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115-588: Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta , Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River . It is approximately 169 km (105 mi) east of Lethbridge and 295 km (183 mi) southeast of Calgary . This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are within Cypress County . Medicine Hat was the eighth-largest city in Alberta in 2021 with a population of 63,271. It

230-766: A 999-year lease on the O&;Q on January 4, 1884. In 1895, it acquired a minority interest in the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway , giving it a link to New York and the Northeast United States. The last spike in the CPR was driven on November 7, 1885, by one of its directors, Donald Smith. The first transcontinental passenger train departed from Montreal 's Dalhousie Station , at Berri Street and Notre Dame Street, at 8 pm on June 28, 1886, and arrived at Port Moody at noon on July 4. This train consisted of two baggage cars,

345-529: A major junior ice hockey team in the Western Hockey League (WHL). Established in 1970, the team has won seven division titles, five WHL league championships and back-to-back Canadian Hockey League (CHL) Memorial Cup national championships in 1987 and 1988 in its history . Numerous Tigers alumni moved on to play in the National Hockey League (NHL). Lanny McDonald played WHL hockey for

460-823: A London-based hedge fund that owns 6% of the company. The creation of the Canadian Pacific Railway was undertaken as the National Dream by the Conservative government of John A. Macdonald , together with mining magnate Alexander Tilloch Galt . As a condition for joining the Canadian Confederation , British Columbia had insisted on a transport link to the East, with the rest of the Confederation. In 1873, Macdonald, among other high-ranking politicians, bribed in

575-484: A basement". Because of these reserves, the city is known as "The Gas City". In 2021, Medicine Hat became the first city in Canada to achieve "functional zero" chronic homelessness, defined as three consecutive months where three or fewer individuals experienced chronic homelessness. They were able to achieve this due to their adoption of a Housing First policy to combat homelessness beginning in 2009. The name "Medicine Hat"

690-514: A battle long ago between the Blackfoot and the Cree in which a retreating Cree "Medicine Man" lost his headdress in the South Saskatchewan River . A number of natural factors have always made Medicine Hat a gathering place. The gently sloping valley with its converging waterways and hardy native cottonwood trees attracted both the migratory bison herds which passed through the area, and humans who used

805-586: A campground in the early 20th century. In 1930, they built the Maple Leaf motel on the property to generate some income. In 1990 a local family bought the property. With a view toward keeping the prominent property as part of the community, they adapted it as the Saamis Memorial Funeral Chapel & Crematorium. Now named the Saamis Tepee , this work of public art is the world's tallest teepee . It

920-606: A city on May 9, 1906. The depot itself is still standing and has been a National Historic Site itself since 1992. Medicine Hat is halfway between Winnipeg and Vancouver , British Columbia, on the Pacific Coast. Rich in natural resources including natural gas, coal, clay, and farmland, the town became industrialized and was known in its early days as "the Pittsburgh of the West”. A number of large industries located here, attracted by

1035-436: A commitment extended to British Columbia when it entered Confederation in 1871; the CPR was Canada's first transcontinental railway . Primarily a freight railway, the CPR was for decades the only practical means of long-distance passenger transport in most regions of Canada and was instrumental in the colonization and development of Western Canada. The CPR became one of the largest and most powerful companies in Canada,

1150-523: A corporate reorganization, each of the major operations, including its rail operations, were organized as separate subsidiaries. The name of the railway was changed to CP Rail, and the parent company changed its name to Canadian Pacific Limited in 1971. Its air, express, telecommunications, hotel and real estate holdings were spun off, and ownership of all of the companies transferred to Canadian Pacific Investments. The slogan was: "TO THE FOUR CORNERS OF THE WORLD". The company discarded its beaver logo, adopting

1265-462: A day, paid in rice mats, and not including expenses, leaving barely anything to send home. They did the most dangerous construction jobs, such as working with explosives to clear tunnels through rock. The exact number of Chinese workers who died is unknown, but historians estimate the number is between 600 and 800. By 1883, railway construction was progressing rapidly, but the CPR was in danger of running out of funds. In response, on January 31, 1884,

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1380-469: A fleet of over a thousand Colonist cars , low-budget sleeper cars designed to transport immigrant families from eastern Canadian seaports to the west. During the first decade of the 20th century, the CPR continued to build more lines. In 1908, the CPR opened a line connecting Toronto with Sudbury . Several operational improvements were also made to the railway in Western Canada. On November 3, 1909,

1495-482: A historic Blackfoot buffalo jump. These revealed numerous artifacts associated with bands of First Nations ancestors, known as the Old Women's Phase to archeologists. They found "quantities of stone tools, fire cracked rock, butchered bone and pottery", marking this as an important spot. Most of the bones were identified as bison. Additional excavations were conducted in 1972 and 1973, and a field school for college students

1610-549: A joint partnership with the YMCA Teen Moms' Program, YMCA Stay-in-School Program, a program with the former Palliser Health Region for secondary students and a program supported by Alberta Children Services for students with behavioural needs. French immersion programming is provided as an option at one elementary school and at Crescent Heights High. The district currently works with the BHTH Institution for Education, part of

1725-470: A land area of 111.97 km (43.23 sq mi), it had a population density of 565.1/km (1,463.5/sq mi) in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Medicine Hat had a population of 63,260 living in 26,652 of its 27,970 total private dwellings, a change of 5.4% from its 2011 population of 60,005. With a land area of 112.04 km (43.26 sq mi), it had

