How German POW camps in Alberta changed the region

During the midst of World War II, Canada took in thousands of Nazi German soldiers as prisoners back to home soil. Most of them ended up coming to southern Alberta, where two camps in Lethbridge and Medicine Hat were established to hold up to 12,500 prisoners each. This year, 2026, marks 80 years when the last POW’s were repatriated back to Germany

In this feature, BCN’s Landon Hickok dives into the history behind these camps, including some dark moments, and in what ways it changed the region.