Grande Cache

Grande Cache
Town
Town of Grande Cache

Highway 40 through Grande Cache
Grande Cache

Location of Grande Cache in Alberta

Coordinates: 53°52′29″N 119°07′21″W / 53.87472°N 119.12250°W / 53.87472; -119.12250Coordinates: 53°52′29″N 119°07′21″W / 53.87472°N 119.12250°W / 53.87472; -119.12250
Country  Canada
Province  Alberta
Region Northern Alberta
Census division 18
Municipal district Municipal District of Greenview No. 16
Founded 1969
Government[1]
  Mayor Herb Castle
  Governing body Grande Cache Town Council
  MP Jim Eglinski (Cons - Yellowhead)
  MLAs Eric Rosendahl (NDP - West Yellowhead)
Area (2011)[2]
  Total 35.48 km2 (13.70 sq mi)
Elevation[3] 1,220 m (4,000 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 4,319
  Density 121.7/km2 (315/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC−7)
  Summer (DST) MDT (UTC−6)
Postal code T0E 0Y0
Area code(s) +1-780
Website Official website

Grande Cache is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada, located 145 kilometres (90 mi) northwest of Hinton and 435 kilometres (270 mi) west of Edmonton. It is located in the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16, between Highway 40 and the Smoky River, at the northern border of Alberta's Rockies. The town is the gateway to the Willmore Wilderness Park.

History

The New Town of Grande Cache was created by the Order in Council 1605/66 of the Alberta Government 1966-09-01. The purpose of creating a new town was to open the area for the development of coal mines. New town status allowed the town to use the Alberta Government as a guarantor for debt.

Construction of the town began in 1969. By 1971 a hospital, schools, stores, and the first homes were built.

Grande Cache received Town status by the Order in Council 749/83 on September 1, 1983.

The town suffered a boom-bust cycle due to the dependence on a single employer that depended on a single commodity: coal. In an attempt to diversify the economy additional industries were encouraged to develop in the area. This included a wood chip plant and a federal prison operated by the Correctional Service of Canada. In recent years, wilderness tourism is an increasing industry.

Geography

Grande Cache Lake

The town is built on a plateau that is just below the subalpine level of the Rocky Mountains. The town site is surrounded by three valleys: to the north is the Smoky River; to the west is the Sulphur River; to the south is Victor Lake and Grande Cache Lake. To the east of town is Grande Mountain.

Climate

Grande Cache experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc).

Demographics

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Grande Cache had a population of 4,319 living in 1,563 of its 1,752 total dwellings, a 14.2% change from its 2006 population of 3,783. With a land area of 35.48 km2 (13.70 sq mi), it had a population density of 121.7/km2 (315.3/sq mi) in 2011.[2]

According to Canada 2006 Census:[5]

Attractions

Sports

Grande Cache is the home of the Canadian Death Race.

Infrastructure

Grande Cache is the site of the Grande Cache Institution, a medium-security prison.

Transportation

Grande Cache is connected to Grande Prairie and Hinton via Highway 40. There is a community bus service to Grande Prairie once a week and to Hinton once a month. Grande Cache Airport is 24 km (15 mi) outside of town. There are no scheduled flights into Grande Cache Airport.

Education

Local schools in Grande Cache include:

Media

Grande Cache has one weekly paper, the Grande Cache Mountaineer.

Notable people

See also

Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Grande Cache.

References

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Friday, January 29, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.