Lethbridge was the best move a doctor made for her family

Having endured plenty of frigid winters in her lifetime, Dr. Kirstin Derdall was pleasantly surprised by southern Alberta’s milder climate when she and her family relocated to Lethbridge 10 years ago. 

“Having grown up in Saskatchewan, seeing temperatures of 15 degrees above freezing in January feels like I’m living in the tropics!” says Derdall. “Lethbridge is warm, and I believe it’s one of the warmest communities on the prairies in winter.”

 

Located 205 km southeast of Calgary and just 90 km north of the US border, Lethbridge continues to grow in popularity, having seen its population increase to over 100,000 residents. But along with this increase has also come the need for more healthcare professionals, and the city is looking to attract more practicing physicians and recent medical school graduates to the area. 

“Lethbridge is a wonderful community to live in and practice for physicians in all stages of their career,” says Derdall. “Its population has seen a steady growth over the past decade so this, in combination with a number of physicians retiring, has created a lot of opportunities for physicians in town.”

Dr. Derdall says that living and working in Lethbridge has provided her a rewarding career. She says healthcare professionals can advance their careers in Lethbridge, with many opportunities for medical education, as well as administrative and leadership roles.

Derdall, who works as an anesthesiologist at the city’s Chinook Regional Hospital, loves all that the community has to offer, and she’s especially grateful for the short commutes and easy access to work and extracurricular activities. 

“My husband and I moved here with our two children after I finished my fellowship training; we’ve since had two more children and find ourselves very busy with all the children’s activities,” she says. “But we live in a beautiful residential area that’s just a short walk to the hospital and my children’s schools, and we also have a grocery store, public library, outdoor pool, beautiful playgrounds, tennis courts, and public golf course that are within easy walking distance.” 

With the longest commute for any of the family’s activities being only a short 15-minute drive, it’s easy to get involved in a diverse selection of outings without worrying about accessibility.

“Whether it be swimming lessons or access to ice times, it’s easy to register your children for these activities, and rarely are there any wait lists,” she says. “There are also many varied activities for which children can participate, from athletic to artistic pursuits as well as access to activities such as equestrianism and sailing, skiing and mountain biking.” 

And given that the mountains themselves — as well as many provincial and national parks — are within a three-hour drive of the city, planning a day or weekend trip to go hiking or skiing is well within reach.

The Derdall family enjoys exploring the many parks in and around Lethbridge, including this visit to the famous Nikka Yuko Japanese Garden. Several provincial and national parks are just a short drive from Lethbridge.

“Our favourites are Castle Provincial Park, Waterton National Park, Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, Cypress Hills Provincial Park and Peter Lougheed Provincial Park,” says Derdall of the many outdoor escapes surrounding Lethbridge. “Plus, Banff and Lake Louise are easily accessible, as is Fernie Ski Resort, Glacier National Park and Whitefish Mountain Resort in Montana, which is also a short drive and a great weekend trip.” 

Lethbridge remains affordable and accommodating, with plenty of new residential areas as well as older established communities in which to live.  

Unique to a small city, Lethbridge has three post-secondary institutions including Red Crow College, Lethbridge Polytechnic and the University of Lethbridge which will soon start a new rural medical education program in partnership with the University of Calgary.  

Lethbridge residents also have several beautiful city parks for exploring. “Lethbridge has one of the largest urban park systems in Canada, with the coulees leading to the Old Man River valley and miles of trails to explore,” describes Derdall. “There are also many wonderful playgrounds, a brand-new outdoor spray park and a number of outdoor picnic shelters to rent for hosting large outdoor parties.”  

Lethbridge is a thriving city located in southern Alberta, located near the rugged Badlands and the iconic Rocky Mountains. Derdall is grateful for her family’s decision to relocate to Lethbridge, as the move has benefitted her household and allowed her to maintain a balance between work and family. 

“My walk to work is under 10 minutes, and with such short commute times for children’s activities and basic things like grocery shopping, we have far more time to spend together,” she says. “Also, practicing at a community hospital tends to be very efficient, so the length of my workday is very reasonable.” 

Indeed, living and working in Lethbridge has made for a rewarding career for Dr. Derdall, and she sees plenty of opportunities here for medical education, as well as administrative and leadership roles within medicine for newcomers. 

“Given the size of the community, I’m able to have a great breadth of practice and variability in my work. Plus, the medical community here in town is also a very collegial and supportive group,” she says. “The hospital isn’t overly large, so it’s easy to establish relationships with colleagues across various disciplines. This creates a great network of support, both personally and professionally, and allows for much collaboration and cooperation in patient care.”  

Medical professionals looking for additional information on living and working in Lethbridge are encouraged to inquire here about the city’s healthcare recruitment initiatives. 

This story was created by Content Works, Postmedia’s commercial content division, on behalf of the City of Lethbridge.