1840-501: A mail car, one second-class coach, two immigrant sleepers, two first-class coaches, two sleeping cars and a diner (several dining cars were used throughout the journey, as they were removed from the train during the night, with another one added the next morning). By that time, however, the CPR had decided to move its western terminus from Port Moody to Granville , which was renamed "Vancouver" later that year. The first official train destined for Vancouver arrived on May 23, 1887, although

1955-449: A million troops and passengers and four million tons of cargo. Twenty seven survived and returned to CPR. CPR also helped the war effort with money and jobs. CPR made loans and guarantees to the Allies of some $ 100 million. As a lasting tribute, CPR commissioned three statues and 23 memorial tablets to commemorate the efforts of those who fought and those who died in the war. After the war,

2070-618: A more aggressive construction policy; bonds were floated in London and called for tenders to complete sections of the railway in British Columbia. American contractor Andrew Onderdonk was selected, and his men began construction on May 15, 1880. In October 1880, a new consortium signed a contract with the Macdonald government, agreeing to build the railway for $ 25 million in credit and 25 million acres (100,000 km ) of land. In addition,

2185-533: A population density of 564.6/km (1,462.4/sq mi) in 2016. The population of the City of Medicine Hat according to its 2015 municipal census is 63,018, a change of 3% from its 2012 municipal census population of 61,180, In 2021, 85.9% of residents were white/European, 9.0% were visible minorities and 5.1% were Indigenous . The largest visible minority groups were South Asian (1.9%), Filipino (1.8%), Black (1.5%), and Chinese (1.0%). 89.6% of residents identified English as their first language as of

2300-471: A portion of the teepee was damaged. Inspection revealed that extensive weathering had weakened the structure. The necessary repairs resulted in lowering the height of Saamis Teepee by approximately 15 ft (4.6 m). There are over 100 km (62 mi) of walking trails in the city. All of the major parks are linked by the extensive trail system. The city is home to the Medicine Hat Tigers ,

2415-751: A position it held as late as 1975. The company acquired two American lines in 2009: the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad (DM&E) and the Iowa, Chicago and Eastern Railroad (IC&E). Also, the company owns the Indiana Harbor Belt Railroad , a Hammond, Indiana -based terminal railroad along with Conrail Shared Assets Operations . CPR purchased the Kansas City Southern Railway in December 2021 for US$ 31 billion . On April 14, 2023, KCS became

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2530-756: A series of different owners since being spun off of the Canadian Pacific in 1995. The first operator was the Canadian American Railroad a division of Iron Road Railways . In 2002 the Montreal, Maine & Atlantic took over operations after CDAC declared bankruptcy. The Central, Maine and Quebec Railway started operations in 2014 after the MMA declared bankruptcy due to the Lac-Mégantic derailment. On this new acquisition, CP CEO Keith Creel remarked that this gives CP

2645-884: A significant port on the Atlantic Ocean. The CPR acquired the Quebec Central Railway on December 14, 1912. During the late 19th century, the railway undertook an ambitious program of hotel construction, building Glacier House in Glacier National Park , Mount Stephen House at Field, British Columbia , the Château Frontenac in Quebec City and the Banff Springs Hotel . By then, the CPR had competition from three other transcontinental lines, all of them money-losers. In 1919, these lines were consolidated into

2760-485: A town constable position to be created; at this time the officer was also in charge of health enforcement and other duties. As of 2017 the MHPS employs around 100 officers. In October 2016 Medicine Hat Police Service opened a police museum, the third of its kind in Alberta. The MHPS was the first police force in Canada to receive a Police Service Banner and first in Alberta to be granted a National Municipal Police Service Badge by

2875-522: A true coast-to-coast network across Canada and an increased presence in New England. On June 4, 2020; Canadian Pacific bought the Central Maine and Quebec. On March 21, 2021, CP announced that it was planning to purchase the Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) for US$ 29 billion. The US Surface Transportation Board (STB) would first have to approve the purchase, which was expected to be completed by

2990-598: A wholly owned subsidiary of CPR, and both CPR and its subsidiaries began doing business under the name of its parent company, CPKC . The CPR is publicly traded on both the Toronto Stock Exchange and the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker CP. Its U.S. headquarters are in Minneapolis . As of March 30, 2023, the largest shareholder of Canadian Pacific stock exchange is TCI Fund Management Limited ,

3105-505: Is Alberta's only sanctioned National Hot Rod Association (NHRA) track and is a 1/4 mile in length. The facility supports affordable family entertainment and encourages people to race the strip, not the street. The seasons typically run from May till September, with events featuring jet and alcohol cars, bracket racing, and the NHRA National open, which attracts approximately 300 cars from all over North America. Medicine Hat Public Library

3220-627: Is also the sunniest place in Canada according to Environment and Climate Change Canada, averaging 2,544 hours of sunshine a year. Started as a railway town, today Medicine Hat is served by the Trans-Canada Highway ( Highway 1 ) and the eastern terminus of the Crowsnest Highway ( Highway 3 ). Nearby communities considered part of the Medicine Hat area include the Town of Redcliff (abutting

3335-459: Is an English interpretation of Saamis (SA-MUS) – the Blackfoot word for the eagle tail feather headdress worn by medicine men . Several legends are associated with the name of a mythical mer-man river serpent named Soy-yee-daa-bee – the Creator – who appeared to a hunter and instructed him to sacrifice his wife to get mystical powers which were manifested in a special hat. Another legend tells of

