Red Deer, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta
, Canada
. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor
and is surrounded by Red Deer County
. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary
and Edmonton
. The city is located in aspen parkland
, a region of rolling hills that is subject to oil, grain, and cattle production. It is a centre for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major centre for petrochemical production. According to the 2011 municipal census, the population is now 91,877.
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).
, 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 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 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 1240 acres (5 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.
Born in 1841 at Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia
, Gaetz married Caroline Blowers Hamilton in 1865. They had a family of eleven 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.
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 2,800.
World War I
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.
of the 1930s was a major setback for city, 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 World War II
. 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
.
, located on the north bank of the Red Deer River.
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.
The park has a number of attractions including:
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
Events range from Westerner Days (rodeo, pony chuck-wagon racing, fair, exhibitions, etc.) in early July to Agricon.
Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2
's school École La Prairie is a French school located in downtown Red Deer that offers pre-kindergarten through grade 9 programs. It offers all courses in French to a population of 119 students whose first language is French.
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.
The population of the City of Red Deer according to its 2011 municipal census is 91,877, a two-percent increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 90,084.
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 1195.6 /km2.
Nearly ninety percent of residents spoke English
as a first language
while 1.7 percent spoke Spanish
and 1.6% spoke French
. The next most common languages were Tagalog
(Filipino) at 1.1 percent, German
at 1.0 percent, and Chinese
at 0.8 percent, followed by Dutch
at 0.6%, Ukrainian
at 0.4 percent, and Vietnamese
at 0.3 percent.
About 4.4 percent of residents identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.
Red Deer is home to almost 1,800 recent immigrants (arriving between 2001 and 2006) who now make up just more than two percent of the population. About sixteen percent of these immigrants came from the Philippines
, while about 14% came from Colombia
, 8% came from India
, seven percent came from the United States
, and about five percent from each of South Africa
and the United Kingdom
, and about four percent from El Salvador
.
Almost seventy-two percent of the residents are identified as Christian
and over twenty-six percent said they had no religious affiliation for the 2001 Census. For specific denominations Statistics Canada
counted 14,660 Roman Catholics (22 percent), and 10,970 United Church
(16.5 percent), 3,720 Anglicans
(5.6 percent), 3,065 Lutherans (4.6 percent), as well as about 1,305 Baptists (2 percent), and about 1,200 Pentecostals (1.8 percent), about 1,060 Presbyterians
(1.6 percent), about 905 for the Christian and Missionary Alliance
(1.5 percent), and about 650 Jehovah's Witnesses
(1.0 percent), as well as about 585 for the Evangelical Missionary Church
(0.9 percent) and 455 Mormons
(0.7 percent ).
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.
(Koppen climate classification
Dfb), with somewhat of a semi-arid influence. The hottest recorded temperature was 36 °C (96.8 °F) on August 24, 1992. The coldest recorded temperature was -43.3 C on December 9, 1977.
, 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.
, ex-NHLer Glen Wesley
, Trent Hunter
, Chris Mason, Brandon Sutter
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 Dionne grew up in Red Deer.
, the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, as well as many other performing arts and fine arts organizations.
:Category:People from Red Deer, Alberta
Central Alberta
Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor
Calgary-Edmonton Corridor
The Calgary–Edmonton Corridor is a geographical region of the Canadian province of Alberta. It is the most urbanized area in Alberta and is one of Canada's four most urban regions. It consists of Statistics Canada census divisions No. 11, No. 8, and No. 6. Measured from north to south, the region...
and is surrounded by Red Deer County
Red Deer County, Alberta
Red Deer County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada in Division No. 8 and is where the City of Red Deer is located. The neighbouring municipalities of Red Deer County are the Clearwater County to the west, Lacombe County to the north, Stettler County to the east, and to the south are...
. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
and Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
. The city is located in aspen parkland
Aspen parkland
Aspen parkland refers to a very large area of transitional biome between prairie and boreal forest in two sections; the Peace River Country of northwestern Alberta crossing the border into British Columbia, and a much larger area stretching from central Alberta, all across central Saskatchewan to...
, a region of rolling hills that is subject to oil, grain, and cattle production. It is a centre for oil and agriculture distribution, and the surrounding region is a major centre for petrochemical production. According to the 2011 municipal census, the population is now 91,877.
Name origin
The CreeCree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
peoples called the river on which Red Deer now stands, Waskasoo Seepee. This can be translated "Wapiti River
Wapiti River
Wapiti River is a river in eastern British Columbia and western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Smoky River, located in the southern area of the Peace River Basin.Wapiti is named after the Cree word for elk .-Course:...
" or "Elk
Elk
The Elk is the large deer, also called Cervus canadensis or wapiti, of North America and eastern Asia.Elk may also refer to:Other antlered mammals:...
River". Some of the first British traders thought the wapiti
Wapiti
- Animals :* Elk , from the Cree language waapiti, a large deer species native to western North America and eastern Asia- Places :* Wapiti Pass, a mountain pass in British Columbia, Canada...
were a type of European red deer
Red Deer
The red deer is one of the largest deer species. Depending on taxonomy, the red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Asia Minor, parts of western Asia, and central Asia. It also inhabits the Atlas Mountains region between Morocco and Tunisia in northwestern Africa, being...
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).
History
Prior to European settlement, the area was inhabited by aboriginal tribes including the (BlackfootBlackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
, Plains Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Stoney). European fur traders began passing through the area in the late eighteenth century. Into this rich ethnic mix, the Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
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
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
peoples and bison
Bison
Members of the genus Bison are large, even-toed ungulates within the subfamily Bovinae. Two extant and four extinct species are recognized...
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
Calgary and Edmonton Trail
The Calgary and Edmonton Trail was a land transport route between Fort Edmonton and Fort Calgary in the Canadian Northwest.Several trails south from the fur trade post at Fort Edmonton had existed for some time...
. Fort Calgary to Fort Edmonton was called the Calgary and Edmonton Trail 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
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
(also known as the North-West Rebellion
North-West Rebellion
The North-West Rebellion of 1885 was a brief and unsuccessful uprising by the Métis people of the District of Saskatchewan under Louis Riel against the Dominion of Canada...
), the Canadian militia
Canadian Militia
The Canadian Militia was the traditional title for the land forces of Canada from before Confederation in 1867 to 1940 when it was renamed the Canadian Army.The Militia consisted of:* Permanent Active Militia* Non-Permanent Active 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 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 1240 acres (5 km²) he had acquired to the Calgary and Edmonton Railway
Calgary and Edmonton Railway
The Calgary and Edmonton Railway was an early pioneer railway in what was then the Northwest Territories, now Alberta, Canada. It connected the towns of Calgary and Strathcona and opened in 1891...
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 thoroughfare: Gaetz Avenue.Born in 1841 at Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia
Nova Scotia is one of Canada's three Maritime provinces and is the most populous province in Atlantic Canada. The name of the province is Latin for "New Scotland," but "Nova Scotia" is the recognized, English-language name of the province. The provincial capital is Halifax. Nova Scotia is the...
, Gaetz married Caroline Blowers Hamilton in 1865. They had a family of eleven 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
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
, 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 2,800.
World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
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 Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
of the 1930s was a major setback for city, 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 World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Red Deer was chosen as the location of a large military training camp (the A-20 Camp). The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
British Commonwealth Air Training Plan
The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan , known in some countries as the Empire Air Training Scheme , was a massive, joint military aircrew training program created by the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and New Zealand, during the Second World War...
built two air bases to the south of the city at Penhold
Penhold, Alberta
Penhold is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Penhold is surrounded by the county of Red Deer No. 23, south of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 2A and Highway 42. It is located north of Calgary, along the Red Deer River...
and Bowden
Bowden, Alberta
Bowden is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Red Deer County, south of Red Deer, on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway.- Geography :Nearby communities are Innisfail , James River Bridge , Huxley and Olds ....
