EDWARD MILLS

Edward M iII s

Fig. 2. Panoramic view of western end of clay industries landscape, showing Hycroft and Clay Products sites at extreme right, CPR mainline and yards at left. Medicine Hat Clay Industries (E. Mills. August 1999) Cultural Landscape

This article summarizes a presenta tion report prepa red in November 1999 for the Historic Sites and Monuments Board of at the request of Parks Canad a. The report was w ritten specificall y to address the questi on of the sites potential national significance, and it has been condensed and reformatted for pu­ blicati on purposes.

Introduction The clay industries cultural landscape in Medicine H a t is comprised of fi ve sites containing factories or factory remnants associated with various facets of the clay industry, which has been located in this city since the 1900s. The sites include struc­ tural remnants of a former brick and tile factory, remnants of a porcelain insulator factory, two intact pottery factories currently in use as museums and interpretive centres, and a m ajor Fig. 3. Central section of proposed cultural landscape. National Porcelain site is in left operational brick plant that has evolved in successive stages since foreground . Medalta Pottery in centre , commercial greenhouses in background . (E. Mills, August 1999) its inception in 1909. All five sites are located along a former CPR spur siding which serves as a visual and interpretive axis. This spur, along w ith several shorter feed er sidings, served the shipping requirements of the various clay industries from 1910 until the 1970s (Figures 1-4 ). The cultural landscape is located in a river bottom area of Medicine Hat known as the North Flats. Wed ged between the CPR mainline and yards and the meandering bank of the South River, the North Flats evolved as a distinct urban entity dominated by the industrial d evelopment that took place there. In its eastern secti on, street names such as "Clay," "Pottery," "Porcelain," and "Medalta," underscore the role of the clay-based industries in the development of the area. Here, various brick, tile and ceramics fac tories formed the backbone of an industrial Edward Mills is historian and consulta nt in arcliitectura/ l1eritage. district that also contained extensive greenhouse operations, mixed light industries, warehou ses and pockets of m od est workers' houses. The unique combina ti on of elem ents tha t permitted a diversified clay products industry to emerge and fl ourish in Medicine Hat are revealed through tangible in situ resources within the area: a railway corridor linking the fi ve key sites, fo r­ mer clay pit sites, gas well sites, remnants of the giant brick and tile fac tories that dominated the areas economy for decades, two intact , relic elements of a porcelain insulator factory, JSSAC I JSEAC 25, n" 2, 3, 4 (2000) : 51 -60. © SSAC I SEAC along w ith the ongoing p roduction facilities of a clay products

51 JSSAC I JSEAC 25. n" 2. 3. 4 <2000l

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Fi g. 1. Proposed clay industries cultural landscape area Fig . 4 . Eastern end of proposed cu lt ural landscape, in North Fla ts district of Medicine hat, Alberta. showing I·XL complex and clay escarpment. (Medicme Hat Tra ns1 t Route Map . n.d.) (E. Mills. Augu st 1999) plant and of the la rgest brick and pipe manufacturer in western Montreal and Toronto-Ha milton regions. While these areas Canada. Coll ectively, these elements offer evidence of an evolved dominated the clay industry from a sta tistical standpoint, other cultural landscape that combines evidence of a flouri shing mo­ locations managed to sustain viable clay industries throughout dern industry along with reli c elements from past phases of its much of the 20'" century, usuall y on the basis of their proximity hi storical evolution. to hi gh quality clay bed s. In western Canada, the discovery of large deposits of high quality fire clays in southern Saskatchewan, Historic Values of the Industrial Landscape south-eastern Alberta and at Sumas Mountain southeast of Van­ Medicine Hat and the nea rby community of Redcliff emerged as couver, B.C., resulted in the establishment of long-lasting clay major cl ay products production centres for western Canada industries.1 The most distinguishing feature of Medicine H ats during the 1900s and 1910s. The reasons for this development clay industry was the diverse range of products produced by its lay in a unique set for circumstances. The first of these was Me­ various fa ctories: bricks, tiles, sewer pipes, stoneware and pottery, dicine Hats designation as a divisional headquarters for the CPR, porcelain insula tors. ln 1950, this dive rsity was matched or which equipped the community with effi cient access to regional surpassed only by the concentrations in Redcliff, Alberta and in markets. With almost 1,100 kilometres of track within the ci ty Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario'- limits, Medicine Hat offered frequent service and excell ent con­ Medicine Hats second ad vantage for the clay products nections to pros pective investors. The CPR reinforced this industry was an abundant supply of clay. The steep banks of the advantage by offering specially discounted freight rates to in­ South Saskatchewan Ri ver which winds through the low lands dustries that loca ted w ithin the community. While the Medicine of the city offered large quantities of common clay suitable for Hat clay industry was established on the basis of locall y-avail able brick m a king. This clay forms part of a vast deposit of sandy common clays, its eventual diversification was facilitated by the shale known as the Oldman Formation. By the la te 1880s several discovery and ex ploitation of the Whitemud fire clay deposits of s mall brick plants we re in operation on the g rounds of the southern Saskatchewan and in the a rea in south­ present-day 1-XL plant. These modest plants, whi ch reli ed on coal east Alberta. Access to these clays enabled the industry to ex pand to heat their kilns, supplied red bricks for Medicine Hats initial into a wide range of refra ctory and ceramics products. building boom. In addition to the clay sources within the city, Although sma ll-sca le local brick plants were a common brick manufacturers established substantial qua rries in the Me­ feature of virtually a II areas of sustained settlement in 19 '" century dicine Hat vicinity, particularly at Dunmore, loca ted fi ve miles Canada, few places contained the de li ca te balance of elements south-east of the city, a nd several miles to the west, at Redcliff. necessary for the sustained d evelopment of a diversi fi ed clay The Dunmore qua rry operated continuously from 1910 Wltil1955. industry during the 20'" century. These elem ents, comprised of The Redcliff quarries have produced steadily from 191 3 until the proximity to raw ma terials and to markets, in combination with present d ay. A still larger quarry was established fi ve miles east fa vorable transportation and production costs, determined the of Medicine Ha t in 1951'. profit ma rgins in a hi ghl y competitive industry. In most parts of The third and perhaps most important factor tha t ensured the country, long te rm grow th of brick a nd ceramics factories Medicine Hats sta ture as the major clay products manufacturing was curta il ed by the low quality of regional clays, high produc­ centre in western Canada was the availability of low cost natural ti on costs and by the boom and bust cycles that wrought ha voc gas. A major ex pense in manufacturing clay products was that of upon the economic stability of large-scale ventures of this type. maintaining a heat source ca pable of ha rdening pliable clay into In Ontario and Quebec, the combination of good common clays vitrified ceramic. Natural gas provided reli able, consistent heat and proximity to large population centres fo stered the growth of at the intensely high temperatures need ed for firing the kilns. numerous la rge-scale clay products pla nts, pa rticul arl y in the The first major gas well was struck within the city limits in June

