Page 22 - FF USA Exchange Diary September 2016

DATE: Thursday August 4 FROM: Anna Medalta Pottery, Teepee Building, Esplanade Museum

A lovely fine day in Medicine Hat started with a tour of Medalta Stoneware (Pottery), and our guide Alex showed
us around this old factory which was once state of the art. From the time it was built in 1912, it was expanded and
upgraded to keep up with demand, changing products and to take advantage of new technology. Medalta's
beehive kilns were based on medieval designs. We noticed little archways which were where the fire entered the
kiln via a large gas pipe, temperatures reaching 1,400 degrees F (hot enough to make a penny evaporate!). The
jigger machine was purchased used, in 1912 (mechanised interpretation of the traditional potters wheel). The
whole firing cycle took about two weeks from loading the kiln to cooling and unloading. This is a fascinating old
factory and museum, and only a limited number of pottery reproductions are being made here today.

Next to Police Point Park where the Perth Ambassadors had lots of fun constructing a teepee with guidance from
Valerie. We also learnt about the differences between a Blackfoot teepee that had four main poles to start with
and a Cree teepee that had three main poles. Normally our teepee would have 19 poles but we put up 12. Thank
goodness, as there was more hilarity than work being achieved. Next came the canvas instead of buffalo hides
and the inside hides and blankets. Of course we celebrated with an inside pow wow! Actually the First Nations
People only used the inside of the teepee for sleeping and there was often a small fire in the centre.

We had roasted Weiner sausages for lunch and the MHFF ladies put on another lovely spread of food which was
enjoyed by all. Toasted marshmallows and watermelon completed the meal.

We then went downtown to the Esplanade Museum and Archives, opened in 2005. This houses an Art Gallery
and Theatres as well, and cares for more than 25,000 artefacts, over 600,000 and millions of documents which
chronicle the evolution of the community. We particularly enjoyed hearing about the Blackfeet and Chief Crowfoot,
and the recent history of these First Nation People. An exhibition dedicated to the Canadian Forces Base and
Defence Research Suffield was also interesting here, as well as the old artefacts.
A quick tour of next door Duggan House built in 1886 completed the official part of the day.
We could then relax at the Medalta Markets for the evening, and most of us started off there. Later, some of us
enjoyed a lovely dinner at 'The Local' in the city.