Strathmore is a town located in
southern Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by
Wheatland County. It is along 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 ...
approximately east 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 ...
.
History
The town began as a hamlet for 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 ...
(CPR) lines that were built in the area in 1883. The CPR named the town after one of its
benefactors: Claude Bowes-Lyon, the
Earl of Strathmore. The Earl's granddaughter,
Queen Elizabeth – as
consort __NOTOC__
Consort may refer to:
Music
* "The Consort" (Rufus Wainwright song), from the 2000 album ''Poses''
* Consort of instruments, term for instrumental ensembles
* Consort song (musical), a characteristic English song form, late 16th–earl ...
to
King George VI
George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
– later
passed through the community on the "Royal Train" in late May 1939.
A track-laying record was made between Strathmore and
Cheadle when the railway was built. In one hour one mile (1.6 km) of steel was laid and – at the end of the ten-hour working day – the rails were laid to Cheadle, for a record. The passing of the Canadian government's ''
Dominion Lands Act'' in 1872, encouraging settlement, led to increases in Strathmore's population and its importance as a rail supply stop.
Strathmore's first school opened in 1908. The CPR railway tracks are now gone, the land having been subdivided.
In 2011, the Town of Strathmore celebrated its centennial – and released the book ''100 Years of Memories: Celebrating Strathmore’s Centennial'' through Polished Publishing Group in early 2012.
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 Strathmore had a population of 14,339 living in 5,517 of its 5,754 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 13,756. 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 Strathmore recorded a population of 13,756 living in 5,148 of its 5,358 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 12,305. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.
The Town of Strathmore's
2015 municipal census counted a population of 13,327,
a change of from its
2012 municipal census population of 12,352.
At its current population, Strathmore is one of the
largest towns in the province and is eligible for city status. According to Alberta's ''Municipal Government Act'', a town is eligible for city status when it reaches 10,000 residents.
Economy
Today, the town is an important agricultural community. Oil and
gas exploration is also a growing interest in the area. It is the headquarters of
Golden Hills School Division No. 75.
Many residents
commute daily from Strathmore to Calgary. In the 21st century, the town has seen a major growth in commercial development, with many
franchise restaurants and a few
big-box chain stores opening in the community.
Transportation
Strathmore has no public transit system, but people without their own vehicles can opt to use a local taxi or a Strathmore Handi-Bus for residents with mobility issues to travel on-demand. Initially administered by the Town of Strathmore, the Handi-Bus program was transferred to the non-profit charity Strathmore Handibus Association.
Sports
Strathmore was the home of the
Strathmore Rockies, a team in the
WWHL. It is currently home to the
Strathmore Wheatland Kings of the
Heritage Junior "B" league; as well as the former home of the
UFA Bisons of the
AMHL, who have helped produce NHL players
Peyton Krebs,
Zach Boychuk, and
Mason Raymond among others.
The Strathmore Spartans football team has alumni players throughout the
CJFL,
Canadian University system and the
CFL.
The Strathmore Venom Junior "B"
lacrosse
Lacrosse is a contact team sport played with a lacrosse stick and a lacrosse ball. It is the oldest organized sport in North America, with its origins with the indigenous people of North America as early as the 12th century. The game w ...
team won the provincial title in 2010 for the first time since the team was founded in 2004.
Strathmore was one of the hosts for the
2013 Tour of Alberta Pro Cycling Festival.
Every year Strathmore holds its Heritage Days celebrations, which include the Strathmore Stampede, Canada's third largest rodeo.
Education
Strathmore is part of the
Golden Hills School Division.
Strathmore has three
elementary school
A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...
s (Wheatland, Westmount and Brentwood), two
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...
to grade 9 schools (George Freeman School and Trinity
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Academy), one
junior high school (Crowther Memorial Junior High School), two
high school
A secondary school, high school, or senior school, is an institution that provides secondary education. Some secondary schools provide both ''lower secondary education'' (ages 11 to 14) and ''upper secondary education'' (ages 14 to 18), i.e., ...
s (Strathmore High School and Strathmore Storefront School) and a
Catholic School
Catholic schools are Parochial school, parochial pre-primary, primary and secondary educational institutions administered in association with the Catholic Church. , the Catholic Church operates the world's largest parochial schools, religious, no ...
providing Kindergarten through grade 6 (Sacred Heart Academy) as well as a grade 7 to 12
Catholic
The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
school (Holy Cross Collegiate).
Strathmore was the home of
Covenant Bible College Canada. The CBC-C campus relocated in 1995 from its prior home in
Prince Albert, Saskatchewan
Prince Albert is the third-largest city in Saskatchewan, Canada, after Saskatoon and Regina, Saskatchewan, Regina. It is situated near the centre of the province on the banks of the North Saskatchewan River. The city is known as the "Gateway ...
. In Covenant Bible College, students took a course in religious studies. It was closed in 2007 due to dropping student enrollment and other fiscal problems. The former CBC campus was sold for $5.5 million to another
Christian organization, EnCharis.
In September 2008, Trinity
Christian
A Christian () is a person who follows or adheres to Christianity, a Monotheism, monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ. Christians form the largest religious community in the wo ...
Academy opened at the former Covenant Bible College property. Trinity Christian is a Christian school providing Kindergarten through grade 9 and is publicly funded.
See also
*
List of communities in Alberta
The province of Alberta, Canada, is divided into ten types of Local government in Canada, local governments – urban municipalities (including List of cities in Alberta, cities, List of towns in Alberta, towns, List of villages in Alberta, vil ...
*
List of towns in Alberta
A town is an List of communities in Alberta#Urban municipalities, urban municipality status type used in the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. Alberta towns are created when communities with populations of at le ...
References
External links
*
{{Authority control
1908 establishments in Alberta
Calgary Region
Towns in Alberta
Strathmore