Elbow Valley, Alberta facts for kids
Elbow Valley is a beautiful countryside area in Alberta, Canada. It's part of Rocky View County, which is near the big city of Calgary. This area sits right next to Calgary's western edge, along Highway 8. Its main borders are Range Road 25 to the east and Range Road 31 to the west. Some smaller communities are also nearby.
The name 'Elbow Valley' also refers to a fun outdoor area. This area is southwest of the Hamlet of Bragg Creek. It is inside the Kananaskis Country park system. It's a great place for recreation and enjoying nature!
History of Elbow Valley
Elbow Valley gets its name from the Elbow River. This river flows through the area and joins the Bow River at Fort Calgary. The river's name comes from its shape. It makes a sharp turn, like an elbow, before joining the Bow River.
Long ago, the Elbow River had different names. In 1814, explorer David Thompson called it "Hokaikshi." An old map from 1859 also showed it as "Hokaikshi" or "Moose River." The Cree people called it "o-too-kwa-na." The Stoney people referred to it as "mn-no-tho-ap-ta." Until about 1880, many people called it "Swift Creek." This was because of how fast the water flowed.
