Bad Heart, Alberta facts for kids

Bad Heart is a small community or area located in northern Alberta, Canada. It's part of the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. This area is about 50 kilometers (31 miles) northeast of the city of Grande Prairie.

What's in a Name?

The name "Bad Heart" is quite interesting! It seems to come from a Cree word, possibly "maatsiti" or "missipi." Back in 1879, a person named G.M. Dawson, who worked for the Geological Survey of Canada, also called it "Wicked River."

There are a couple of ideas about why it's called Bad Heart. One idea is that it describes a narrow, deep canyon, about 125 meters (410 feet) high, where a river flows in a winding path. Another idea is that the name has a special spiritual meaning.

Early Days and Schools

Bad Heart started to grow around the Bad Heart School District. This school district was officially created on November 6, 1928. It was set up to serve the children living in the northeast part of the county.

In 1929, a post office was opened in the community. It was located in the home of R.J. Magee, which helped people send and receive mail.

After the original one-room school building burned down in 1948, the school district was divided into two parts: North Bad Heart and South Bad Heart. However, by 1955, both of these smaller districts joined together to form the Teepee Creek school district. The post office in Bad Heart eventually closed in 1968.

The Famous Straw Church

One of the most special places in Bad Heart is the Bad Heart Straw Church. This church is so unique that it's now a national historic site!

In the 1950s, a priest named Father Francis Dales built this church. He was a Redemptorist priest who worked in Sexsmith, Alberta. What makes this church so special is that it was built using straw bales! Even though the post office closed and the school district changed, the Straw Church is still standing today as an important historic landmark.