The history of human settlement in the Badlands is as extraordinary as the landscape.
Early Explorers
When explorers in the Palliser expedition visited the Canadian Badlands in the mid 19th century, they found the land dry and ill-suited for agriculture. They did, however, discover valuable coal in the coulees and river valleys of the region.
The Building of the Railway
Unfortunately, a subsequent expedition was sent out to map a route for the new transcontinental railway – the Canadian Pacific Railway 
- during a year of abnormally high rainfall. Despite earlier warnings, the government pushed to open the West to settlers.
Early Settlement
Aboriginal peoples had survived – and thrived - by following migrating herds of buffalo, but Europeans faced a daunting prospect when they tried to farm and ranch in the windswept region.
The Great Depression
The new settlers and booming coal industry made towns like Lethbridge, Drumheller and Medicine Hat grow rapidly, but drought during the Great Depression turned the Badlands into the notorious “Dust Bowl” of the prairies.
Ghosts of the Past
Thanks to new crops, new technology and irrigation practices introduced by Mormon immigrants, it has become possible to farm profitably in the Canadian Badlands. Nevertheless, ghost towns and abandoned farmsteads attest to the difficult lives of the early settlers.
You’ll find other relics of the past – including crocks and butter churns from the Medicine Hat Potteries - in local museums and antique stores throughout the region.
There are many ways to find out more about the history of the Canadian Badlands. Take a ride on an old steam train, step into a sod house, tour an abandoned coal mine, or visit a grain elevator museum.
Take the time to discover the story of the Blackfoot people who lived on this land for generations before the railway came.