.
Post Second World War
On January 1, 1948, the City of Red Deer amalgamated with the Village of North Red DeerNorth Red Deer, Alberta
North Red Deer is a former village in central Alberta, Canada within the City of Red Deer.The village was located on the north shore of the Red Deer River along the Calgary and Edmonton Railway, which was later acquired by the Canadian Pacific Railway...
, located on the north bank of the Red Deer River.
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.
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 the city its alternate name of "Park City". Over 80 kilometres (49.7 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:
- Bower Ponds and Cronquist Heritage Centre
- Coronation Park
- Discovery Canyon
- Edgar Athletic Park
- Fort Normandeau
- Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary
- Great Chief Athletic Park
- Great Chief (Maskepetoon) Park
- Great West Adventure Park and BMX track
- Heritage Ranch
- Kerry Wood Nature Centre
- Kin Kanyon
- Kiwanis Picnic Park
- Lions Campground
- McKenzie Trail Recreation Area
- Rotary Skateboard Park
- River Bend Golf & Recreation Area
- Three Mile Bend
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 ten 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.
- Hockey – 5,858 full house
- Concerts – 7,210 full house (including floor seating)
- Up to 3,357 half house
- 6,714 full house (excluding floor seating)
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
- Arena – 200' x 85', 17,000 sq ft (1,759 sq m)
- Arena Level, seating removed – 50,000 sq ft (7,626 sq m)
- Concourse Level – 30,000 sq ft (2,790 sq m)
Exhibits
- Arena – 100 (10' x 10')
- Arena Level, seating removed – 250 (10' x 10')
- Concourse Level –100 (10' x 10')
Ceiling Height
- 52 ft (17m) to roof truss
Westerner Exposition Grounds
This major complex encompasses:- The Agricentre
- The Altaplex
- The Centrium
- The Chalet
- The Harvest Centre
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:- St. Patrick's School
- G.H. Dawe Community School
- Red Deer Public Library, G.H. Dawe Branch
- G.H. Dawe Centre recreation facility
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 FameAlberta 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 7000 square feet (650.3 m²) 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.Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 12
Founded in 1887, the Red Deer Public School District 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.Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2
Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2
The Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2, known in French as the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord is Alberta’s largest French language school board. French language education is intended for children who are eligible under section 23 of the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms...
's school École La Prairie is a French school located in downtown Red Deer that offers pre-kindergarten through grade 9 programs. It offers all courses in French to a population of 119 students whose first language is French.
Post-secondary
Red Deer CollegeRed Deer College
Red Deer College is a public comprehensive community college of approximately 7,000 students located in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1964, RDC was built for a smaller semi-rural community but, in the four and a half decades since its founding, the city has grown into the third largest...
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 |
The population of the City of Red Deer according to its 2011 municipal census is 91,877, a two-percent increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 90,084.
In 2006, Red Deer had a population of 82,772 living in 33,894 dwellings
House
A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...
, a 22.0% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of 69.23 km² (26.7 sq mi) and 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 1195.6 /km2.
Nearly ninety percent of residents spoke English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
as a first language
First language
A first language is the language a person has learned from birth or within the critical period, or that a person speaks the best and so is often the basis for sociolinguistic identity...
while 1.7 percent spoke Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and 1.6% spoke French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
. The next most common languages were Tagalog
Tagalog language
Tagalog is an Austronesian language spoken as a first language by a third of the population of the Philippines and as a second language by most of the rest. It is the first language of the Philippine region IV and of Metro Manila...
