Athabasca, Alberta
| Athabasca Athabasca Landing (1877–1912) | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Town of Athabasca | |
 | |
| Motto: Gateway to the Great New North | |
  Athabasca Location of Athabasca in Alberta | |
| Coordinates: 54°43′11″N 113°17′08″W / 54.71972°N 113.28556°WCoordinates: 54°43′11″N 113°17′08″W / 54.71972°N 113.28556°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Northern Alberta |
| Census division | 13 |
| Municipal district | Athabasca County |
| Established[1] | 1877 |
| • Village • Town |
May 18, 1905 September 19, 1911 |
| Name change[1] | August 4, 1913 |
| Government[2] | |
| • Mayor | Roger Morrill |
| • Governing body | Athabasca Town Council |
| • CAO | Joshua Pyrcz |
| • MP | Shannon Stubbs (Conservative - Lakeland) |
| • MLA | Colin Piquette (NDP - Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater) |
| Area (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 17.48 km2 (6.75 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 533 m (1,750 ft) |
| Population (2011)[3] | |
| • Total | 2,990 |
| • Density | 171.1/km2 (443/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | T9S |
| Area code(s) | +1-780 |
| Website | Official website |
Athabasca (2011 population 2,990), originally named Athabasca Landing, is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located 145 km (90 mi) north of Edmonton at the intersection of Highway 2 and Highway 55, on the banks of the Athabasca River. It is the centre of Athabasca County. It was known as Athabasca Landing prior to August 4, 1913.[1]
History
Unlike many other towns in Alberta, Athabasca predates the railway. It was the terminus of the Edmonton to Athabasca Landing trail. Athabasca lies on a southern protrusion of the Athabasca River. During the fur trade era, when rivers were the principal means of transportation, the Athabasca–Edmonton trail connected two different drainage basins. The Athabasca River flows north and is part of the Mackenzie River watershed, which leads to the Arctic Ocean. Edmonton lies across a height-of-land on the North Saskatchewan River in the Nelson River drainage basin, which empties into Hudson Bay. Edmonton was in Rupert's Land but not Athabasca. The trail allowed goods to be portaged back and forth between river systems. Once agricultural settlement occurred, the trail served a similar purpose. Eventually, road and rail links would trace the same path.
The Athabasca Heritage Society put up signs through the downtown as well as along the riverfront that explain and depict the history. It has also published a historical walking tour that is available from the town office, library and visitor information centre.
Geography
Climate
Athabasca experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) that borders on a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).
| Climate data for Athabasca, Alberta | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.0 (55.4) |
16.1 (61) |
16.7 (62.1) |
29.0 (84.2) |
32.0 (89.6) |
34.4 (93.9) |
34.5 (94.1) |
34.5 (94.1) |
32.2 (90) |
28.0 (82.4) |
18.5 (65.3) |
15.0 (59) |
34.5 (94.1) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −8.5 (16.7) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
1.2 (34.2) |
10.2 (50.4) |
16.8 (62.2) |
20.4 (68.7) |
22.7 (72.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
15.9 (60.6) |
8.7 (47.7) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
−7.2 (19) |
7.9 (46.2) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −13.4 (7.9) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−4.3 (24.3) |
3.9 (39) |
10.3 (50.5) |
14.3 (57.7) |
16.6 (61.9) |
15.4 (59.7) |
9.9 (49.8) |
3.5 (38.3) |
−6.3 (20.7) |
−11.9 (10.6) |
2.3 (36.1) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −18.1 (−0.6) |
−15.7 (3.7) |
−9.7 (14.5) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
3.8 (38.8) |
8.2 (46.8) |
10.5 (50.9) |
9.2 (48.6) |
3.9 (39) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
−10.4 (13.3) |
−16.5 (2.3) |
