Explore Outdoors
What to Know About Snakes in Medicine Hat
Sharing nature with wild animals and reptiles, including snakes.
Sharing nature with wild animals and reptiles, including snakes.
"We’re learning reptiles are a lot more social than what we’ve given them credit for. As the human footprint expands, we need to make room for other beings we share our space with, and the rattlesnake is one of them." - Sheri Monk
Canada has three rattlesnake species, one in British Columbia, another in Ontario, and the third in Alberta. Medicine Hat is home to a handful of different snake species and shares the Prairie Rattlesnake with the United States and Northern Mexico.
While we need to be cautious of the large-bodied and venomous Prairie Rattlesnakes, we don’t need to fear the reptiles who also relish in the beautiful weather and landscape in Medicine Hat.
Local expert and owner of Snakes on a Plain Sheri Monk says rattlesnakes will not chase you, they don’t move very fast, and they can’t jump. When they feel afraid, their first line of defense against predators, including owls, hawks, badgers, and coyotes, is camouflage. If the camouflage fails, or if they’re seen out in the open, they’ll occasionally stand their ground to protect themselves from potential prey.
“The reason they have to put on these impressive, defensive displays is because they really don’t move very fast,” says Monk. “They may rise up into that classic “S” pose, rattle their tail, and even hiss. It’s not a striking position. It’s a defence position to take up as much space and look as imposing as possible.”
The main purpose of the Prairie Rattlesnake’s venom is to help capture their food supply. Monk says the shy animals would rather use their venom to eat then waste it on a defensive bite if it can be avoided. When we see a snake, the best thing we can do is move 10 feet away.
“They really only have four, maybe five months of the year in which they can feed. After it’s used, replenishing their venom can take more than a week, so if they waste it defending themselves, it may mean they forgo food for a long period of their short season.”
Snakes can live up to 20 years and can attain a length of nearly five-feet. The social beings disperse from their dens in early April. By late April or early May, they start to collect food, find mates, similar to Grizzly Bears, and meet with snake friends they’ve made in the wild. They give live birth in August, with most individuals returning to the dens by late September.
Snakes are identified as a sensitive species. They rely on the same den site for most of their life and don’t respond well to habitat disturbance. The females can’t reproduce until they reach the ages of five to seven, and then they only reproduce every second or third year. You are most likely to see reptiles within five to 10 kilometres of the South Saskatchewan River, in temperatures less than 25 degrees C.
“Some believe snakes love the heat, but it can actually dry them out if they’re in it for too long. During the hot summer days here in Medicine Hat, they will most likely be in the shade or in gopher holes,” says the snake expert.
In recent years, snakes have been documented in the wild forming friendships with other individuals. They’ll scope out the same snake every spring and fall and go out of their way to hangout, spend time, and bask at the den with them.
“We’re learning reptiles are a lot more social than what we’ve given them credit for,” says Monk. “As the human footprint expands, we need to make room for other beings we share our space with, and the rattlesnake is one of them.”
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Keeping a close watch on pets and small children is advised at the city’s dog parks, South Saskatchewan River shorelines and throughout the walking and bike trail systems between April and September.
If bitten, seek medical attention by calling 911 immediately. The local hospital stocks anti-venom and the best approach is to stay calm, remove any tight fitting clothing or jewelry from the affected limb, and do not try to suck or cut the venom out. Bites are rarely fatal, but they are considered a medical emergency.
All snakes are protected in Alberta and cannot be collected, killed or harassed. For more information about snakes in the area, call Police Point Park MH Interpretive Program at 403-529-6225.
Sheri Monk is the owner of Snakes on a Plain and provides snake consulting, snake protection plans, biological snake surveys, rattlesnake relocation, as well as snake safety education and training in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge, and throughout southern Alberta. Follow them on Facebook or find them at www.snakesonaplain.ca.
Southeast Alberta landscape inspires pottery artist and mountain biker.
