La Crete facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
La Crete
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 La Crete
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Census division | No. 17 |
| Specialized municipality | Mackenzie County |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 17.61 km2 (6.80 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 315 m (1,033 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 3,856 |
| • Density | 218.9/km2 (567/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Forward sortation areas |
T0H 2H0, T0H 4H0
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| Area code(s) | 780, 587, 825 |
| Highways | 697 |
La Crete also spelled La Crête, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County. It is located on Highway 697, approximately 57 kilometres (35 mi) southeast of High Level and 701 kilometres (436 mi) north of Edmonton.
The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 17 and in the federal riding of Peace River—Westlock.
The name "La Crête" means "the ridge" in French, which is how the earliest settlers described the area they settled.
History
La Crete was first settled in 1914 as La Crête Landing. When the first Mennonites arrived in the 1930s, they settled a short distance southwest of the original settlement on the current site of La Crete. When the first highways were built into the area in the 1960s, the population began to increase as new settlers arrived, and in 1979, La Crete was created into a hamlet.
During the summer months the La Crete Ferry, also known as the Tompkins Landing Ferry, one of only seven ferries still operating in Alberta, shuttles vehicles across the Peace River on Highway 697 about 70 kilometres southwest of the hamlet. In the winter, an ice bridge is maintained at the same spot. This access connects La Crete to the Mackenzie Highway near Paddle Prairie, offering a considerable time saving when travelling to or from La Crete. During the spring and fall, when the river is unfit for the ferry and the ice too thin to support vehicle traffic, or at other times when the ferry is not operational, travellers must continue north to High Level, then east on Highway 58 before coming back south to reach La Crete. In the summer of 2006 a sandbar formed in the centre of the river, where the ferry normally crossed, forcing it to travel around it. The sandbar has grown to such a size that the ferry does not always run if the water level is too low.
Demographics
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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, La Crete recorded a population of 3,856 living in 1,329 of its 1,397 total private dwellings, a change of 13.5% from its 2016 population of 3,396. With a land area of 17.61 km2 (6.80 sq mi), it had a population density of 219.0/km2 (567/sq mi) in 2021.
The residents of La Crete typically speak English or German.
Sports
La Crete holds a hockey tournament every year known as the Challenge Cup, where teams from all over northern Alberta come to challenge each other in hopes of winning the trophy.
The La Crete Public High School's men's and women's basketball teams host an annual basketball tournament, The Northern Exposure Hoop Classic. It has been held every year since 2004, and has grown in stature to include teams from across Alberta. There is a waiting list to get into the Hoop Classic, even though the number of teams invited has increased.
Economy
The local economy is centered around agriculture and forestry.
Transportation
During the summer months the La Crete Ferry, also known as the Tompkins Landing Ferry, one of only seven ferries still operating in Alberta, shuttles vehicles across the Peace River on Highway 697 about 70 kilometres southwest of the hamlet. In the winter, an ice bridge is maintained at the same spot. This access connects La Crete to the Mackenzie Highway near Paddle Prairie, offering a considerable time saving when travelling to or from La Crete. During the spring and fall, when the river is unfit for the ferry and the ice too thin to support vehicle traffic, or at other times when the ferry is not operational, travellers must continue north to High Level, then east on Highway 58 before coming back south to reach La Crete. In the summer of 2006 a sandbar formed in the centre of the river, where the ferry normally crossed, forcing it to travel around it. The sandbar has grown to such a size that the ferry does not always run if the water level is too low.
Notable people
- High Valley, country music band