−3.2 (26.2) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −47.0 (−52.6) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
−42.2 (−44) |
−27.2 (−17) |
−9.5 (14.9) |
−1.1 (30) |
2.5 (36.5) |
−3.0 (26.6) |
−11.7 (10.9) |
−23.5 (−10.3) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−44.0 (−47.2) |
−47.0 (−52.6) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 22.5 (0.886) |
14.9 (0.587) |
17.2 (0.677) |
25.7 (1.012) |
49.0 (1.929) |
87.4 (3.441) |
103.7 (4.083) |
58.1 (2.287) |
37.5 (1.476) |
22.1 (0.87) |
20.6 (0.811) |
20.0 (0.787) |
478.7 (18.846) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.024) |
0.6 (0.024) |
1.4 (0.055) |
15.5 (0.61) |
46.5 (1.831) |
87.4 (3.441) |
103.7 (4.083) |
58.1 (2.287) |
37.1 (1.461) |
14.1 (0.555) |
1.9 (0.075) |
0.4 (0.016) |
367.3 (14.461) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 21.9 (8.62) |
14.3 (5.63) |
15.9 (6.26) |
10.2 (4.02) |
2.5 (0.98) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (0.16) |
8.0 (3.15) |
18.7 (7.36) |
19.6 (7.72) |
111.4 (43.86) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 8.3 | 6.5 | 6.6 | 6.4 | 9.7 | 14.0 | 15.2 | 12.4 | 10.4 | 7.4 | 7.0 | 8.9 | 112.8 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.3 | 0.5 | 0.9 | 4.1 | 9.3 | 14.0 | 15.2 | 12.4 | 10.0 | 5.9 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 74.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 8.1 | 6.1 | 5.8 | 2.4 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 1.8 | 6.2 | 8.4 | 39.9 |
| Source #1: Environment Canada[4] | |||||||||||||
| Source #2: Prasipitation Days Only[5] | |||||||||||||
Demographics
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Athabasca had a population of 2,990 living in 1,175 of its 1,283 total dwellings, a 15.9% change from its 2006 adjusted population of 2,580. With a land area of 17.48 km2 (6.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 171.1/km2 (443.0/sq mi) in 2011.[3]
The population of the Town of Athabasca according to its 2008 municipal census is 2,734.[6]
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[7]
| * Population: | 2,575 (+6.6% from 2001) |
| * Land area: | 16.98 km2 (6.56 sq mi) |
| * Population density: | 151.7 people/km² (392.9/sq mi) |
| * National population rank (Out of 5,008): | Ranked 1,115th |
| * Median age: | 37.7 (males: 35.4, females: 40.2) |
| * Total private dwellings: | 1,117 |
| * Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: | 1,062 |
| * Mean household income: | $58,418 |
Education
The town is home to Athabasca University, a major centre for distance education.
The town has three public schools under the jurisdiction of Aspen View Public School Division No. 78:
- Whispering Hills Primary School (WHPS) – Kindergarten to Grade 3
- Landing Trail Intermediate School (LTIS) – Grades 4 to 7
- Edwin Parr Composite School (EPCS) – Grades 8 to 12
Media
Local news is provided by the Athabasca Advocate, a weekly newspaper.[8] Athabasca's local radio station is 94.1 CKBA-FM, The River.
Infrastructure
Health care
Health care is provided at the Athabasca Healthcare Centre.
Notable people
- Bryan Mudryk – TSN TV personality
- Jay Onrait – TSN TV personality
- George Ryga – playwright, poet
References
- 1 2 3 "Brief History". Town of Athabasca. Retrieved March 6, 2013.
- ↑ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. March 18, 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
- ↑ "Climate Normals 1981-2010". Environment Canada. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
- ↑ "Canadian Climate Normals 1971–2000". Environment Canada. Retrieved 23 January 2012.
- ↑ Alberta Municipal Affairs (15 September 2009). "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Retrieved 14 September 2010.
- ↑ Statistics Canada. "Canada 2006 Census: Athabasca – Community Profile". Retrieved 9 June 2007.
- ↑ "About Us: The Athabasca Advocate". Great West Newspapers LP. Retrieved March 7, 2013.
10.
- Alberta First – Athabasca Facts and Statistics
External links
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