"It’s rare that an artist gets to live right by an incredible resource like this. People come from all over the world to be an artist in residence at Medalta, and I got to learn from the best in such an inspiring atmosphere." - Ginette Brinkman
Ginette Brinkman was always an artist, but her love for pottery and clay would come after she moved to Redcliff with her family over five years ago.
She attended the annual Medicine Hat Chili Cookoff, where home-made, hearty meals were served in beautiful, locally-made pottery bowls people would purchase for $10. She was immediately fascinated and curious as to where the pieces of artwork were sourced from, and this was when she first heard about Medalta in the Historic Clay District.
“I ended up taking my children to do a pottery class. I took two classes back to back, because I couldn’t get enough. That was just over three years ago, and now I’m a full-time potter,” says Brinkman, owner of Mud to a Rock.
After her first few classes at the National Historic Site, Brinkman joined the Potters Association and learned the craft with experienced artists who’d been doing pottery for up to 40 years. She’d always created with her hands through stained glass and fiber arts, “I believe I was made to create with my hands.” But pottery was something Brinkman had yet to explore.
“Learning ceramics at Medalta was very inspiring to me, because it’s rare that an artist gets to live right by an incredible resource like this. People come from all over the world to be an artist in residence at Medalta, and I got to learn from the best in such an inspiring atmosphere.”
Before 2020, Brinkman was connected with the owner of The Hat’s Olive Tap, Carmen Lambert. Mud to a Rock pottery currently sits beside quality oils and balsamics inside the tuscan-themed taphouse in Medicine Hat’s Historic Downtown.
“The Hat’s Olive Tap has been my number one supporter. I’m their only potter, and they are the only place I sell in the city. Carmen and her staff have cultivated such an incredible atmosphere in the store, so I feel honoured to have that be the primary location for my pieces.”
Historically, The Hat’s Olive Tap’s location used to be a studio for one of Medicine Hat’s artist legends. It was a destination for people to buy ceramics. Lambert wanted to find a potter so people could still find ceramics when they went to her store, to keep that characteristic alive.
Brinkman built herself a studio in her home and purchased a kiln in 2020. It feels natural for the artist to be in the mud, whether it’s on her mountain bike surrounded by coulees and red rock, or in her studio surrounded by indoor house plants from Botanicals.
“We can ride out from our house straight to the mountain biking trails in Redcliff. There’s 30 kilometres of mountain biking trails that wind all around the coulees and along the South Saskatchewan River. We have all the trails we could ever want right in our own backyard,” says Brinkman. She and her husband have been mountain bikers for over 20 years and say the trails in Redcliff, located just 10 minutes outside of Medicine Hat, resemble Moab, Utah.
Sometimes for the artist, the two worlds tie together, and she often finds herself creating henna designs that reflect the coulees, wildlife, greenery, flowers, cactus that grow naturally in the area, and mountain bikes on her clay work.
“When I worked in the Cultural Centre, it was a very idyllic spot with a pond. I once saw a moose, and I would often see deer and baby goslings.”
Clay is a satisfying tactile thing Brinkman craves in her bones. The outlet is calming, and throughout the process, she always designs new ideas, and, sometimes, lets the clay lead the way.
“I come up with new shapes and designs very organically. The shapes themselves flow out of my hands. For instance, I’ll start off with thinking I’ll be making a set of sunflower mugs, and then they end up being vases. It’s very spontaneous. That’s a huge part of my artistic experience.”
A new way to golf at Paradise Valley.
Featuring Toptracer technology, the year-round driving range at Paradise Valley is the first of its kind in the city, where golfers hit their ball into an actual outdoor range while a camera follows it in real time to collect the ball flight data.
This data can then be accessed on the golfer's smartphone, on the screen in their lounge area, and at any other Toptracer Range in the world. Previous co-owner of Paradise Valley Dawn Postnikoff saw this technology while traveling and introduced it to the Medicine Hat community.
“It’s a great opportunity for golfers to practice their game and store all of their data, but it also offers that relaxed lounge atmosphere along with the golf experience. You can go with a large group, your partner, or your family. It’s a really welcoming environment for everyone,” says Postnikoff.
