Grande Cache
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Grande Cache is a hamlet in west-
central Alberta Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province. Agriculture and energy are important to the area's economy. Geography Central Alberta is bordere ...
, Canada within and administered by the
Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district (MD) in northwest Alberta, Canada. It covers the full extent of Census Division 18, and with an area of , it is the largest municipal district in Alberta. Its administrative& ...
. It is located on Highway 40 approximately northwest of Hinton and west of
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
. Grande Cache overlooks the
Smoky River The Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians. It drains an area of . F ...
, is at the northern edge of
Alberta's Rockies Alberta's Rockies comprise the Canadian Rocky Mountains in Alberta, Canada. On the southwestern part of the province along the British Columbia border, the region covers all but the south of Census Division 15. The main industry in this region ...
, and serves as the gateway to the
Willmore Wilderness Park Willmore Wilderness Park, located in Alberta, Canada, is a wilderness area adjacent to Jasper National Park. It is lesser known and less visited than Jasper National Park. There are no public roads, bridges or buildings. There are, however, seve ...
. The hamlet held town status prior to 2019.


History

The New Town of Grande Cache was incorporated on September 1, 1966. The purpose of creating a new town was to open the area for the development of coal mines.
New town New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created. New or NEW may refer to: Music * New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz Albums and EPs * ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartney, 2013 * ''New'' (EP), by Regurgitator, ...
status allowed the town to use the Government of Alberta as a guarantor for debt. Construction of Grande Cache began in 1969. By 1971 a hospital, schools, stores, and the first homes were built. Grande Cache received town status on September 1, 1983. The community suffered a boom-bust cycle due to the dependence on a single employer that depended on a single commodity:
coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when dea ...
. In an attempt to diversify the economy additional industries were encouraged to develop in the area. This included a wood chip plant and a federal prison operated by the
Correctional Service of Canada The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC; french: Service correctionnel du Canada), also known as Correctional Service Canada or Corrections Canada, is the Canadian federal government agency responsible for the incarceration and rehabilitation of ...
. In recent years, wilderness tourism is an increasing industry. In September 2018, Grande Cache's Town Council determined that, due to a reduction in population and the subsequent loss in tax revenue, the town was no longer financially sustainable. On September 25, 2018, town residents voted to dissolve the town into a hamlet under the jurisdiction of the Municipal District (MD) of Greenview No. 16. Out of 1,100 ballots cast in the vote, 1,065 were votes in favour of dissolution, 32 were in favour of remaining a town, and 3 ballots were rejected. The dissolution came into effect on January 1, 2019, rendering Grande Cache a hamlet in the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16.


Geography

The town is built on a plateau that is just below the subalpine level of 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 straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico in ...
. The town site is surrounded by three valleys: to the north is the Smoky River; to the west is the Sulphur River; to the south is Victor Lake and Grande Cache Lake. To the east of town is Grande Mountain.


Climate

Grande Cache experiences a
subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a 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 an ocean, ge ...
(
Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...
''Dfc''). Summertime is usually very mild, but can also be very cool or warm depending on the movement of different airmasses in the area. Wintertime is very cold and snowy, lasting from November into March, and sometimes even later.


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 ...
, Grande Cache had a population of 3,276 living in 1,238 of its 1,533 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,571. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Grande Cache had a population of 3,571 living in 1,296 of its 1,759 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 4,319. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.


Attractions

* Grande Cache Recreation Centre * Grande Cache Golf and Country Club * Great Canadian Death Race *
Willmore Wilderness Park Willmore Wilderness Park, located in Alberta, Canada, is a wilderness area adjacent to Jasper National Park. It is lesser known and less visited than Jasper National Park. There are no public roads, bridges or buildings. There are, however, seve ...
* Grande Cache Tourism & Interpretive Centre


Sports

Grande Cache is the home of the
Canadian Death Race The Canadian Death Race is a 125 kilometre foot race through the Canadian rocky mountains in Grande Cache, Alberta. It includes three mountain summits, one major river crossing, and 17,000 feet of elevation change. The race has been held annuall ...
.


Infrastructure

Grande Cache is the site of the Grande Cache Institution, a medium-security prison.


Transportation

Grande Cache is connected to
Grande Prairie Grande Prairie is a city in northwest Alberta, Canada within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) and Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highway), a ...
and Hinton via Highway 40. There is a community bus service once a week to Grande Prairie and Hinton. As of November 6, 2020, bus service has been cancelled until further notice. Grande Cache Airport is outside of town. There are no scheduled flights into Grande Cache Airport. The airport closed as of January 2017.


Education

Local schools in Grande Cache include: *Sheldon Coates Elementary School (K-3); *Summitview School (grades 4-8); *SonRise Christian School (K-6) (Closed in 22/23 year); *Grande Cache Community High School (grades 9-12);


Notable people

*
Dean McAmmond Dean W. McAmmond (born June 15, 1973) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player. McAmmond played in the National Hockey League from 1992 to 2010 for nine teams. Pre-NHL career McAmmond played four seasons in the Western Hockey League wi ...
, professional hockey player *
Travis Roche Travis Roche (born June 17, 1978 in Grande Cache, Alberta and raised in Whitecourt, Alberta) is a retired Canadian professional ice hockey defenseman who last played for EHC Black Wings Linz of the Austrian Hockey League (EBEL). Playing career ...
, 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 former urban municipalities in Alberta The Province of Alberta currently has 256 urban municipalities including 19 cities, 106 towns, 80 villages and 51 summer villages. In addition, there are 100 communities that previously held some form of urban municipality status. These include ...
*
List of hamlets in Alberta Hamlets in the province of Alberta, Canada, are unincorporated communities administered by, and within the boundaries of, specialized municipalities or rural municipalities ( municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas). The ...


References


External links

* {{Authority control 1966 establishments in Alberta 2019 disestablishments in Alberta Designated places in Alberta Former towns in Alberta Former new towns in Alberta Hamlets in Alberta Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 Populated places disestablished in 2019