Sherwood Park facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sherwood Park Campbelltown (1953–1956)
Urban service area (hamlet)
Sherwood Park Urban Service Area
Location in Strathcona County
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Edmonton Metropolitan Region
Census division	11
Specialized municipality	Strathcona County
Founded	1953
Name change	1956
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
Area
• Total	70.98 km2 (27.41 sq mi)
Elevation	729 m (2,392 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	72,017
• Density	1,014.61/km2 (2,627.83/sq mi)
• Municipal census (2018)	71,332
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Forward sortation areas	T8A - T8H
Area code(s)	780, 587, 825
Highways	Highway 14, Highway 21, Highway 216, Highway 630
Website	Strathcona County

Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16 (Yellowhead Trail), west of Highway 21 and north of Highway 630 (Wye Road). Other portions of Sherwood Park extend beyond Yellowhead Trail and Wye Road, while Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) separates Refinery Row to the west from the balance of the hamlet to the east.

Sherwood Park was established in 1955 on farmland of the Smeltzer family, east of Edmonton. With a population of 72,017 in 2021, Sherwood Park has enough people to be Alberta's sixth largest city, but it retains the status of a hamlet. The Government of Alberta recognizes the Sherwood Park Urban Service Area as equivalent to a city.

History

Sherwood Park, originally named Campbelltown, was founded by John Hook Campbell and John Mitchell in 1953 when the Municipal District of Strathcona No. 83 approved their proposed development of a bedroom community east of Edmonton. The first homes within the community were marketed to the public in 1955. Canada Post intervened on the name of Campbelltown due to the existence of several other communities in Canada within the same name, so the community's name was changed to Sherwood Park in 1956.

Geography

The Sherwood Park Urban Service Area is located in the Edmonton Capital Region along the western edge of central Strathcona County adjacent to the City of Edmonton. The majority of the community is bound by Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) to the north, Highway 21 to the east, Highway 630 (Wye Road) to the south, and Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) to the west. The Refinery Row portion of Sherwood Park is located across Anthony Henday Drive to the west, between Sherwood Park Freeway and Highway 16. Numerous developments fronting the south side of Wye Road, including Wye Gardens, Wye Crossing, Salisbury Village and the Estates of Sherwood Park, are also within the community. Lands north of Highway 16 and south of Township Road 534/Oldman Creek between Range Road 232 (Sherwood Drive) to the west and Highway 21 to the east are also within the Sherwood Park urban service area.

Neighbourhoods

The industrial area known as Refinery Row is west of Anthony Henday Drive. At least 49 neighbourhoods are located within the portion of the Sherwood Park Urban Service Area east of Anthony Henday Drive.

Demographics

In the 2021 census conducted by Statistics Canada, Sherwood Park, as Strathcona County's urban service areas, had a population of 72,017, a change of 2% from its 2016 population of 70,618.

The population of Sherwood Park according to Strathcona County's 2018 municipal census is 71,332, a 5.1% change from its 2015 municipal census population of 68,782.

Arts and culture

Facilities for visual and performing arts in Sherwood Park include the A.J. Ottewell Community Centre, Art Gallery @ 501, Festival Place and Smeltzer House Centre for Visual Arts.

Attractions

Recreation facilities within Sherwood Park include the Broadmoor Arena, Glen Allan Recreation Complex, Kinsmen Leisure Centre, Millennium Place, Sherwood Park Arena/Sports Centre and Strathcona Athletic Park as well as a BMX bike park, a BMX bike pump track and a skateboard park. The community also has 37 parks and sportsfields.

Economy

Sherwood Park has a strong economy with over $9.0 billion worth of major projects completed, announced, or under construction. As a founding member of Alberta's Industrial Heartland, Strathcona County is home to Canada's largest hydrocarbon refining cluster. A district known as Refinery Row lies west of Sherwood Park and includes some of the largest industrial facilities in Western Canada, including Imperial Oil's Strathcona Refinery.

Sports and recreation

Recreation facilities within Sherwood Park include the Broadmoor Arena, Glen Allan Recreation Complex, Kinsmen Leisure Centre, Millennium Place, Sherwood Park Arena/Sports Centre and Strathcona Athletic Park as well as a BMX bike park, a BMX bike pump track and a skateboard park. The community also has 37 parks and sportsfields.

An important local sports team is a hockey squad, the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The Crusaders play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Sherwood Park has a well-respected Midget "AAA" hockey program, dating back to the mid-1970s, that has produced several top calibre players including former and current National Hockey League players Gerald Diduck, Jim Ennis, Tyson Nash, Cam Ward and Daymond Langkow. The Sherwood Park Kings Athletic Club includes levels from Peewee to Midget and with the highest level being the Midget "AAA" program.

Sherwood Park is a large football community. At least one Sherwood Park high school football team has been to the Alberta provincial final since the 1999 season. The bantam team, the Sherwood Park Rams, have won provincials five of the last seven seasons. The 2014 provincial championship is held by the Sherwood Park Wolverines, which is their first title.

Baseball has become a popular and important sport in the community. In 2008, the Sherwood Park Dukes began their first season in Sherwood Park, playing at Centennial Park in the Western Major Baseball League.

Strathcona County hosted the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games with most of the events held in Sherwood Park. The games included 2,300 athletes, coaches, and officials from the four western provinces and three northern territories. Around 2,800 volunteers helped make the games a success.

Education

Sherwood Park's school boards are Elk Island Public Schools Regional Division No. 14 (EIPS), Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 41 (EICS), and the Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN or the Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2).

The public high schools are Bev Facey Community High School and Salisbury Composite High School, as well as Strathcona Christian Academy (kindergarten to grade 12), and Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School.

Sherwood Park was home to Canada's first charter school: New Horizons Charter School, a public charter school that offers a gifted education program for students from kindergarten to grade 9. It is in Sherwood Park on the edge of the Village on the Lake subdivision.

Notable people

• Sara Canning – film and TV actress
• Gerald Diduck – former National Hockey League (NHL) player
• Jim Ennis – former NHL hockey player
• Randy Ferbey – curler
• Andrew Ference – former NHL defenceman
• Carter Hart – NHL goaltender for the Philadelphia Flyers
• Sam Steel - NHL centre Anaheim Ducks
• Blake Dermott – radio personality and former Canadian Football League (CFL) player
• Ken Hitchcock – NHL coach
• Ryan McGill – former NHL hockey player, current NHL coaching staff
• Kaetlyn Osmond – Olympic figure skater
• Mark Pysyk – NHL defenceman for the Florida Panthers
• Duncan Siemens – NHL defenceman
• Tony Twist – former NHL hockey player
• Miles Holmwood - multi-platinum musician with the band, Stereos
• Cam Ward – NHL goaltender
• Nick Holden – NHL defenceman Ottawa Senators
• Brendan Guhle – NHL defenceman Anaheim Ducks
• Kevin Boyer - Olympic skeleton racer
• Chuba Hubbard - Carolina Panthers starting running back
• Sean Rogerson - Film and TV actor
• Johnathan Aitken – former NHL defenceman
• Jay Henderson – former NHL defenceman
• Daniel Carr – NHL hockey player