Brooks, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Brooks
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City
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| City of Brooks | ||
Brooks from the air
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| Nickname(s):
Alberta's Centennial City
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| Motto(s):
Beautiful and Bountiful
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City boundaries
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 Brooks
Location in Alberta
Brooks
Location in Canada
Brooks
Location in County of Newell
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| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Alberta | |
| Region | Southern Alberta | |
| Planning region | South Saskatchewan | |
| Municipal district | County of Newell | |
| Incorporated | ||
| • Village | July 14, 1910 | |
| • Town | September 8, 1911 | |
| • City | September 1, 2005 | |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 18.21 km2 (7.03 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 760 m (2,490 ft) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 14,924 | |
| • Density | 819.8/km2 (2,123/sq mi) | |
| • Municipal census (2015) | 14,185 | |
| • Estimate (2020) | 15,805 | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | |
| Forward sortation area |
T1R
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| Area code(s) | 403, 587, 825, 368 | |
| Highways | Highway 1 Highway 36 |
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| Railways | Canadian Pacific Kansas City | |
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located in the County of Newell. You can find it along Highway 1, which is part of the Trans-Canada Highway. The Canadian Pacific Kansas City railway also runs through Brooks.
The city is about 186 kilometers (116 miles) southeast of Calgary. It's also about 110 kilometers (68 miles) northwest of Medicine Hat. Brooks sits at an elevation of 760 meters (2,493 feet) above sea level.
Contents
History of Brooks
Long ago, the land where Brooks now stands was a hunting ground. Bison roamed here, and Blackfoot and Crow tribes hunted them. In 1877, a special agreement called Treaty 7 was signed. This allowed people to move into the area.
Farmers, called homesteaders, came to start farming. Before 1904, the area didn't even have a name! A contest was held by the Postmaster General. The winner named the area after Noel Edgell Brooks. He was an engineer for the Canadian Pacific Railway from Calgary.
Brooks officially became a village on July 14, 1910. Just over a year later, on September 8, 1911, it became a town. In 1911, about 486 people lived there.
By 1996, the population of Brooks grew to 10,093 people. This meant it was big enough to become a city! On September 1, 2005, Brooks officially became a city. At that time, its population was 11,604. In 2010, Brooks celebrated its 100th birthday as an official community.
People of Brooks
In 2021, the City of Brooks had a population of 14,924 people. This was a small increase from 14,451 people in 2016. The city covers an area of 18.21 square kilometers (7.03 square miles).
A Multicultural City
Brooks is known for being a very diverse community. It's even called "The City of 100 Hellos"! This nickname comes from a documentary about the many people who have moved there. These new residents come from all over the world.
Two documentaries have been made about Brooks' diverse community. One is called Brooks – The City of 100 Hellos (2010). The other is 24 Days in Brooks (2007). Brooks has a higher number of Black Canadians than any other similar-sized place in Canada.
Geography and Climate
Brooks is located in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta. The land around Brooks is mostly dry mixed grass and shortgrass prairie.
Weather in Brooks
Brooks has a semi-arid climate. This means it's quite dry. Winters are cold and don't get much snow compared to other parts of Canada. Sometimes, warm winds called Chinook winds blow through. These winds can make the cold winter days feel warmer for a while.
The temperature can change a lot between day and night. This is because the air is dry and the city is fairly high up. It doesn't rain much in Brooks. Most of the rain happens in late spring and summer, often during thunderstorms.
January is usually the coldest month, with an average temperature of -9.5°C (14.9°F). July is the warmest, averaging 19.0°C (66.2°F). February is the driest month, while June gets the most rain.
| Climate data for Brooks, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1912–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 14.6 | 17.8 | 26.4 | 29.6 | 33.9 | 39.8 | 41.9 | 39.6 | 36.0 | 31.0 | 24.5 | 16.0 | 41.9 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 17.8 (64.0) |
18.3 (64.9) |
26.6 (79.9) |
31.1 (88.0) |
35.6 (96.1) |
37.2 (99.0) |
40.0 (104.0) |
38.9 (102.0) |
36.1 (97.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
20.0 (68.0) |
40.0 (104.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −3.4 (25.9) |
−0.5 (31.1) |
4.7 (40.5) |
12.8 (55.0) |
18.9 (66.0) |
22.6 (72.7) |
26.9 (80.4) |
26.1 (79.0) |
20.7 (69.3) |
12.9 (55.2) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
11.9 (53.4) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −9.5 (14.9) |
−7.0 (19.4) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
5.4 (41.7) |
11.3 (52.3) |
15.6 (60.1) |
19.0 (66.2) |
18.1 (64.6) |
12.8 (55.0) |
5.5 (41.9) |
−2.5 (27.5) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
4.8 (40.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −15.7 (3.7) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−8.5 (16.7) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
8.5 (47.3) |
11.1 (52.0) |
9.9 (49.8) |
4.8 (40.6) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
−8.8 (16.2) |
−14.8 (5.4) |
−2.3 (27.9) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −46.7 (−52.1) |
−43.9 (−47.0) |
−40.6 (−41.1) |
−25.0 (−13.0) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1.1 (30.0) |
