Shane Chartrand's Trip through Southern Alberta
This wasn't a culinary tour. It was a conversation. Six days of sitting across from the people who grow it, brew it, bake it, and serve it — and understanding that the south has something the rest of the country needs to pay attention to. Join Shane Chartrand on his food tour across Highway 3.
Medicine Hat
Saamis Tepee
From the coffee shop, we hit up the giant teepee — and I learned so much more about its actual existence than I ever expected. This wasn't just a photo stop. There was knowledge sharing, there was smudging with a knowledge-keeper. We also visited the site where Medicine Hat got its name, and I came to understand both the story and the place where that name was given. That kind of land-based knowledge — it grounds you.
Highlight: Smudging with a knowledge-keeper. Understanding the "why" behind the name Medicine Hat.
After lunch, we visited Strathcona Park — the site where Medicine Hat got its name. Standing there, understanding the history beneath your feet, you realize this place carries more than scenery. It carries identity.
Neubauer Farm
A short tour out to Neubauer Farm for a meet and greet. The land, the people, the purpose — this is what southern Alberta's food system is built on.
Sweet Pure Honey
Time to hit up some bees and learn about the importance of them — how they dwell and exist. Out with Sheldon and Stella of Sweet Pure Honey to visit the beehives. There's something humbling about standing in a field and really understanding what these tiny creatures do for everything we eat. The south doesn't make sense without them.
Highlight: Getting up close with the hives. Understanding the full food story — from flower to jar.
Taber & Lethbridge
Johnson Fresh Farm
Who can go to the south without a pumpkin patch visit? We were almost overwhelmed with the amount of them, looking on into the scenery. This is fall in southern Alberta — wide open, golden, full of gourds. Pumpkin patches are open and worth every minute.
Highlight: That feeling of being surrounded by pumpkins in a field. Fall, in its full form.
Polytechnic Indigenous Plant Walk
Highlight: Hearing students talk about their journeys, then walking the land with elders. This is what culinary education should look like.
Lethbridge & Fort Mcleod
Don't forget to enjoy the views along the way!
Waterton & Southern Canadian Rockies
Stop for a moment and take in those mountains. This is Waterton doing what Waterton does best.
We ended up at Red Rock Coulee, taking in the air. That's what southern Alberta gives you — air, space, stories, and food that means something because of where it comes from and who made it. This wasn't a culinary tour. It was a conversation. Six days of sitting across from the people who grow it, brew it, bake it, and serve it — and understanding that the south has something the rest of the country needs to pay attention to.
