Red Deer, Alberta

City of Red Deer
—  City  —
Aerial view of Downtown Red Deer

Flag
Coat of arms
Motto: Education, Industry and Progress
City of Red Deer is located in Alberta
City of Red Deer
Location of Red Deer in Alberta
Coordinates:
Country  Canada
Province  Alberta
Region Calgary-Edmonton Corridor
Census division 8
Established 1882 as a Trading post
Incorporated 1901 (Town)
  1913 (City)
Government[1]
 - Mayor Morris Flewwelling
 - Governing body Red Deer City Council
 - City Manager Craig Curtis[2]
 - MP Earl Dreeshen (Cons)
 - MLAs Cal Dallas (P.C.),
Mary Anne Jablonski (P.C.)
Area[3]
 - Total 75.85 km2 (29.3 sq mi)
Elevation 855 m (2,805 ft)
Population (2010)[4]
 - Total 90,084
 - Density 1,188/km2 (3,076.9/sq mi)
  Ranked 44th largest metro
area in Canada in 2006
Time zone MST (UTC−7)
 - Summer (DST) MDT (UTC−6)
Postal code span T4N to T4R
Area code(s) 403 587
Highways Queen Elizabeth II Highway
David Thompson Highway
Waterways Red Deer River
Website City of Red Deer

Red Deer is a city in central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, and is Alberta's third most populous city—after Calgary and Edmonton. Red Deer is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills focused on oil, grain, and cattle production. The city is a centre for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major centre for petrochemical production.

Red Deer County surrounds the city.

Contents

Name origin

The Cree peoples called the river on which Red Deer now stands, Waskasoo Seepee. This can be translated "Wapiti River" or "Elk River". Some of the first British traders thought the wapiti were a type of European red deer and gave the river its current name. The fur traders' confusion is not surprising. North American elk or wapiti (Cervus canadensis) are different from European elk (Alces alces). European elk are commonly known as the moose in North America.

History

Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by aboriginal tribes including the (Blackfoot, Plains Cree, and Stoney). European fur traders began passing through the area in the late eighteenth century. Into this rich ethnic mix, the Métis peoples brought their special blend of cultural styles and traditions.

A native trail ran from Montana in the south across the Bow River near Calgary and on to Fort Edmonton. About half way between Calgary and Edmonton the trail crossed the Red Deer River at a wide, stony shallow used by First Nations peoples and bison since ancient times. The shallows, now known as the Old Red Deer Crossing, are about seven kilometres upstream from the present City of Red Deer.

With the establishment of Fort Calgary by the North-West Mounted Police in 1875, traffic increased along what was by then known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. Fort Calgary to Fort Edmonton was called the Calgary and Edmonton Trail[5] After the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Calgary, traffic along the "C & E" trail increased substantially. A trading post and stopping house were built at the Crossing in 1882 and a permanent settlement began to develop around it.

During the 1885 Riel Rebellion (also known as the North-West Rebellion), the Canadian militia constructed Fort Normandeau at the Crossing. The fort was later taken over by the North-West Mounted Police who used it until 1893.

With the decimation of the buffalo by white hunters, the aboriginal tribes who relied on them for food, clothing and shelter were also in decline. The fertile lands around the Red Deer River were attractive to farmers and ranchers. One early settler, the Reverend Leonard Gaetz, gave a half-share of 1,240 acres (5.0 km2) he had acquired to the Calgary and Edmonton Railway to develop a bridge over the river and a townsite. As a result, the Crossing was gradually abandoned. The first train from Calgary to Edmonton passed through Red Deer in 1891.

Leonard Gaetz

As a founding father of the city, the Reverend Dr. Leonard Gaetz (1841–1907) is memorialized in the name of Red Deer's major thouroughfare: Gaetz Avenue.

Leonard Gaetz was born at Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia, in 1841. He married Caroline Blowers Hamilton in 1865. They had a family of 11 children. Gaetz was an ordained Methodist minister, serving the church until 1883. He left the ministry due to ill health and moved to the Red Deer Valley. He decided to homestead on the west half of a section on the Red Deer River, and one of his sons, Halley Gaetz, took up the other half section.

Leonard Gaetz acted as the local land agent for the Saskatchewan Colonization Company and purchased parts of three other sections from his employers. By 1890, the Gaetz family owned vast land holdings along the south bank of the Red Deer River around the mouth of the Waskasoo Creek. The holdings included parts of Sections 16, 17, 20 and 21. Leonard Gaetz's increasing wealth allowed his family to play a central role in the growth of Red Deer.

