Edson, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edson
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Town
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| Town of Edson | ||
Edson town hall
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| Motto(s):
Heart of the Yellowhead
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Location in Yellowhead County
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 Edson
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada | |
| Province | Alberta | |
| Planning region | Upper Athabasca | |
| Municipal district | Yellowhead County | |
| Incorporated | ||
| • Village | 9 January 1911 | |
| • Town | 21 September 1911 | |
| Founded by | Grand Trunk Pacific Railway | |
| Named for | Edson Joseph Chamberlin | |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 29.43 km2 (11.36 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 920 m (3,020 ft) | |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 8,374 | |
| • Density | 284.5/km2 (737/sq mi) | |
| Demonym(s) | Edsonite | |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) | |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) | |
| Forward sortation area |
T7E
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| Area code(s) | +1-780 | |
Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, about 192 kilometers (119 miles) west of Edmonton. The town sits along the Yellowhead Highway, which is a very busy road. Edson is also about 10 kilometers (6 miles) east of where the Yellowhead Highway meets Highway 47.
Contents
History of Edson
The town was first called Heatherwood. Around 1911, its name was changed to honor Edson Joseph Chamberlin. He was a vice-president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. When Edson became an important railway center, smaller towns nearby started to decline. These included Rosevear, Wolf Creek, Carrot Creek, and Niton Junction.
In the 1950s, Highway 16 was improved. This led to a big increase in cars, trucks, and industrial vehicles. Today, the Yellowhead Highway is one of the busiest roads in Alberta. It is even called the second Trans-Canada Highway.
During the 1970s, the coal industry grew again. This led to the opening of the Cardinal River Coal and Luscar Sterco mines. In the 1980s, two large forestry companies, Pelican Spruce Mills and Sundance Forest Industries, became major employers in Edson. These companies are now part of Weyerhaeuser and West Fraser Timber. In 1984, the areas of Glenwood and Grande Prairie Trail became part of Edson.
In 2023, Edson faced challenges from wildfires. The town had to be evacuated for safety. A few weeks later, Edson declared another state of emergency because of floods.
Edson's Population
Edson has seen its population change over the years. Here's a quick look at how many people have lived in Edson:
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In the 2021 Census, Edson had a population of 8,374 people. They lived in 3,386 homes. This was a small decrease from its 2016 population of 8,414. The town covers an area of about 29.43 square kilometers. This means there were about 284.5 people living in each square kilometer in 2021.
Geography and Nature
Edson is located in the valley of the McLeod River. It is just east of the Canadian Rockies foothills. The area around Edson is mostly taiga forest, with some sand hills and wet, spongy ground called muskeg. The town is about 925 meters (3,035 feet) above sea level.
Two provincial parks are located west of Edson. These are Sundance Provincial Park, which follows Sundance Creek, and Obed Lake Provincial Park, which surrounds three lakes called Obed Lakes.
Edson's Climate
Because Edson is high up, it has a subarctic climate. This means it has long, very cold winters and mild to warm summers.
The hottest temperature ever recorded in Edson was 38.9 degrees Celsius (102 degrees Fahrenheit) on June 30, 2021. The coldest temperature ever recorded was -48.3 degrees Celsius (-55 degrees Fahrenheit) on January 22, 1943, and January 14, 1950. Edson usually gets more snow than nearby areas because of its higher elevation.
| Climate data for Edson Airport, 1971–2000 normals, extremes 1914–present | |||||||||||||
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| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 15.6 (60.1) |
19.4 (66.9) |
22.2 (72.0) |
30.0 (86.0) |
33.3 (91.9) |
38.9 (102.0) |
37.2 (99.0) |
33.4 (92.1) |
33.0 (91.4) |
28.9 (84.0) |
20.6 (69.1) |
16.7 (62.1) |
38.9 (102.0) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.2 (22.6) |
−2.2 (28.0) |
3.6 (38.5) |
10.6 (51.1) |
16.2 (61.2) |
19.4 (66.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
20.6 (69.1) |
15.7 (60.3) |
10.3 (50.5) |
0.1 (32.2) |
−5 (23) |
8.8 (47.8) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.8 (10.8) |
−9.2 (15.4) |
−3.3 (26.1) |
3.5 (38.3) |
8.9 (48.0) |
12.6 (54.7) |
14.6 (58.3) |
13.7 (56.7) |
8.8 (47.8) |
3.4 (38.1) |
−6 (21) |
−11.2 (11.8) |