52 EDWARD MILLS

1904. Further testing revealed that the city was sitting over a gas By 1907, brickyards from the initial developmental stage field located at a depth of between 1,000 and 2,000 feet, covering were displaced by new highly-capitalized ventures which were an estimated 150 square miles. This discovery gave Medicine Hat drawn to the North Flats area by the citys various inducements, a competitive edge in its battle with Calgary and Lethbridge to which included on-site gas wells and direct access to the CPR become the regions predominant industrial centre. Starting in via a new spur line. Three new clay industries were established 1905, the city enticed various industries to locate there through in the area during a boom period that corresponded with the the offer of free building sites, free water, tax concessions and peak years of western settlement and lasted until 1914. These cheap gas. This triggered a development boom that saw the es­ ventures, comprised of two brick, sewer pipe and hollow tile tablishment of flour mills, woolen mills, greenhouses, foundries, manufacturers, in addition to a stoneware and pottery plant, glass factories, breweries and clay industries between 1909 and marked the start of the diversification that was to characterize 1914'. In the case of several major clay products factories, this Medicine Hats clay industry over the next 70 years. These three incentive included permission to drill and operate private gas industrial sites form components of the cultural landscape (Al­ wells on their properties. This was a potent attraction, particularly berta Clay Products, Medalta Potteries and the I-XL site). when coupled with favourable freight rates and nearby clay A key player in the success of Medicine Hats clay industries deposits. was the CPR railway, which encouraged its early growth through Moreover, the use of natural gas to fire the kilns at Medicine reduced freight rates. The most tangible aspect of its role was the Hat was an advantage shared only by rival plants in nearby Re­ development of the spur siding which was built initially to dcliff. A 1950 inventory of operational plants indicated that vir­ provide access to the Alberta Clay Products plant (1909-10) then tually all other Canadian clay products manufacturers relied on was extended to service the Medicine Hat Brick and Tile plant coal, oil, electricity or wood as heat sources.' This favourable set within the next year or so•. Completion of the spur line enabled of conditions encouraged extensive investment and diversifica­ the City of Medicine Hat to promote industrial development in tion in Medicine Hats clay industry. This diversification permit­ the area lying between the two plants. The Medicine Hat Pottery ted it to compete and ultimately survive the numerous (later renamed Medalta) was among the group of industries that vicissitudes that caused the eventual demise of most domesti­ located in this area in 1912. This spur remained the principal cally-based clay industries in Canada•. The durability of Medici­ means by which the various factories brought in raw materials ne Hats clay industry was succinctly summarized by Luke and shipped out their finished goods until the 1980s when it was Lindoe, a noted clay expert and founder of Plainsman Clay Pro­ displaced by truck transportation. ducts, in 1965: The three factories established before 1914 formed the "Clay products plants failed due to some combination of backbone of Medicine Hats clay products shortcomings involving location, market, raw materials, fuel and industry. The cultural landscape which they established was experience. In the Medicine Hat area, due to advantages in raw subsequently augmented by two other factories: the Hycroft materials, fuel and experience, they dominate the industry in wes­ Pottery in 1938, and the National Porcelain factory in 1946. tern Canada."' Collectively, the operational histories of these plants reveal the The preliminary phase of Medicine Hats clay industry began dynamics and complexities of the Canadian clay industry. The with the establishment of several low volume common brick two largest factories, Medicine Hat Brick and Tile (later renamed plants during the 1880s, and persisted until 1907 when natural I-XL Industries) and Alberta Clay Products, were located at gas became available to the industry. The significance of this ini­ opposite ends of the clay products landscape. These two tial phase resides in the establishment of the North Flats area of companies remained the primary economic generators of Medi­ the city as the primary location for subsequent clay industry cine Hats clay industry. Both became major suppliers of brick, development. The earliest brick factory sites were located along hollow tile and sewer pipe products required by the construc­ 0 the banks of Ross Creek, directly below the steep clay banks on tion industry and municipal development of western Canada' • the present-day I-XL factory site, and in close proximity to the From a national standpoint, the most distinctive feature of CPR tracks. Two or three small brickyards operated within this the clay industry cultural landscape at Medicine Hat resides in vicinity during the 1880s and 1890s. The earliest of these, known the diversity of products that were manufactured there. Although as McCords Brickyard, was located on the same site as the I-XL this diversity was not unique in itself, the persistence of the factory, and marked the start of continuous brick manufacturing industry, and the unique set of factors that contributed to its at this location'. growth and survival (rail transportation, access to raw materials

