Rocky View County is a

municipal district A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It may be a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area. Brazil In Brazil, municipal districts are, in general, su ...

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 ...

, Canada that is named for its views of the nearby

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 ...

to the west. It surrounds most 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 ...

, forming the city's northern boundary and most of the city's western and eastern boundaries. At a population of 41,028 in 2021, Rocky View County is the most populous municipal district in Alberta. Though predominantly rural in nature, Rocky View County is home to 14

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

, including

Langdon Langdon may refer to: Places Australia * Langdon, Queensland, a neighbourhood in the Mackay Region Canada * Langdon, Alberta, a hamlet United Kingdom * Langdon, Cornwall, a hamlet * Langdon, Kent, a civil parish * Langdon, Pembrokeshire ...

, one of Alberta's most populous hamlets. Its rural areas are home to numerous country residential subdivisions.

History

The Municipal District (MD) of Calgary No. 44 was originally formed on January 1, 1955 from part of Improvement District No. 46 and parts of five municipal districts – the MD of Serviceberry No. 43, the MD of Conrich No. 44, the MD of Springbank No. 45, the MD of Kneehill No. 48, and the MD of Mountain View No. 49. The MD of Calgary No. 44 was renamed the MD of Rocky View No. 44 on January 9, 1956. "Rocky View" was the successful entry selected in December 1955 in a local competition to rename the newly formed municipal district. The entry was submitted by Leslie Burwash of Balzac. " Bow View" and " Chinook" placed second and third respectively in the competition. The name "Rocky View" was successful due to its descriptive nature as most areas within the MD of Rocky View No. 44 have views of the

to the west. The MD of Rocky View No. 44 changed its name to Rocky View County on June 24, 2009. On July 28, 2020, Rocky View County applied to the Province of Alberta to change its municipal classification from an MD to a Specialized Municipality, like

Strathcona County Strathcona County is a Specialized municipalities of Alberta, specialized municipality in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region within Alberta, Canada between Edmonton and Elk Island National Park. It forms part of Division No. 11, Alberta, Census Di ...

near

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 ...

. This request was subsequently denied by the Province.

Geography

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities border Rocky View County. ;

Cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

* Airdrie *

Chestermere Chestermere, originally named Chestermere Lake is a city in the Canadian province of Alberta, within Rocky View County. It is largely a commuter town of Calgary and is a member municipality of the Calgary Region. The city, which surrounds Ches ...

;

Towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

* Cochrane * Crossfield *

Irricana Irricana is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. Surrounded by Rocky View County, it is adjacent to Alberta Highway 9, Highway 9, approximately northeast of Calgary. The name of the town is a portmanteau of the words "i ...

;

Villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

Beiseker Beiseker is a village in the Canadian province of Alberta, approximately northeast of Calgary. It is considered to be an outermost part of the Calgary Region, and is included within Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). The village is surr ...

; Summer villages *none The following

are located within Rocky View County. ;

Hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

* Balzac * Bottrel * Bragg Creek * Cochrane Lake * Conrich * Dalemead * Dalroy * Delacour *

Indus The Indus ( ) is a transboundary river of Asia and a trans- Himalayan river of South and Central Asia. The river rises in mountain springs northeast of Mount Kailash in the Western Tibet region of China, flows northwest through the dis ...

Janet Janet may refer to: Names * Janet (given name) Surname * Charles Janet (1849–1932), French engineer, inventor and biologist, known for the Left Step periodic table * Jules Janet (1861–1945), French psychologist and psychotherapist * Maur ...

* Kathyrn *

Keoma Keoma is a hamlet in southern Alberta under the jurisdiction of Rocky View County. Keoma is located approximately 35 km (21 mi) northeast of Downtown Calgary, on Highway 566, 2.0 km (1.2 mi) east of Highway 9 and 19 ...

* Madden

The following

localities Locality may refer to: * Locality, a historical named location or place in Canada * Locality (association), an association of community regeneration organizations in England * Locality (linguistics) * Locality (settlement) * Suburbs and localitie ...

are located within Rocky View County. ;Localities *Allandale Estates *Anatapy *Artists View East Subdivision * Artists View Park West (

designated place A designated place (DPL) is a type of community or settlement identified by Statistics Canada that does not meet the criteria used to define municipalities or population centres. DPLs are delineated every 5 years for the Canadian census as the s ...