There are eight bays available. Each has high-top tables and lounge seating for players to order food and drinks while hitting the balls and enjoying the outdoors.
Medicine Hat has an average of 330 days of sunshine. One of the longest golf seasons in Alberta is experienced in Medicine Hat, starting as early as mid-March and running through to late October. But even when the snow starts to arrive, the Toptracer Range will feature heaters and a 1000 square-foot indoor putting green, to welcome locals and visitors year-round.
“One of things I love about bringing this new golf experience to Medicine Hat is that it’s great for visiting family and friends when they come down. It’s something everyone can enjoy. The Toptracer Range provides another recreational and social activity,” says Postnikoff.
As the days get shorter and the sun sets earlier, the range allows for people to golf into the evening, “We can stay open until 10 o’clock if that’s what people are wanting, and it could become a new thing to do during the evenings and weekends.”
The golf demographic ranges in Medicine Hat from juniors and beginners to serious and competitive golfers, “Toptracer really is for players of all ages and abilities. It's a place for everybody, not only for our Par3 players.”
Paradise Valley Golf Course can be found online at www.visitparadise.ca and at 90 Gehring Road S.W, nearby the World's Tallest Tepee, Saamis Tepee.
A city striving for sustainability.
Local business owners in Medicine Hat have taken the initiative to incorporate sustainable practices into their business, making it easier for residents and travellers to limit their carbon footprint while experiencing the city. As more businesses adopt these practices daily, inspiration continuously flows from one local owner to another in finding ways to eliminate waste.
“Usually you’ll see eateries throw out multiple big garbage bags a day, but here we throw out a little garbage bag every three to four days,” says Carmen Lambert, owner of The Hat’s Olive Tap.
For five years the quality oil and balsamic vinegar tap house with a full food menu has donated food scraps to a local chicken farm. She also packages her oils, balsamics, and fresh-pressed juices in glass bottles, and offers a bottle and paper bag program to ensure the items are reused and recycled.
“I’ve always been passionate about recycling and reusing and feel it’s important for a community to have access to businesses who practice those,” says Lambert.
A few desserts McBride’s Bakery is known for is fresh bread, sweet donuts, and glazed apple fritters, since 1967. Brendan and Carol Hillson purchased the business in 2011, and since then have continued to donate bread to Medicine Hat Cares Society.
“Seeing the food waste in the general food industry can be shocking. There’s always leftovers. At the end of the night, I can walk the bread out to the back and throw it in the dumpster, or I can roll it to the front where a charity can feed those who need it,” says Brendan.
There are three breweries in Medicine Hat that all serve a unique experience and quality beer. Through the brewing process, Medicine Hat Brewing Company makes 400 to 700 kilograms of grain mash that fills a giant tote, up to eight times a week. A local farmer picks up this grain mash weekly to feed his cows.
“Being able to find new uses for by-products makes sense; it helps everybody, and sharing this information allows for people to support local businesses that align with their values about sustainability,” says Vancuren, who’s brewery also has a water system that reuses excess water to keep the hot tanks warmer for longer.
Medicine Hat’s first refillery opened in late 2021. Crystal Metz opened the doors to Roots Refillery, where Canadian-made hygiene and cleaning products are offered in bulk for people to refill their reusable containers.
“I’ve been in the situation where you’re trying to do better, but it’s so time consuming and frustrating that you give up. Being able to provide these options to our community is so important and our community is embracing it. They know they have the option and they’re using it,” says Metz.
Roots Refillery celebrated six months in business in May 2022 and by then saved 3,700 containers. The goal for their one year is 5,000.
The largest recreational facility in Medicine Hat, Big Marble Go Centre, has installed a cogeneration unit that captures engine heat, that would usually be dispersed into the air, and introduces it to the existing boiler system. It is then used to heat the facility. This feature is primarily being paid for as a grant by the Municipal Climate Change Action Centre.
“This makes a great amount of sense for a facility with a swimming pool like Big Marble Go Centre, because the pool water has to be at a certain temperature all year,” says Daniel Barbour, a project manager with City Operations at the City of Medicine Hat. “It’s important for municipalities to do projects like this from a consumer perspective. It allows the municipality to lead, work out the issues that may arise, help local contractors gain experience, and then it makes it that much easier for the units to be installed at non-city facilities.”