53 JSSAC I JSEAC 25 . no• 2. 3. 4 <2000l

Fig. 7. Railway spur skirting north-west perimeter of former Alberta Clay Products site . The former stable/garage associated with that firm is on left . clay piles associated with Pla insman Clay Products Ltd. at right. with beehive kiln in center background. (E. Mills. August 1999)

Fig. 6. Undated aerial view of Alberta Clay Products complex. CPR mainline is in background. spur line in lower foreground. The surviving beehive ki ln appears at extreme left. (Marylu Antonelli and Jack Forbes. Pottery in Alber1a. The Long Tradition, 34)

and access to low cost fuel), lend a distincti ve historica l quality to the place.

Description of the landscape The cultural landscape is bounded on the west by the Clay Street border of the Al­ be rta Clay Products s ite, and on the east by the I-XL Fig. 8. The remaining beehive kiln on the Alberta Clay Products site. b rick fac tory and adj acent (E. Mills, August 1g99) clay cl iffs, a distance of ap­ proximately 1.2 kilometre. The con spicuou s ra il way presence, along w ith rem­ nants of the on-site gas wel­ Fig. 5. Site plan showing Alberta Clay Products ls that supplied cheap fu el, factory complex and Hycroft Pottery factory. (Medicine Hat Museum and Archives. Insurance Plan of a nd excava ti on s ites o n the City of Medicine Hat. Alberta , July 1955. Plate 43) n earby clay ba nks w hi ch Fig. 9. Beehive kiln and Plainsman Clay factory. eastern end of Alberta Clay Products site. provided some of the raw (E. Mills, August 1999) ma terials for the industry, offer tangible evidence of the unique combina ti on of factors tha t led to Medicine Hat's em ergence as Alberta Clay Products Company site (F igures 5-11 ) the dominant supplier of clay products in western Canada. This site is wedged between the CPR mainline and the clay The a rea p resents an evolved landscape comprised of reli c industries spur. Established in 1909, this industrial complex was elements dating from successive developmental phases of the comprised of a large four storey fac tory ringed by 18 circular cl ay industry, m odern facilities associated w ith present day cl ay beehive kil ns and various outbuildings until1962 when m uch of industries, open fi elds and adjacent commercial facilities that are it was destroyed by fire . Surviving remnants consist of a single not linked w ith the clay industry. The landscape has a linear form beehive kiln, two gas regula tor shed s, and a stable / garage (Fi­ comprised of three concentrati ons of clay industry acti vity spread gures 8-10). The kiln, a provinciall y-designated histori c site, is along the 1.2 km. railway spur. Between the three concentrations located on the former fac tory site. This is the largest beehive kiln are two open areas comprised of fi elds and fl ood plain. Moving remaining within the Med ic ine Hat area and is noteworthy for from west to east, the landscape elements are as fo ll ows: both its historical associa ti ons w ith the industry and fo r its

54 EDWARD MILLS

Fig. 10. Vi ew westward to Plain s­ man Clay Products fa ctory entran­ ce . with Alberta Clay Products gas regulator shed at right. (E. Mills. August 1999)

