Medicine Hat has a few sports teams in hockey and baseball. Their Western Hockey League (WHL) team is called the Medicine Hat Tigers. They play at the Canalta Centre and they have won the Memorial Cup twice. The city’s baseball team is called the Medicine Hat Mavericks. They are part of the Western Major Baseball League (WMBL) and they play at the Athletic Park.
Medicine Hat has beautiful scenery and the parks within the area only add to this beauty. The South Saskatchewan River is close by, and runs through Strathcona Island Park. This park has ball diamonds, trails and even a water park. Police Point Park is 241 acres and also lies along the South Saskatchewan River. Central Park is another park that offers places to participate in sports and also has play structures for children to enjoy.
Medicine Hat has a lot of history and its museums reflect this. The Esplanade Arts and Heritage Centre has the Esplanade Museum. It has been around for 65 years and it has artefacts and memoirs from the people within the early community. It documents the heritage of the community. Another museum in Medicine Hat is the Medalta Potteries National Historic Site. It was once a factory but it was turned into a museum to remember the industry that built Medicine Hat. They have a large collection of pottery pieces in the museum.
Main Sections of the City
Medicine Hat can be dived into two main areas: North Medicine Hat and South Medicine Hat.
North Medicine Hat is made up of the communities of Parkview, Ranchlands and Riverside. The community of Parkview is located beside the South Saskatchewan River and Police Point Park. The community is home to the Medicine Hat Golf and Country Club and is largely a residential area. Ranchlands is also located along the South Saskatchewan River beside Parkview. There is mostly residential space here as well, but some commercial services are present in the community. Riverside is a community closer into the city. It is located on the north side of the South Saskatchewan River. It is largely residential but there are services such as a medical clinic and a school within the community.
South Medicine Hat is made up of Cottonwood, Norwood, North Flats, River Heights, South Flats and South Ridge. Cottonwood is mostly a residential community and has attractions like the Cottonwood Coulee Golf Course. The community is also close to another attraction that is the World’s Largest Teepee, just a short distance northeast of the community. Norwood is an older community in the city. The community has many places for shopping and dining among its residential spaces. North Flats is located on the south side of the South Saskatchewan River. It is very close to downtown and it is home to the Medicine Hat Arena and Strathcona Island Park. Rotary Park can also be found here along with the Medalta Potteries Factory. River Heights is located near the west end of the city. Along with its residential space, it has commercial spaces as well. The Medicine Hat Regional Hospital and River Heights Elementary are both in this community. South Flats has many stores and services along the main roads of the community. The houses are nestled in behind these. It is quite close to the downtown area of the city. South Ridge is mainly residential with a few stores in the community. It is located close to the World’s Largest Teepee as well.
Medicine Hat’s average home price is quite low. This is great for homebuyers that are looking for a beautiful home on a tight budget.
Parkview has mostly single-family homes. The homes range in affordability, but they are generally within an affordable price range. The houses are a mix of older and newer places.
Ranchlands has duplexes, townhouses, apartments, single-family and detached homes. The homes in this area are affordable and they are a good size. The homes are also newer here.
Riverside has condominiums and single-family homes. The houses are older in this area but quite affordable.
There are single-family homes in Cottonwood. The houses in this area are generally affordable but some can be a bit more expensive. The houses in the neighbourhood are relatively newer.
In Norwood, there are condominiums and single-family homes. The houses are quite affordable and they are a little bit older. Many of the houses have average sized yards that are great for families.
North Flats has many single-family and multi-family homes. The houses in this area are also quite affordable. They are older houses as well.
River Heights has mostly single-family homes as well. There is a mix when it comes to affordability with some properties being less expensive and others being quite expensive. There is also a mix in the age of the homes.
South Ridge has single-family homes and condominiums. The prices here are lower and the houses are a good size. Many of the homes have spacious yards.
Average Home Price: $319,836
Average Townhouse Price: $181,486
Average Condo Price: $169,308
Average Detached Home Price: $354,383
Average Single Family Home Price: $305,488
Data source: Alberta Real Estate Association (AREA) report for 2020/2021.
Education
The school district in Medicine Hat is called School District No. 76. Within the district, there are 11 elementary schools, 4 secondary schools, and one Christian school. The city also has a Catholic board called the Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education. This board has 5 elementary schools, 2 middle schools and 1 high school. There is also one French immersion school with this board.
Medicine Hat doesn’t have many options for post-secondary within the city other than one college. Medicine Hat College is a public community college that is located along the Trans Canada Highway. There are other colleges and universities in surrounding cities that can be considered as options as well.
Economic overview
Medicine Hat is in a great location as it is connected to major areas in three ways: rail, pipelines and roads. The Trans Canada Highway runs through Medicine Hat as well. There are more engineers in Medicine Hat than in the rest of the province (excluding Calgary). There are also many tradespeople and business professionals in the city as well.
Petrochemical manufacturing is a large industry here. Natural gas is something that the city is well known for. Other types of manufacturing contribute a great deal here as well with companies like Goodyear Canada placing locations in the city.