Whether you're swimming, eating, drinking, or refilling, sustainability is top of mind for business owners in Medicine Hat.
Much like most communities have experienced in recent years, Medicine Hat is seeing an explosion in cycling.
For the past four years in a row I have traveled east for a visit to ride the Medicine Hat mountain biking trails. Much like most communities have experienced in recent years, Medicine Hat is seeing an explosion in cycling. Thankfully this wave of momentum and its energy has been captured by the local municipal government, Alberta Parks and the local bike club 670 Collective.
The local parks, grasslands, forests and hills have provided the blank canvas for this captured energy to be shaped into an explosion of new trail development. For my visit this fall I was going to check out the new family friendly trails at Echo Dale Regional Park. I would also visit the forested flow and technical trails at Hidden Valley Ski Hill within Cypress Hills Provincial Park at nearby Elkwater.
Echo Dale Regional Park is the largest municipal park in the region just west of the city. It is a terrific destination with expansive views, lake, washroom facilities and camping all along the South Saskatchewan River. A great part of the park is you can leave your car at the hotel and ride here from anywhere in Medicine Hat thanks to the 190+ kilometre long Heritage Trail Network.
Time to turn the energy up and get your flow on because the new trails here on the slopes of the Hidden Valley Ski Hill are dialed for fun. Located within the Alberta side of the Cypress Hills Provincial Park, only a 35 minute drive from Medicine Hat, this zone is bringing the big mountain MTB feel to the Prairie riding scene. Mountain bike trails only started in the park in 2017 but have expanded quickly with almost 14km of new trail being added in 2021.
Take advantage of Alberta’s longest golf season.
As Canada’s Sunniest City, courses get greener sooner and often remain open right into October. It’s no more than 20 minutes from one golf course to the next.
Nestled in a suburban area, with a surprising ecological twist on the fourth hole, Connaught Golf Club offers five different teeing areas, ranging in distances from 5,400 yards up to 6,950 yards.
From the beautifully laid out holes, to the waterfowl that inhabit the area, to the surrounding bluffs, you’ll want to take as many shots with your camera as with your sticks.
This 18-hole beauty makes you think before you drive, and look twice before you putt. The course and its 6,800 yards of challenge are guarded by fescue grasses, massive bunkers, and quick-rolling, undulating greens.
Playing to a top distance of 6,700 yards, this golf course offers wide, majestic tree-lined fairways, and large greens. It perches high above the South Saskatchewan River, affording players great views of the waterway and the city skyline.
An ultimate destination for a fun golf experience in Medicine Hat. Along with a scenic 18-hole Par3 track, you can also golf, year-round, with the leading-edge Toptracer Range. Paradise Valley is perfect for small groups, fun tournaments, and corporate functions.
With magnificent views from high above the South Saskatchewan River, this par-71, 18-hole track offers wide fairways, and large, smooth-rolling greens to help players of all abilities card the best round ever.
bowislandgolf.ca | 403.545.2718
elkwatergolf.ca | 403.893.2167
A story about two artists living in the coulees.
As Teanna Church smoothly drags her paintbrush through vibrant colours and transfers them onto century-old brick in Medicine Hat’s Historic Downtown, her husband Kyle Church strums an acoustic guitar inside those brick walls with his symphonies echoing throughout the room, while guests sip their preferred hot beverage and indulge in a fresh-out-of-the-oven treat.
In between their artistic sessions, they explore the paved city trails, where tall trees blossom with colour, innocent wildlife quietly roams, and large coulees bring comfort.
“Every time you go on the trails, you see something new and it always feels exciting. No matter which side of the river you’re on, there’s always something beautiful to see,” says Teanna. “The wildlife and the trails make you feel you’ve escaped the city even though you’re in the heart of it.”