Fig. 13. Vi ew south to Hycroft complex from Wood Street entrance. (E . M 1lls. August 1999)

tures its various products. Sea ttered among these piles a nd a round the perimeter of the site are piles of brick remnants and tile shards da ting from the Alberta Clay Products companys five decades of operation (Figure 11) . structural characte­ The company was serviced by two railway sidings that ran ris ti cs. The two gas off the CPR spur line. One of these sidings was extended ca . 1938 regulator buildings to service the adjacent Hycroft plant, initiall y a wholly-owned and an associated gas subsidiary of the Alberta Clay Products Company (see site plan, well site are located Figure 5). The corridor of this siding, along w ith secti ons of rail, on the eastern perime­ remains in place. ter of the site, within the current bounda­ Hycroft Potteries Factory site (Figures 5, 13-21) ries of the adj acent The Hycroft plant occupies a 10.5 acre site that extends eas­ Fig. 11 . Second gas regulator building at western Hycroft property (see tward from the western border of the Alberta Clay products pro­ perimeter of Hycroft Pottery site (brick regulator shed in background at right). below). This sm all perty. The site is bounded on the south by the CPR mainline (E. Mills. August1999) brick structure illus­ corridor, and on the north by the spur corridor (Figure 5) . Both trates one of the uni­ properties currently share a common vehicle entrance off Wood que elem e nts tha t Street. The plant complex is comprised of the factory building contributed to the and adjacent warehouse, plus several small subsidiary structu­ growth of the clay in­ res. The fa ctory and warehouse are both of double brick wall dustry in this area C constructi on w ith steel and milled frame structural components. the discovery of large Completed in 1938, the two buildings comprise a cohesive ope­ gas reserves directly ra ti onal and visual unit separated by the corridor of the former below the building si­ ra il way siding. The brick exteriors of both buildings display the tes. This enabled the pragma ti c, functional approach to industrial plant design cha­ Alberta Clay Products racteristic of the interwar period. The flat rooflines accentuate Fig. 12. Alberta Clay Products site. showing Plainsman Company to develop the low, hori zontal massing and scale of the buildings (the facto­ Clay Products clay sorting piles on left , brick and tile remnants from destroyed factory on right, and beehive pri vate gas wells to ry contains over 47,000 square feet of operati onal space) (Figures kiln in centre background . run the plant. The for­ 13-16). Five parallel clerestories project above the flat roof line of (E . Mills. August 1999) mer stable building the factory, providing natural lighting for the production area. A stands on a separate lot adjacent to the north-west corner of the curved corner on the north west side of the factory adds a hint of Alberta Clay Products site, fronting on Clay and Steel streets. Moderne styling to the main public entrance area of the facility Although m odified to serve other uses, the building offers refe­ (F igure 14 ). A series of additions along the south and east facades rences to the parent plant through its wall materi als (brick and of the plant reflect various expansions to the fa ctorys production hollow tile) and through retention of the Alberta Clay Products lines over its operational life. The largest of these wings enclosed initials above an entrance. a circul a r beehi ve kiln and was added during the years imme­ The Alberta Clay Products site is currentl y occupied by diately following the opening of the plant in 1938. This kiln was Plainsman Clay Products Ltd., a subsidiary of I- XL Industries later removed, but the circular chimney stack remains in place tha t speciali zes in the production of pottery and m odelli ng clay (Figure 16). products for ceramic arti sts a nd hobbyists. (Thi s is currently the In addition to the two main buildings, the site contains the largest domesti c supplier of these products in Canada.) The mo­ former Alberta Cla y Products gas regulator building, a small stucco dern cinder block office a nd production building of this firm clad building (possibly a second gas regulator facility), and two free s tands nea r the site of the former brick plant and in close standing metal clad storage sheds. The western side of the proper­ proximity to the relic beehi ve kiln. Much of the property is covered ty formerl y served as a storage and dumping area for the plant, w ith piles of raw clay materials from which the company manufac- and abounds in pottery sha rds and other materials of potential

55 JSSAC I JSEAC 25. n•• 2. 3. 4 C2 000l

Fig . 14. Hycroft Pottery. showing railway siding corridor Fig. 19. Hycroft factory interior. showing pottery display on left, separating warehouse (left) and factory (right). entrance to circular ki ln on right. (E. M 1lls . August 1999) (E. Mills. August 1999)

a rchaeologica l va lue. It also contains the site of a fo rmer gas well that supplied power to the plant. The most rema rka­ ble aspect of the Hycro­ ft Potte ry pla nt is the intact producti on line, Fig. 15. Hycroft warehouse. west and north facades. railway spur in fo reground. much of it d ating from (E. Mill s. August 1999) 1938. In contrast to the o lde r Med a lta pla nt further east along the rai lway spur, H ycroft

