Didsbury, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Didsbury
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Town
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| Town of Didsbury | ||
Didsbury railway station
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 Didsbury
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Alberta | |
| Region | Central Alberta | |
| Census division | 6 | |
| Municipal district | Mountain View County | |
| Incorporated | ||
| • Village | December 24, 1901 | |
| • Town | September 27, 1906 | |
| Government | ||
| • Type | Municipality | |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 16.12 km2 (6.22 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,037 m (3,402 ft) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 5,070 | |
| • Density | 314.5/km2 (815/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Didsburian | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | |
| Postal code span |
T0M
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| Highways | Highway 2A Highway 582 |
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| Waterway | Rosebud River | |
Didsbury is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It sits near the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. The town is located next to Alberta Highway 2A, which is close to the main Queen Elizabeth II Highway. Didsbury is in the busy area between the cities of Calgary and Red Deer. It's about halfway between these two big cities.
Didsbury is surrounded by Mountain View County. The county's main office is just north of the town. The closest towns are Olds to the north and Carstairs to the south.
Contents
History of Didsbury
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The town of Didsbury got its name from a place in England, a suburban area of Manchester. The first people to settle here were German Mennonites. They had left their homes in Pennsylvania after the American Revolution. Then they moved to Waterloo County in Ontario, Canada.
In 1894, the Canadian government gave them land around Didsbury. At first, not many people lived in the area. This meant the town grew slowly as a service center. The first thing the Mennonite settlers did was build a church. Their main goal was to create farmsteads, which are farms with homes. Only a small group came west in 1894, before a big rush for land happened after 1900.
In 1897, the Canadian Pacific Railway arrived. This really helped the town grow faster. The railway built a station in Didsbury in 1904. Didsbury officially became a village in 1905. It then became a town on September 6, 1906.
Fires in 1914 and 1924 destroyed many of the early wooden buildings downtown. These fires led the Town Council to make a new rule. This rule said that all new buildings in the downtown area had to be made of strong materials like brick. Many of these brick buildings are still standing today.
On July 1, 2023, a very strong EF4 tornado caused a lot of damage just south of the town.
Population of Didsbury
Every few years, Statistics Canada counts how many people live in different places. This is called a census. In the 2021 Census, Didsbury had a population of 5,070 people. These people lived in 2,047 homes.
This number was a little less than the 5,268 people counted in 2016. The town covers an area of about 16.12 square kilometers (6.22 square miles). This means there were about 314.5 people living in each square kilometer in 2021.
Town Facilities
Didsbury has many places for fun and daily life.
- There are six parks where you can play.
- The town has a golf course for sports.
- An aquatic center is available for swimming.
- There is also a hockey rink for ice sports.
Didsbury also has a hospital. The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) have a local office here. They help keep the town and nearby areas safe.
There are three schools in Didsbury. They are part of the Chinook's Edge School Division.
The Olds-Didsbury Airport is north of Didsbury. It is mainly used for small planes and private flights.
Local News
The town has its own newspaper called the Didsbury Review. It is part of a larger newspaper group called Great West Newspapers.
Sports and Fun
Didsbury is home to the Mountainview Colts. This is a hockey team that plays in the Heritage Junior B Hockey League.
Community Groups
Many different groups are active in Didsbury.
