Medicine Hat

History

The name "Medicine Hat" is an English interpretation of Saamis – 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 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 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 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 was based there. They "excavated and mapped over 3,200 sq. ft. of living floors and nearly 80 features including hearths…

Geography

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 the city. Beyond the city and river valley, the land is flat to slightly rolling and is characterized by short-grass vegetation. Located about to the east at lies the Badlands Guardian Geological Feature. It is a landscape formation taking the form of a head wearing a feathered headdress. The head is wide. It is in inverse relief, formed by valleys rather than raised ground. 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 , which was below earlier predictions of , but exceeded the highest recorded rate of in 1995. *Cottonwood – A community located above the Cottonwood golf course, between the light industrial area and the airport. Overlooks the World's Largest Teepee. *Crescent Heights – Mainly built in the 1950s through to the 1960s. Located on the north side of city on the entire ridge above the river valley. *Crestwood and Norwood – This is an older area of town mainly built in the 1950s. It is located on a plateau southeast of the South Flats and the Seven Person's Creek. The Medicine Hat Exhibition & Stampede grounds is within this area. *Hamptons - A four-phase neighbourhood approved for development in 2005. It…

Most-observed species

• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  3,822
• Black-capped Chickadee

  Poecile atricapillus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  3,747
• Northern Flicker

  Colaptes auratus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,719
• American Robin

  Turdus migratorius Linnaeus, 1766 · Aves
  3,477
• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  3,137
• European Starling

  Sturnus vulgaris Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  3,004
• House Finch

  Haemorhous mexicanus (P.L.Statius Müller, 1776) · Aves
  2,886
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  2,501