I’m allllll about cute, small town, small city downtowns. And luckily, there are a lot of those in Alberta! 

Most recently, I got to explore Downtown Medicine Hat in southern Alberta, and truly think it is such a cute (and actually fairly large) small city downtown that should be on your list to visit! 

Gas lamps line the streets with big, beautiful floral pots hanging from its posts. There’s endless, charming, old brick buildings, many with new murals on their side walls, or in their alleyways. There’s historic buildings, including one of the oldest, still in-service movie theatres in Canada, pop-up parks, a growing number of boutique stores, coffee shops, pubs and restaurants. And downtown is also home to several parks along with the city’s art gallery, museum, and public library. Medicine Hat’s downtown is a mix of old and new. It’s lively, full of culture. And it’s super walkable! 

Which is how I explored downtown Medicine Hat this July 2020 with my dear friends Jack and Nicole, who are locals to ‘The Hat’ (what the locals call the city).

We spent a full Saturday walking all over downtown, visiting shops, taking in arts and culture, soaking up the sun (Medicine Hat is considered one of the sunniest cities in the country) and of course—eating!

Read all about Linda’s Day in the ‘Hat’ on her blog.