−11.1 (12.0) |
−24.4 (−11.9) |
−36.1 (−33.0) |
−47.2 (−53.0) |
−47.2 (−53.0) |
| Record low wind chill | −49.2 | −50.5 | −42.8 | −25.8 | −14.1 | −3.6 | 0.0 | 0.0 | −10.8 | −25.3 | −39.0 | −51.6 | −51.6 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 10.6 (0.42) |
6.7 (0.26) |
15.9 (0.63) |
20.4 (0.80) |
36.5 (1.44) |
75.6 (2.98) |
32.4 (1.28) |
32.7 (1.29) |
28.7 (1.13) |
14.1 (0.56) |
14.6 (0.57) |
11.3 (0.44) |
299.5 (11.8) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.4 (0.02) |
0.3 (0.01) |
3.3 (0.13) |
17.1 (0.67) |
38.9 (1.53) |
64.5 (2.54) |
44.9 (1.77) |
34.7 (1.37) |
34.6 (1.36) |
10.4 (0.41) |
2.9 (0.11) |
0.8 (0.03) |
252.8 (9.95) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 14.1 (5.6) |
11.7 (4.6) |
22.0 (8.7) |
5.9 (2.3) |
2.1 (0.8) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.7 (0.3) |
0.5 (0.2) |
6.6 (2.6) |
16.7 (6.6) |
14.5 (5.7) |
94.8 (37.4) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 6.4 | 5.0 | 8.1 | 7.2 | 10.2 | 12.8 | 8.4 | 9.0 | 8.0 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 7.2 | 96.5 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.18 | 0.18 | 2.2 | 5.6 | 9.6 | 11.9 | 9.9 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 4.7 | 1.6 | 0.57 | 62.8 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 5.0 | 4.2 | 5.8 | 1.6 | 0.55 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 0.19 | 1.5 | 5.0 | 5.1 | 29.04 |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 3pm) | 69.6 | 63.9 | 54.7 | 40.4 | 38.8 | 45.2 | 39.4 | 38.9 | 41.4 | 47.3 | 61.5 | 69.6 | 50.9 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 91.6 | 114.9 | 158.3 | 215.1 | 266.3 | 290.2 | 338.8 | 302.1 | 200.9 | 169.7 | 105.8 | 75.1 | 2,328.9 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 34.7 | 41.1 | 43.1 | 52.1 | 55.6 | 59.1 | 68.4 | 67.1 | 52.8 | 50.8 | 39.0 | 30.0 | 49.5 |
| Source: Environment Canada(rain/rain days, snow/snow days 1981–2010) (Sunshine 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
What Brooks is Known For
The economy of Brooks is built on a few main things. These include energy, like oil and gas, and agriculture. Other important areas are making metal products, processing food, and construction. Brooks also serves as a shopping and service hub for the nearby communities.
One of Canada's biggest beef-processing plants is in Brooks. It's owned by JBS Canada. This plant sends meat all over Canada and to other countries. It employs over 2,000 people. In 2012, the plant had a temporary closure for safety checks. It quickly reopened and continues to be a major employer.
Fun Things to Do
The JBS Leisure Centre is the main place for fun and activities in Brooks. It has an arena for ice sports and a curling rink. There's also an aquatic center with a waterslide and a wave pool! You'll find a gym, a fitness center, and rooms for different activities. The center was updated in 2005 and again in 2016. The Brooks Public Library is also located here.
In 2010, Duke of Sutherland Park was improved. It now has baseball fields and a soccer field. There's also a playground and a large waterpark. The waterpark has spray features for little kids and a play structure for older children.
The Centennial Regional Arena was finished in 2010. This big building can hold 1,704 people. It has special boxes, a running track, and places to buy snacks. This arena is home to the Brooks Bandits hockey team. It also hosted the 2019 National Junior A Championship.
There are three provincial parks close to Brooks. Dinosaur Provincial Park is a World Heritage Site to the northeast. Tillebrook Provincial Park is to the east, and Kinbrook Island Provincial Park is to the south. Other fun spots include the Rolling Hills Reservoir and Crawling Valley Reservoir.
The Brooks Aqueduct is a historic structure southeast of Brooks. It was built to carry water for irrigation across a 3.2-kilometer (2-mile) valley. It stands about 20 meters (66 feet) above the ground.
Sports Teams
Brooks is home to the Brooks Bandits ice hockey team. They play in the British Columbia Junior Hockey League. The team started in 2000. They have helped players like Cale Makar and Chad Johnson reach the NHL. The Bandits have won their league championship many times. They also won the national championship, the Royal Bank Cup, in 2013, 2019, 2022, and 2023.
Brooks also has three football teams. The Roadrunners and Buffalos are from the public schools. The Crusaders are from the Catholic schools. These teams include players from junior and senior high schools. The Buffalos won provincial championships in 1995, 1997, and 2009. The Crusaders won a provincial final in 2018.
Brooks is also home to the Brooks Bombers. This baseball team plays in the Western Canadian Baseball League. Their home field is Elks Field.
Learning and Libraries
Brooks has several schools for different age groups. There are three high schools, three junior high schools, and five elementary schools. There are also three primary schools and two alternative schools. These schools are run by Grasslands Public Schools, Christ the Redeemer School Division (Catholic), and Francosud (Francophone).
Brooks also has a branch campus of Medicine Hat College. The Brooks Public Library has been open since 1951.
Local News and Radio
Brooks has two radio stations. They are CIBQ-FM (105.7 Real Country) and CIXF-FM (Boom 101.1). Both stations are owned by the Stingray Group.
There are also two local newspapers. The Brooks Bulletin is published every Tuesday. It has been serving Brooks and the County of Newell since 1910. The Weekend Regional is another paper, started in 2004. It comes out on Fridays.
Famous People from Brooks
- Sheri Forde, a reporter for TSN
- Little Miss Higgins, a folk and blues singer
- Ryan Peake, a member of the rock band Nickelback
- Sherraine Schalm, an Olympic fencer
- Harnarayan Singh, an NHL broadcaster
- Monte Solberg, a former federal government minister
- Barry Morishita, a former mayor of Brooks
Images for kids
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A view of the prairie southwest of Brooks.
