I purchased this rare used postcard online, which shows the Medicine Hat power plant sometime between 1910-1920. The edges on the back of the postcard have been damaged from being glued into a scrapbook or album, making the postage date unreadable. Those details aside, this Medicine Hat postcard is still a fascinating document of a seldom photographed location.
Medicine Hat's natural gas and our resulting city-owned gas utility and power generation plant have always been notable features of our community - a point proven by this very postcard. Our cheap energy was the driving force that brought a number of manufacturers to the region in the early 1900s. It was also essential to our burgeoning clay industry.
The message on this postcard detailed a few of the short stops made in Southern Alberta and was mailed back to family members in Winnipeg. Today the twin bridges of the Trans Canada Highway across the South Saskatchewan River obstruct this view of the power plant - which has grown substantially as well.
Constructed in 1912, St. Barnabas is one of Medicine Hat's most ornate and historic churches. The exterior of this location was one of the first that I photographed for my Around the Hat series, and it was a pleasure to finally capture this incredible interior. From the stained glass windows to the intricate woodwork, there are countless details that echo the history here.
There are plenty of ways of making it count, of finding value in your life, and pursuing your own happiness. I've been a fan of Casey Neistat's work for several years now, and he's proven himself time and time again when it's come to serving up inspiration. Here's one of my favorite videos he's made.
