Evansburg, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Evansburg
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Hamlet
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| Motto(s):
Home of the Grouch
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 Evansburg
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Municipal district | Yellowhead County |
| Dissolved | June 30, 1998 |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 2.84 km2 (1.10 sq mi) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 717 |
| • Density | 252.8/km2 (655/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code span |
T0E 0T0
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| Highways | Highway 16A |
| Waterways | Pembina River |
| Website | Yellowhead County |
Evansburg is a small community called a hamlet in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is part of Yellowhead County. You can find Evansburg on Highway 16A. It's about 88 kilometers (55 miles) west of Edmonton and 96 kilometers (60 miles) east of Edson. The community is right next to the Pembina River and the Pembina River Provincial Park.
Evansburg used to be a village until June 30, 1998. On that date, it changed its status to become a hamlet within Yellowhead County. Statistics Canada, which collects information about people in Canada, lists Evansburg as a special "designated place."
Contents
History of Evansburg
Evansburg got its name from Harry Marshall Erskine Evans. He was a former mayor of Edmonton and gave advice to the Government of Alberta. The first post office in Evansburg opened way back in 1914.
People Living in Evansburg
In 2021, a count of people living in Evansburg showed there were 717 residents. These people lived in 334 homes. This number was a bit lower than in 2016, when 795 people lived there.
Arts and Culture in Evansburg
The Tipple Park Museum in Evansburg helps keep the town's history alive. It shows off the area's past with railways, farming, and coal mining. The museum's special symbol is a "tipple." A tipple is a building at a mine used to load coal or ore onto trains.
The Home of the Grouch
Evansburg is famous across Canada for being the "Home of the Grouch." Every August, during the community's Pembina Valley Daze festival, they choose a "Town Grouch."
This fun tradition started in 1961. A local artist named John Lauer was asked to make a new welcome sign for the town. To make people laugh, he wrote that Evansburg had "603 people, 29 dogs, 41 cats, and one grouch." Everyone wondered who the grouch was!
In 1979, the Evansburg Chamber of Commerce decided to find out. They held an election, and the community voted for their grouch. This election has happened every year since then. John Lauer himself was chosen as the grouch in 1995.
In the 1990s, Evansburg decided to make this tradition a big part of their town's identity. They started using the slogan "Home of the Grouch." Their logo became a scowling coal miner, which also honored the town's history of coal mining.
Being the Town Grouch is more than just a funny title. It's a real job with important duties! The chosen citizen becomes Evansburg's ambassador. This means they represent the community at events and meetings across Canada. The Town Grouch gets a special uniform. It includes overalls, a pick-axe, and a miner's helmet, just like the town's logo. The Town Grouch's home even gets a special address: "10 Frowning Street."
In recent years, the "grouch" is chosen through a competition. The person who raises the most money for the Pembina Valley Daze festival wins the title.
Transportation in Evansburg
Evansburg has a railway station that is a "flag stop" for Via Rail's The Canadian train. This train stops in Evansburg three times a week in each direction.
