Historic Downtown
Clay, Creativity & the Comeback: Medalta Documentary by Luke Fandrich
Local filmmaker captures the story behind Medicine Hat's National Historic Site.
Local filmmaker captures the story behind Medicine Hat's National Historic Site.
"Medalta closed in the 50s, but there's been so much that's happened since then. That was the mystery. There was a hidden story there." - Luke Fandrich
Medicine Hat's Medalta in the Historic Clay District had hard-working hands, eager minds, and persistent community members who were instrumental in transforming it into the National Historic Site it's become today. Medalta withstood many misfortunes, including two fires and a flood, but there was always a group of passionate people there to pick up and rebuild the broken pieces.
Luke Fandrich, the artist behind the production company Editing Luke, partnered with Telus to capture the voices and people who were actively involved in preserving the ruins of this industrial heritage site, namely Medalta Potteries. The approximately 90 minute documentary, Clay, Creativity & the Comeback brings many of these key players and their efforts to the forefront of the Medalta story.
This documentary was unique in that it was the first time all of these people had been pulled together into a single project to share their perspectives on what had happened. Fandrich recognized that it wasn't just a good story, but that if he didn't do this now, he might run out of time to even tell it.
Fandrich credits this approach in getting people to care about the history wherever they live.
Clay, Creativity & the Comeback was released in 2019 and inspired Fandrich to reconsider whether there were more Medicine Hat stories he could develop. His latest feature-length documentary 'Your Cinema Needs You' has been his most ambitious undertaking to date, and takes a closer look at Canada's oldest surviving cinema, the Monarch Theatre.
Watch the Clay, Creativity & the Comeback here.
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Fandrich specializes in filmmaking and travel photography, which has taken him all over the world - all 50 States, Europe, and Japan. But after every trip, the born and raised Hatter returns to Medicine Hat every time.
"It's a nice place to come home to, particularly because the business is about half travel photography and half production. A lot of the time throughout the year I'm in other places, and Medicine Hat is this little enclave that's secluded from everything. It's a really nice place to decompress and a good place to bunker down if I've got a lot of editing ahead of me. It's also a bit untapped. That's probably why as a storyteller I've really resonated a lot with Medicine Hat.
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Explore Medicine Hat with your Furry Friend!
Medicine Hat local Becca Weisgerber (@shopaholicyxh) and her five-year-old Rat Terrier named Reggie spent two days in Medicine Hat exploring the paved trails, visiting the locally-owned shops, and sitting in the sunshine on buzzing patios.
The two started their adventure on foot. Becca found photos and the length of each trail using AllTrails. The clean pathways of North Shore River Valley, Jefferies Trail, and Sunrise to Cottonwood led Becca and Reggie to beautiful views, including a panoramic, scenic sight of Downtown Medicine Hat.
“There are so many trails to choose from, and they all offer different qualities. On a hot day, it’s especially nice to have those shady trails to stay cool,” says Becca. “The city has potable water stations on the trails as well, so you don’t need to carry water for your dog. All I brought was his collapsible dish, and I’d fill it when we passed a potable water station.”
Medicine Hat has an average of 330 days of sunshine a year and is home to a 155-kilometre trail system. A Heritage Trail Map was also designed for a bird’s eye view of the city when planning to be on the trails.
During day two, Becca and Reggie stopped at four small shops in Downtown Medicine Hat. Reggie had another friendly pup to say hello to at Botanicals. At 7 Rivers Trading Co, he was greeted with a treat by the owner. As they wandered the downtown, Becca popped into DYL Fashions and River Bee Books and found they were also dog-friendly.
“Our downtown is so walkable. You can hit so many unique small shops during the day. My biggest advice to someone traveling with a dog is to pop in or call beforehand to ask if a store is pet-friendly. Reggie was so happy going into each store. He loved meeting the business owners, and everyone else in the store was so excited when they saw Reggie, too,” says Becca.
A morning wandering the historic streets, to then enjoying brunch on the pet-friendly patio at Medicine Hat Brewing Company. The server immediately brought over a water dish for Reggie, and a refreshment for Becca. The two enjoyed a meal, with some more sun, to finish their weekend exploring.
When Becca travels with Reggie, it’s easier for her when places are receptive to being pet-friendly. It’s always too hot to leave him in the car, she doesn’t feel comfortable tying him up, and the hotel room isn’t ideal when she’s out exploring for most of the day. When she can bring her dog, it brings a sense of ease. And the two love spending time together.
