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Medicine Hat and Area FactsCity Population: 60,426 Location: Major Economic Sectors: - Agriculture Economy: Agriculture is a primary contributor to the economy of the Medicine Hat area. With the longest growing season in Canada [120+days] and the highest number of growing degree days, the area produces a variety of crops which provide feed for the livestock industry and raw materials for food processing industries. Much of the area is irrigated although traditional dryland farming is still predominant. Wheat constitutes a major portion of both dryland and irrigated crops. Other crops include canola, flax, barley and oats. Specialty crops include corn, carrots, safflower, sunflowers and beans. In addition, the Medicine Hat – Redcliff area is known as the ‘Greenhouse Centre of Western Canada’, with more acres under glass than any other area [80 acres in 2004]. The cattle industry is also a major component of the agricultural sector around Medicine Hat. Finally, food processing is one of the most important economic development opportunities in southern Alberta. Manufacturing is one of the strongest sectors of the Medicine Hat economy, producing a variety of industrial and consumer goods for domestic and export markets including tires for automobiles and heavy equipment, anhydrous ammonia and granulated urea for fertilizers, clay brick and refractories, thermal carbon black, catalyst compounds for gasoline production, solid waste handling equipment and tanks, compressors, pressure vessels, furniture, playground equipment, flour, cereals and feeds, business forms and commercial printing. |
The City of Medicine Hat is the major urban centre in southeast Alberta, and is the southeast entrance to Alberta’s industrial corridor. It is 293 km southeast of Calgary, 1,347 km east of Vancouver, British Columbia, and 467 km west of Regina, Saskatchewan. As for U.S. locations, Medicine Hat is 160 km from the Wildhorse border crossing and 1,289 from Seattle.