3450-618: Is in the northern Great Plains region, lined to the east from the Canadian Rocky Mountains and their foothills. The rest of the region is dominated by the semi-arid prairies of the Palliser's Triangle , where farms and ranches have been built, often with the help of irrigation . Rivers generally flow from west to east and include the Oldman River , Bow River , Red Deer River , South Saskatchewan River , and Milk River . Milk River

3565-481: Is located across the street from The Esplanade. It has over 10,000 annual members and is the resource library for the Shortgrass Library System of Southern Alberta. The Shannon House is a historical landmark built in 1906 by James Shannon for his wife and nine children. He had purchased the land and a team of horses for $ 40.00 in 1895. The family kept the property for three generations, using part of it as

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3680-480: Is served by the Medicine Hat Airport and Medicine Hat Transit . Acute medical care is provided to residents at Medicine Hat Regional Hospital . Beginning in 2009, several ICT business leaders began working together to facilitate economic growth and diversify the local economy by building a robust community network based on fibre optic technologies. Medicine Hat School District No. 76 has been serving

3795-567: Is the 30th largest natural gas producer (by volume produced) in Canada. The city is working on design of the South-West Sector Sanitary Trunk main, extension of South Boundary Road from Strachan Road to South Ridge Drive, and a South-West Sector water transmission line. This infrastructure will accommodate the development of new residential communities west of South Ridge Dr, and south of the Seven Persons Creek. The city

3910-453: Is the largest indoor multi-purpose sports facility in the city. The building is 90,000 sq ft (8,000 m) and is sited on 0.23 km (57 acres) in the north end of the city. The facility includes an Olympic-sized ice rink, 50 m (160 ft) pool, waterslide, diving platforms, kiddies pool, wave pool, and cafe. It is being renovated to include an indoor soccer facility, track, and improved fitness centre. These will almost double

4025-447: Is the only river in Canada that eventually flows into the Gulf of Mexico . The environment is protected in such areas as Waterton Lakes National Park and Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park , while sites such as Head-Smashed-In Buffalo Jump , Dinosaur Provincial Park and Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park were declared UNESCO World Heritage Sites . The Alberta Badlands are developed in

4140-640: The Canada-U.S. Free Trade Agreement of 1989, which liberalized trade between the two nations, the CPR's expansion continued during the early 1990s: CP Rail gained full control of the Soo Line in 1990, adding the "System" to the former's name, and bought the Delaware and Hudson Railway in 1991. These two acquisitions gave CP Rail routes to the major American cities of Chicago (via the Soo Line and Milwaukee Road as part of its historically logical route) and New York City (via

4255-487: The Canadian Heraldic Authority . Alberta Transportation is currently negotiating with landowners south of the city to secure land for the future Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) bypass. The bypass is expected to be constructed in the next 10–20 years. The city owns the gas production, gas distribution, electric generation and electric distribution utilities that serve the citizens. The city-owned gas utility

4370-587: The Delaware and Hudson Railway in the northeastern United States. However, the new subsidiary, threatened with being sold off and free to innovate, quickly spun off money-losing track to short lines, instituted scheduled freight service, and produced an unexpected turn-around in profitability. On 1 January 2001 the StL&;H was formally amalgamated with the CP Rail system. In 2001, the CPR's parent company, Canadian Pacific Limited , spun off its five subsidiaries, including

4485-470: The First Nations legends. As growth took place, in 1889 Medicine Hat built the first hospital west of Winnipeg . The CPR established this town as a railway divisional point . The frontier settlement was incorporated as a town on October 31, 1898. In 1905 when the province of Alberta was founded, it took in Medicine Hat, which had formerly been in the district of Assiniboia. Medicine Hat was incorporated as

4600-525: The International Education Association of Western Canada , to operate an international educational program in China and three schools have joined this program, Tangshan Caofeidian #2 School, Qinhuangdao Foreign Language School, and Shandong Weifang Middle School. Southern Alberta The region has a total area of approximately 75,500 km (29,151 sq mi). Southern Alberta

4715-505: The Kettle Valley Railway in British Columbia, was built in response to the booming mining and smelting economy in southern British Columbia, and the tendency of the local geography to encourage and enable easier access from neighbouring US states than from Vancouver or the rest of Canada, which was viewed to be as much of a threat to national security as it was to the province's control of its own resources. The local passenger service

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4830-601: The Lethbridge Viaduct over the Oldman River valley at Lethbridge , Alberta, was opened. It is 1,624 metres (5,328 feet) long and, at its maximum, 96 metres (315 feet) high, making it one of the longest railway bridges in Canada. In 1916, the CPR replaced its line through Rogers Pass , which was prone to avalanches (the most serious of which killed 62 men in 1910) with the Connaught Tunnel , an eight-kilometre-long (5-mile) tunnel under Mount Macdonald that was, at

4945-592: The Medalta Potteries and Hycroft China Factory Complexes as the focal points of the 0.6 km (150-acre) district. It offers guided tours, educational and arts programming, as well as experience through collections, exhibits, and interpretation. This nationally recognized industrial historic district is a cultural initiative of the Friends of Medalta Society with federal, provincial, municipal and private support. They are working to restore, preserve and culturally develop

5060-597: The New Brunswick Railway in 1891 for 991 years, and built the International Railway of Maine , connecting Montreal with Saint John, New Brunswick , in 1889. The connection with Saint John on the Atlantic coast made the CPR the first truly transcontinental railway company in Canada and permitted trans-Atlantic cargo and passenger services to continue year-round when sea ice in the Gulf of St. Lawrence closed