“Our time exploring Medicine Hat was a great outing for him, too. Having places be pet-friendly, and there being so many trails, made the city feel more like home. You feel that local love, and it’s very welcoming.”
Creamy handcrafted chocolate.
Robert and Annegret have owned Annegret’s Chocolates for over 20 years, originally opening in Kelowna, British Columbia. When they moved to Medicine Hat in 2020, it was important for them to continue the chocolate shop.
Located on the south side of the city, Annegret’s Chocolates has a long list of authentic European chocolates, served in various themed shapes and sizes. It's all hand-made, in-house by Annegret herself, using her own recipe.
Recently, Annegret and Robert teamed up with Tourism Medicine Hat to create the Tourism Collection Chocolate Bar. All are milk chocolate and wrapped with a badge, designed by Medicine Hat-born artist Cam Hoff.
The milk chocolate bars, made with Annegret's own recipe, can be found at Annegret's Chocolates (1235 Southview Drive SE) and at the Visitor Information Centre (330 Gehring Road SW).
Linda Hoang explored Medicine Hat in the summer of 2023! Here's her guide to Medicine Hat:
Linda Hoang is a Canadian blogger and social media strategist based in Edmonton, Alberta, and her newest blog has over 20 places in the city you can experience during a weekend in Medicine Hat!
"This was not my first nor my last time visiting The Hat (as the locals call it). I love visiting! Medicine Hat is an awesome city in Southern Alberta full of so many things to do, see, and eat —and it’s a bonus that some of our dearest friends live there too. There’s plenty to do in this area of the province (so much so you should plan several trips!)
Whether you’re a local who wants a tourist perspective on where you live (Medicine Hat), or you’re from around Alberta (or nearby B.C. / Saskatchewan) and are looking for ideas for a fun road trip—use my travel guide to plan your visit to Medicine Hat!" - Linda Hoang, posted on Linda-Hoang.com
She starts her blog with experiences. For starters, you can surround yourself with hundreds of butterflies and feed goats at John's Butterfly House inside the Windmill Garden Centre. Afterwards, hop on the Sunshine Trolley, and then stop for a bite to eat at a fresh bagel bakery, authentic Korean kitchen, or the tallest patio in the city!
Medicine Hat Pickleball Club opened one of the finest outdoor pickleball facilities in Alberta.
Built in partnership with the City of Medicine Hat, the South Country Co-op Pickleball Courts are a 20-court facility, with a 10-table social area and evening lights and an amenities building, which will have washrooms, storage and an outdoor covered social area.
Since opening in 2022, the Pickleball Club has hosted the Pickleball Alberta Provincial Championships, the 2023 Pickleball Canada Western Regional Championships, and will host the 2025 Pickleball Alberta Championship from July 10–13, 2025. This upcoming event will bring players and visitors from British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba along with a player from the Yukon. A Player’s Lounge with beer gardens, food vendors, and live music will be featured at the Championships.
“A lot of pickleball players travel with their paddles, so we have people who visit Medicine Hat and play on our courts. The furthest we’ve had someone visit from is Dubai. Of course, they didn’t come just for the courts, but it was a very nice option for them to have while visiting the city,” says Wanda Lazar, President of Medicine Hat Pickleball Club.
In the evenings, the courts light up for people to play until their heart’s content, making it accessible for those with busy day time schedules. The club currently has over 400 members from Medicine Hat, and some from Calgary and Lethbridge. There is space for everyone, “our youngest player is six and oldest is 81,” says Lazar.
“We’re a positive, friendly group of people, and we are very proud to offer this space and so lucky to have a facility like this in Medicine Hat,” says Lazar.
For those wanting to try the sport, the club also offers two free, two-hour lessons providing
Instruction, balls, and paddles. Bookings for groups are also available. For those interested in joining and learning more about the sport or wanting to book a group
Things to do on a Sunday and Monday in Medicine Hat.
Spend the afternoon with hundreds of butterflies, as well as turtles, birds, and beautiful nature. Experts are around to answer any questions you may have. Go at your own pace and soak in every moment. This place is truly exciting and peaceful.
Pass through and sight-see a handful of Medicine Hat’s City Parks using the Heritage Trail Map. With over 190 kilometres of trails, experiencing the city outdoors brings beautiful views of natural parks and wildlife. Rent a Bird E-Scooter, often found throughout Medicine Hat.
The South Saskatchewan River is a relaxing way to view the coulees and wildlife up close, whereas Seven Persons Creek brings thrill and fast-paced adventure. Whichever experience you’re drawn to most, you can spend the day paddling with rented equipment from Outdoor Xcape Rentals.