In 1895, Gaetz returned to the active ministry in Manitoba. Once again, this proved detrimental to his health. He retired back to Red Deer in 1901, and resided here for the remainder of his life. He was a strong promoter of the area, founding the Westerner showgrounds and annual "Westerner Days", akin to the Calgary Stampede. Gaetz also served as Red Deer's first mayor. He died in Red Deer in 1907.

1900 to 1929

Red Deer saw a massive influx of settlers in the early 1900s.

In 1901, when Red Deer was incorporated as a town, the population stood at 343. Through its location midway between Edmonton and Calgary and the fertile land that supported profitable mixed farming, Red Deer developed primarily as an agricultural service and distribution centre. A further boost came in 1907 when it was chosen as a major divisional point for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Two other railways, the Alberta Central Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway, entered the community in 1911. Red Deer underwent a large land boom.

On March 25, 1913, Red Deer was incorporated as a city and the population had jumped to nearly 2800.

The First World War brought a sharp end to the boom. Red Deer emerged as a small, quiet, but prosperous, prairie city. In 1922, the provincial institution for the care of the mentally handicapped, currently known as the Michener Centre, was established in the city. Prospects looked good for modest but sustainable growth.

1930 to 1945

The Depression of the 1930s was a major setback for Red Deer, though it fared better than some communities. Central Alberta was not hit by severe drought. The city was virtually debt-free and profited from its ownership of the local public utilities.

Growth returned to the city with the outbreak of the Second World War. Red Deer was chosen as the location of a large military training camp (the A-20 Camp). The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan built two air bases to the south of the city at Penhold and Bowden.

Post Second World War

In the late 1950s, Red Deer claimed to be the fastest-growing city in Canada.

By roughly 1991 the Canadian Pacific Railway had been removed from the inner city; the track currently runs parallel to the city outskirts. The most prominent landmark of the railway remaining is the CPR bridge spanning the Red Deer River, converted to a walking trail shortly after the track removal.

The city is now a major centre for oil and natural gas extraction and related industries and also for agriculture and agricultural services. It is also a regional centre for administration with a courthouse and provincial building. It is also well served with all major stores in malls such as Bower Place, Southpointe Common, Parkland Mall and many other locations.

Red Deer is also noted for its number of restaurants, economic resilience and youth demographic.

Attractions

Waskasoo Park

The park runs right from the outskirts in the south west to the north east and through the heart of the city. It gives Red Deer its alternate name of "Park City". Over 80 km (50 mi.) of multi-use trails permit biking, rollerblading, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and walking. Home to many birds and wild life, this unspoiled river valley park is well-loved, well used and undoubtedly a place of peace and beauty.

The park has a number of attractions including:

Recreation Centre

This older facility has been upgraded to modern standards and has indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms, hot tubs, etc..

Canyon Ski Resort

Located 10 minutes east of Red Deer, Canyon has 164 meter vertical, five lifts and thirteen runs with an extensive lighting system for evening skiing.

Enmax Centrium

The Centrium was completed in 1991 and hosts concerts, hockey, basketball, motor sports, ice shows, major curling events, circuses, boxing, rodeos, wrestling, trade shows and conventions. Seating configurations range from 2,000 to 6,828.

The most up to date lighting, communications and acoustical systems are incorporated into the design enabling concert sound quality sound, rather than that normally associated with arenas. Area

Exhibits

Ceiling Height

Westerner Exposition Grounds

This major complex encompasses:

Events range from Westerner Days (rodeo, pony chuck-wagon racing, fair, exhibitions, etc.) in early July to Agricon,

G.H. Dawe Community Centre

This 12,000 square metre complex is shared by a number of partner organizations including:

Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre

Adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2) the well appointed visitor centre is fully staffed and is adjacent to the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame

On the west edge of Red Deer, the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum is an interactive, hands-on celebration of Alberta's sporting history. Over 7,000 square feet of exhibit space includes a multisport interactive virtual system with hockey, baseball, soccer, basketball and football, a baseball pitching field, a 200 meter wheelchair challenge; a press box where visitors can "become" the sportscaster; a 40 seat theatre and the Honoured Members Gallery. The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame and Museum also has over 7,000 artifacts of Alberta Sports history in its collection, showcasing many of these items in a number of displays.

Education

Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12

Founded in 1887, the Red Deer Public School District[6] serves 10,000 students in thirty schools. Offering a wide range of programming, the District not only meets the needs of children and youth from the City of Red Deer, but also welcomes hundreds of students from the surrounding region and international students from around the world. Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School, Hunting Hills High School and Ecole Notre Dame High School, provide a large number of program options for students of high school age.

