XL Lakeside Packers
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q)
Lakeside Region
XL Lakeside Packers is located 5 kilometres west of Brooks, Alberta – approximately two hours southeast of Calgary and one hour west of Medicine Hat, just off the Trans-Canada Highway.
XL Lakeside employees reside in a semi-arid region of Canada. This means hot and (usually) dry summers, and moderate winters without a great deal of snow – a classic prairie setting.
Southern Alberta also has the much welcomed phenomenon of the Chinook, which are warm winds that periodically push over the Rocky Mountains to give breaks in cold winter conditions (temperatures can rise 30 degrees Celsius in hours).
The region features many prairie highlights, including Lake Newell (a huge freshwater lake/reservoir located 15 minutes from the plant), Dinosaur Park (which is a main source of fossils for the world renowned Tyrell Museum), the Cypress Hills Interprovincial Park (40 minutes outside of Medicine Hat), and many hunting and fishing areas. Canada’s fastest growing city, Calgary, is less than 2 hours away and just beyond, Banff and the Canadian Rockies are only a short drive away.
Brooks
The city of Brooks has a population of about 13,000. Its economy is rooted in agriculture with XL Lakeside Farm Industries as the largest local economic force. In addition, oil and gas exploration and production, farming/ranching, and retail and service sectors help drive the area’s economy.
Brooks features all the amenities of a small city, but with the atmosphere of a town.
There are public, Catholic, and private school systems while post-secondary learning benefits from the Brooks Campus – a stand-alone satellite of the Medicine Hat College.
A 75-bed hospital, with a 24-hour emergency unit provides medical care for residents.
The town also has the new Lakeside Leisure Centre – an indoor wave/swimming pool, arenas, and curling complex that Lakeside provided major funding to build, outdoor rinks, and a large number of local and regional golf courses, tennis courts, parks, and camping areas.
Currently there is a brand new arena being built to facilitate curling and hockey as these are 2 very popular sports.
Medicine Hat
The city of Medicine Hat has a population of about 55,000. Its economy is rooted in light industry, manufacturing, and services -- but although the plant is about 100 kilometres away, XL Lakeside is still one of the city’s largest employers (with some 400 employees commuting to work).
There is a bus that will run our A shift team members to and from Medicine Hat for a fee that can be automatically deducted from a XL Lakeside employee's paycheque.
Medicine Hat is situated along the banks of the South Saskatchewan River (which starts at the Canadian Rockies and flows thousands of miles into the Hudson’s Bay) and features more sunshine annually than most cities in Canada.
Medicine Hat features one of Canada’s lowest cost of living levels – affordable housing, low city-owned utilities, and low property taxes.
The Medicine Hat College is the city’s post-secondary educational institution, while a full range of public, Catholic, and private school systems offer education for children.
The Medicine Hat Regional Hospital offers medical care, with the city having numerous clinics for other health care needs.
Medicine Hat has most every amenity one could expect in a medium-sized city – one local highlight is the Medicine Hat Tigers (of the Western Hockey League) – perennial Memorial Cup contenders.