) or Artists View West Subdivision *Banded Peak Place *Bearspan Heights * Bearspaw * Bennett *Braemore Ranch *Caldbeck *Calling Horse Estates *Camp Gardner *Circle Five *Colpitts Ranch Subdivision *Country Estates *Craigdhu *Croxford Estates *Cullen Creek *Deerwood Estates *Del-Rich Meadows *Elbow River Estates *Elk Valley Park *Entheos West *Fawnhill *Garden Heights *Georgian Estates *Ghost Dam * Glenbow *Green Valley Place *Helmsdale * High Point Estates (designated place) *Idlewood Estates *Inverlake *Kersey *Lake Erie Estates *Lansdowne Estates *Livingstone Estates * Mitford *Mount View Estates *Mountain View Estates *Murray Acres Estates *Nier *Norfolk *O'Neil Ranchettes *Partridge Place *Pinebrook Estates *Pirmez Creek *Prairie Royale *Radnor *River Ridge Estates *Robertson *Rocky View *Rolling Range Estates *Rosewood *Springbank Meadows *Springgate Estates *Springland Estates *Springshire Estates *Toki Estates *Tower Ridge Estates *West Bluff Road Subdivision *Wild Rose Country Estates *Wildcat *Williams Subdivision *Wintergreen ;Other places * Bearspaw- Glendale (country residential area) * Elbow Valley (country residential area) *

Harmony In music, harmony is the concept of combining different sounds in order to create new, distinct musical ideas. Theories of harmony seek to describe or explain the effects created by distinct pitches or tones coinciding with one another; harm ...

(urban community) * Heritage Woods (designated place) * Springbank (country residential area)

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

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 ...

, Rocky View County had a population of 41,028 living in 13,905 of its 14,714 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 39,407. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Rocky View County had a population of 39,407 living in 13,042 of its 13,620 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 35,754. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. Rocky View County's 2013 municipal census counted a population of 38,055, a 6.4% increase over its adjusted 2011 federal census population of 35,754. Its previous 2006 municipal census counted a population of 34,597.

Attractions

* Big Hill Springs Provincial Park * Bragg Creek Community Centre and historic downtown * Bragg Creek Provincial Park * Calaway Park *

Century Downs Racetrack and Casino Century Downs Racetrack and Casino is a casino and horse racing track near Calgary. It is one of two "A-level" horse racing venues in the province of Alberta and brought live horse racing back to the Calgary area for the first time since June 15, ...

CrossIron Mills CrossIron Mills is a fully enclosed shopping centre development just outside the northern city limits of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, and immediately east of the hamlet of Balzac in Rocky View County. It was developed by Ivanhoé Cambridge, a major ...

Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park Glenbow Ranch Provincial Park is a provincial park in the Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada. The majority of the park is located on the north bank of the Bow River within Rocky View County. Portions of the eastern and western extremities of the ...

* Pioneer Acres Museum

Government

Municipal

Rocky View County has a council consisting of elected officials representing seven electoral divisions. Municipal elections, organized under the Alberta Elections Act from

Alberta Municipal Affairs Alberta Municipal Affairs is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta. Its major responsibilities include assisting municipalities in the provision of local government, administering the assessment of linear property in Alberta, administeri ...

, are held every four years, the last being in October, 2021. Each October, the councillors elect a mayor and a deputy mayor from among their number. The Rocky View Council consists of: *Kevin Hanson - Division 1: Southwest Rocky View County - Elbow Valley, Bragg Creek *Don Kochan, Mayor - Division 2: West Rocky View County - Springbank *Crystal Kissel, Deputy Mayor - Division 3: West Rocky View County - Cochrane Lake, South Bearspaw, Glendale *Samanntha Wright - Division 4: Northwest Rocky View County - North Bearspaw, Bottrell, Madden *Greg Boehlke - Division 5: Northeast Rocky View County - Kathryn, Keoma, surrounding Airdrie and Crossfield *Sunny Samra - Division 6: East Rocky View County - Conrich, Dalroy, Indus, Janet *Al Schule - Division 7: Hamlet of Langdon

Provincial

Rocky View County is served by the Provincial Electoral Divisions of Airdrie, Chestermere-Rocky View and

Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of votin ...