Since she was young, Teanna has viewed the world through an artistic lens, and her art is found and enjoyed from the north to the south side of the city. She participated in Medicine Hat Mural Fest, painting her “No Rain, No Flowers” floral mural in 2020, and since then has illustrated custom murals from nurseries to at home businesses. These are Teanna’s biggest emotional investments. She spends time in someone’s space and leaves something for them to enjoy every single day.
“I feel so involved — to be able to put my hands on the wall and watch my vision come to life is so beautiful, and usually during the process, the person I’m painting for stops in. To see their face light up as the wall comes to life is a really beautiful thing,” she says.
Kyle can easily relate to this feeling, as he performs his songs that speak about collective experiences those in Medicine Hat have. As he pictures the green landscape, bright blue skies, and effervescent sunshine that graces Medicine Hat, words slowly flow in order until sentences are formed to finish a song.
“I feel most inspired when I’m walking, biking or driving, and living in a city where you can breathe and enjoy the scenery in front of you has influenced my writing for the better,” says Kyle. “Songwriting has always been about serving people and sharing authentically and honestly my experiences to help the audience find language for their own journeys.”
The coffee shops and smaller rooms he chooses to play in create an intimate setting, and are also places he’s visited over a handful of times to write music. When he’s on stage, those moments are full circle because, months and years previously, he sat at the familiar tables writing music inside the exact same four walls.
Kyle and Teanna live in a character home and are often found outside. “There is so much nature in Medicine Hat, with so many green spaces. No matter where you live, there’s always somewhere to walk. That’s always been inspiring, having empty space to think and dream and be inspired,” says Teanna.
“It’s amazing how you can go from Kin Coulee Park, ride the trail all the way along the river to Strathcona Island Park, and then come back around to City Hall. You cover so much ground on the trails. We also love to hike in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park and love that it’s such a nice and close getaway.”
Eric Dyck travelled to Medicine Hat to colour the sidewalks with chalk during mental health event.
From childhood sketches, to attending college as an adult, and now traveling from province to province to create art in public, Eric Dyck made his fifth appearance in Medicine Hat for the Paint the City Positive initiative led by Canadian Mental Health Association.
On Saturday, April 30, 2022, Dyck coloured the sidewalks at the Visitor Information Centre and community members of all ages were invited to add art to this small section of the city with the Alberta-based artist.
“I’m really happy to be getting out and making art in front of people again. It’s my process; it’s how I hear stories and how I learn. It’s also important to me to let art happen, mistakes and all, in front of people so they see this isn’t a magical fairy dust talent people have. It’s a skill you work at, and that means there’s opportunity for others to learn and pick up this skill, too,” says Dyck.
When Dyck was young, finding mentors and classes wasn’t as accessible, so now he prioritizes including artists of all ages to join and learn from him during these events.
“As soon as people, especially children, see someone working on the pavement making something, they want to get in there too, and it’s really important to me to have free art materials available for the community when I’m making art in that city,” says Dyck.
Dyck is no stranger to art events, and the Southeast Alberta-based artist has created art in places as far as the east coast. He once drove along Highway 3 and set up his drawing table at farmers markets to showcase his art and share his knowledge.
“I really enjoy chalking in Medicine Hat, because there are colourful stories of history that jump out at me that a lot of the locals either forgot about or didn’t actually know,” says Dyck. “Creativity, and creative people, has been built right into Medicine Hat from the beginning, and I think that has to do with the clay and ceramic history. There’s threads that seem to connect to Medicine Hat, and it’s always been a creative hub in that way.”
Dyck says the surrounding nature and animals have sparked inspiration during past events he’s attended in the city. He says there’s certainly no shortage of special critters in Medicine Hat, and last time he chalked, pronghorns were the topic of discussion. The full-time artist of over 20 years says comics and cartoons are his way of storytelling.
“Drawing comics and telling stories with pictures has always been for me,” says Dyck. “I primarily make non-fiction comic strips and cartoons now. Lots of my comics have focused on Southern Alberta for the last nine years since I’ve moved back to the province.”
“I just know that, I am looking forward to being able to share stories with Medicine Hat again,” says the artist.
