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Athabasca ( 2021 population 2,759), originally named Athabasca Landing, is a town in
northern Alberta Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some schemes, the region encompasses everything north of the ce ...
, Canada. It is located north of
Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...
at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 55, on the banks of the
Athabasca River The Athabasca River (French: ''Rivière Athabasca'') in Alberta, Canada, originates at the Columbia Icefield in Jasper National Park and flows more than before emptying into Lake Athabasca. Much of the land along its banks is protected in nationa ...
. It is the centre of Athabasca County. It was known as Athabasca Landing prior to August 4, 1913.


History

The name "Athabasca" is of Cree origin. Early spellings: Araubaska (Peter Pond) and Athapescow (Arrowsmith). Various interpretations of the meaning: "where there are reeds" (Douglas); "meeting place of many waters" (Voorhis). The town was first called Athabasca Landing about 1889; the name changed to Athabaska in 1904, and then changed back to Athabasca in 1948. The provisional district of Athabasca was established in 1882, encompassing the northern parts of modern Alberta and Saskatchewan. Unlike many other towns in Alberta, Athabasca predates the
Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...
. Athabasca lies on a southern protrusion of the Athabasca River. During the
fur trade The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of a world fur market in the early modern period, furs of boreal ecosystem, boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals h ...
era, when rivers were the principal means of transportation, the Athabasca–Edmonton trail connected two different
drainage basin A drainage basin is an area of land in which all flowing surface water converges to a single point, such as a river mouth, or flows into another body of water, such as a lake or ocean. A basin is separated from adjacent basins by a perimeter, ...
s. The Athabasca River flows north and is part of the
Mackenzie River The Mackenzie River (French: ; Slavey language, Slavey: ' èh tʃʰò literally ''big river''; Inuvialuktun: ' uːkpɑk literally ''great river'') is a river in the Canadian Canadian boreal forest, boreal forest and tundra. It forms, ...
watershed, which leads to the Arctic Ocean. Edmonton lies across a height-of-land on the
North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows event ...
in the
Nelson River The Nelson River is a river of north-central North America, in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. The river drains Lake Winnipeg and runs before it ends in Hudson Bay near Port Nelson, Manitoba, Port Nels ...
drainage basin, which empties into Hudson Bay. Edmonton was in
Rupert's Land Rupert's Land (), or Prince Rupert's Land (), was a territory in British North America which comprised the Hudson Bay drainage basin. The right to "sole trade and commerce" over Rupert's Land was granted to Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), based a ...
, but Athabasca was not. Athabasca was the terminus of the Edmonton to Athabasca Landing trail, which allowed goods to be
portage Portage or portaging ( CA: ; ) is the practice of carrying water craft or cargo over land, either around an obstacle in a river, or between two bodies of water. A path where items are regularly carried between bodies of water is also called a '' ...
d back and forth between river systems. Once agricultural settlement occurred, the trail continued to serve a similar purpose. Eventually, road and rail links were established following the same path. In 1876, the
Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC), originally the Governor and Company of Adventurers of England Trading Into Hudson’s Bay, is a Canadian holding company of department stores, and the oldest corporation in North America. It was the owner of the ...
(HBC) built a warehouse at Athabasca Landing to facilitate the supply route to Lesser Slave Lake. The site was expanded in 1886 with a store, house, and new larger warehouse, and it became a full trading post. Further expansion included a stable, powder magazine, workshop and storeman's house. By 1889, it had become the HBC's headquarters of northern transport. The
North-West Mounted Police The North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) was a Canadian paramilitary police force, established in 1873, to maintain order in the new Canadian North-West Territories (NWT) following the 1870 transfer of Rupert's Land and North-Western Territory to ...
stationed officers at Athabasca Landing for the summer of 1892, due to increased traffic on the trail. Inspector D.M. Howard, and eight constables, built a permanent post in 1893. In 1912, the HBC had the steamers ''Slave River'' and ''Athabasca River'' built at Athabasca Landing for travel on the Athabasca and Peace Rivers. A massive forest fire in August 1913 destroyed a large portion of the town, including 30 businesses. There was no loss of life. Rebuilding of the town began immediately. The HBC post was rebuilt in 1914 and operated until 1924. The Athabasca Heritage Society put up signs through the downtown as well as along the riverfront that explain and depict the history of the town. It has also published a historical walking tour that is available from the town office, library and visitor information center.


Geography


Lakes

* Narrow Lake


Climate

Athabasca experiences a
humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers, and cold ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification divides Earth climates into five main climate groups, with each group being divided based on patterns of seasonal precipitation and temperature. The five main groups are ''A'' (tropical), ''B'' (arid), ''C'' (te ...
''Dfb'') that borders on a
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a continental climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of ...
(Köppen ''Dfc''). The highest temperature ever recorded in Athabasca was on July 18, 1941. The coldest temperature ever recorded was on January 11, 1911.


Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by
Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...
, the Town of Athabasca had a population of 2,759 living in 1,155 of its 1,325 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 2,965. 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 Athabasca recorded a population of 2,965 living in 1,194 of its 1,313 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 2,990. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.


Education

The town is home to
Athabasca University Athabasca University (AU) is a Canadian public university that primarily operates through online distance education. Founded in 1970, it is one of four comprehensive academic and research universities in Alberta, and was the first Canadian ...
, a major centre for
distance education Distance education, also known as distance learning, is the education of students who may not always be physically present at school, or where the learner and the teacher are separated in both time and distance; today, it usually involves online ...
and the town's second largest employer. Aspen View Public Schools (AVPS) or originally known as Aspen View School Division https://www.aspenview.org/ is the school division providing education from Kindergarten to Grade 12, with schools within the Town of Athabasca, Athabasca County, Village of Boyle as well as Grassland, Smoky Lake, Rochester, Smith, Thorhild and Vilna. Head Office is located in the Athabasca University Campus in the Town of Athabasca.


Media

;Newspapers Local news is provided by the ''Athabasca Advocate'', an award-winning weekly newspaper. The ''Athabasca Advocate'' began publishing in 1982. Athabasca's original newspaper was the ''Athabasca Echo.'' The ''Athabasca Echo'' was published from 1928 to 1986. ;Radio Athabasca is home to one FM radio station. Boom 94.1 (FM 94.1, CKBA-FM.) is owned by Stingray Radio and broadcasts a classic hits format. The CKUA Radio Network also has a repeater broadcasting from Athabasca at FM 98.3.


In literature

*
James A. Michener James Albert Michener ( or ; February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American writer. He wrote more than 40 books, most of which were long, fictional family sagas covering the lives of many generations, set in particular geographic locales ...
describes a group of pioneers arriving to the town in 1897 to buy a boat in his novel '' Journey'' (1989) *
Robert W. Service Robert William Service (16 January 1874 – 11 September 1958) was an English-born Canadian poet and writer, often called “The Poet of the Yukon" and "The Canadian Kipling". Born in Lancashire of Scottish descent, he was a bank clerk by trade ...
visited Athabasca in 1911. His visit inspired several of his poems, such as ''The Man from Athabaska'' and ''Athabaska Dick''.


Notable people

* Bryan MudrykTSN TV personality * Jay Onrait – TSN TV personality * George Ryga – playwright, poet * Kay Heim – All-American Girls Professional Baseball Player


References


Alberta First
– Athabasca Facts and Statistics


External links

* {{Authority control Hudson's Bay Company trading posts Towns in Alberta 1877 establishments in the Northwest Territories