MEDICINE HAT, AB — A picture of Medicine Hat taken more than a century ago has been a hit at a local business.
The photo, taken in 1913, shows a wide shot of downtown Medicine Hat and the southeast Hill, a view not always seen in photos of the city.
It was seen on a postcard that was purchased by Redcliff’s Fred Hauck.
“It was not a shot that I had ever been familiar with,” he said.
Hauck says he discovered the photo while researching Medicine Hat online. When he clicked on the photo for a closer look, he was amazed.
“Once I started to enlarge this, I started to realize the clarity of this particular shot,” he said. “I mean, the fact that it is an unusual shot anyway, because it shows downtown Medicine Hat, as opposed to across the river, which is the standard shot everybody always sees.”
Hauck took the photo to the Medicine Hat UPS Store to print a larger copy for himself. When staff at the store saw the picture, it prompted them to print out their own copy of the photo, and place it on the wall.
“The interest that it gains when people walk in, they just can’t walk away from it, because there is so many buildings, and so many items in it, that they go ‘wow,’” said Dominique Hirsch, co-owner of UPS.
The store is selling printed copies of the photo until August 15, with proceeds being donated to the Medicine Hat Food Bank, the Medicine Hat and District Health Foundation and the local chapter of the Canadian Mental Health Association.
Malcolm Sissons, the chair of the city’s heritage resources committee, says the picture provides a glimpse into an important part of Medicine Hat’s history.
“This was the period for Medicine Hat,” he said. “I mean, our town was growing by leaps and bounds, one of the fastest growth rates of any city anywhere.
“We were on the CPR main line, we had what then seemed to be inexhaustible supplies of natural gas, which were used to promote industrial expansion.”
The photo featured several points of interest. Alexandra High School dominates the skyline. Fifth Avenue Memorial United Church is also visible, as is the Beveridge Building and the old City Hall building.
Several tents can also be seen along the South Saskatchewan River, which Sissons says is another sign of the boom.
“There was no place to live, so they couldn’t build buildings fast enough for the number of people who were arriving,” he said.
In the 105 years since the photo was snapped, much about the area has changed. Some of the buildings are still there, but others have been demolished.
Sissons says work is underway to ensure the city’s past will remain available for future generations.
“We are trying to protect them and preserve them as best as we can,” he said. “They’re certainly a reminder of where we came from.”