Check out the GIANT King Piece
Right behind the World’s Largest Chess Set sits the GIANT King Piece — which is 21-feet-tall and over 4,000 pounds.
Beside the World’s Largest Chess Set is the Medicine Hat Courthouse, a Provincial Historic Resource and a great start to the Downtown Historic Building Tour. Another downtown tour to embark on is the Downtown Mural Tour. Downtown Stories is a City initiative to share the history of spots around the area by the locals. The content can be listened to through audio or read on a device. Outside of downtown, there is the James Marshall Murals Tour and Marina Cole Chainsaw Art Tour.
The World’s Tallest Tepee stands in Medicine Hat, overlooking the Saamis Archaelogical Site — a site that dates back thousands of years and was first used by Indigenous peoples. The Tepee has 10 hand-painted canvas’ by an Indigenous artist, and each tells a story. Those stories are found on plaques just below the paintings. The Saamis Tepee is a tribute to Canada’s native heritage.
Explore Indigenous Spaces & Places
Many spaces in Medicine Hat hold impactful Indigenous history that has shaped the city, including its name. The Miywasin Friendship Centre and partners created a self-guided tour that tells the story of seven historic Indigenous spaces in Medicine Hat. It’s a beautiful way to spend the morning or afternoon exploring and learning.
The golf courses in Medicine Hat are open seven days a week, a few have an eatery for lunch or dinner. The large coulees in the city make for interesting, challenging, and exciting courses. If you’re not looking to stroll from hole to hole, Paradise Valley Golf Course offers the Golfuture Range — a lounge atmosphere where golfers hit the ball into a field and the camera’s collect data on each swing.
Three parks in Medicine Hat have disc golf baskets set up: Kiwanis Central Park, Gilwell Park, and Leinweber Park. Gilwell and Leinweber are close enough that the 9-basket courses can be an 18-basket course, and these two parks are close to a panoramic view of the coulees, Medalta in the Historic Clay District, and, in the distance, South Saskatchewan River. Play competitive games, just for fun, or test your skills.
Three mountain bike destinations live within 45 minutes of each other in Medicine Hat and region, and all offer a drastic change in landscape and scenery. From green forest, to dry desert, and adventurous coulees, you can experience each spot with must-ride mountain bike trails in one weekend in and around Canada’s Sunniest City.
Within a half hour of Medicine Hat is Red Rock Coulee, where some of the largest red rocks in the world are found. The many large red boulders were formed in prehistoric seas and now lay on the prairies lands to endlessly explore. Once you feel you’ve seen them all, you turn a corner and find more.
Another refreshing spot is Elkwater, in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. A forested area with lodgepole pine and aspen trees, a lake, hiking trails, mountain bike trails, a cafe, and a Visitor Centre to help you plan out your day in the rolling hills, located only 45 minutes from Medicine Hat.
Located on the Red Coat Trail is the Etzikom Museum and the Canadian National Historic Windmill Centre. Indoors at the Museum are many hands-on displays in time-period settings, featuring early pioneer life, native artifacts, fossils, petroglyphs, homesteader tools and a historic church.
If you enjoy a good book, and a good search at that, Unlimited Characters has thousands of books waiting for you. The owners know the bookstore like the back of their hand and can help find a specific book if they have it. There is an arcade area with retro games that are free to play. A fun little afternoon or morning venture is here.
Lunch:
Zucchini Blossom Market & Cafe
Lunch or Dinner:
Dessert:
Lunch:
Zucchini Blossom Market & Cafe
Lunch or Dinner:
Ralph’s Texas Bar & Steakhouse
The Clubhouse at Paradise Valley
Dessert:
A quiet place to bird watch.
Ian Langill works in Medicine Hat where there is unkept nature. It’s not groomed. It’s not maintained. It sits in a more natural state, which helps him and many others connect with the outdoors, and all other life living in it.
Police Point Park is where many gather to stroll the paved-trails and learn about the flora and wildlife in the area. Specifically, many birds have chosen the park and Medicine Hat as their habitat or stopping point. With a consistent large number of birds choosing Medicine Hat as their home from spring to spring, ranging from 120 to 140, bird watching or “birding” has become a way for many to slow down in a rushed society.
“It’s such a calming experience,” says Langill, who’s worked with Police Point Park for just over two years. “So many people will do their normal stroll, but with binoculars and cameras. Birding allows you to stop, listen, and take the time to look at everything around you. You become a little closer to nature.”
