Amazing scenes and views to be appreciated in Medicine Hat

By Letter to the Editor on October 4, 2017.

I spent some time Sunday, Sept. 24, just walking along. It was a great day, wasn’t it? And as I walked I began to realize, once again, just what a great country, great province and, most definitely, what a beautiful city Medicine Hat actually is.

The new areas, with their double and triple garages being the main feature, the first thing one sees, sticking right out there, “attached” living quarter/ homes….well, that is not the Medicine Hat I am talking about here. I’m talking about the more or less original, some newer, some older neighbourhoods, including the Hill areas, Central Park, the Flats even, and certainly the downtown core; especially what the Hat has done and is still continuing to do with downtown on First Street S.E., Second Street S.E., Third Street S.E. One hopes that beautification will continue.

Add to that the Devonian trees, the much older trees, Batus Park, Memorial Park, some of the masterfully restored “old” buildings, the fall colours along the river, those splendid flower beds the parks department folks have created, city hall, Riverside, the handsome St. Patrick’s Cathedral with its soaring spires, and certainly not least what is happening with that “old” 100 block of Third Street NE. in Riverside. I think what started with that flower shop has got to be “contagious.” More and more of the neighbouring businesses seem to be catching the bug. Before one knows it even storage enterprises will be infected. It is sure to become a destination. One destination amongst quite a few here in Medicine Hat.

I figure it won’t be long before that ugly empty space across from the Riverside Veterans’ Memorial Park will finally see something much better than just a new coat of asphalt.

I then proceeded up that staircase and footbridge across the railroad tracks from Riverside to the corner of Division Avenue N and Altawana Drive. As I went from flight to flight and turned around at each and looked back at the most appealing views, framed by trees, I thought my, now there are views of Medicine Hat that should be in every tourist guide brochure.

I could go on and on with this. Medicine Hat has become — and has been for a long time — one of my very favourite cities; and I have lived in and have seen a few, from here to Timbuktu, so to speak.

Ted Kohlmetz

Medicine Hat

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