Beiseker facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Beiseker
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Village
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| Village of Beiseker | |
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| Motto(s):
Crossroads to the Future
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 Beiseker
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Calgary Region |
| Census division | 6 |
| Municipal district | Rocky View County |
| Founded | 1908 |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | February 23, 1921 |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 2.85 km2 (1.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 915 m (3,002 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 754 |
| • Density | 264.3/km2 (685/sq mi) |
| Demonym(s) | Beisekerite |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code span |
T0M 0G0
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Beiseker is a small village in the Canadian province of Alberta. It's located about 70 kilometers (43 miles) northeast of Calgary. Beiseker is considered part of the larger Calgary Region. It is surrounded by Rocky View County, and its closest neighbors are Irricana, Kathyrn, and Acme.
Contents
History of Beiseker
Beiseker was started to help farmers in the area. It sits on very rich soil, perfect for growing crops. The village was founded in 1908 by the Calgary Colonization Company. This company wanted to show people that the land was great for farming.
Who Was Beiseker Named After?
The village is named after Thomas Lincoln Beiseker (1866-1941). He was a partner and vice president of the Calgary Colonization Company. Many German families from the Dakotas in the United States moved here in 1908. That's why you'll find many German family names in the area today.
How Beiseker Grew
Beiseker started to grow in 1910 when the Canadian Pacific Railway built a train line through it. The first general store opened that year in a big building that also had a school and a dance hall. Another train line, the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway (now owned by Canadian National Railway), was built in 1912.
Telephone service arrived in 1912, and electricity came in 1928. Beiseker became an important spot because three main highways (Highways 9, 72, and 806) meet there. Since it's about halfway between Calgary and Drumheller, Beiseker became a hub for services and trade for the farms around it. It officially became a village in 1921.
The "World Wheat King Capital"
The land around Beiseker is so good for growing grain that the village is known as the "World Wheat King Capital." This means it's a top area for producing wheat.
Community Life in Beiseker
Beiseker has important places that help the community thrive.
Education and Faith
The Beiseker Community School is in the village. It's part of the Rocky View Schools system and teaches students from kindergarten all the way to grade 12.
The village also has churches for Baptist, Catholic, and Anglican groups.
Travel and Transportation
Because Beiseker is where three provincial highways meet, it's a popular stop for people traveling. Many campers and other visitors heading to or from Saskatoon and Drumheller stop here. The village has a campground and a motel for travelers.
There's also a small airport about five kilometers (3 miles) east of town, right off Alberta Highway 9.
Beiseker's Economy
Beiseker is a center for services that help local farms.
Farming and Energy
Farmers can find things like fertilizer, seed cleaning, and soil testing services here. There's a local UFA store and a Canadian Malting Co. grain elevator where farmers can store their grain.
The area also has industries that support the oilpatch. You'll find many sites where natural gas is taken out of the ground, and there are several large pipelines nearby.
Local Businesses
Beiseker's main street has many small businesses. These include a local credit union, a grocery store, a pharmacist, hair salons, and several small restaurants.
Lampson International, a big company that specializes in construction cranes, has its Canadian office based in Beiseker.
Famous Connections
Beiseker has a few interesting links to famous people and movies.
A Poet's Inspiration
William Samuel McGee (born 1868 in Lindsay, Ontario – died 1940 in Beiseker) lived on a farm near Beiseker for several years. He is buried in the area. His name was the inspiration for the famous poem The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service.
Filming Location
Beiseker and the areas around it have been used as filming locations for several movies and TV shows.
- The Academy Award-winning film Brokeback Mountain (directed by Ang Lee) filmed some scenes here, including the 'Twist Ranch'.
- In 2016, Beiseker was a filming spot for the third season of FX Network's show Fargo.
- An episode of TBS's series The Detour was also filmed here.
- In 2018, the Netflix series Black Summer was filmed in Beiseker.
- In 2019, parts of Ghostbusters: Afterlife were shot on location in the village.
- More recently, in 2023, Beiseker hosted productions for Wind River: The Next Chapter and the fifth season of the Fargo TV series.
Beiseker Station Museum
The Beiseker Station Museum shares the local history of the village. It has old items from when the village was founded in the early 1900s. The museum is located in the old Canadian Pacific Railway station, which also used to be the village offices.
Beiseker's Mascot
In the early 1990s, Beiseker started using a fun mascot named "Squirt the Skunk." You might have seen pins and postcards with Squirt on them. There's even a 13-foot (4-meter) tall statue of "Squirt the Skunk" at the campground near Highway 72. A "Squirt the Skunk" costume was also made for the mascot to appear at village events.
Population of Beiseker
According to the 2021 Census, the Village of Beiseker had a population of 754 people. These people lived in 314 of the 333 homes in the village. This was a small change from its 2016 population of 819 people. Beiseker covers a land area of 2.85 square kilometers (1.10 square miles). This means there were about 264 people living in each square kilometer in 2021.