(o r Medicine Hat Potte­ Fig . 20. Interior panorama of Hycroft producti on line. ri es as it was ini ti a II y (E. Mill S. August 1999) na med ), was designed as a state-of-the-art fac i­ cia! pottery producti on that oc­ li ty in which the produc­ curred here (Figures 20-21). Ad­ ti on line was ca refull y ditional equipment, much of it

Fig . 16. Hycroft factory, eastern facade. designed for maximum insta ll ed in the annex a reas ad­ (E. Mills , Augu st 1999) effi ciency. The interi or ded d uring the 1950s and 60s, is layout of the pla nt is associated with the line of cera- dominated by a circ ular mic sinks and toilets w hich the tunnel kiln, a pproxi­ plant p roduced during the lat­ m a tely 75 feet in dia­ ter stages of its operati on. In ad­ me te r a nd 235 feet in dition to its machinery, the plant length, w hich occupies retains a large inventory of cera­ a central secti on of the mics products and the moulds plant. This is the onl y used in their producti on. Many example known to sur­ of these pieces a re on display

Fig. 17. South facade of Hycroft factory, showing v ive in Canad a. To the a nd form an integral compo­ various additions dating from 1950s. 1960s. rear of the kiln, va ri ous nent of the interpreti ve program Fig. 18. Original floor plan for the Hycroft (E. Mills. Augus t 1999) plant. dated 1937. pieces of equipment oc- run by the Fri ends of Medalta (Fnends of M ed atta Soc1ety) cupy locati ons indica­ Society, current owners of the ted on the 1938 fl oor pla n (Fig ure 18). These compo nents, property. including blungers, cl ay p resses, agitators, segger mills, dryers A broad open field li es to the east of the Hycroft plant. Fo r­ and wheels, along w ith remnants of conveyer systems, gas lines merl y used as a storage and dump ing a rea for Hycroft a nd fo r and compressor lines, con vey a v iv id impression of the com mer- the Albe rta Clay Products plant, this fie ld also contains a natural

56 EDWARD MILLS

Fig . 21 View east from Hycroft plan t to Medalta Pottery in center background . Field is part of Fig . 22. View westward along railway spur. showing National Porcelain plant on left. Medalta the Hycroft site . building at right is a commercial greenhouse. Pottery on right. (E. MillS , August 19g9) (E. Mills . August 1999)

gas well site. The fi eld ser­ ves as a buffer between the Hycroft site and an adj a­ cent greenhouse o p era­ ti on. The Medalta Potte ry site li es a short distance to the east (Figure 21).

Fig. 24. 1955 site plans of Medalta Pottery and Na- Medalta Potteries Site lienal Porcelain . (F igures 22-25) {Medicme Hat Museum and Ar chives. Insurance Plan of the City of Medic1ne Hat. AHa .. July 1955, plate 44 ) The M ed a lta Potteries Fig . 23. View west from Medalta Pottery site. Greenhouses to right of boxcar, Hycroft in complex is comprised of center rear. (E. Mills. August 1999) five interconnected buildings, one detached building, and a row of four beehive kilns w hi ch occupy a 7.73 acre site fl anking the north side of the CPR rail way spur. Medalta Avenue marks the western boundary of the site. As noted above, the Medalta site is physicall y sep a ra ted from the preceding H ycroft site by approxima tely 300 me tres /yards of unassociated property, although the rail corridor serves as visual link. (The Friends of Medalta Society have acquired a boxcar and dining car w hich they have install ed on a short siding leading off the spur line direc tl y in front of the Medalta plant as interpreti ve elements see Figures 22-23 ). The nucleus of the Medalta complex consists of four interconnected buildings constructed in 1912 as components Fig . 25. Eastern side of Medalta complex. showing beehive kilns . Footprin ts of former buil­ dings associated with the site are visible in foreground. of Medaltas precursor, the Medicine Hat Pottery Company (1912- (E. Mills . Augus\1999) 13) (see site plan, Figure 24). The monitor roofs, double brick wall s and timber fr ames of these buildings convey a distinctive structures remain evident in the form of concrete slabs adjacent sense of place to the Medalta plant w hi ch is amplified by a row to the surviving structures (Figures 23, 25) . of four ci rcul a r beehive kilns loca ted a t the rear of the buildings. Whereas the Hycroft factory features an integrated pottery In contrast to the Hycroft factory, the Medalta complex was fabrication system housed w ithin a single monolithic structure, ad apted to cha ng ing technologies and industrial d e m a nds the va rious stages of pottery production were spread a mong the th ro ugh the addition of successive buildings, most of which were interconnected buildings within the Medalta complex. The com­ a ttached to the existing complex. Although several of these struc­ plexity of this internal plan, coupled w ith the structural quali­ tures were destroyed by a succession of fires that plagued the ti es of the timber framed interiors on the majority of the buildings, site over the years, the five-building complex continues to reflect conveys a distinctl y different impression of the industrial pro­ this organic evolution through the surviva l of components dating cess than that displayed at the neighboring Hycroft pla nt. from the 1920s, 1930s, and 1960s. These la ter additions ex tend The northern and western perimeters of the Medalta site a re northwards behind the 1912 buildings. The footprints of ra zed comprised of open fi eld s contai ning layers of residual pottery