2.0 (35.6) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −18.2 (−0.8) |
−16.1 (3.0) |
−10.2 (13.6) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
1.4 (34.5) |
5.7 (42.3) |
7.6 (45.7) |
6.8 (44.2) |
1.8 (35.2) |
−3.5 (25.7) |
−12.1 (10.2) |
−17.5 (0.5) |
−4.8 (23.4) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −48.3 (−54.9) |
−47.3 (−53.1) |
−41.1 (−42.0) |
−34.4 (−29.9) |
−13.3 (8.1) |
−6.7 (19.9) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−3.9 (25.0) |
−18.3 (−0.9) |
−34.6 (−30.3) |
−39.2 (−38.6) |
−47.8 (−54.0) |
−48.3 (−54.9) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 26.4 (1.04) |
14.2 (0.56) |
20.0 (0.79) |
23.6 (0.93) |
57.9 (2.28) |
106.7 (4.20) |
106.2 (4.18) |
82.2 (3.24) |
62.6 (2.46) |
23.2 (0.91) |
18.5 (0.73) |
20.9 (0.82) |
562.4 (22.14) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 1.4 (0.06) |
0.5 (0.02) |
3.0 (0.12) |
12.9 (0.51) |
52.2 (2.06) |
106.7 (4.20) |
106.2 (4.18) |
82.2 (3.24) |
56.7 (2.23) |
11.4 (0.45) |
2.5 (0.10) |
0.7 (0.03) |
436.3 (17.18) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 35.8 (14.1) |
22.3 (8.8) |
25.8 (10.2) |
13.8 (5.4) |
6.4 (2.5) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.1 (0.0) |
6.7 (2.6) |
13.4 (5.3) |
22.3 (8.8) |
30.0 (11.8) |
176.5 (69.5) |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 84.5 | 112.1 | 155.3 | 210.2 | 243.2 | 251.5 | 278.1 | 245.8 | 169.2 | 148.0 | 95.1 | 73.7 | 2,066.8 |
| Percent possible sunshine | 33.7 | 40.6 | 42.3 | 50.1 | 49.4 | 49.5 | 54.4 | 53.6 | 44.3 | 45.0 | 36.6 | 31.4 | 44.2 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Edson's Economy
The main jobs and businesses in Edson are based on natural resources. These include:
- Coal mining
- Oil and natural gas production
- Forestry products, like timber
Sports in Edson
Edson used to host Canada's largest slo-pitch (a type of softball) tournament. This big event took place every year until 2017.
Culture and Museums
The Galloway Station Museum opened in 1981. It teaches visitors about the history of Edson and the areas around it. The museum has an old Canadian Northern Railway station. It also has large modern rooms for art, a place to keep old documents, and space for public events.
The museum is located in RCMP Centennial Park. This large park was created in 1974 to celebrate 100 years of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in Alberta. The park is run by the Town of Edson. It also has:
- An event pavilion
- A Canadian National Railway caboose (the last car on a freight train)
- A preserved RCAF Lockheed T-33 Silver Star aircraft
- A giant squirrel statue, which is the town's mascot, "Eddie the Squirrel"
Transportation and Roads
Edson is connected by the Yellowhead Highway, which runs east to west. It is also linked to Coal Valley by Highway 47 to the south.
For train travel, Via Rail's The Canadian train stops at the Edson railway station. It stops twice a week in each direction if someone needs to get on or off.
Education in Edson
Edson has several schools for students of all ages.
Grande Yellowhead Public School Division No. 77
- Mary Bergeron Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 5)
- Parkland Composite High School (Grades 9-12, offers English and French programs)
- École Pine Grove Middle School (Grades 6-8, offers English and French programs)
- Westhaven Elementary School (Kindergarten to Grade 5, offers English and French programs)
Living Waters Catholic Regional Division No. 42
- Holy Redeemer Junior Senior Catholic High School (Grades 7-12)
- Vanier Community Catholic School (Kindergarten to Grade 6)
Private Schools
- Yellowhead Koinonia Christian School (Kindergarten to Grade 12)
Local Media
Edson has one weekly newspaper called The Weekly Anchor. It is published every Monday. There used to be another paper, Edson Leader, which started in 1911 but stopped publishing in 2020.
You can also listen to these radio stations in Edson:
- CBXD 1540 CBC Radio One
- CFXE 94.3 Newcap Broadcasting
- CKUA-FM-8 103.7 CKUA Radio Network
Edson's Coat of Arms
On October 15, 2019, the town of Edson was given its own special coat of arms by the Canadian Heraldic Authority. This is like a unique symbol or emblem for the town. The official announcement was made on March 28, 2020.
The coat of arms has different parts:
- Shield: It has a wavy line across the middle, like a castle wall. Above it are two white diamond shapes, each with a green pine tree. Below it is a black diamond shape.
- Crest: This is above the shield. It shows a great grey owl coming out of a silver crown. The crown has black drops and blue flames.
- Supporters: These are on either side of the shield. They are two red squirrels, each holding a pinecone and sitting on a log.
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Notable People from Edson
- George VanderBurg: A Canadian politician who was a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) for the Progressive Conservative party from 2001 to 2013.
