Crestwood   

This area is in the Southeast of Medicine Hat. The main roads into the area are Scholten Hill, and Dunmore Road. The Trans Canada Highway originally crossed the valley on Finlay Bridge, and Dunmore Road was the way the highway entered town. There are a few older homes in the area at the top of the hill where Dunmore Road goes down into the valley. The area really took off in the 1950’s, 60’s and 70’s. As you go further out the homes get newer. There are numerous subdivisions in the area. Norwood is on the south side of Dunmore Road, Connaught is in and around the Connaught Golf and Country Club, Marlborough is near the Medicine Hat College and Southview is between Southview Drive and Carry Drive. Crestwood ends at Carry Drive.

   There are numerous recreation facilities, including the Crestwood Recreation Center, tennis courts, the Exhibition Grounds which include the Kinplex with two ice surfaces, and the Cypress Center.

   The schools include Medicine Hat College, Crestwood and Southview public elementary schools, and St. Thomas Aquinas separate elementary school.

   This is the commercial heart of Medicine Hat, and there are numerous shops, strip malls, power centers, and Medicine Hat Mall. The commercial is located on Dunmore Road, 13th Avenue SE, and Trans Canada Way, which is a service road along the highway. There are lots of stores and restaurants. There is a lot of traffic on the main roads, but the side streets are quiet, and the residents appreciate the close proximity of amenities. There is a good cross section of homes in all price ranges and styles. If you want to be where the action is, and appreciate convenience, this could be the place for you.

Ross Glen

   This area has been built up since 1975, and encompasses everything past Crestwood and that same side of the highway. Ross Glen is a very large area, and is almost exclusively residential. The schools are Ross Glen elementary public school and Mother Theresa separate elementary. The area is known for its finger parks, which meander through the whole area. In many places they replace lanes behind homes, and the trail system goes through the parks. These parks enable the kids to travel around the area without the need to travel on busy streets, and they can play behind the home where the parents can watch them. The homes on the outer edge of Ross Glen are very popular because of the views, with the Ross Heights area having some building restrictions. Other than that, there are no controlled subdivisions of the city. Unlike all the rest of the city, this was a private development, and the developer favored cul-de-sacs and curved roads, so the area has always been somewhat challenging to navigate.

   The main benefit is that traffic is slowed and is therefore somewhat safer for kids. The main recreation area is around the schools, with ball diamonds and soccer fields, as well as the water park at the opposite end. Ross Glen is now completed, with no new building lots available. If you want to be close to everything, and like the idea of the parks behind the homes, maybe Ross Glen is for you.

Southridge

   This area is on the south side of the Trans Canada Highway, across from the Medicine Hat College, and was opened up about 1979. There is a newer overpass leading from Southridge to the College, so access to the highway is great. To the east, 13th Avenue crosses the highway and continues south, with access to the eastern part of Southridge via Strachan Road, which bisects the area in an east-west direction. In 2000, an additional are on the south perimeter was opened up called South Vista Heights. Southridge is bounded on the east by 13th Ave, the highway to the north, and the Seven Persons Creek valley to the west. The south boundary of the city is the south limit. All the homes are newer, and the schools are too. St. Pat’s separate elementary and George Davidson elementary are the two schools, though there is talk of a public high school. In the meantime, all the kids in public school go to CHAS. from grade seven to twelve. Bussing is well organized.

   On the main road coming off the overpass are some areas of low cost housing, and several apartment buildings. As you go further south and east, houses get more and more expensive and larger. There is a large park in the middle of the area with a pond, an island playground, tennis courts and ball diamond.

   Southridge will probably be across 13th Avenue by 2005, and then there is lots of room to go east. This is the area where most construction is now taking place, and a lot of attention is focused here. Southridge is somewhat like Ross Glen, in that it is more sweeping curves and cul-de-sacs. It somehow seems to be easier to get around in and find places, perhaps because it is somewhat smaller than Ross Glen. If you want to be where the action is, and if the college is in your kids’ future, Southridge is a good area to look, especially when you factor in the ease of access to the highway, which makes getting places very easy.

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