More comes into focus, growing flowers, dancing branches and leaves, and flying birds from tree to tree. And an urge to endlessly learn inspires a larger understanding of the wildlife and environments surrounding us. Medicine Hat is home to a range of ecosystems, many we don’t usually find in Alberta. A semi-desert climate, with a mix of grassland and prairie ecosystems, and a river valley, a lot of birds have lived in these areas for a long time.
Medicine Hat is also part of a migratory corridor, where birds stop for one or two days, or a whole month, and then continue to fly north.
“We’re in a great spot. Medicine Hat has many natural chokecherry areas. We saw a record number of robins stay this year than in previous years,” says Langill, who’s been birding for over 10 years. “Even 45 minutes from here is Elkwater in Cypress Hills, where there are different ecosystems and a whole bunch of birds can be seen there, too.”
In Southeast Alberta, there are 347 different bird species. Some are rare and some are common, but to have the possibility of seeing a certain species while underneath the sunshine is worthwhile to hold in one hand, while binoculars are in the other.
Recently moving to Medicine Hat, Langill loves to see the sagebrush, pronghorns, and the variety of different wildlife and nature in the area.
“The grasslands are so diverse. My joy is exploring and finding out what everything is. That’s how I got into birding. I like to walk around in nature and hear the sounds, and you become more observant the more curious you are. Everything starts to become more connected,” he says. “There’s always something to be learned, and birding has become a big thing in my life that I do.”
Kin Coulee Park is another spot for prime birding. For those looking to learn with a group, who are newly interested or avid birders, Police Point Park hosts free bird walks. And for those who are curious and have questions, the Nature Centre at Police Point Park is a wonderful resource for information. Specifically for bird counts, the Nature Centre participates in the Spring Bird Count and Christmas Bird Count.
Spotted Towhee
Abundant in Police Point Park as of May 2023
Yellow Warbler
The main warbler that will stay in Medicine Hat through the spring and summer
Lazuli Bunting
Lower numbers, but a very unique looking bird for the area
Brown Thrashers
Only seen in the lower South Eastern Alberta
Grey Catbirds
Has a call that sounds like a cat meowing
Nature Centre at Police Point Park | 403.529.6225
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Mountain bike with Sharp MTB Skills.
In the middle of the prairies, coulees and rolling hills are the perfect playground for any level of mountain biker. In and around Medicine Hat, three mountain biking destinations are found within 45 minutes of each other, and each features an adventurous landscape.
Five-year mountain bike coach Christine Sharp has traveled throughout Canada, teaching avid and beginner mountain bikers’ skills to experience the thrilling sport. And she finds herself in Medicine Hat during the spring and fall, offering courses to anyone interested in seeing the Medicine Hat region from a new point of view.
“Every trail network here has distinctive characteristics,” says Sharp, owner of Sharp MTB Skills. “You can do technical climbing in Redcliff one day, and the next day ride the perfectly built corners in Echo Dale Regional Park. You can really see all the diversity in this amazingly concentrated landscape.”
Sharp likes diversity, because it makes her a better coach, and she feels people get more out of their riding. The avid mountain biker herself would like to grow people’s excitement about biking, and she’s happy to see high interest in her beginner courses. The trails she coaches on were built to challenge those looking to perfect their skills.
“I didn’t pick up my first mountain bike until I was 32, and I want people to know they can learn to mountain bike and progress their skills at any age,” says Sharp. “I love the places mountain biking has taken me. Even in the smallest places, you have these amazing communities that come together to build networks and maintain them.”
The networks in and around Medicine Hat are something special, and Sharp loves the prairies for the river valleys, cactus, and other stunning nature you see along the way. She says Redcliff is unlike anywhere else in the province. Driving 45 minutes to Elkwater brings mountain bikers to a gem, Elkwater, in Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park. A high elevation with trees, lakes, and roots, alongside manicured flowy trails.
“It’s rare you get all these different trail networks all over the city that highlight so many different aspects of mountain biking. I love showing people the landscape — it's so dramatically different,” says the mountain bike coach. “The quality of trails here are absolutely amazing.”
When she opened registration, the majority of people who registered were not from Medicine Hat. Medicine Hat is a hub in the prairies for mountain biking, because there are no trail networks of the size nearby. Sharp has had people register from Southeast Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Montana.
Sharp offers her regular weekly, weekend, and introduction to mountain biking courses. If mountain bikers are going on a trip and want to learn a specific skill, Sharp can focus on that for the session. Friends and families are encouraged to learn together.
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