thirteenth avenue and Trans Canada Way, which parallels the highway. Many businesses are in strip malls or individual buildings along those streets, and there is the Medicine Hat Mall and the Dunmore Road Power Center as well.

   There are numerous hotels and motels in a variety of price ranges and amenities, all the way from $30 per night to $150. For families, I recommend the Travelodge and the Lodge, as they both have waterslides, which keep the kids occupied. The Lodge is across from the MH Mall, so it is a favorite of shoppers. At the intersection of the #1 and #3 highways are numerous economy motels, and downtown there is one newer and several older hotels.

   When visiting the city for the first time, a stop at the Tourist Information Booth is a good idea. It is found near the World's Largest Teepee, just off the Southridge overpass across the #1 highway. Stop in, see the buffalo, tour the teepee, get some directions and a map and you should be set.

Local Legends

• How Medicine Hat Got Its Name
• How Seven Persons Got Its Name
• The Phantom Train