(Filipino) at 1.1 percent, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
at 1.0 percent, and Chinese
Chinese language
The Chinese language is a language or language family consisting of varieties which are mutually intelligible to varying degrees. Originally the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages...
at 0.8 percent, followed by Dutch
Dutch language
Dutch is a West Germanic language and the native language of the majority of the population of the Netherlands, Belgium, and Suriname, the three member states of the Dutch Language Union. Most speakers live in the European Union, where it is a first language for about 23 million and a second...
at 0.6%, Ukrainian
Ukrainian language
Ukrainian is a language of the East Slavic subgroup of the Slavic languages. It is the official state language of Ukraine. Written Ukrainian uses a variant of the Cyrillic alphabet....
at 0.4 percent, and Vietnamese
Vietnamese language
Vietnamese is the national and official language of Vietnam. It is the mother tongue of 86% of Vietnam's population, and of about three million overseas Vietnamese. It is also spoken as a second language by many ethnic minorities of Vietnam...
at 0.3 percent.
About 4.4 percent of residents identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.
Red Deer is home to almost 1,800 recent immigrants (arriving between 2001 and 2006) who now make up just more than two percent of the population. About sixteen percent of these immigrants came from the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, while about 14% came from Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
, 8% came from India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, seven percent came from the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, and about five percent from each of South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
and the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
, and about four percent from El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
.
Almost seventy-two percent of the residents are identified as Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
and over twenty-six percent said they had no religious affiliation for the 2001 Census. For specific denominations 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....
counted 14,660 Roman Catholics (22 percent), and 10,970 United Church
United Church of Canada
The United Church of Canada is a Protestant Christian denomination in Canada. It is the largest Protestant church and, after the Roman Catholic Church, the second-largest Christian church in Canada...
(16.5 percent), 3,720 Anglicans
Anglican Church of Canada
The Anglican Church of Canada is the Province of the Anglican Communion in Canada. The official French name is l'Église Anglicane du Canada. The ACC is the third largest church in Canada after the Roman Catholic Church and the United Church of Canada, consisting of 800,000 registered members...
(5.6 percent), 3,065 Lutherans (4.6 percent), as well as about 1,305 Baptists (2 percent), and about 1,200 Pentecostals (1.8 percent), about 1,060 Presbyterians
Presbyterian Church in Canada
The Presbyterian Church in Canada is the name of a Protestant Christian church, of presbyterian and reformed theology and polity, serving in Canada under this name since 1875, although the United Church of Canada claimed the right to the name from 1925 to 1939...
(1.6 percent), about 905 for the Christian and Missionary Alliance
Christian and Missionary Alliance
The Christian and Missionary Alliance is an evangelical Protestant denomination within Christianity.Founded by Rev. Albert Benjamin Simpson in 1887, the Christian & Missionary Alliance did not start off as a denomination, but rather began as two distinct parachurch organizations: The Christian...
(1.5 percent), and about 650 Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses
Jehovah's Witnesses is a millenarian restorationist Christian denomination with nontrinitarian beliefs distinct from mainstream Christianity. The religion reports worldwide membership of over 7 million adherents involved in evangelism, convention attendance of over 12 million, and annual...
(1.0 percent), as well as about 585 for the Evangelical Missionary Church
Evangelical Missionary Church
The Evangelical Missionary Church of Canada is a Canadian family of churches with historical roots in the pioneer settlement of Ontario and the Canadian West, earlier European migration to the eastern seaboard of the USA, and the Reformation in Europe...
(0.9 percent) and 455 Mormons
Mormons
The Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, a religion started by Joseph Smith during the American Second Great Awakening. A vast majority of Mormons are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints while a minority are members of other independent churches....
(0.7 percent ).
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.
Climate
Red Deer has a humid continental climateContinental climate
Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...
(Koppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfb), with somewhat of a semi-arid influence. The hottest recorded temperature was 36 °C (96.8 °F) on August 24, 1992. The coldest recorded temperature was -43.3 C on December 9, 1977.
