Wheatland County, Alberta

Last updated

Wheatland County
Municipal district
Sign photo for Wikipedia.jpg
AB locator WHEATLAND COUNTY.svg
Location within Alberta
Coordinates: 51°02′16″N113°24′01″W / 51.03778°N 113.40028°W / 51.03778; -113.40028
CountryCanada
Province Alberta
Region Southern Alberta
Census division 5
Administrative office 242006 Range Road 243
Established1955
Incorporated1961 (County)
Government
[1]
 •  Reeve Amber Link
 • Governing bodyWheatland County Council [2]
List
  • Div. 1 Shannon Laprise
  • Div. 2 Amber Link
  • Div. 3 Donna Biggar
  • Div. 4 Tom Ikert
  • Div. 5 Scott Klassen
  • Div. 6 Glenn Koester
  • Div. 7 Rick Laursen
 •  CAO Brian Henderson
 •  MP Martin Shields
(Bow River)
 •  MLA
List
Area
 (2021) [3]
 • Land4,505.05 km2 (1,739.41 sq mi)
Population
 (2021) [3]
 • Total8,738
 • Density1.9/km2 (5/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MST)
Website wheatlandcounty.ca

Wheatland County is a municipal district in south-central Alberta, Canada that is east of Calgary. Located in Census Division No. 5, its municipal office is located east of the Town of Strathmore on Highway 1.

Contents

History

On January 1, 1955, Improvement District No. 41, part of Improvement District No. 42, part of the Municipal Districts of Bow Valley No. 40, Serviceberry No. 43, and Kneehill No. 48, were merged into one new municipal district to be known as the Municipal District of Wheatland No. 40 for the first time.

The Municipal District of Wheatland No. 40 and the Wheatland School Division No. 40 joined on January 1, 1961, and became known as the County of Wheatland No. 16.

On March 6, 1996, the name was changed from the County of Wheatland No. 16 to the name currently used, Wheatland County.

Geography

Communities and localities

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wheatland County had a population of 8,738 living in 2,842 of its 3,108 total private dwellings. With a land area of 4,505.05 km2 (1,739.41 sq mi), it had a population density of

Attractions

After the sod turning in 2016, the Strathmore Motor Products Sports Centre opened its doors to the public on February 23, 2019. The unique partnership between Golden Hills School Division #75, the Town of Strathmore, and Wheatland County made the project possible. The facility will serve as a regional recreational centre for visitors and residents of Strathmore and Wheatland County. The facility offers an indoor space to play soccer, lacrosse, basketball, volleyball, badminton, pickleball, and walking/running on the indoor track.

The Hamlet of Rosebud is home to the Rosebud Theatre and School of the Arts (Alberta's only professional rural theatre) and regular performances are held. Rosebud is also home to the annual Rosebud Chamber Music Festival, several art galleries, boutique shops and a centennial museum.

Wheatland County has three golf courses. The Oxbow Country Golf Course is a 9-hole course, while Speargrass Golf Course and Muirfield Lakes Golf Club are 18-hole courses.

Education

Wheatland County is part of the Golden Hills School Division. [6]

There are two schools within Wheatland County boundaries: Carseland School [7] (elementary), and Wheatland Crossing School [8] (K-12).

Carseland School is one of the oldest schools in the region. It was originally built in 1930 then rebuilt in 1993. It serves the hamlet of approximately 700 people as well as the surrounding rural area.

The Wheatland Crossing School is located in rural Wheatland County and serves students living in Rockyford, Rosebud, Standard, Cluny, Gleichen, Hussar, and east Wheatland. The official grand opening for Wheatland Crossing took place on September 26, 2017.

Located in Strathmore, Alberta, there are additional schools belonging to the Golden Hills School Division. There are three elementary schools (Wheatland, Westmount, and Brentwood), one junior high school (Crowther Memorial Junior High School), and one high school (Strathmore High School). In 2018, a new regional K-12 school (George Freeman) opened and will be serving Strathmore and rural Wheatland County students.

