Castor is a town in
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. It is located at the intersection of
Highway 12 and
Highway 861, approximately east of the City 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 ...
. It has an elevation .
''Castor'' is French (also Latin) for
beaver
Beavers are large, semiaquatic rodents in the genus ''Castor'' native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere. There are two extant species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers ar ...
.
The town is known for its
duck
Duck is the common name for numerous species of waterfowl in the family Anatidae. Ducks are generally smaller and shorter-necked than swans and geese, which are members of the same family. Divided among several subfamilies, they are a form t ...
and
geese
A goose (plural, : geese) is a bird of any of several waterfowl species in the family (biology), family Anatidae. This group comprises the genera ''Anser (bird), Anser'' (the grey geese and white geese) and ''Branta'' (the black geese). Some o ...
migration
Migration, migratory, or migrate may refer to: Human migration
* Human migration, physical movement by humans from one region to another
** International migration, when peoples cross state boundaries and stay in the host state for some minimum le ...
in the fall since its territory includes many stopping points well frequented by migrating
waterfowl
Anseriformes is an order of birds also known as waterfowl that comprises about 180 living species of birds in three families: Anhimidae (three species of screamers), Anseranatidae (the magpie goose), and Anatidae, the largest family, which in ...
.
History
Castor was incorporated on July 13, 1910.
Demographics
In the
2021 Census of Population 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 Castor had a population of 803 living in 383 of its 426 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 929. 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 Castor recorded a population of 929 living in 419 of its 448 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 932. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.
Tourism
Castor's tourism peaks during the summer months. Each year Castor's lake like creek that wraps around the north-east end of the town, is a large drawing point for visitors. This one of a kind creek is framed by sandstone cliffs, and a visit will usually be filled with numerous wildlife sightings. The creek is one of the best places on the Alberta prairies for Kayaking and paddle-boarding. Other creek activities include motor-boating and swimming. On dry years natural beaches form at the base of some of the cliffs, giving visitors opportunities to dock their kayaks, during parts of creek. In addition to the creek, the town hosts many museums, including the towns original hospital dating back to 1911, the Machine Shed Museum, the Pharmacy Museum housed in the towns original drug store, the Beaver School Museum, the historic All Saints Anglican Church, the Grain Elevator Historical Site, and the Train Station Museum.
Economy
The town's main industries are
agriculture
Agriculture or farming is the practice of cultivating plants and livestock. Agriculture was the key development in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that enabled people to ...
,
mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the Earth, usually from an ore body, lode, vein, seam, reef, or placer deposit. The exploitation of these deposits for raw material is based on the economic via ...
and oil and gas services.
Infrastructure
Castor is home to the Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital.
Education
The Town of Castor has two schools, one Public named Gus Wetter School and one Catholic named
Theresetta Catholic School. A source of humour for those familiar with Castor is the name of Gus Wetter's school men's sports teams: The Castor Raiders.
Media
The local newspaper is the ''Castor Advance'' covering news events occurring in Castor as well as neighbouring communities.
Literature
W. O. Mitchell
William Ormond Mitchell, (March 13, 1914 – February 25, 1998) was a Canadian writer and broadcaster. His "best-loved" novel is '' Who Has Seen the Wind'' (1947), which portrays life on the Canadian Prairies from the point of view of a smal ...
was a teacher in Castor when he wrote ''
Who Has Seen the Wind''.
Notable people
*
Darcy Tucker
Darcy Tucker (born March 15, 1975) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. He played most of his National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Toronto Maple Leafs. A sixth round draft choice, Tucker began his NHL career with the Mon ...
, former professional hockey player
See also
*
List of communities in Alberta
The province of Alberta, Canada, is divided into ten types of local governments – urban municipalities (including cities, towns, villages and summer villages), specialized municipalities, rural municipalities (including municipal district ...
*
List of towns in Alberta
A town is an urban municipality status type used in the Canadian province of Alberta. Alberta towns are created when communities with populations of at least 1,000 people, where a majority of their buildings are on parcels of land smaller than ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1909 establishments in Alberta
County of Paintearth No. 18
Towns in Alberta