. Rocky View is currently represented in the Alberta Legislature by MLA Angela Pitt in the riding of Airdrie,

Chantelle De Jonge Chantelle de Jonge is a Canadian politician from the United Conservative Party. She was elected member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Chestermere-Strathmore in the 2023 Alberta general election. Early life and education She was bo ...

Chestermere-Strathmore Chestermere-Strathmore is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district will be one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of vot ...

and Nathan Cooper in

Federal

Rocky View is served by three Federal Electoral Divisions:

Crowfoot Crowfoot (c. 1830 – 25 April 1890) or Isapo-Muxika (; syllabics: ) was a chief of the Siksika. His father, (Packs a Knife), and mother, (Attacked Towards Home), were Kainai. He was five years old when was killed during a raid on the Crow ...

Macleod MacLeod, McLeod and Macleod ( ) are surnames in the English language. The names are anglicised forms of the Scottish Gaelic ', meaning "son of Leòd", derived from the Old Norse ''Liótr'' ("ugly"). One of the earliest occurrences of the surnam ...

and Wild Rose. Rocky View's northeast and southeast (east of Calgary, north of the Bow River) is part of the Federal Electoral district (also known as a riding) of

. This riding has been represented by

Kevin Sorenson Kevin A. Sorenson (born November 3, 1958) is a Canadian politician who represented the riding of Battle River-Crowfoot (known as Crowfoot from 2000 to 2015) in the House of Commons of Canada from 2000 to 2019, first as a member of the Canadi ...

, who was originally elected as a member of the Reform Party then again as a member of the

Canadian Alliance The Canadian Alliance (), formally the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (), was a centre-right to right-wing federal political party in Canada that existed under that name from 2000 to 2003. The Canadian Alliance was the new name of the ...

and currently of the Conservative Party. Rocky View's southwest (south of the Bow River and west of Calgary) is part of the Federal Electoral district (also known as a riding) of

. This riding has been represented by

Ted Menzies Ted Menzies (born February 18, 1952) is a former Canadian politician. He represented the electoral district of Macleod in the House of Commons of Canada and served as Minister of State for Finance before being replaced by Kevin Sorenson. He ...

, who was originally elected as a member of the

and currently of the Conservative Party. Rocky View's northwest is part of the Federal Electoral district (also known as a riding) of Wild Rose. This riding is represented by Blake Richards, who was elected as a member of the Conservative Party on October 14, 2008.

Infrastructure

Transportation

;Highways Rocky View County is bisected by the

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

( Highway 1) and Highway 2. Highway 9, a major transportation route between Calgary and

Saskatoon, Saskatchewan Saskatoon () is the largest city in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Saskatchewan. It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province. It is located along the Trans-Canada Hig ...

, also bisects the eastern portion of Rocky View County. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * ;Railways The main lines of the

Canadian Pacific Kansas City Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited, Trade name, doing business as CPKC (known as Canadian Pacific Railway Limited until 2023), is a Canadian railway holding company. Through its primary operating railroad subsidiaries, Canadian Pacific Railw ...

(CPKC) and the

Canadian National Railway The Canadian National Railway Company () is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States. CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue a ...

(CNR) between Calgary and Edmonton travel through Rocky View County. The CPKC main line is routed through the City of Airdrie and the Town of Crossfield, while the CNR main line is routed through the Town of

and the Village of

. ;Airports Two airports are located within Rocky View County – Beiseker Airport and

Springbank Airport Calgary/Springbank Airport or Springbank Airport is an airport located in the Rocky View County community of Springbank, Alberta, an area to the west of Calgary in Alberta, Canada. The Springbank Airport acts as a general aviation reliever for ...

References

External links

* {{Authority control Calgary Region Municipal districts in Alberta