Three Hills

For the historic house in the United States, see Three Hills (Warm Springs, Virginia).

Three Hills
Town
Town of Three Hills
Three Hills Health Centre
Three Hills Location of Three Hills in Alberta
Coordinates: 51°42′26″N113°15′53″W / 51.70722°N 113.26472°W / 51.70722; -113.26472
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Central Alberta
Census division	5
Municipal district	Kneehill County
Incorporated [1]
•  Village	June 14, 1912
•  Town	January 1, 1929
Government [2]
• Mayor	Raymond Wildeman
• Governing body	Three Hills Town Council
Area  (2021) [3]
• Land	6.74 km2 (2.60 sq mi)
Elevation [4]	896 m (2,940 ft)
Population  (2021) [5] [6]
• Total	3,171
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal Codes	T0M 2A0 & T0M 2N0
Highways	Highway 21 Highway 583
Waterway	Threehills Creek
Website	Official website

Three Hills is a town in southern Alberta, Canada. It takes its name from the three somewhat-larger-than-normal hills to its north.

History

Three Hills post office dates from 1904. ^[7] Three Hills was incorporated as a village in 1912, the year it was moved to its current location on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line running between Tofield and Calgary. With ranchers and farmers constituting its first residents, it soon became a centre for the surrounding wheat-growing area.

In 1922, Prairie Bible Institute ^{[8] [9]} (now named Prairie College) was established in Three Hills with L. E. Maxwell as its first principal. This occurrence helped to increase the population of the town proper and its adjacent settlements. By the mid 1980s, the 0.53 km² (130-acre) college campus and the nearby hamlets of Grantville ^{[10] [11]} and Ruarkville ^{[12] [13]} were annexed to the town.

Although a relatively small community, Three Hills hosted the Alberta Seniors Games in the summer of 1998. ^[14] The town was chosen to host this event because of its ability to utilize large and well-equipped facilities at Prairie College. This included the opening and closing ceremonies, which took place in Prairie's 4,200-seat Maxwell Memorial Tabernacle.

Canada's largest religious auditorium, the Maxwell Tabernacle operated from 1953 until it was decommissioned and demolished in 2005. It was the college chapel and hosted Christian concerts and Bible conferences and was the worship centre for a local church, the Prairie Tabernacle Congregation. This facility was also used as the convocation auditorium for Prairie College, Prairie Christian Academy and the Three Hills High School. With the construction of a new 1,600-square-metre (17,000 sq ft) facility, opened in 2020, the Prairie Tabernacle now stands adjacent to Prairie Christian Academy about five blocks east of the college campus.

Because of the development of nearby methane fields, the food and lodging industries in Three Hills have grown considerably over the past few years.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Three Hills had a population of 3,171 living in 1,220 of its 1,290 total private dwellings, a change of -1.3% from its 2016 population of 3,212. With a land area of 6.74 km² (2.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 470.5/km² (1,218.5/sq mi) in 2021. ^{[5] [3]}

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Three Hills recorded a population of 3,212 living in 1,232 of its 1,306 total private dwellings, a 0.4% change from its 2011 population of 3,198. With a land area of 6.75 km² (2.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 475.9/km² (1,232.5/sq mi) in 2016. ^[15]

The Town of Three Hills' 2012 municipal census counted a population of 3,230, ^[16] a 2.8% decrease from its 2008 municipal census population of 3,322. ^[17]

Attractions

Three Hills offers much to its community, including the Three Hills Municipal Library, Aquatic Centre, Centennial Place hockey arena, curling rink, campground, Three Hills Golf Club, and the Kneehill Historical Museum. ^[18]

Since 1981, Three Hills has hosted an annual weekend in early June for auto enthusiasts called Cruise Night. The event typically attracts more than 8,000 visitors, along with their classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and hot rods. This weekend is the largest of its kind in all of Western Canada. ^[19]

Media

• The Capital – weekly newspaper ^[20]

Notable people

• Phil Callaway, humorist, speaker, and award-winning author of 25 books ^[21]
• Erica Durance, actress known for her roles as Lois Lane (in Smallville) and Dr. Alex Reid (in Saving Hope) ^{[22] [23]}
• Paul Janz, musician and theologian
• Bill Peters, NHL coach ^[24]

See also

• Three Hills Airport
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of towns in Alberta

References

1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Three Hills" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 7 October 2016. p. 646. Retrieved 13 October 2016.
2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 9 February 2022.
4. "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Retrieved 9 October 2013.
5. "Population and dwelling count amendments, 2021 Census". Statistics Canada. 1 December 2023. Retrieved 22 September 2024.
6. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 13 February 2022.
7. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 33. ISBN   0-7715-9754-1.
8. Prairie Bible College
9. ChristianWeek (5 May 2015). "Prairie College on mission with a simpler name". ChristianWeek. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
10. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 16267)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 15 October 1983. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
11. "O.C. 483/83" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 15 October 1983. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
12. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 17120)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 31 January 1985. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
13. "O.C. 942/84" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 31 January 1985. Retrieved 20 November 2012.
14. Alberta Games Website
15. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2017.
16. "Cindy Amos visits Three Hills Town Council". Three Hills Capital. 27 June 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
17. "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 15 September 2009. Retrieved 14 September 2010.
18. "Town of Three Hills Living" . Retrieved 29 September 2018.
19. "Three Hills Cruise Weekend". Festival Seekers. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
20. The Capital
21. "Phil's Bio" . Retrieved 29 September 2018.
22. "Erica Durance". IMDB. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
23. Abrams, N. (7 July 2017). "Supergirl adds Smallville's Erica Durance in major recast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
24. "Carolina Hurricanes' Bio on Bill Peters".

External links

• Official website