57 JSSAC I JSEAC 25. n°' 2. 3. 4 <2000l

Fig. 26 . National Porcelain fa ctory site . vi ew Fig. 29. Historical 1930's panorama to north wi th Medalta at rea r. of Medicine Hat Brick & Ti le Co. (E. M1tls. August 1999) plant from cl ay escarpment. Medalta is vis ible in ba ckground . (Antonel11 & Forbes, Pottery m Alberta. 11 0)

shards, bricks a nd other by­ established on the banks products associated w ith the of Ross Creek. The steep pla nts years of operation. cl ay cliffs w hich were the o ri g inal inducem ent to National Porcelain Insulator clay manufacturing in the Fig. 27. View west along rai lway spur from Company Site (Figures 22, loca le serve as a promi­ tre stle over Seven Persons Creek. midway 24, 26) between Medalta and the I-XL site. The nent easte rn bounda ry to track ends at th is point. This site is bounded by Meda l­ the site and to the lands­ Fig. 30. View westwards fro n clay embankment. I­ (E. Mills. August 1999) ta Avenue on the west, by In­ ca pe (Figures 4, 29, 30). XL site. Remnants of the 1929 Medicine Hat Bri ck & Tile fa ctory are visible at right. dustrial Avenue on the south, These cliffs, which were (E. Mills. August 1999) a nd by the CPR spur line on originall y "mined " throu­ the north, immediately across gh a series of open pits, from the Medalta plant. It con­ have been modified over tains structural remnants of a the years to serve as sto­ plant which specia li zed in the rage a reas for clay which production of electrica l porce­ is transported to the plant lain insulators, a distinctive from acti ve mine sites in Fig. 28. View eastwards from termination of the ra ilway spu r at boundary of the I-XL site. sub-component of the clay in­ other loca tions in Alber­ (E. Mills , August 1999) dustry and the only example ta and Saskatchewan (Fi­

located in Canada. The plants gure 31). Fig . 31. Clay storage and mixin g area on the edge operational life extended from 1946 until its destruction by fire At present, the site of cla y embankm ent. I- XL site . in 1974 (see site plan, Fi gure 24). The survivin g remnants consist contains the headquar­ (E. Mills. August 1999) of two brick structures which probabl y da te from the plants in­ ters and major brick and ception, a modern one storey section, and the concrete fo otprint pipe manufacturing plants of I- XL Industries, the largest produ­ of the manufacturing section of the plant (Figure 26). The inter­ cer of brick and tile products in western Canada. A succession of pretative va lues at this site reside in its former associations with brick companies have occupied the site continuously since 1885. the clay industry and in its close proximity to the Medalta plant. The current I-XL plant refl ects decades of steady evolution and Directly east of the National Porcelain and Medalta Pottery growth that incorporates remnants of the Medicine Hat Brick and sites, the CPR spur enters a grassy area surrounding the cha nnels Til e Company plant, built ca. 1928-29. Solid brick wall elements and convergence point of Seven Persons Creek and Ross Creek. and a pair of large brick chimneys associated with former updraft At an undisclosed da te the stream courses were altered to reduce periodic kilns are remnants of the earli er plant (Figures 32-33). the hazard of spring flooding of the various industrial sites in In 1952 these kilns were replaced by a continuous tunnel drier the vicinity, including the Medalta plant. This area, w hi ch extends kiln system w hich remains in operation (Fi gure 34). Most of the to the boundary of the fifth and eastern-most site within the cul­ existing structural components of the plant d ate from major ex­ tural la ndscape, is of potential a rchaeologica l interest as the lo­ pansion phases tha t occurred in the 1950s, 1960s a nd 1970s. Ano­ ca tion of one or more 19'" century brick plants. At present, the ther change which has altered one of the sites important hi storical a rea is owned by the C ity o f Medicine Ha t a nd conta ins a associations was the removal, in the early 1990s, of the eastern­ recreational trail that foll ows the west bank of the stream (Figure most section of the CPR spur w hi ch had previously terminated 27). Trackage on the CPR spur ends a t that point, although the w ithin the I- XL property. ra il trestl e and road bed remain in place. The road bed extends a It should be noted tha t public access to the I-X L s ite is short distance eastwa rd to an emba nkment on the edge of the I­ restricted, although the company d oes o ffer conducted to urs of XL property (Figure 28). the faci lity. The site and its va ri o us hi storical associations, including the adjacent clay escarpment, a re clearl y visible from I-XL Industries Ltd. brick plant site (Figures 28-34) the CPR spur corridor w hich ends just outside the w estern This site li es at the easte rn end of the cultural landscape. It boundary of the property (Figure 28) . has sustained a continuous association with the clay industry since the mid-l880s w hen the first rudimentary brick plant was

