Bentley is a town in

central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada within Lacombe County. It is located on

Highway 12 Route 12 or Highway 12 can refer to: For a list of roads named A12, see A12 roads. International * Asian Highway 12 * European route E12 * European route E012 Argentina * National Route 12 Australia NSW * Western Sydney Airport Motorway ( ...

, approximately northwest of

Red Deer The red deer (''Cervus elaphus'') is one of the largest deer species. A male red deer is called a stag or hart, and a female is called a hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Iran, and parts of wes ...

History

The first settlers came from the U.S. in 1888-1890 and either walked or drove oxen from Lacombe, which was the closest railroad station at that time. Post office opened in 1901. The first church was built in 1890 by the Methodists, and a schoolhouse was built in 1903. Bentley was incorporated as a village on March 17, 1915. A disastrous fire destroyed all buildings on the south side of the community in 1916. The centre roadway was made wide and new buildings could not be constructed inside that area. In 1930, a centre boulevard was constructed for fire protection and street lights installed. Bentley was incorporated as a town on January 1, 2001.

Town name

Bentley was named in honour of George Bentley, an early homesteader and

sawyer *A sawyer (occupation) is someone who saws wood. *Sawyer, a fallen tree stuck on the bottom of a river, where it constitutes a danger to boating. Places in the United States Communities *Sawyer, Kansas *Sawyer, Kentucky * Sawyer, Michigan * Saw ...

, however at the time it was a controversial choice. When Major William B. McPherson, a U.S. Civil War veteran, opened a post office, settlers preferred McPherson's name, but they were outnumbered by the sawmill employees, who wanted Bentley. Prior to 1915, a petition was formed regarding the naming of the village. The original names of Oxford and Springdale were turned down as these two names had been frequently used across Canada.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, the Town of Bentley had a population of 1,042 living in 451 of its 471 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,078. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Bentley recorded a population of 1,078 living in 441 of its 463 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 1,073. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Education

Bentley has one public school, Bentley School (kindergarten to grade 12), administered by Wolf Creek Public Schools.

Notable people

Clayton Beddoes Clayton Beddoes (born November 10, 1970) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former professional ice hockey centre. He played two seasons in the National Hockey League. He last coached the Italian team HC Bolzano, and has coached the Italian nati ...

, former

NHL The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...

player with the

Boston Bruins The Boston Bruins are a professional ice hockey team based in Boston. The Bruins compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. The team has been in existence since 1924, making t ...

and ice hockey coach

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1915 establishments in Alberta Towns in Alberta