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 Railway | |
Brooks is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by the County of Newell. It is located on Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway) and the Canadian Pacific Railway, approximately 186 km (116 mi) southeast of Calgary, and 110 km (68 mi) northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of 760 m (2,490 ft).
Contents
History
The area that is now Brooks was originally used as a bison hunting ground for the Blackfoot and Crow. After Treaty 7 was signed in 1877, homesteaders moved into the area to begin farming. Before 1904, the area still did not have a name. Through a Postmaster General-sponsored contest, the area was named after Noel Edgell Brooks, a Canadian Pacific Railway Divisional Engineer from Calgary.
Brooks incorporated as a village on July 14, 1910, and then as a town on September 8, 1911. Its population in the 1911 Census of Canada was 486.
In the 1996 Census, the population of Brooks reached 10,093 making it eligible for city status. Brooks incorporated as a city on September 1, 2005 when its official population was 11,604.
In 2010, Brooks celebrated its centennial as a municipality since originally incorporating as a village in 1910.
Demographics
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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Brooks had a population of 14,924 living in 5,140 of its 5,489 total private dwellings, a change of 3.3% from its 2016 population of 14,451. With a land area of 18.21 km2 (7.03 sq mi), it had a population density of 819.5/km2 (2,122/sq mi) in 2021.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Brooks recorded a population of 14,451 living in 5,046 of its 5,412 total private dwellings, a change of 5.7% from its 2011 population of 13,676. With a land area of 18.59 km2 (7.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 777.4/km2 (2,013/sq mi) in 2016.
The population of the City of Brooks according to its 2015 municipal census is 14,185, a change of 4.4% from its 2007 municipal census population of 13,581.
A multicultural community, Brooks has been referred to as "The City of 100 Hellos" as a result of a documentary by Brandy Yanchyk profiling the community's significant immigrant, refugee and temporary foreign worker populations. The documentary was called Brooks – The City of 100 Hellos and was created in 2010 for Omni Television. The community's multicultural character was also the subject of a 2007 National Film Board of Canada documentary, 24 Days in Brooks, directed by Dana Inkster.
| Visible minorities and Aboriginal population | |||
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| Canada 2006 Census | Population | % of Total Population | |
| Visible minority group Source: |
South Asian | 175 | 1.4% |
| Chinese | 195 | 1.6% | |
| Black | 1,110 | 8.9% | |
| Filipino | 75 | 0.6% | |
| Latin American | 55 | 0.4% | |
| Arab | 80 | 0.6% | |
| Southeast Asian | 265 | 2.1% | |
| West Asian | 55 | 0.4% | |
| Korean | 40 | 0.3% | |
| Japanese | 70 | 0.6% | |
| Other visible minority | 0 | 0% | |
| Mixed visible minority | 20 | 0.2% | |
| Total visible minority population | 2,135 | 17.1% | |
| Aboriginal group Source: |
First Nations | 155 | 1.2% |
| Métis | 135 | 1.1% | |
| Inuit | 10 | 0.1% | |
| Total Aboriginal population | 310 | 2.5% | |
| White | 10,050 | 80.4% | |
| Total population | 12,495 | 100% | |
Geography
Brooks is located in the Grassland Natural Region of Alberta. The area surrounding Brooks is dry mixed grass/shortgrass prairie.
Climate
Located in the steppe region known as the Palliser's Triangle, Brooks has a semi-arid climate (Köppen climate classification BSk). Winters are dry and cold, with little snowfall compared to the rest of Canada. Chinook winds, though less common than in areas west and especially southwest of Brooks, are not uncommon, and ameliorate the cold winter temperatures temporarily when they pass over. Wide diurnal temperature ranges are regular, due to the aridity and moderately high elevation. Low humidity is prevalent throughout the year. Most of the relatively scant annual precipitation occurs in late spring and summer, often in the form of thunderstorms. On average, the coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of −10.1 °C (13.8 °F), while the warmest is July, with a mean temperature of 19.6 °C (67.3 °F). The driest month is February, with an average monthly precipitation of 9.1 mm (0.36 in), while the wettest month is June, with an average of 74.2 mm (2.92 in). Annual precipitation is low, with an average of 301.3 mm (11.86 in).
