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
Elevation	729 m (2,392 ft)
Population  (2021)
• Total	72,017
• Municipal census (2022)	73,000
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 community in Alberta, Canada. Even though it's called a "hamlet," it's actually big enough to be one of Alberta's largest cities! It's part of Strathcona County.

Sherwood Park is built on land that traditionally belongs to Indigenous people, known as Treaty 6 territory. It's located right next to the big city of Edmonton. For a long time, Sherwood Park stayed within certain main roads, but since the early 2000s, it has grown bigger.

Sherwood Park was started in 1955 on land that used to be a farm. In 2021, about 72,017 people lived there.

History of Sherwood Park

The land where Sherwood Park is today was first home to Indigenous people, including the Cree nation.

In 1881, settlers came to the area and started building farms.

How Sherwood Park Started

Sherwood Park was first called Campbelltown. It was founded in 1953 by John Hook Campbell and John Mitchell. They wanted to create a new community east of Edmonton. The first homes were ready for people to buy in 1955.

However, Canada Post asked them to change the name. There were already other places in Canada called Campbelltown. So, in 1956, the community's name was changed to Sherwood Park.

Where is Sherwood Park?

Sherwood Park is located in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. It's on the western side of Strathcona County, right next to Edmonton.

Most of the community is surrounded by major roads:

• Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) to the north
• Highway 21 to the east
• Highway 630 (Wye Road) to the south
• Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) to the west

There's also an industrial area called Refinery Row. It's located west of Anthony Henday Drive. Some newer parts of Sherwood Park have also grown beyond these main roads.

Sherwood Park Neighbourhoods

Sherwood Park has many different neighbourhoods. The industrial area, Refinery Row, is west of Anthony Henday Drive. East of this highway, there are at least 49 neighbourhoods where people live and work.

People of Sherwood Park

In 2022, a local count showed that about 73,000 people lived in Sherwood Park. This was a small increase from 2018.

The official Canadian Census in 2021 counted 72,017 people in Sherwood Park. This means the population grew by about 2% since 2016.

Sherwood Park's Economy

Sherwood Park has a strong economy. Many big projects worth billions of dollars have been built or are being planned there.

It's a key part of Alberta's Industrial Heartland. This area is home to Canada's largest group of oil and gas processing plants. A special area called Refinery Row is located west of Sherwood Park. It has some of the biggest industrial factories in Western Canada, including the Imperial Oil refinery.

Art and Culture in Sherwood Park

Sherwood Park is a place where art and culture are important. There are many places to enjoy creative works and learn about history.

Art Galleries

You can find several art galleries in Sherwood Park:

• Gallery @501: This gallery shows visual arts and helps people learn about art. It changes exhibits every six weeks and features artists from the local area and across Canada.
• Loft Gallery: Located in the A.J. Ottewell Art Centre, this gallery displays art by members of the Art Society of Strathcona County. Their artwork changes often throughout the year.
• Picture This!: This place is both a framing company and an art gallery. It has shown works by over 250 artists for more than 35 years. They have new art shows every month.
• Smeltzer House Centre for Visual Arts: This historic house is over 100 years old. It's a place for cultural programs, offering art activities like pottery and glass fusing for all ages.
• Spark Centre: This venue hosts performances and events, and it's also home to the Glen Ronald Gallery. This local artist's work is known around the world.

Cultural Experiences

Sherwood Park celebrates its history and culture in many ways:

• Bremner House: This building tells the story of how Strathcona County was settled. It shows what life was like from the early 1900s to the 1950s.
• Festival Place: This theatre hosts over 100 professional shows each year. You can see plays, dance, and music performances here.
• Sherwood Park's Heritage Mile: This is like an outdoor museum. It has old landmarks from Strathcona County's past, including historic homes.
• Strathcona County Museum and Archives: This is a hands-on museum where you can learn about pioneer life. You can interact with old items in a train station, a general store, and more.

Natural Areas Near Sherwood Park

Sherwood Park is close to many beautiful natural areas. These places help people connect with nature and enjoy the outdoors. This includes the UNESCO Beaver Hills Biosphere and several parks and trails.

Beaver Hills Biosphere

The Beaver Hills Biosphere is a special area where you can explore open spaces, hiking trails, lakes, and campsites. You can enjoy activities like camping, hiking, and fishing all year round. Some popular spots include:

• Cooking Lake-Blackfoot Provincial Recreation Area: This area has about 85 km (53 miles) of hiking trails. It's home to many different animals and plants, making it great for wildlife watching.
• Elk Island National Park: This park is perfect for day trips and camping. It has forests, meadows, and wetlands. Many different animals live here because of special conservation efforts.
• Ministik Lake Game Bird Sanctuary: This large protected area is home to many birds, especially threatened migratory birds like the American white pelican and the great blue heron. You might also see moose, deer, and wolves here.

Trails and Outdoor Spaces

Sherwood Park also has its own trails and natural spots:

• Parkway Trail System: There are over 135 km (84 miles) of paved trails in and around Sherwood Park. You can cycle, run, walk, or rollerblade and enjoy many interesting sights along the way.
• Sherwood Park Natural Area: This trail is 3 km (1.9 miles) long and is great for watching birds and other animals. It connects with an old trail called the Old Edmonton Trail.
• Strathcona Wilderness Centre: This outdoor center offers activities all year, like hiking, disc golf, geocaching, and camping.

Fun Things to Do

Sherwood Park has many restaurants, hotels, shops, golf courses, and recreation places. You can find out more in the Activity and Travel Guide.

Sports and Recreation

Sherwood Park has many places for sports and fun. These include the Broadmoor Arena, Glen Allan Recreation Complex, Kinsmen Leisure Centre, and Millennium Place. There's also a BMX bike park, a BMX bike pump track, and a skateboard park. The community has 37 parks and sports fields.

Hockey in Sherwood Park

A very important local sports team is the hockey team, the Sherwood Park Crusaders. They play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Sherwood Park is also known for its excellent Midget "AAA" hockey program. This program has helped many players become top athletes, including some who have played in the National Hockey League. Some famous players from Sherwood Park include Cam Ward, Daymond Langkow, Brendan Gallagher, and Carter Hart.

Football and Baseball

Football is also very popular in Sherwood Park. High school football teams from Sherwood Park have often reached the provincial finals. The bantam team, the Sherwood Park Rams, have won provincial championships many times.

Baseball has also become a big sport in the community. The Sherwood Park Dukes started playing in 2008 at Centennial Park.

Major Sports Events

Strathcona County hosted the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games. Most of the events took place in Sherwood Park. About 2,300 athletes and coaches from western Canada participated, and 2,800 volunteers helped make the games a success.

The Strathcona Druids RFC is a Rugby club that plays its games at Lynn Davies field. The club started in 1960 and has many teams, including adult and youth teams.

Education in Sherwood Park

Sherwood Park has several school boards that manage its schools. These include 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), which is for French-speaking students.

The public high schools are Bev Facey Community High School and Salisbury Composite High School. There are also Strathcona Christian Academy (which teaches students from kindergarten to grade 12) and Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School.

Sherwood Park was home to Canada's first charter school, New Horizons Charter School. This public school offers a special program for gifted students from kindergarten to grade 9.

Media and News

Sherwood Park has its own local newspaper, the Sherwood Park-Strathcona County News. This newspaper comes out twice a week. It was created in 2007 when two older local newspapers merged.

Because Sherwood Park is so close to Edmonton, all the major news outlets from Edmonton also serve Sherwood Park. This includes big newspapers like the Edmonton Sun and the Edmonton Journal, as well as radio and TV stations.

Famous People from Sherwood Park