5175-807: The Pacific Scandal , granted contracts to the Canada Pacific Railway Company, which was unrelated to the current company, as opposed to the Inter-Ocean Railway Company, which was thought to have connections to the Northern Pacific Railway Company in the United States. After this scandal, the Conservatives were removed from power, and Alexander Mackenzie , the new Liberal prime minister, ordered construction of

5290-606: The Quebec, Montreal, Ottawa & Occidental Railway from the Quebec government and by creating a new railway company, the Ontario and Quebec Railway (O&Q). It also launched a fleet of Great Lakes ships to link its terminals. Through the O&Q, the CPR had effected purchases and long-term leases of several railways, and built a line between Perth, Ontario , and Toronto (completed on May 5, 1884) to connect these acquisitions. The CPR obtained

5405-499: The United Conservative Party (UCP), while the other one is named Brooks-Medicine Hat , and is represented by Danielle Smith of the United Conservative Party . The Medicine Hat Police Service (MHPS) can trace its history back to January 13, 1899. Among concern by the town council that the five North-West Mounted Police could no longer safely protect the town and the district, council passed By-Law 8, which authorized

5520-564: The last spike was driven at Craigellachie, British Columbia . Four days earlier, the last spike of the Lake Superior section was driven in just west of Jackfish, Ontario . While the railway was completed four years after the original 1881 deadline, it was completed more than five years ahead of the new date of 1891 that Macdonald gave in 1881. In Eastern Canada, the CPR had created a network of lines reaching from Quebec City to St. Thomas, Ontario , by 1885 – mainly by buying

5635-582: The " Crow Rate " was permanently replaced by the Western Grain Transportation Act , which allowed the gradual increase of grain shipping prices. The Crowsnest Pass line opened on June 18, 1898, and followed a complicated route through the maze of valleys and passes in southern British Columbia, rejoining the original mainline at Hope after crossing the Cascade Mountains via Coquihalla Pass . The Southern Mainline, generally known as

5750-471: The 1880s), to name a few. Friends of Medalta is a non-profit that has been formed to preserve some of the city's industrial heritage. [1] The Medicine Hat landscape is dominated by the South Saskatchewan River valley. In addition, the tributaries Seven Persons Creek and Ross Creek both flow into the South Saskatchewan River within the boundaries of the city. These waterways have cut a dramatic valley landscape with numerous cliffs, and finger coulees throughout

5865-427: The 1950s, the railway introduced new innovations in passenger service. In 1955, it introduced The Canadian , a new luxury transcontinental train. However, in the 1960s, the company started to pull out of passenger services, ending services on many of its branch lines. It also discontinued its secondary transcontinental train The Dominion in 1966, and in 1970, unsuccessfully applied to discontinue The Canadian . For

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5980-433: The 2021 census. Other common mother tongues were German (1.3%), Tagalog (1.0%), French (0.9%), Spanish (0.9%), Arabic (0.6%), and Chinese languages (0.5%). 52.8% of residents identified as Christian at the time of the 2021 census, down from 68.1% in 2011. 20.7% were Catholic , 16.6% were Protestant , 9.0% were Christian n.o.s.. Other Christian denominations and Christian-related traditions accounted for 6.5% of

6095-421: The CPR, into independent companies. In September 2007, CPR announced it was acquiring the Dakota, Minnesota and Eastern Railroad from London-based Electra Private Equity . The merger was completed as of October 31, 2008. Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd. trains resumed regular operations on June 1, 2012, after a nine-day strike by some 4,800 locomotive engineers, conductors and traffic controllers who walked off

6210-436: The CPR, to action. During this time the railway land grants were formalized. The Great Depression , which lasted from 1929 until 1939, hit many companies heavily. While the CPR was affected, it was not affected to the extent of its rival CNR because it, unlike the CNR, was debt-free. The CPR scaled back on some of its passenger and freight services and stopped issuing dividends to its shareholders after 1932. Hard times led to

6325-496: The Canadian government to build the railway, the CPR was granted 100,000 square kilometres (25 million acres). Canadian Pacific then began an intense campaign to bring immigrants to Canada; its agents operated in many overseas locations, where immigrants were often sold a package that included passage on a CP ship, travel on a CP train and land sold by the CP railway. Land was priced at $ 2.50 an acre and up but required cultivation. To transport immigrants, Canadian Pacific developed

6440-611: The D&H). During the 1990s, both CP Rail and CN attempted unsuccessfully to buy out the eastern assets of the other, so as to permit further rationalization. In 1996, CP Rail moved its head office from Windsor Station in Montreal to Gulf Canada Square in Calgary and changed its name back to Canadian Pacific Railway. A new subsidiary company, the St. Lawrence and Hudson Railway , was created to operate its money-losing lines in eastern North America, covering Quebec , Southern and Eastern Ontario , trackage rights to Chicago, Illinois , (on Norfolk Southern lines from Detroit ) as well as

6555-452: The Department of Railways and Canals and turned over to the company in May 1883. By the end of 1883, the railway had reached the Rocky Mountains, just 8 km (5.0 mi) east of Kicking Horse Pass. The treacherous 190 km (120 mi) of railway west of Fort William was completed by Purcell & Company, headed by "Canada's wealthiest and greatest railroad contractor," industrialist Hugh Ryan . Many thousands of navvies worked on

6670-420: The Federal government created Canadian National Railways (CNR, later CN) out of several bankrupt railways that fell into government hands during and after the war. CNR would become the main competitor to the CPR in Canada. In 1923, Henry Worth Thornton replaced David Blyth Hanna becoming the second president of the CNR, and his competition spurred Edward Wentworth Beatty , the first Canadian-born president of

