Shepard is a former

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depi ...

within the eastern periphery of

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada, approximately east of

downtown ''Downtown'' is a term primarily used in North America by English speakers to refer to a city's sometimes commercial, cultural and often the historical, political and geographic heart. It is often synonymous with its central business distric ...

, that was annexed from

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 July 2007. Shepard is bound by 84 Street SE to the west, a rail line to the north, and 114 Avenue SE (also known as Beulah Vista Road) to the south. The

Stoney Trail Alberta Provincial Highway No. 201, officially named Stoney Trail and Tsuut'ina Trail, is an approximately freeway in Calgary, Alberta. It forms part of the CANAMEX Corridor which connects Calgary to Edmonton and Interstate 15 in ...

ring road passes to the west of the former hamlet. Shepard is immediately north of Ralph Klein Park, a large green space that was developed in the late 2000s.

History

A rail station was built at Shepard by the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , 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 Canad ...

in 1884. It was named after one of the partners of Shepard and Langdon, railway contractors. A school opened in 1886 followed by a church in 1890. The post office opened for four months in 1903 and then reopened from January 1, 1905 until March 8, 1966. The former hamlet remains primarily a residential subdivision with some commercial businesses and its own community hall. It is physically separated from other communities by an industrial area ( Shepard Industrial), undeveloped land and Stoney Trail.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Shepard recorded a population of 10 living in 4 of its 4 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 10. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Shepard had a population of 10 living in 5 of its 6 total dwellings, a -50% change from its 2006 population of 20. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2011.

Annexation

In June 2006, the City of Calgary and Rocky View County (then the Municipal District of Rocky View No. 44) reached an agreement for Calgary to annex a large area of land from the municipal district, including Shepard. The annexation became final upon approval by the Alberta government on July 31, 2007. According to MapArt's ''Calgary & Southern Alberta Street Guide 2009 Edition'', Shepard's streets, previously numbered 1 Street through 5 Street, were renumbered as 85 Street SE through 89 Street SE, while Beulah Vista Road became part of 114 Avenue SE to come into line with Calgary's street numbering system. The only original road name remaining is Rochon Avenue. In early 2008, the City of Calgary began the process of redesignating and rezoning land within the 2007 annexation areas, including Shepard. A February 22, 2008 proposal called for most land in the subdivision to be redesignated "FUD" for "future urban development". After annexation, the City of Calgary indicated that municipal services such as water and sewer would be extended to the former hamlet by 2010, but the City indicated in 2013 that it may be 2030 before that occurs. However, in May 2013, city council debated a development plan for the area that, if approved, will see urban development for as many as 27,800 people take place in the coming years.

References

:*Karamitsanis, Aphrodite (1992). ''Place Names of Alberta – Volume II, Southern Alberta'', University of Calgary Press, Calgary, Alberta. :*Read, Tracey (1983). ''Acres and Empires – A History of the Municipal District of Rocky View'', Calgary, Alberta. {{Geographic location , Northwest = Foothills Industrial Park , North =

, Northeast =

, West = Foothills Industrial Park , Centre = Shepard , East =

, Southwest =

New Brighton New Brighton is the name of several places, sports teams etc.: Australia * New Brighton, New South Wales, a town near Ocean Shores Canada * New Brighton, Calgary, Alberta, a neighborhood * New Brighton (Gambier Island), a settlement in British ...

, South =

, Southeast =

Former designated places in Alberta Former hamlets in Alberta Localities in Calgary

History

Demographics

Annexation

See also

References