Christ the Redeemer Catholic School Division also provides education services to the region with a K-6 School (Sacred Heart Academy) and grade 7 to 12 school (Holy Cross Collegiate) in Strathmore.

In September 2008, Trinity Christian Academy opened at the former Covenant Bible College property in Strathmore. Trinity Christian is a Christian school providing Kindergarten through grade 9 and is publicly funded.

Economy

The economy of Wheatland County is dominated by agriculture and the oil and gas industry.

There are two industrial areas in the county. The Origin Business Park is a light/medium industrial area on Highway 1 near the Rocky View County border. The Goldfinch Industrial ASP area has a heavy industrial cluster. Goldfinch is located off Highway 24 near the Hamlet of Carseland and is served by CP Rail. Companies such as Nutrien, Orica, Stella Jones, Federated Coop Ltd, and Richardson Pioneer have plants in the area.[ citation needed ]

Wheatland County also has a developing renewable energy industry with several solar and wind projects and a gas-to-liquids upgrading facility. The county is actively pursuing opportunities in the hydrogen space and has hired a specialist to develop a strategy and engage industry.[ citation needed ]

In July 2022, CGC Inc., announced plans to invest $210 million to construct a wallboard plant in the Goldfinch area of the county.[ citation needed ]

In August 2022, De Havilland Canada (DHC) had to decommission its Downsview, Toronto, manufacturing facility, as the underlying land had been sold for redevelopment. [9] Previous plans to build new facilities in Calgary had fallen through, and in September 2022, DHC announced that it would construct a new aircraft production facility, De Havilland Field, in Wheatland County. The announcement stated that the investment would eventually create 1,500 jobs.[ citation needed ] In August 2023, the regulatory approval process was still underway, and DHC updated its plans to say that it would restart production of its primary product, the Dash 8 Q400, in Wheatland County by no later than 2033. [9]

The Infinite WC is the economic development brand for Wheatland County.

See also

Related Research Articles

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Langdon, Alberta</span> Hamlet in Alberta, Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Springbank, Alberta</span> Rural community in Canada

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cypress County</span> Municipal district in Alberta, Canada

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Cheadle is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. It is located on Highway 24, 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) south of the Highway 1 and approximately 35 kilometers (22 mi) east of the City of Calgary.

Carseland is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. It is located on Highway 24, approximately 23 km (14 mi) south of Cheadle and 26 km (16 mi) south of Strathmore.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rosebud, Alberta</span> Hamlet in Alberta, Canada

Rosebud, Alberta is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. Previously an incorporated municipality, Rosebud dissolved from village status on January 1, 1946, to become part of the Municipal District of Grasswold No. 248.

Gleichen is a hamlet in southeast Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. It is located adjacent to the Siksika Nation at the intersection of Highway 1 and Highway 547, approximately 40 kilometres (25 mi) southeast of Strathmore. It has an elevation of 903 m (2,963 ft).

Cleardale is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Clear Hills County. It is located on Highway 64 approximately 29 kilometres (18 mi) east of the British Columbia border and 98 kilometres (61 mi) northwest of Fairview.

Namaka is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County. It is located approximately 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) south of Highway 1 and 55 kilometres (34 mi) east of Calgary. Its name means "near the water" in Blackfoot. The first school was built in 1909.

Speargrass is an unincorporated place in the Canadian province of Alberta within Wheatland County that is recognized as a designated place by Statistics Canada. It is approximately 50 km (31 mi) southeast of downtown Calgary and 20 km (12 mi) south of Strathmore.

References

  1. ↑ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  2. ↑ "Municipal Affairs: Municipal Officials Search". www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca. Government of Alberta. Retrieved February 2, 2021.
  3. 1 2 3 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  4. 1 2 "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2006, Economic Regions: 4805012 - Wheatland County, geographical codes and localities, 2006". Statistics Canada. March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  6. ↑ Golden Hills School Division
  7. ↑ Carseland School
  8. ↑ Wheatland Crossing School
  9. 1 2 Jang, Brent (August 23, 2023). "De Havilland Canada confident in location for new manufacturing plant despite concerns". .com. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved January 8, 2024.
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