6785-412: The Hillside Campsite, where two layers of finds were made. The upper layer had artifacts from the Old Women's Phase, but the lower layers were found to be much older, containing Pelican Lake Phase remains that were dated to between 1000 and 1500 BC. In 1883, when the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) reached Medicine Hat and crossed the river, European Canadians established a town site. They named it from

6900-511: The Kicking Horse River just after the Trans Canada Highway overpass. The three crew members on the lead locomotive were killed. The Canadian Pacific Police Service (CPPS) investigated the fatal derailment. It later came to light that, although Creel said that the RCMP "retain jurisdiction" over the investigation, the RCMP wrote that "it never had jurisdiction because the crash happened on CP property". On January 26, 2020, Canadian current affairs program The Fifth Estate broadcast an episode on

7015-422: The Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District for education and public enjoyment. Located in downtown Medicine Hat, The Esplanade is a large multi-purpose cultural centre. The facility features a 700+ seat performing arts theatre, art gallery, museum, archives, gift shop, and cafe. The Esplanade officially opened in October 2005. The Medicine Hat Family Leisure Centre (now called Big Marble Go Centre)

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7130-410: The Medicine Hat Tigers. He played in 1971–1972 and scored 50 goals and assisted on 64 goals. In 1972–1973 seasons he scored 62 goals and 77 assists. They play at Co-op Place which opened in 2015 and replaced the 40-year-old Medicine Hat Arena . The city is also home to the Medicine Hat Mavericks, a summer collegiate baseball team in the Western Canadian Baseball League (WCBL). Established in 2003,

7245-411: The Quebec government added the CPR, along with lessor World Fuel Services (WFS), to the list of corporate entities from which it seeks reimbursement for the environmental cleanup of the Lac-Mégantic derailment. On July 15, the press reported that CP would appeal the legal order. On October 12, 2014, it was reported that Canadian Pacific had tried to enter into a merger with American railway CSX , but

7360-419: The United States, stretching from Montreal to Vancouver , and as far north as Edmonton . Its rail network also served Minneapolis–St. Paul , Milwaukee , Detroit , Chicago , and Albany, New York , in the United States. The railway was first built between eastern Canada and British Columbia between 1875 and 1885 (connecting with Ottawa Valley and Georgian Bay area lines built earlier), fulfilling

7475-428: The cheap and plentiful energy resources. Coal mines, brick works, pottery and glass bottle manufacturing plants, flour mills, etc. became established. Altaglass, an art and functional glass production company operated in Medicine Hat from 1950 to 1988. With transportation access via the railway and river, the town became a service and trade center for the agriculture and its products, both commodity crops and livestock, of

7590-405: The city's northwest boundary) and the hamlets of Desert Blume , Dunmore , Irvine , Seven Persons , and Veinerville . The Cypress Hills (including Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park ) is a relatively short distance (by car) to the southeast of the city. Historically, Medicine Hat has been known for its large natural gas fields, being immortalized by Rudyard Kipling as having "all hell for

7705-423: The city. Beyond the city and river valley, the land is flat to slightly rolling and is characterized by short-grass vegetation. Located about 40 km (25 mi) to the east at 50°0′38.2″N 110°6′48.3″W  /  50.010611°N 110.113417°W  / 50.010611; -110.113417  ( Badlands Guardian ) lies the Badlands Guardian Geological Feature . It is a landscape formation taking

7820-418: The controlling interests of the Toronto, Hamilton and Buffalo Railway (TH&B) from Conrail and molded it into the Canadian Pacific System, dissolving the TH&B's name from the books in 1985. In 1987, most of CPR's trackage in the Great Lakes region, including much of the original Soo Line, were spun off into a new railway, the Wisconsin Central , which was subsequently purchased by CN . Influenced by

7935-550: The country. Additionally, 22 of the CPR's ships went to war, 12 of which were sunk. After the Second World War, the transportation industry in Canada changed. Where railways had previously provided almost universal freight and passenger services, cars, trucks and airplanes started to take traffic away from railways. This naturally helped the CPR's air and trucking operations, and the railway's freight operations continued to thrive hauling resource traffic and bulk commodities. However, passenger trains quickly became unprofitable. During

8050-453: The country. The CPR and the CNR shared the honours of pulling the royal train across the country, with the CPR undertaking the westbound journey from Quebec City to Vancouver. Later that year, the Second World War began. As it had done in World War I, the CPR devoted much of its resources to the war effort. It retooled its Angus Shops in Montreal to produce Valentine tanks and other armoured vehicles, and transported troops and resources across

8165-412: The creation of new political parties such as the Social Credit movement and the Cooperative Commonwealth Federation , as well as popular protest in the form of the On-to-Ottawa Trek . One highlight of the late 1930s, both for the railway and for Canada, was the visit of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth during their 1939 royal tour of Canada , the first time that the reigning monarch had visited

8280-634: The derailment, and the next day the Canadian Transportation Safety Board (TSB) called for the RCMP to investigate as lead investigator Don Crawford said, "There is enough to suspect there's negligence here and it needs to be investigated by the proper authority". On February 4, 2020, the TSB demoted its lead investigator in the crash probe after his superiors decided these comments were "completely inappropriate". The TSB stated that it "does not share

8395-678: The derailment. Part of the compromise was to accept GO Transit commuter rail service along the Galt Subdivision corridor up to Milton, Ontario . Limited trains ran along the Milton line on weekdays only. Expansions to Cambridge, Ontario may be coming in the future. In 1984, CP Rail commenced construction of the Mount Macdonald Tunnel to augment the Connaught Tunnel under the Selkirk Mountains . The first revenue train passed through

