Penhold is a town in

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 bordered ...

, Canada. Penhold is surrounded by Red Deer County, south 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 (deer), hart, and a female is called a doe or hind. The red deer inhabits most of Europe, the Caucasus Mountains region, Anatolia, Ir ...

at the junction of Highway 2A and Highway 42. It is located north 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 ...

, east of the

Red Deer River The Red Deer River is a river in Alberta and a small portion of Saskatchewan, Canada. It is a major tributary of the South Saskatchewan River and is part of the larger Saskatchewan / Nelson River, Nelson system that empties into Hudson Bay. T ...

History

Originally, Penhold was one of the many whistle stops along 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 ...

. It incorporated as the Village of Penhold in 1904. The origin of the name "Penhold" appears to have been around the time that the railroad siding named "Penhold" was established. Research has found no earlier instances of that name. In 1981, the Village of Penhold incorporated as a town as a result of large population growth in the late 1970s.

RCAF Penhold

During the second world war a Royal Canadian Air Force Station was established near the community. The station was closed in 1994.

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 Penhold had a population of 3,484 living in 1,325 of its 1,396 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,287. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. The population of the Town of Penhold according to its 2019 municipal census is 3,563, a change of from its 2014 municipal census population of 2,842. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Penhold recorded a population of 3,277 living in 1,235 of its 1,300 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 2,375. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Attractions

Attractions in Penhold include a museum, a recreation centre with an indoor arena, a baseball diamond, library, a splash park, a campground, an outdoor ice rink, and a skate park/pump track. Two more ball diamonds, walking trails, and 2 soccer fields are in development.

Education

The town is home to three public schools of the Chinook's Edge School Division: Jessie Duncan (Pre-Kindergarten-Grade 3), Penhold Elementary (Grade 4–6), and Penhold Crossing Secondary (Grade 7–12).

References

External links

* {{coord, 52, 08, N, 113, 52, W, region:CA-AB_type:city_scale:60000, name=Penhold, display=title Towns in Alberta 1904 establishments in the Northwest Territories