Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century's last wagon migrations. The founder of the town was Charles Ora Card. The combined church and school was completed by January 29 the year following their arrival.

History

Cardston has been "dry" ( alcohol free) since at least the

1915 Alberta Liquor plebiscite The 1915 Alberta liquor plebiscite was the first plebiscite to ask voters in Alberta whether the province should implement prohibition by ratifying the proposed ''Liquor Act''. The plebiscite was the culmination of years of lobbying by the prov ...

, and there are no licensed premises in which to use video lottery terminals. In 1951, 75% of Cardston's 3500 residents were members of the LDS Church. It remains at about 80%, as of 2014. On August 15, 2019, the town was granted a coat of arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

Geography

Cardston is situated in the foothills of southwest Alberta, approximately north from the American state of Montana. On its north side, it borders the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe) Reserve, one of the largest reserves in North America. to the west of Cardston are the Rocky Mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park. Cardston is southwest of

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 Alberta municipal censuses, 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

and south of

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, makin ...

Climate

Cardston experiences a humid continental climate ( Köppen climate classification ''Dfb''). Along with the rest of southern Alberta, Cardston is subject to chinooks, which often bring temperatures in mid-winter well above . This same pattern results in more than 200 days of wind a year. Weather records: * Hottest Temperature: on 23 July 2007 * Coldest Temperature: on 28 January 1929 * Most Rain In One Day: on 6 June 1995 * Most Snow In One Day: on 4 May 1919 * Deepest Snow Cover: on 29 April 1967

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 Cardston had a population of 3,724 living in 1,261 of its 1,335 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,585. 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 Cardston recorded a population of 3,585 living in 1,175 of its 1,270 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 3,580. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. ''Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census (numbers may not add up due to rounding)'' ''Source: Statistics Canada 1996 & 2001 Census''

Economy

Primary industries are education, health care, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and tourism. Cardston is one of the few communities in Canada where alcohol cannot be sold or purchased.

Attractions

Cardston has a soccer park, ball parks, a golf course, an ice skating rink, a swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking trails, a skateboard park, several recreation parks, picnic areas and playgrounds. St. Mary's Dam reservoir northeast of Cardston supports water sports in the summer months. The Cardston Alberta Temple was constructed by Latter-day Saint pioneers from 1913-1923, and was the first temple constructed by the Church outside of the United States. It remained the only temple in Canada until the Toronto Ontario Temple was built in 1990. The

Remington Carriage Museum The Remington Carriage Museum is located in Cardston, Alberta, Canada. Opened in 1993, and the largest of its kind in the world, the Remington Carriage Museum displays more than 240 carriages. Rated "The Best Indoor Attraction in Canada" four tim ...

is the largest collection of

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...

s in North America, with more than 250 carriages, wagons and sleighs. The facility features video displays, a fire hall, carriage factory, restoration shop, working stable, carriage rides, carriage rentals, a restaurant, guided tours, and a gift shop. The Carriage House Theatre was constructed in 1912, and underwent renovations in 1937 and 1992. It seats 350 and hosts films, community theatre and professional summer theatre. The Card Pioneer Home was built by Cardston's founder Charles Ora Card in 1887, and served as a community centre and stopping place for travellers until the first hotel was built in 1894. The log structure stands in its original location and is open for public visits. It is as a registered provincial historic site. The Courthouse Museum is a sandstone structure built in 1907 from stone quarried near Cardston. It was used longer than any other courthouse in Alberta. The building displays the judge's bench, witness box, and jail cells. It is a registered provincial historic site.

Education

Schools include the Cardston High School, the Cardston Jr. High School (formerly Eastridge Elementary School), and Cardston Elementary School which are all under the Westwind School Division. Former schools include Leeside (grades 1 and 2 - torn down in the late 1980s to make way for the Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre) and Westside. The building that housed many of the junior high facilities, E.J. Wood School (including the gymnasium near the current high school), Parkland School, and John S. Smith Schools were torn down in 1993 as the junior high moved to the former Eastridge building. The Cardston High School underwent extensive renovations in the early 2000s, including an expansion to its gymnasium, much-improved fitness and weight room facilities, wider hallways, and a new cafeteria.

Media

The ''Cardston News'' was first published in 1924, and was a weekly until 1925. During 1924–1925, the newspaper was edited and published by Fred Burton. It was later taken over by D.O. Wight, editor and managing director from September 17, 1925 until June 9, 1936. Fred Burton took over as publisher on June 16, 1936. The ''Cardston News'' was taken over by Gordon F. West On May 7, 1964. The ''Cardston Record'' began publication on August 6, 1898, and was published weekly until September 1901.

Notable people

* Victor L. Brown, world leader in the LDS Church * Ben Cahoon, CFL slotback who won three

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

championships with the Montreal Alouettes. *

Grant Hunter Grant Roy Hunter (born November 9, 1967) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2015 and 2019 Alberta general elections to represent the electoral districts of Cardston-Taber-Warner and Taber-Warner in the 29th and 30th Alberta Legis ...

, UCP MLA for Taber-Warner *

Elaine L. Jack Elaine Jack ( Low; born March 22, 1928) was the twelfth Relief Society general president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1990 to 1997. She also served in the general presidency of the church's Young Women Orga ...

, world leader in the LDS Church *

Merlin R. Lybbert Merlin Rex Lybbert (31 January 1926 – 6 July 2001) was a general authority of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1989 to 1994. From 1992 to 1994, Lybbert was the thirteenth general president of the LDS Church's Sund ...

, world leader in the LDS Church * Shawna Molcak, basketball player who played for Canada in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

Grant Strate Grant Strate, (December 7, 1927 – February 9, 2015) was a Canadian dancer, choreographer and academic. Born in Cardston, Alberta, though he started out in Edmonton as a lawyer he was an original member of the National Ballet of Canada and was ...

, dancer and choreographer *

Edward J. Wood Edward James Wood (October 27, 1866 – April 24, 1956) was a prominent local leader of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) in Alberta, Canada and was the founder of Glenwood, and Hill Spring, Alberta. Wood was born to Mo ...

, leader in the LDS Church * George Woolf, jockey * Fay Wray, ''King Kong'' actressWilliam Addams Reitwiesner
Ancestry of Fay Wray
accessed 2007-12-17.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1887 establishments in the Northwest Territories Cardston County Latter-day Saint settlements in Canada Towns in Alberta 1887 establishments in Alberta