8510-632: The first spike was driven into a sunken railway tie. That was the point where the Canada Central Railway (CCR) extension ended. The CCR started in Brockville and extended to Pembroke. It then followed a westward route along the Ottawa River and continued to Mattawa at the confluence of the Mattawa and Ottawa rivers. It then proceeded to Bonfield. It was presumed that the railway would travel through

8625-463: The form of a head wearing a feathered headdress. The head is 1,000 ft (300 m) wide. It is in inverse relief, formed by valleys rather than raised ground. The antipodal point of Medicine Hat is near Port-aux-Francais (Kerguelen Island) in the middle of the Indian Ocean, and so this region is one of the rare places of Canada whose antipodal point is neither in the water of the Indian Ocean nor in

8740-511: The government defrayed surveying costs and exempted the railway from property taxes for 20 years. A beaver was chosen as the railway's logo in honour of Donald Smith, 1st Baron Strathcona and Mount Royal , who had risen from factor to governor of the Hudson's Bay Company over a lengthy career in the beaver fur trade. Building the railway took over four years. The Canadian Pacific Railway began its westward expansion from Bonfield, Ontario , where

8855-699: The government passed the Railway Relief Bill, providing a further $ 22.5 million in loans to the CPR. The bill received royal assent on March 6, 1884. In March 1885, the North-West Rebellion broke out in the District of Saskatchewan . Van Horne, in Ottawa at the time, suggested to the government that the CPR could transport troops to Qu'Appelle in the District of Assiniboia in 10 days. Some sections of track were incomplete or had not been used before, but

8970-633: The government-owned Canadian National Railways . During the First World War, CPR put the entire resources of the "world's greatest travel system" at the disposal of the British Empire , not only trains and tracks, but also its ships, shops, hotels, telegraphs and, above all, its people. Aiding the war effort meant transporting and billeting troops; building and supplying arms and munitions; arming, lending and selling ships. Fifty-two CPR ships were pressed into service during World War I, carrying more than

9085-656: The ice of Antarctica (see www.antipodesmap.com) During the 2013 Alberta floods Medicine Hat, located on the South Saskatchewan River downstream from the confluence of the Bow and Oldman Rivers was hit with significant flooding. The city evacuated 10,000 residents ahead of the flooding, and facilities including the Medicine Hat Arena had begun to flood late Sunday evening, June 23. The South Saskatchewan River peaked at 5,460 m/s (193,000 cu ft/s), which

9200-429: The job on May 23, stalling Canadian freight traffic and costing the economy an estimated CA$ 80 million ( US$ 77 million ). The strike ended with a government back-to-work bill forcing both sides to come to a binding agreement . On July 6, 2013, a unit train of crude oil which CP had subcontracted to short-line operator Montreal, Maine and Atlantic Railway derailed in Lac-Mégantic , killing 47. On August 14, 2013,

9315-478: The late spring and early summer. The highest temperature ever recorded in Medicine Hat was 42.2 °C (108.0 °F) on July 12, 1886. The coldest temperature ever recorded was −46.1 °C (−51.0 °F) on February 4, 1887. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , the City of Medicine Hat had a population of 63,271 living in 27,216 of its 28,732 total private dwellings, virtually unchanged from its 2016 population of 63,260. With

9430-657: The left bank of the Kaministiquia River in the District of Thunder Bay, about four miles upriver from Fort William. Once completed in 1882 with a last spike at Feist Lake, near Vermilion Bay, Ontario , the line was turned over to the newly-minted private Canadian Pacific Railway company. In 1883, the first wheat shipment from Manitoba was transported over this line to the Lakehead (Fort William and Port Arthur) on Lake Superior. Macdonald would later return as prime minister and adopt

9545-592: The line had already been in use for three months. The CPR quickly became profitable, and all loans from the federal government were repaid years ahead of time. In 1888, a branch line was opened between Sudbury and Sault Ste. Marie where the CPR connected with the American railway system and its own steamships. That same year, work was started on a line from London, Ontario , to the Canada–US border at Windsor, Ontario . That line opened on June 12, 1890. The CPR also leased

9660-452: The middle of 2022. However, a competing cash and stock offer was later made by Canadian National Railway (CN) on April 20 at $ 33.7 billion. On 13 May, KCS announced that they planned to accept the merger offer from CN, but would give CP until May 21 to come up with a higher bid. On May 21, KCS and CN agreed to a merger. However, CN's merger attempt was blocked by a STB ruling in August that

9775-410: The needs of public school students since it came into existence in 1886. The district has five trustees and comprises three secondary schools, Alexandra Middle School (formerly Alexandra Junior High School), Crescent Heights High School and Medicine Hat High School , 12 elementary (K–6) schools, a special needs school for the severely disabled, as well as an Alternative School program which incorporates

9890-486: The new Multimark (which, when mirrored by an adjacent "multi-mark" creates a diamond appearance on a globe) that was used – with a different colour background – for each of its operations. On November 10, 1979, a derailment of a hazardous materials train in Mississauga, Ontario , led to the evacuation of 200,000 people; there were no fatalities. Mississauga Mayor Hazel McCallion threatened to sue Canadian Pacific for

10005-460: The next eight years, it continued to apply to discontinue the service, and service on The Canadian declined markedly. On October 29, 1978, CP Rail transferred its passenger services to Via Rail , a new federal Crown corporation that is responsible for managing all intercity passenger service formerly handled by both CP Rail and CN. Via eventually took almost all of its passenger trains, including The Canadian , off CP's lines. In 1968, as part of

