Bragg Creek is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in southern Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 under the jurisdiction of Rocky View County in Division No. 6

Division No. 6, Alberta

Division No. 6 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. Surrounding the City of Calgary, the majority of the division comprises Alberta's Calgary Region, while the northern portion of the division is located within central Alberta. The division also forms the southern segment of the...

. It is also recognized as a designated place

Designated place

A designated place or DPL is a type of community or populated area identified by Statistics Canada for statistical purposes. DPLs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages.DPLs are communities that lack...

 by Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

.

Bragg Creek is located 30 kilometres west of Calgary (via Highway 8 and Highway 22) at the confluence

Confluence

Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...

 of the Elbow River

Elbow River

The Elbow River is a river located in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River....

 and Bragg Creek. It is located north of the intersection of Highway 66 and Highway 22.

History

Bragg Creek is named after Albert Warren Bragg from Collingwood, Nova Scotia

Collingwood, Nova Scotia

Collingwood is a community in the Canadian province of Nova Scotia, located in Cumberland County .-References:*...

 and his 14 year old brother John Thomas who homesteaded in the area in 1894. The community was established between a forestry reserve, the Sarcee Indian reserve

Indian reserve

In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...

 and a Provincial Park

Provincial park

A provincial park is a park under the management of a provincial or territorial government in Canada.While provincial parks are not the same as national parks, their workings are very similar...

. Its economy is based heavily upon recreation. Ranching has also been a primary economic generator in Bragg Creek since the 1920s.

Bragg Creek was featured in the feature films Storm

Storm (1987 film)

Storm is a 1987 Canadian drama film and first feature starring David Palffy and Stan Kane directed by David Winning. The movie was the debut of director Winning. Two college students on a survival weekend in the wilderness cross paths with three aging criminals looking for treasure buried decades...

 (1987) and Killer Image

Killer Image (1992 film)

Killer Image is a 1992 independent Canadian suspense film directed by David Winning. It starred Michael Ironside as "Luther Kane" and John Pyper-Ferguson as "Max Oliver". The story centers on two brothers, one a powerful senator, one a ruthless killer. A photographer captures images of the...

 (1992) both directed by David Winning

David Winning

David Winning is a Canadian and American dual Citizen film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated with science fiction, thrillers and drama.-Biography:Winning...

, and also Betrayed

Betrayed (1988 film)

Betrayed is a 1988 motion picture drama directed by Costa-Gavras, written by Joe Eszterhas and starring Tom Berenger and Debra Winger.-Plot:Set in the American Midwest, the film begins with the murder of a Jewish radio host in Chicago...

 (1988) directed by Costa-Gavras. During the 1990s, CBC

Canadian Broadcasting Corporation

The Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly known as CBC and officially as CBC/Radio-Canada, is a Canadian crown corporation that serves as the national public radio and television broadcaster...

 aired the television program North of 60

North of 60

North of 60 is a mid-1990s Canadian television series depicting life in the sub-Arctic northern boreal forest . It first aired on CBC Television in 1992 and was syndicated around the world. It is set in the fictional community of Lynx River, a primarily Native-run town depicted as being in the...

, which was mainly filmed in Bragg Creek. The town was the filming location for the new BBC/Discovery Channel series Dinosapien

Dinosapien

Dinosapien is a British/Canadian children's television program produced jointly by BBC Worldwide and Cambium Catalyst International with SEVEN24 Films....

(2007) and the 2009 CBC

CBC Television

CBC Television is a Canadian television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster.Although the CBC is supported by public funding, the television network supplements this funding with commercial advertising revenue, in contrast to CBC Radio which are...

 television series Wild Roses

Wild Roses (TV series)

Wild Roses is a Canadian television drama series, which debuted January 6, 2009 on CBC Television. Originally titled Cowgirls, CBC requested the change to Wild Roses after testing the title. The show was officially cancelled by the CBC on April 22, 2009 after only one season...

.

2005 Flooding

In the late spring of 2005, Bragg Creek and areas surrounding the Elbow River were put on a flood watch and eventually voluntary evacuation when the river rose over 2 metres, overflowing and eroding in some places. The majority of Bragg Creek buildings were damaged in this event, as were the majority of houses in nearby Redwood Meadows

Redwood Meadows, Alberta

Redwood Meadows is a unique community known as a townsite in Alberta, Canada – the only townsite recognized by Alberta Municipal Affairs at this time....

. The voluntary evacuation was not met with widespread co-operation, as many residents stayed to battle the flood by building makeshift dam

Dam

A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...

s. Bragg Creek has since recovered from the event.

Amenities

Bragg Creek is popular for shopping, with its quaint shops, restaurants, and mountain scenery.

The area is a popular spot for vacations and short day trips from Calgary. It is near the Rocky Mountains and Kananaskis Country. The Elbow River

Elbow River

The Elbow River is a river located in southern Alberta, Canada. It flows from the Canadian Rockies to the city of Calgary, where it merges into the Bow River....

 and the scenic Elbow Falls

Elbow Falls

Elbow Falls is a small set of waterfalls along the Elbow River, west of the hamlet of Bragg Creek within Kananaskis Improvement District, Alberta...

 are a short distance away.

There are many recreational areas in the area. These include Bragg Creek Provincial Park

Bragg Creek Provincial Park

Bragg Creek Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Rocky Mountains, in Alberta, Canada, at the eastern edge of Kananaskis Country. The park is located near the Elbow River and includes facilities for picnicking, hiking, and fishing....

 and the Canyon Creek Ice Cave

Canyon Creek Ice Cave

Canyon Creek Ice Cave, also known as Bragg Creek Ice Cave or Moose Mountain Ice Cave, is a small ice cave in limestone located in Kananaskis Country near the community of Bragg Creek, Alberta, Canada. Known to natives through prehistory, its 'discovery' is attributed to Stan Fullerton in 1905...

, also known as the Bragg Creek Ice Cave. There are numerous hiking/biking trails, equestrian trails and picnic/camping areas. Downhill skiing used to be popular, although since the abandonment of the nearby downhill ski centre, Wintergeen, only cross country skiing facilities are available.

Many summer camps, such as Easter Seals Camp Horizon and Kamp Kiwanis are also near Bragg Creek.

The powderface42, a marathon

Marathon

The marathon is a long-distance running event with an official distance of 42.195 kilometres , that is usually run as a road race...

 and half-marathon takes place in the vicinity every year. This event is called a mountain marathon, but is more like a classical marathon running race rather than the multi-day mountain marathon

Mountain Marathon

Mountain Marathon is an extended form of fell running, usually over two days and often with a strong orienteering element. Competitors usually participate in teams of two, and have to carry their own food and tent...

 events in the UK. The race does not have a navigational element to it; participants run on a predefined and marked course with water stations along it.

Demographics

As of 2006, Bragg Creek had a total population of 550 living in 220 dwellings. With a land area of 4.06 km² (1.6 sq mi), it has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 135.6 /km2.

Industry Canada shows that Bragg Creek's greater rural area had a total population of 913 living in 410 dwellings in 2001. With a land area of 50.88 km² (19.6 sq mi), its greater rural area has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 17.9 /km2.

External links

• Bragg Creek - Guide to outdoor adventure in Kananaskis & Bragg Creek
• Hikes in Bragg Creek