Pekisko, Alberta facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Pekisko
unincorporated community
Pekisko Location in Alberta
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Census division	No. 6
Municipal district	Foothills County
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)

Pekisko is a small, unincorporated community in southern Alberta, Canada. It's located in the Foothills County, which is like a large rural area managed by a local government. Pekisko is found east of the junction of the Cowboy Trail and Highway 540. It's about 35 kilometers (22 miles) south of High River and 19 kilometers (12 miles) south of Longview.

This community sits in the beautiful foothills of the Canadian Rockies, north of the Highwood River. It's about 1,215 meters (3,986 feet) above sea level. Pekisko is the center of the Pekisko Rangeland, an area mainly used for raising livestock like cattle and for farming. The oil and gas industry is also becoming a bigger part of the local economy.

The name Pekisko comes from the Blackfoot language. It means "rolling foothills," which perfectly describes the landscape around the community.

Ranching History in Pekisko

Edward, Prince of Wales, sitting on a corral fence with Archibald J. McLean and George Lane at the EP Ranch in October 1924

Pekisko is well-known as a ranching area. Two famous ranches operated here for many years. One was the Bar-U Ranch, owned by George Lane, who helped start the famous Calgary Stampede. The other was the EP Ranch, which used to be called the Bedingfeld Ranch.

In 1919, Edward, the Prince of Wales (who later briefly became King of the United Kingdom and Canada) visited Canada. He liked what he saw and bought the Bedingfeld cattle ranch. This ranch had been started in 1886 by Mrs. Bedingfeld, a British army officer's widow. After the Prince bought it, the ranch became known as the Prince of Wales Ranch or the E.P. Ranch. The brand used on the cattle, "E.P.", stood for "Edward Prince."

In 1925, a famous cowboy movie star named Hoot Gibson filmed scenes at the E.P. Ranch. These scenes were part of a Hollywood movie called The Calgary Stampede.

Weather in Pekisko

Pekisko has a subalpine climate, which means it's like a subarctic climate but at a higher elevation. Summers are short and mild, while winters are usually cold but can sometimes get surprisingly warm.

This is because of something called a Chinook wind. A Chinook is a warm, dry wind that blows down the eastern side of the Canadian Rockies. These winds can quickly raise winter temperatures well above freezing. For example, on January 31, 1906, the temperature rose to an amazing 26.7°C (80°F)! This might be one of the highest January temperatures ever recorded so far north.

Pekisko gets more rain and snow than lower areas in the Canadian Prairies. This is due to the "orographic effect," where mountains force air upwards, causing it to cool and release moisture. Most of the precipitation happens in late spring and summer.