The Medalta Potteries was a Canadian ceramics manufacturing company in Medicine Hat, Alberta, that operated from 1916 to 1954. It was the first manufacturer in Western Canada to ship its products east of Ontario. Background The rich natural resources in the area surrounding Medicine Hat provided impetus for the development of industry. Among them was natural gas, used for heating, lighting, and to generate electricity for powering industrial operations. Most Canadians at the time bought ceramic products from large, established manufacturers based in the United States, particularly Red Wing Stoneware of Red Wing, Minnesota, in western Canada, and Ohio potteries in eastern Canada. Three partners established Medalta Stoneware in 1916, starting with 12 employees, to prove that Canadian-made ceramics could compete with those from the United States, and that it was "equal in quality to any made in America". History The company's products gradually displaced American-made ceramics at western Canadian retailers. The plant became famous, and was an attraction for dignitaries, being visited by Lord Byng, the Duke of Devonshire, and the Prince of Wales by 1920. In 1921, it became the first western Canadian company to ship goods other than cereal grains east of Manitoba. Its incursion into the eastern Canadian market posed the first serious competition for Robinson Clay Products of Ohio in that market, which it met by decreasing its prices by 25%. Robinson Clay had a financial advantage over Medalta, as its customs dues were 15% lower. In 1924, the company was reorganized and renamed to "Medalta Potteries", at the time producing 75% of Canada's stoneware, including that for the entire western Canada market. The company discontinued its manufacture of red clay flower pots at this time, instead focusing on more decorative flower pots with a cream-coloured glazing that had become popular amongst its customers. A buyer for Eaton's wrote to the company, requesting that it "make a real flower pot". In 1928, after purchasing a used press from Montana and quarrying red clay from the surrounding land, it began manufacturing red clay pots again. Despite its success, the company made little profit and was constantly searching for used equipment it could obtain inexpensively to expand its business. With a workforce of 82 employees earning an average of $3.25 per hour, Medalta's labour costs were significantly higher than those of manufacturers of imported ceramics from Austria, Czechoslovakia, England, France, Germany, and Japan. It also relied on