58 EDWARD MI LLS

Fig. 32 . Remnant of 1929 Medicine Hat Brick & Tile plant in I-XL complex. Fig . 33. Remnant of downdraft kiln associated wi th pre-1950 Medicine Hat Brick & Tile plant. (Albe rt a Culture, Provmcial H istone Resources Inventory. 1999 ) I-XL complex. (Alberta Cult ure, Provmcia/ His toric Resources Inventory. 1999)

Integrity Comparative The integrity of the cultural landscape resides in the retention of Context di verse elements that reflect the unique qualities tha t defin ed To da te the Histo ri c Sites the clay industri es in this place. Three of these elements illustra te a nd Monuments Board the importance of ra il transportati on, na tural gas wells, and lo­ o f Canada h as recom­ ca l cl ay deposits, which coll ecti vely enabled Medicine Hat to mended designa ti on of become the predominant clay indus tries centre for western Ca­ two clay industry sites nada. The remaining elements consist of factories, factory sites on the basis of their his- and associated components that illustra te the diverse range of torical and / or historica l Fig . 34. 1953 continuous tunnel kiln . Medicine Hat Brick & Tile Factory. cia y indus tries that loca ted here. importa nce. These a re (Provincial Arch1ves of Alberta, A 5556) The combina tion of m ajor re li c s tructures, nota bl y the the Med alta Pottery in Medalta and Hycroft factori es and the Alberta Clay Products kiln, Medicine Ha t (1985) a nd asserts a sense of the histo ri ca l processes of cl ay manufacture in the Claybank Brick Plant, Clayba nk, Saskatchewan (1994). In the this a rea over an extended peri od of time (1 910s to 1980s) w hi ch case of Medalta, the Board recommended that "by virtue of its in is reinforced by former rail transporta ti on corridors, natural gas situ resources characteristi c of the ceramics industry, and its im­ regulator structures, and by the clay escarpment that defin es the pact on the development of tha t industry in Canada, the Medal­ eastern perimeter of the landscape. In the case of the former Al­ ta Potteri es is of nati onal hi sto ri c and a rchitectural significan­ berta Clay Products site, the ongoing acti vities associated with ce .. .. " " The Claybank site was cited as "an extraordina ril y intact the Plainsman Clay Products plant convey a sense of an evolved example of an early 20'" century brick making complex w hich landscape with cl ear associations to the clay industry. Similarl y, retains all of the key structures as well as much of the original the vast I-XL indus trial complex re presents an evolved brick making equipment. Furthe r, the plant w as one of compone nt o f the greate r la ndscape, comprised of a bric k major producers of domesti c cl ay refractory products used by manufacturing plant that has steadily evolved and expanded over the rail ways and the oil refining, power and metallurgica l in­ an 80 year peri od, set against the backdrop of the clay escarpment dustries. Finall y, save for the highest quality firebrick, the plant tha t gave ri se to the establishment of the clay industry in this used clay mined and manufactured on site .. .. "" locati on back in the 1880s. In 1996 the Board declined a request for designati on of a Although the aforementioned elements contribute to a dis­ third site, the Don Valley Brick Works in Toronto, on the grounds tinctive sense of industrial evolution, the visual impact of the that the plant had supplied onl y local markets for common brick, landscape is compromised by several gaps and visual intrusions. and currently lacked key equipment and facilities associated with The gaps consist of open fi eld s and a fl ood plain that separate its former m anufacturing processes" . the Medalta and National Porcelain p lant sites from the Hycroft All three of the above mentioned sites are associated with plant to the west, and from the I- XL site to the east. The principal an individual factory complex tha t produced a specifi c line of intrusions w ithin the a rea consist of va ri ous warehouses, li ght products: pottery and stoneware, refr actory bricks, and building industries and greenhouse ope rati ons that occupy sites w ithin bricks, respecti vely. the vicinity. Neighbouring streets on the north-west perimeter In 1987 the Boa rd recommended that "manufacturing is a of the la ndscape contain modest residences, some of w hich were major theme in Canadian hi story, w hich should be commemora­ once occupied by employees of the va ri ous clay industries". These ted on a scale appropria te to its significance." '; In 1990 a study gaps and intrusions are offset to some degree by the railway spur entitled "Manufacturing Locati ons in Canad a: The Identifica tion corridor that functi ons as a spine for the clay industries landscape. and Evalua tion o f Significant Multi-Indus try Manufacturing

