Provost () 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. It is located at the junction of Highway 13 and Highway 899, west of the Alberta-

Saskatchewan Saskatchewan is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Western Canada. It is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, to the northeast by Nunavut, and to the south by the ...

border.

History

The town was originally named "Lakeview" but renamed by 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 ...

Land Department in 1907; the first train to the town was in 1910. Post office established in 1908, and in the same year the original Methodist Church was built, followed by the Anglican Church. Another Church, the largest rural neo-gothic church in Alberta, would be built in 1922. A white supremacist event, called an “Aryan Fest” by the Church of Jesus Christ Christian-Aryan Nations, took place at a farm nearby, on September 8 and 9, 1990. The event was a national scandal due to its brutality and made the headlines and made into court with the " ''Kane v. Church of Jesus Christ Christian-Aryan Nations (No. 3)'' (1992), 18 CHRR D/268" legal initiative.

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 Provost had a population of 1,900 living in 764 of its 862 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,998. 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 Provost recorded a population of 1,998 living in 779 of its 843 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 2,041. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Economy

The economic bases of Provost are agriculture and oilfield.

Education

There are two schools in Provost: Provost Public and St. Thomas Aquinas. Provost Public School has a student population of about 400 and is part of the Buffalo Trail Regional Division No. 28. St. Thomas Aquinas School has approximately 246 students and is part of the East Central Alberta Catholic Schools Regional Division No. 16.

Media

The local newspaper that covers the town is ''The Provost News''. ''The East Central Alberta Review'' also regularly covers the town and its surrounding areas.

Notable people

* Mary Borgstrom, potter and artist. * Lance Bouma, professional hockey player. * Curtis Glencross, professional hockey player. * Don C. Laubman, commander Canadian Forces Europe. *

Norm Ullman Norman Victor Alexander Ullman (born December 26, 1935) is a Canadian former ice hockey forward (ice hockey), forward. He previously played for the Detroit Red Wings and Toronto Maple Leafs of the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1955 to 1975, an ...

, former professional hockey player.

References

External links

* {{Subdivisions of Alberta, towns=yes 1910 establishments in Alberta Towns in Alberta Populated places established in 1910