10120-522: The northeast of the region, prominently along the Red Deer River. Cypress Hills , located in the east, at the border with Saskatchewan , are the highest point between the Rocky Mountains and Labrador . Health care in the region is overseen by Alberta Health Services . It was formerly served by Calgary Health Region , Chinook Health and Palliser Health Region before they were amalgamated with

10235-561: The other six regional health boards in 2008 to form Alberta Health Services. In 2007, Alberta Human Resources and Employment reported the fields of finance, insurance, real estate, professions, technicians and senior managers will lead the Lethbridge–Medicine Hat region's growth with an average 2.8% real GDP growth each year until 2011. The industries of manufacturing, energy, mining, and forestry would account for 2.6% each. All ten of these fields would account for more than half of

10350-426: The population, including Latter Day Saints followers at 1.6%. Non-religious and secular residents accounted for 43.1% of the population, up from 30.2% in 2011. 4.1% of residents belonged to other religions, up from 1.7% in 2011. The largest non-Christian religions were Islam (1.5%), Sikhism (0.5%) and Hinduism (0.5%). The Medicine Hat Clay Industries National Historic District is a living, working museum based on

10465-502: The port of Montreal during the winter months. By 1896, competition with the Great Northern Railway for traffic in southern British Columbia forced the CPR to construct a second line across the province, south of the original line. Van Horne, now president of the CPR, asked for government aid, and the government agreed to provide around $ 3.6 million to construct a railway from Lethbridge, Alberta , through Crowsnest Pass to

10580-663: The railway under the supervision of the Department of Public Works. Enabled by the CPR Act of 1874, work began in 1875 on the Lake Superior to Manitoba section of the CPR. The ceremonial sod-turning at Westfort on June 1, 1875, was prominently reported in the June 10 edition of the Toronto Globe . It noted that a crowd of "upwards of 500 ladies and gentlemen" gathered to celebrate the event on

10695-536: The railway. Many were European immigrants. An unknown number of Stoney Nakoda also assisted in track laying and construction work in the Kicking Horse Pass region. In British Columbia, government contractors eventually hired 17,000 workers from China, known as " coolies ". After 2 + 1 ⁄ 2 months of hard labour, they could net as little as $ 16 ($ 485 in 2023 adjusted for inflation) Chinese labourers in British Columbia made only between 75 cents and $ 1.25

10810-977: The region's domestic product. On a provincial level, southern Alberta is represented in the Legislative Assembly of Alberta by MLAs elected in the ridings of Airdrie-Cochrane , Airdrie-East , Banff-Kananaskis , Brooks-Medicine Hat , Cardston-Siksika , Chestermere-Strathmore , Cypress-Medicine Hat , Highwood , Lethbridge East , Lethbridge West , Livingstone-Macleod , and Taber-Warner . Cities Towns Villages Specialized municipalities Improvement districts Municipal districts Special areas 50°N 112°W  /  50°N 112°W  / 50; -112  ( Southern Alberta ) Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway ( French : Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique ) ( reporting marks CP , CPAA , MILW , SOO ), also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996),

10925-418: The renowned railway executive William Cornelius Van Horne to oversee construction. Van Horne stated that he would have 800 km (500 mi) of main line built in 1882. Floods delayed the start of the construction season, but over 672 km (418 mi) of main line, as well as sidings and branch lines, were built that year. The Thunder Bay branch (west from Fort William ) was completed in June 1882 by

11040-709: The rich "fertile belt" of the North Saskatchewan River Valley and cross the Rocky Mountains via the Yellowhead Pass . However, a more southerly route across the arid Palliser's Triangle in Saskatchewan and via Kicking Horse Pass and down the Field Hill to the Rocky Mountain Trench was chosen. In 1881, construction progressed at a pace too slow for the railway's officials who, in 1882, hired

11155-589: The size of the facility. In the area surrounding the Leisure Centre facility are several other sportvenues including; four ball diamonds, lighted football field, three soccer pitches, and one of the largest BMX racing facilities in Southern Alberta. The Medicine Hat Drag Racing Association is located just off the Trans-Canada Highway on Boundary Road or the spectators entrance on Box Springs Road. This

11270-469: The south shore of Kootenay Lake , in exchange for the CPR agreeing to reduce freight rates in perpetuity for key commodities shipped in Western Canada. The controversial Crowsnest Pass Agreement effectively locked the eastbound rate on grain products and westbound rates on certain "settlers' effects" at the 1897 level. Although temporarily suspended during the First World War , it was not until 1983 that

11385-526: The surrounding area. Between 1909 and 1914 the town had an economic boom that increased the population to more than 10,000. Little growth occurred between the World Wars. During World War II, one of the largest prisoner-of-war camps (POW) in Canada was established here in January 1943 and was used primarily to hold German and Italian prisoners until April 1946. It was not until the 1950s of the post-war period that

11500-600: The team plays at Athletic Park stadium, formerly home to the Medicine Hat Blue Jays , in the River Flats neighbourhood adjacent to downtown. In 2012 the riding of Medicine Hat was renamed to Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner . Jim Hillyer of the Conservative Party of Canada (CPC) was elected in the 2015 election . Hillyer died in 2016 and in a special by-election , held on October 24, 2016, Glen Motz (CPC)