Post-secondary

Red Deer College was founded in 1964 as Red Deer Junior College. Today, it offers some degrees, adult upgrading, certificate programs, diploma programs, university transfer courses, applied degree programs, and apprenticeship and trades training.

Demographics

Census History
Year Population
1901 323
1911 2,118
1921 2,328
1931 2,344
1941 2,924
1951 7,575
1961 19,612
1971 27,674
1981 46,393
1991 58,134
2001 67,707
2006 82,772
2010 90,084

The population of the City of Red Deer according to its 2010 municipal census is 90,084,[4] a 0.2% increase over its 2009 municipal census population of 89,891.[7]

In 2006, Red Deer had a population of 82,772 living in 33,894 dwellings, a 22.0% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of 69.23 km2 (26.7 sq mi) and a population density of 1,195.6 /km2 (3,096.6/sq mi).[8]

Nearly 90% of residents spoke English as a first language while 1.7% spoke Spanish and 1.6% spoke French. The next most common languages were Tagalog (Filipino) at 1.1%, German at 1.0%, and Chinese at 0.8%, followed by Dutch at 0.6%, Ukrainian at 0.4%, and Vietnamese at 0.3%.[9]

About 4.4% of residents identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.[10]

Red Deer is home to almost 1,800 recent immigrants (arriving between 2001 and 2006) who now make up just more than 2% of the population. About 16% of these immigrants came from the Philippines, while about 14% came from Colombia, 8% came from India, 7% came from the United States, and about 5% from each of South Africa and the United Kingdom, and about 4% from El Salvador.[11]

Almost 72% of the residents are identified as Christian and over 26% said they had no religious affiliation for the 2001 Census. For specific denominations Statistics Canada counted 14,660 Roman Catholics (22%), and 10,970 United Church (16.5%), 3,720 Anglicans (5.6%), 3,065 Lutherans (4.6%), as well as about 1,305 Baptists (2%), and about 1,200 Pentecostals (1.8%), about 1,060 Presbyterians (1.6%), about 905 for the Christian and Missionary Alliance (1.5%), and about 650 Jehovah's Witnesses (1.0%), as well as about 585 for the Evangelical Missionary Church (0.9%) and 455 Mormons (0.7%).[12]

In a July 2007 analysis of demographic information from the 2006 Federal Census prepared by Environics Analytics, Red Deer was the city most closely resembling the country as a whole.[13]

Climate

Red Deer has a semi-humid continental climate (Koppen climate classification Dfb). The hottest recorded temperature was 36 °C (96.8 °F) on August 24, 1992.[14] The coldest recorded temperature was −43.3 °C (−45.9 °F) on December 9, 1977.[14]

Climate data for Red Deer
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12
(54)		 18
(64)		 19
(66)		 29.4
(84.9)		 32
(90)		 32
(90)		 33.3
(91.9)		 36
(97)		 33.5
(92.3)		 29
(84)		 22.8
(73)		 16.5
(61.7)		 36
(97)
Average high °C (°F) -5.8
(21.6)		 -2.7
(27.1)		 2.9
(37.2)		 11.3
(52.3)		 16.9
(62.4)		 20.5
(68.9)		 22.6
(72.7)		 21.9
(71.4)		 17.5
(63.5)		 11.7
(53.1)		 1.4
(34.5)		 -4.1
(24.6)		 9.5
(49.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) -11.6
(11.1)		 -8.7
(16.3)		 -2.9
(26.8)		 4.8
(40.6)		 10.4
(50.7)		 14.3
(57.7)		 16.3
(61.3)		 15.4
(59.7)		 10.8
(51.4)		 5.2
(41.4)		 -4
(25)		 -9.6
(14.7)		 3.4
(38.1)
Average low °C (°F) -17.4
(0.7)		 -14.8
(5.4)		 -8.8
(16.2)		 -1.8
(28.8)		 3.8
(38.8)		 8
(46)		 10.1
(50.2)		 8.8
(47.8)		 4.1
(39.4)		 -1.3
(29.7)		 -9.4
(15.1)		 -15
(5)		 -2.8
(27)
Record low °C (°F) -41.5
(-42.7)		 -41.5
(-42.7)		 -36.7
(-34.1)		 -26.7
(-16.1)		 -6
(21)		 -1.1
(30)		 1.7
(35.1)		 -2.5
(27.5)		 -8
(18)		 -25
(-13)		 -35
(-31)		 -43.3
(-45.9)		 -43.3
(-45.9)
Precipitation mm (inches) 22.4
(0.882)		 11.2
(0.441)		 19.6
(0.772)		 21.5
(0.846)		 61.8
(2.433)		 84.1
(3.311)		 92.2
(3.63)		 70.1
(2.76)		 49
(1.93)		 20.1
(0.791)		 17.5
(0.689)		 17.8
(0.701)		 487.2
(19.181)
Source: Environment Canada[14]