| Climate data for Brooks, 1981–2010 normals, extremes 1912–present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| 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) |
| Average high °C (°F) | −4.0 (24.8) |
0.0 (32.0) |
4.4 (39.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
18.5 (65.3) |
22.4 (72.3) |
27.5 (81.5) |
26.2 (79.2) |
20.5 (68.9) |
13.2 (55.8) |
4.0 (39.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
12.1 (53.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −10.1 (13.8) |
−6.6 (20.1) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
5.9 (42.6) |
11.3 (52.3) |
15.7 (60.3) |
19.6 (67.3) |
18.3 (64.9) |
12.8 (55.0) |
5.8 (42.4) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−7.3 (18.9) |
5.1 (41.2) |
| Average low °C (°F) | −16.2 (2.8) |
−13.1 (8.4) |
−8.3 (17.1) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
3.9 (39.0) |
8.9 (48.0) |
11.7 (53.1) |
10.3 (50.5) |
5.0 (41.0) |
−1.6 (29.1) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
−1.9 (28.6) |
| 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) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 12.8 (0.50) |
9.1 (0.36) |
19.0 (0.75) |
22.3 (0.88) |
34.9 (1.37) |
74.2 (2.92) |
26.2 (1.03) |
37.7 (1.48) |
29.2 (1.15) |
11.4 (0.45) |
12.8 (0.50) |
11.7 (0.46) |
301.3 (11.86) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.2 (0.01) |
0.2 (0.01) |
2.8 (0.11) |
17.8 (0.70) |
32.2 (1.27) |
74.2 (2.92) |
26.2 (1.03) |
37.7 (1.48) |
29.0 (1.14) |
7.5 (0.30) |
2.2 (0.09) |
1.0 (0.04) |
231.0 (9.09) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 12.9 (5.1) |
9.4 (3.7) |
16.9 (6.7) |
4.6 (1.8) |
2.7 (1.1) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.3 (0.1) |
3.8 (1.5) |
10.6 (4.2) |
10.6 (4.2) |
71.7 (28.2) |
| Average relative humidity (%) (at 15:00 LST) | 70.4 | 64.9 | 54.0 | 40.3 | 39.8 | 46.5 | 39.6 | 39.7 | 42.5 | 47.6 | 58.9 | 68.9 | 51.2 |
| 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, (Sunshine 1961–1990) | |||||||||||||
Arts and culture
Brooks has won the Communities in Bloom competition four times in a row. Brooks has won Tidiness and Community Involvement Awards at a national level.
The Brooks Public Library, with a collection of over 50,000 items, serves both the City of Brooks and the County of Newell.
Attractions
The Lakeside Leisure Centre is the area's main recreation centre. It includes one arena, a curling rink, an aquatic centre with a waterslide and wave pool, a gymnasium, a fitness centre, and multipurpose rooms. The complex was renovated in 2005.
In 2010, the Duke of Sutherland Park was redeveloped. It features baseball diamonds, a soccer field, a playground and a 3,200 ft (980 m)² waterpark with spray features for toddlers and a play structure for older children.
Also in 2010, the Centennial Regional Arena was completed after nearly a decade of planning and 18 months of construction. The multi-purpose facility seats 1,704 people. It includes corporate boxes, a running track, concessions, and a 200 ft × 85 ft (61 m × 26 m) surface. The arena is home to several user groups, including the Brooks Bandits.
There are three provincial parks in the area: Dinosaur Provincial Park, a World Heritage Site, to the northeast, Tillebrook Provincial Park to the east and Kinbrook Island Provincial Park to the south. In addition, there are several other recreational sites in the area including the Rolling Hills Reservoir, Crawling Valley Reservoir, and Emerson Bridge.
The Brooks Aqueduct southeast of Brooks was built to transport irrigation water across the Eastern Irrigation District. It spans across a 3.2 km (2.0 mi) valley, about 20 m (66 ft) above the ground.
Economy
The base of the economy of the City of Brooks is energy (oil and gas) and agriculture, with other sectors including metal manufacturing, food processing and construction. It is also a retail and service centre for the surrounding area.
Canada’s second largest beef-processing facility, owned by JBS Canada, is located in Brooks and ships meat across the country and internationally. In 2012, while the plant was owned by XL Foods, it released meat contaminated with E. coli, and was shut down for a month. The plant has over 2000 employees.
Sports
Brooks is home to the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. The ice hockey team was awarded to Brooks in 1998 and embarked on its first season in 2000. They have helped produce current NHL players such as Cale Makar (Colorado Avalanche) and Chad Johnson. The Bandits won the league championship in 2012, 2013, 2016, 2017 and 2019. They won their first National Championship (The Royal Bank Cup) in 2013 and repeated again by winning the National Junior A Championship in 2019. They
There are two football teams in Brooks: the Roadrunners and the Buffalos. The teams comprise players from the local junior and senior high schools respectively. The Buffalos represented Brooks at provincial championships in 1989, 1995, 1997, and 2009, winning in the title in its last three appearances. The Roadrunners appeared at provincial championships in 1995, 2004, 2007, 2014, and 2016 . And in Brooks Composite High School their basketball team came 4th in the province in 2017 and 3rd in the province in 2018, led by players Deng Dak, Amir Aliye and Dylan Wandler.
Brooks is home to a Western Canadian Baseball League franchise named the Brooks Bombers. They play at Elks Field in the Quad Ball Diamond Complex.
Education
Brooks has three high schools, three junior high schools, five elementary schools, three primary schools, and two alternative schools. The schools are operated by Grasslands Public Schools, Christ the Redeemer School Division (Catholic) and Francosud (Francophone). Brooks also has a satellite campus of Medicine Hat College. The Brooks Public Library was established in 1951.
Notable people
- Sheri Forde, TSN Toronto reporter
- Little Miss Higgins, folk and blues singer
- Ryan Peake, a member of rock band Nickelback
- Sherraine Schalm, Olympic fencer
- Harnarayan Singh, NHL broadcaster
- Monte Solberg, former federal cabinet minister, current political columnist for Sun Media
- Barry Morishita, former mayor of Brooks.