11615-459: The teepee painted "white for purity, red for the rising and setting sun, and blue for flowing waters". Within the teepee are ten circles, with painted illustrations that express ideas about the cultures of the Plains tribes. Explanation are on plaques set in the base. Although designed to withstand extreme temperatures and winds up to 240 km/h (150 mph), during a severe windstorm in January 2007,

11730-597: The time of its opening, the longest railway tunnel in the Western Hemisphere . On January 21, 1910, a passenger train derailed on the CPR line at the Spanish River bridge at Nairn, Ontario (near Sudbury ), killing at least 43. On January 3, 1912, the CPR acquired the Dominion Atlantic Railway , a railway that ran in western Nova Scotia . This acquisition gave the CPR a connection to Halifax ,

11845-400: The town again had commercial growth. In the 21st century, Medicine Hat promotes its quality of life and affordable cost of living, enjoying the savings of a city-owned gas utility and power generation plant. Major industries have included chemical plants, a Goodyear tire and rubber plant, greenhouses, numerous oil and gas related companies, a foundry, I-XL Industries (a brickworks dating from

11960-458: The trip to Winnipeg was made in nine days and the rebellion quickly suppressed. Controversially, the government subsequently reorganized the CPR's debt and provided a further $ 5 million loan. This money was desperately needed by the CPR. Even with Van Horne's support with moving troops to Qu'Appelle, the government still delayed in giving its support to CPR, due to Macdonald pressuring George Stephen for additional benefits. On November 7, 1885,

12075-591: The tunnel in 1988. At 14.7 km (nine miles), it is the longest tunnel in the Americas. During the 1980s, the Soo Line Railroad , in which CP Rail still owned a controlling interest, underwent several changes. It acquired the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railway in 1982. Then on February 21, 1985, the Soo Line obtained a controlling interest in the bankrupt Milwaukee Road , merging it into its system on January 1, 1986. Also in 1980, Canadian Pacific bought out

12190-677: The view of the lead safety investigator". The CPPS say they did a thorough investigation into the actions of the crew, which is now closed and resulted in no charges, while the Alberta Federation of Labour and the Teamsters Canada Rail Conference called for an independent police probe. On November 20, 2019, it was announced that Canadian Pacific would purchase the Central Maine and Quebec Railway from Fortress Transportation and Infrastructure Investors . The line has had

12305-428: The waterways and hunted the bison. Before Europeans arrived, the historic Blackfoot, Cree and Assiniboine nations used the area for hundreds of years, and were preceded for thousands of years by previous indigenous cultures. Beginning in 1971, archeological excavations supervised by scholars from Medicine Hat College (MHC) were conducted at what became known as Saamis Archeological Site along Seven Persons Creek, near

12420-518: The winter cold is ameliorated by mild and dry Chinook winds blowing from the west, and hot summer daytime temperatures are made more tolerable by low humidity and rapid cooling in the evening. As Medicine Hat receives less precipitation annually than most other cities on the Canadian Prairies and plentiful sunshine (it is widely known as "The sunniest city in Canada"), it is a popular retirement city. Maximum precipitation typically occurs in

12535-478: Was a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited , known until 2023 as Canadian Pacific Railway Limited , which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001. The railway is headquartered in Calgary , Alberta. In 2023, the railway owned approximately 20,100 kilometres (12,500 mi) of track in seven provinces of Canada and into

12650-472: Was based there. They "excavated and mapped over 3,200 sq. ft. of living floors and nearly 80 features including hearths and stone boiling pits. Radiocarbon dates indicate the Saamis Site was initially occupied about AD 1500 and again around AD 1750", well before most European contact. Also in this area, further to the west, other MHC students and faculty were part of an excavation in 2000 at what became known as

12765-441: Was below earlier predictions of 6,000 m/s (210,000 cu ft/s), but exceeded the highest recorded rate of 5,100 m/s (180,000 cu ft/s) in 1995. The average home price in Medicine Hat in 2018 was $ 277,294. Located in the steppe region known as Palliser's Triangle , Medicine Hat has a semi-arid climate ( Köppen climate classification BSk ), with cold winters, and warm to hot, dry summers. Frequently,

12880-602: Was elected. LaVar Payne (CPC) was the Member of Parliament for Medicine Hat since October 2008 , and was re-elected in the 2011 election . He announced in 2014 that he would not be running in the next election in October 2015. Previous to Payne the MP was Monte Solberg (CPC). Medicine Hat has two provincial ridings. One is named Cypress-Medicine Hat , and is represented by Justin Wright of

12995-573: Was installed in 1991 south of the Trans-Canada Highway and at the edge of the Blackfoot buffalo jump , above the Saamis Archeological Site along Seven Persons Creek. Commissioned for the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary as a symbol of Canada's Plains Indians, it stood 215 ft (66 m) high (more than 20 storeys) and is 160 ft (49 m) in diameter at the base. The sculpture was designed by Steve Illes of steel and concrete. He had

13110-562: Was re-routed to this new southerly line, which connected numerous emergent small cities across the region. Independent railways and subsidiaries that were eventually merged into the CPR in connection with this route were the Shuswap and Okanagan Railway , the Kaslo and Slocan Railway , the Columbia and Kootenay Railway , the Columbia and Western Railway and various others. Under the initial contract with

13225-548: Was unsuccessful. In 2015–16 Canadian Pacific sought to merge with American railway Norfolk Southern . and wanted to have a shareholder vote on it. CP ultimately terminated its efforts to merge on April 11, 2016. On February 4, 2019, a loaded grain train ran away from the siding at Partridge just above the Upper Spiral Tunnel in Kicking Horse Pass . The 112-car grain train with three locomotives derailed into

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