Media

Transportation

The city is served by Red Deer Regional Airport, which serves mostly general aviation, but also two small commuter airlines. Scheduled turbo-prop service is available to Calgary, Edmonton, Grande Prairie and Fort McMurray.

Red Deer Transit provides local bus service throughout the city.

Sport

Red Deer is the hometown of several well-known sporting personalities, including former NHLer Ron Anderson, ex-NHLer Glen Wesley, Trent Hunter, Chris Mason and Mark Tinordi, and Olympic gold medallist Jamie Salé. Ron MacLean is also from Red Deer. Olympic medallist speed skater Jeremy Wotherspoon also spent most of his childhood in Red Deer after being born in Saskatchewan. Olympic bronze medallist Deidra Dion grew up in Red Deer.

Arts and culture

Named Cultural Capital of Canada by Canadian Heritage in 2003,[15] Red Deer is home to a wide variety of cultural groups. It is the home of Central Alberta Theatre, Ignition Theatre, Central Music Festival, the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, as well as many other performing arts and fine arts organizations.

Community bands

Gallery

See also

References

  1. ↑ City of Red Deer. "Welcome from the Mayor". http://www.reddeer.ca/Connecting+with+Your+City/City+Services+and+Departments/Legislative+and+Administrative+Services/City+Council/default.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-06. 
  2. ↑ City of Red Deer (January 2007). "New City Manager appointed". http://www.city.red-deer.ab.ca/Keeping+You+Informed/News+Releases/Archive/2007/January/New+City+Manager+appointed.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-06. 
  3. ↑ Alberta Municipal Affairs (2010-08-06). "City of Red Deer - Municipal Profile". http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cfml/MunicipalProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=BasicReport&MunicipalityType=CITY&stakeholder=262&profileType=HIST&profileType=CONT&profileType=STAT&profileType=FINA&profileType=GRAN&profileType=TAXR&profileType=ASSE. Retrieved 2010-08-12. 
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 City of Red Deer (2010-06-01). "Municipal census complete; city population over 90,000". http://www.reddeer.ca/City+Government/News+Releases/Recent/Municipal+census+complete+city+population+over+90+000.htm. Retrieved 2010-06-21. 
  5. ↑ Alberta Trail Net (December 2002). "Calgary and Edmonton Trail" (PDF). http://www.albertatrailnet.com/downloads/December2002.pdf. Retrieved 2009-09-14. 
  6. ↑ Red Deer Public School District
  7. ↑ Alberta Municipal Affairs. "Alberta 2009 Official Population List". http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/ms/2009pop.pdf. Retrieved 2009-12-11. 
  8. ↑ Statistics Canada (Census 2006). "Red Deer—Community Profile". http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4808011&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Red%20Deer&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=4808011. Retrieved 2007-06-08. In 2007, the population grew by 2 734 to a total of 85 705 living in the city.
  9. ↑ "Red Deer". Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses—20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-11-20. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838052. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  10. ↑ "Red Deer". Aboriginal Identity (8), Sex (3) and Age Groups (12) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census—20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2008-01-15. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89122&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&Theme=73&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838052. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  11. ↑ "Red Deer". Immigrant Status and Period of Immigration (8) and Place of Birth (261) for the Immigrants and Non-permanent Residents of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census—20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-12-04. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89424&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&Theme=72&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838052. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  12. ↑ "Red Deer". Religion (95A), Age Groups (7A) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas 1 and Census Agglomerations, 1991 and 2001 Censuses—20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-03-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55822&APATH=3&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=56&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=99&GK=NA&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0&GID=431638. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
  13. ↑ "The marketing search for Anytown, Canada". CBC News. 2007-07-20. http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/census/marketing.html. Retrieved 2008-02-28. 
  14. ↑ 14.0 14.1 14.2 Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000. Retrieved 09 March 2009.
  15. ↑ City of Red Deer Document – Quality of Life http://www.reddeer.ca/NR/rdonlyres/E9BEC218-E486-4599-9E45-5168E10F9CF0/0/Qualityoflife.pdf

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