Media
Transportation
The city is served by Red Deer Regional AirportRed Deer Regional Airport
Red Deer Regional Airport, , is located south southwest of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. The airport is mostly general aviation and charter service, but is also served by two small scheduled commercial airlines, with non-stop service to Calgary, Edmonton, and several small communities in Alberta...
, which serves mostly general aviation, but also two small commuter airlines. Scheduled turbo-prop service is available to Calgary
Calgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, Edmonton
Edmonton
Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...
, Grande Prairie
Grande Prairie, Alberta
Grande Prairie is a city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country . The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No...
and Fort McMurray
Fort McMurray, Alberta
Fort McMurray is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in Alberta, Canada. It was previously incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980. It became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995 to create the Municipality...
.
Red Deer Transit
Red Deer Transit
The Red Deer Transit Department is part of the Community Services Division of the City of Red Deer, which lies mid way between Calgary and Edmonton in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city took over operation of the public transit system from private operators in 1966.-Services:There are 12...
provides local bus service throughout the city.
Sport
Red Deer is the hometown of several well-known sporting personalities, including former NHLer Ron AndersonRon Anderson (ice hockey b. 1945)
Ron Anderson is a former ice hockey right winger. He played in the National Hockey League for the Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings, St. Louis Blues, and Buffalo Sabres. He also played in the World Hockey Association with the Alberta/Edmonton Oilers...
, ex-NHLer Glen Wesley
Glen Wesley
Glen Edwin Wesley is a retired Canadian ice hockey defenceman who played 10 seasons for the Hartford Whalers/Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League. He began his career with the Boston Bruins, and briefly played for the Toronto Maple Leafs...
, Trent Hunter
Trent Hunter
Trent Hunter is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger, who currently plays for the Los Angeles Kings. He has previously played with the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League. On September 14, 2011 it was announced that Hunter would sign a professional tryout contract with the...
, Chris Mason, Brandon Sutter
Brandon Sutter
Brandon Sutter is a Canadian professional ice hockey player and alternate captain of the Carolina Hurricanes of the National Hockey League...
and Mark Tinordi
Mark Tinordi
Mark D. Tinordi is a retired professional ice hockey defenceman who played in the National Hockey League for twelve seasons between 1987–88 and 1998–99....
, and Olympic gold medallist Jamie Salé
Jamie Salé
Jamie Rae Salé is a Canadian pair skater. With partner David Pelletier, she is a 2002 Olympic Champion and the 2001 World Champion. Salé & Pelletier's Olympic gold medal was shared with the Russian pair Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze after the 2002 Olympic Winter Games figure skating...
. Ron MacLean
Ron MacLean
Ronald Harold "Ron" MacLean is a Canadian sportscaster for the CBC who is best known as the host of Hockey Night in Canada.-Early life and career:...
is also from Red Deer. Olympic medallist speed skater Jeremy Wotherspoon
Jeremy Wotherspoon
Jeremy Lee Wotherspoon is a Canadian speed skater, widely recognized as one of the greatest speedskating sprinters of all time....
also spent most of his childhood in Red Deer after being born in Saskatchewan. Olympic bronze medallist Deidra Dionne grew up in Red Deer.
- Red Deer RebelsRed Deer RebelsThe Red Deer Rebels are a Western Hockey League junior ice hockey team based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. They play their home games at the ENMAX Centrium....
- Red Deer Magpies
Arts and culture
Named Cultural Capital of Canada by Canadian Heritage in 2003, 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 OrchestraRed Deer Symphony
Red Deer Symphony is a regional professional orchestra based in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada.Founded initially as a community ensemble in 1987, it rapidly grew to become a fully professional orchestra presenting six main series concerts, three chamber music series concerts, and a variety of specials...
, the Red Deer Museum and Art Gallery, as well as many other performing arts and fine arts organizations.
See also
:Category:People from Red Deer, Alberta
External links
- reddeer.ca, municipality's official website