Bragg Creek is a

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

in southern

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

under the jurisdiction of

Rocky View County Rocky View County is a municipal district in southern Alberta, Canada that is named for its views of the nearby Rocky Mountains to the west. It surrounds most of Calgary, forming the city's northern boundary and most of the city's western and e ...

in Division No. 6. Bragg Creek is located west of

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

(via Highway 8 and Highway 22) at the

confluence In geography, a confluence (also ''conflux'') occurs where two or more watercourses join to form a single channel (geography), channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river (main ...

of the Elbow River and Bragg Creek north of the intersection of Highway 66 and Highway 22. Situated in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, this charming hamlet is steeped in tradition and history. Just a 30-minute drive from Calgary, close to the junctions of Highways 8 and 22, it’s a community of outdoor enthusiasts, artists, ranchers, and local businesses. This eclectic mix of residents coexist in harmony with nature and are proud to call Bragg Creek home. It has been the location of several movies and TV series.

Amenities

Bragg Creek is popular for shopping, with its quaint shops, restaurants, and mountain scenery. The area is a popular spot for vacations and short day trips from Calgary. It is near the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in great-circle distance, straight-line distance from the northernmost part of Western Can ...

and

Kananaskis Country Kananaskis Country (abbreviated: K-Country) is a multi-use area west of Calgary, Alberta, Canada in the Rocky Mountain Foothills, foothills and front ranges of the Canadian Rockies. Its western edge borders Banff National Park and the Alberta-Br ...

. The Elbow River and the scenic Elbow Falls are a short distance away. There are many recreational areas in the area. These include Bragg Creek Provincial Park and the Canyon Creek Ice Cave, also known as the Bragg Creek Ice Cave. There are numerous hiking/biking trails, equestrian trails and picnic/camping areas. Downhill skiing used to be popular, although since the abandonment of the nearby downhill ski centre, Wintergeen, only cross country skiing facilities are available. In recent years the Greater Bragg Creek Trails Association has developed over of biking, hiking, snowshoeing, and horseback riding trails. Many summer camps, such as OLQP, Easter Seals Camp Horizon and Kamp Kiwanis are also near Bragg Creek. The powderface42, a

marathon The marathon is a long-distance foot race with a distance of kilometres ( 26 mi 385 yd), usually run as a road race, but the distance can be covered on trail routes. The marathon can be completed by running or with a run/walk strategy. There ...

and half-marathon takes place in the vicinity every year. A mountain marathon is an event that combines the distance and endurance of a classical marathon with the challenging terrain of a mountain race. Unlike traditional mountain marathons in the UK, this event does not require participants to navigate through the course. Instead, the route is clearly marked and there are water stations along the way. It is similar to a traditional marathon running race in that respect.

History

Bragg Creek is named after Albert Warren Bragg from Collingwood, Nova Scotia and his 14-year-old brother John Thomas who homesteaded in the area in 1894. The community was established between a forestry reserve, the Sarcee

First Nations First nations are indigenous settlers or bands. First Nations, first nations, or first peoples may also refer to: Indigenous groups *List of Indigenous peoples *First Nations in Canada, Indigenous peoples of Canada who are neither Inuit nor Mé ...

reserve and a

Provincial Park Ischigualasto Provincial Park A provincial park (or territorial park) is a park administered by one of the provinces of a country, as opposed to a national park. They are similar to state parks in other countries. They are typically open to the ...

. Ranching was the original primary economic generator in Bragg Creek. The economy diversified with the emergence of recreation in the 1920s. Back in 1933, Mary Belle and Catherine Barclay, two sisters from Alberta, established the first hostel in a tent in Bragg Creek, just west of Calgary. Together they officially founded and then registered the Canadian Youth Hostel Association in 1938 (now HI Canada) (see https://hihostels.ca/en/about). Lyon Mountain Ski Hill was a small resort located in Alberta, Canada. It opened in 1982 and was named after its builder, Bob Lyon. The resort featured four lifts and 11 runs, most of which were classified as easy or intermediate in difficulty. It was popular with families due to its close proximity to Calgary. In 2003, the resort was closed by its owner at the time, Resorts of the Canadian Rockies (RCR). This decision was made due to a combination of factors, including poor snow conditions, aging infrastructure, and a lack of potential for reinvestment. RCR continues to operate the adjacent Wintergreen Golf and Country Club. Over time, most of the ski lifts at Lyon Mountain Ski Hill have been removed and sold. RCR has proposed a large housing development for the area, including single-family homes, villas, and a hotel. Bragg Creek was featured in the feature films ''Storm'' (1987) and ''Killer Image'' (1992) both directed by

David Winning David Winning is a Canadian- American film and television director, screenwriter, producer, editor, and occasional actor. Although Winning has worked in numerous film and TV genres, his name is most commonly associated with science fiction, th ...

, and also ''Betrayed'' (1988) directed by Costa-Gavras. During the 1990s,

CBC CBC may refer to: Media * Cadena Baja California or Grupo Cadena, a radio and television broadcaster in Mexico * Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Canada's radio and television public broadcaster ** CBC Television ** CBC Radio One ** CBC Music ** ...

aired the television program '' North of 60'', which was mainly filmed in Bragg Creek. The town was the filming location for the BBC/Discovery Channel series '' Dinosapien'' (2007) and the 2009

CBC Television CBC Television (also known as CBC TV, or simply CBC) is a Television in Canada, Canadian English-language terrestrial television, broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcasting, p ...

series ''Wild Roses'', as well as portions of the movie ''FUBAR''.

2013 flooding

In the late spring of 2013, Bragg Creek and areas surrounding the Elbow River were put on a flood watch and eventually voluntary evacuation when the river rose over , overflowing and eroding in some places. The majority of Bragg Creek buildings were damaged in this event, as were the majority of houses in nearby Redwood Meadows. The voluntary evacuation was not met with widespread co-operation, as many residents stayed to battle the flood by building makeshift dams. Bragg Creek has since recovered from the event.

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 ...

, Bragg Creek had a population of 432 living in 189 of its 213 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 418. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The population of Bragg Creek according to the 2018 municipal census conducted by Rocky View County is 459.

References

External links