59 JSSAC I JSEAC 25. n°' 2 . 3. 4 C2000J

Complexes and Evaluation of Significant Multi-Industry Manu­ clay beds, an excellent transportation infrastructure and vast facturing Complexes" was prepared and tabled in response to supplies of natural gas. The cultural landscape contains resources the Boards 1987 directive.'• In 1996, on the basis of the 1990 stu­ that illustrate all three of these factors, along with an array of dy, the Board recommended the commemoration of the Lachine factories and factory remnants that reveal the diverse range of Canal Manufacturing Complex "because of its role in the indus­ products associated with this industry. The combination of relic trialization of Canada and the number, extent, and variety of its elements dating from past developmental stages and current clay surviving manufacturing establishments." 17 At the same time, products industries presents a compelling blend of relic and the Board declined to recommend designation of three Ontario evolved landscape resources. manufacturing complexes (Toronto-Lower Don Valley, Brantford­ Grand River Valley, and Galt-Grand River Valley) on the grounds that they lacked sufficient cohesiveness." Comparisons between the cultural landscape in Medicine Hat and the industrial com­ Notes plexes in Lachine or in the three Ontario locations examples are 1 Gordon Fulton, " Claybank in remote locations, those in Me­ difficult owing to substantial differences in scale and to the more Brick Plant, Claybank, Saskat­ dicine Hat did not need to supply specific focus of the Medicine Hat landscape. The distinguishing chewan," HSMBC Agenda Paper workers housing due to the availa­ feature in this instance is the concentration of factory sites asso­ 1994-16, 388-390. bility of low cost residential lots in close proximity to the factory si­ ciated with various components of a single industry, whereas 2 Canada. Department of Mi­ nes and Technical Survey (Mines tes. the Quebec and Ontario examples were selected on the basis of Branch), "Manufacturers of Clay 12 HSMBC, Minutes , 1985-06, 20- the diversity of industries which they contain. Like the three Products in Canada", 6-3 (Ottawa: 21. Ontario examples, it must be conceded that the Medicine Hat Mineral Resources Division, April 13 HSMBC, Minutes, 1994-06, 15. landscape suffers from destroyed elements (the Alberta Clay Pro­ 1950), 4-13. 14 HSMBC, Minutes , 1996-11. ducts and National Porcelain plants). Conversely, these absen­ 3 John M. Manson, Bricks in Al­ 15 HSMBC, Minutes, 1987-11, 8. ces are balanced by the emergence of new clay products industries berta (Edmonton: Alberta Mason­ 16 Felicity L. Leung, David Mc­ on historical sites (Plainsman Clay Products), by the ongoing ry Institute, 1983), 20. Connell and Jean-Claude Parent, dynamics of the I-XL plant, and by the rich interpretive potential 4 Medicine Hat Board of Trade and Industrial Bureau, Medicine "Manufacturing Locations inCa­ of the two former pottery complexes. Hat, Alberta. The City where Indus­ nada: The Identification and Eva­ The merits of the clay industries cultural landscape are based trial Plants are of more importance luation of Significant Multiple-In­ on its qualities as an environment that uniquely illustrates the that Real Estate (Medicine Hat, Jan. dustry Manufacturing Comple­ xes," (HSMBC Thematic Study, many facets of an industry that has previously been recognized 1, 1913), 3-5. November 1990), 18-20. Medicine to be of national historical importance through individual site 5 "Manufacturers of Clay Pro­ Hat was not among the 60 Cana­ commemoration. In this case, no landscapes associated with the ducts in Canada," 6-3,4-13. dian cities identified as major pre- clay industry contain a comparable range of relic and evolved 6 Manson, Bricks in Alberta, 79. 1940 industrial centres in the 1990 landscape elements. The former clay industry landscapes located The five gas-fuelled brick plants study. located in Medicine Hat and Red­ 17 HSMBC, Minutes, 1996-11,5-6. in Toronto, Hamilton and Montreal no longer contain sizable cliff were able to remain operatio­ 9 concentrations of historical resources' • Similarly, the former clay nal during the Depression years 18 Ibid., p. 6. industry landscape at Redcliffhas been extensively redeveloped, due to their low fuel costs and 19 Jean-Claude Parent, "Les ins­ though I-XL Industries continues to operate a large brick plant easily accessible clays. All but tallations de Ia compagnie Don in that community. A former concentration of clay products three other Alberta brick plants Valley Brick Works," HSMBC closed during the same period. Agenda Paper, 1996-11, 16; Gor­ factories at Clayburn, B.C. has also been demolished. 7 Quoted in Manson, Bricks in don Fulton, "Claybank Brick Plant, Alberta, 19. Claybank, Saskatchewan," 1994- Summary of significance 16, 393-394. 8 Ibid. , 55-63. The historical significance of the clay products cultural landscape 9 Ibid., p. 58. The spur line rea­ resides in its associations with the growth and diversification of ched the Medicine Hat Brick fac­ an industry that has played a vital role in the economic and tory in 1912. physical development of western Canada. Medicine Hats 10 "Manufacturers of Clay Pro­ emergence at the centre of the clay products industry for wes­ ducts in Canada," 6-3 (1950), 4-13. tern Canada was attributable to the unique combination of local 11 Unlike clay industries located

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