Suffield, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Suffield
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Hamlet
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 Suffield
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Census division | 1 |
| Municipal district | Cypress County |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 0.86 km2 (0.33 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 755 m (2,477 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 190 |
| • Density | 219.8/km2 (569/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code span |
T0J
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| Area code(s) | +1-403 |
Suffield is a small community called a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada. It's part of Cypress County. You can find it on the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1). It's about 32 kilometers (20 miles) northwest of Medicine Hat. Suffield is also just south of a large military base called CFB Suffield.
Contents
History of Suffield
Suffield was started in 1884 by the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR). It was named after Charles Harbord, the 5th Baron Suffield. His wife, Cecilia Annetta, was the sister of Edward Baring. Edward Baring helped pay for the railway to be built.
Early Growth and the Alamo Hotel
Around the early 1900s, Suffield grew quickly because of the CPR. A big building called the Alamo Hotel was built in 1910. It had 32 rooms and cost $30,000. W.R. Martin, A.M. Grace, and A.P. Phillips built it. A newspaper reporter in 1910 said it was the most beautiful hotel along the CPR from Winnipeg to Calgary. The hotel had a 40-foot bar and was considered one of the best in the country.
However, tough times came with the First World War. Then, Prohibition started in 1915, which made selling alcohol illegal. In 1926, the hotel was sold. It was moved to Sylvan Lake in 1927 to replace another hotel that had burned down.
Suffield's Railway Connections
In 1913, the CPR built a new railway line from Suffield to Retlaw. This line was extended to Lomond in 1914, making it 84 miles long. In 1925, the line went even further to Arrowwood. By 1930, it reached Eltham, near Blackie.
The train stops along this line included Suffield, Vauxhall, Retlaw, Enchant, Travers, Lomond, Milo, and Arrowwood. In 1948, a train ticket cost $3.75. This railway line is no longer used today, and the tracks have been removed.
Climate in Suffield
Suffield has a semi-arid climate. This means it's quite dry. Winters are long, cold, and dry. Summers are short but can be very warm. Not much rain or snow falls here, with an average of 318 millimeters (about 12.5 inches) each year. Most of the precipitation happens in the warmer months.
| Climate data for Suffield Airport | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high humidex | 12.2 | 16.1 | 22.9 | 28.9 | 33.3 | 38.4 | 44.1 | 40.4 | 37.1 | 29.4 | 22.2 | 12.8 | 44.1 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.6 (61.9) |
21.6 (70.9) |
24.4 (75.9) |
30.1 (86.2) |
33.9 (93.0) |
36.5 (97.7) |
38.3 (100.9) |
40.6 (105.1) |
36.1 (97.0) |
32.1 (89.8) |
23.6 (74.5) |
16.7 (62.1) |
40.6 (105.1) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −5.9 (21.4) |
−1.7 (28.9) |
4.7 (40.5) |
13.2 (55.8) |
19.0 (66.2) |
23.3 (73.9) |
26.6 (79.9) |
26.2 (79.2) |
20.0 (68.0) |
13.5 (56.3) |
2.6 (36.7) |
−3.7 (25.3) |
11.5 (52.7) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −11.2 (11.8) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−1.2 (29.8) |
6.3 (43.3) |
12.0 (53.6) |
16.3 (61.3) |
19.1 (66.4) |
18.6 (65.5) |
12.7 (54.9) |
6.6 (43.9) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
−9 (16) |
5.0 (41.0) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −16.4 (2.5) |
−12.5 (9.5) |
−7.1 (19.2) |
−0.7 (30.7) |
4.9 (40.8) |
9.2 (48.6) |
11.6 (52.9) |
10.9 (51.6) |
5.3 (41.5) |
−0.3 (31.5) |
−8.2 (17.2) |
−14.2 (6.4) |
−1.5 (29.3) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.2 (−44.0) |
−40.2 (−40.4) |
−40 (−40) |
−24.4 (−11.9) |
−9.4 (15.1) |
−2.8 (27.0) |
1.7 (35.1) |
−1 (30) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−29.6 (−21.3) |
−36 (−33) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
−45.6 (−50.1) |
| Record low wind chill | −54.1 | −51.2 | −45.9 | −34.4 | −14.7 | −2.3 | 1.7 | −1.1 | −12.8 | −22.6 | −44 | −55.3 | −55.3 |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 15.6 (0.61) |
10.1 (0.40) |
18.1 (0.71) |
23.6 (0.93) |
44.5 (1.75) |
58.3 (2.30) |
34.4 (1.35) |
34.0 (1.34) |
31.6 (1.24) |
15.8 (0.62) |
14.7 (0.58) |
17.8 (0.70) |
318.2 (12.53) |
| Average rainfall mm (inches) | 0.6 (0.02) |
0.2 (0.01) |
3.5 (0.14) |
14.8 (0.58) |
41.8 (1.65) |
58.3 (2.30) |
34.4 (1.35) |
33.7 (1.33) |
30.2 (1.19) |
10.3 (0.41) |
2.7 (0.11) |
0.7 (0.03) |
231.0 (9.09) |
| Average snowfall cm (inches) | 17.2 (6.8) |
11.5 (4.5) |
16.3 (6.4) |
9.7 (3.8) |
2.8 (1.1) |
0 (0) |
0 (0) |
0.4 (0.2) |
1.4 (0.6) |
6.3 (2.5) |
14.2 (5.6) |
19.6 (7.7) |
99.4 (39.1) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 7.8 | 5.9 | 6.9 | 7.3 | 9.5 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 7.7 | 5.7 | 6.2 | 8.0 | 93.8 |
| Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.40 | 0.40 | 1.6 | 5.1 | 9.2 | 10.9 | 9.4 | 8.3 | 7.4 | 4.2 | 1.4 | 0.66 | 59.0 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 7.7 | 5.9 | 6.1 | 3.4 | 0.93 | 0 | 0 | 0.03 | 0.40 | 2.3 | 5.5 | 7.8 | 40.0 |
| Mean monthly sunshine hours | 106.9 | 131.9 | 180.0 | 223.0 | 267.0 | 292.8 | 329.3 | 295.1 | 214.0 | 179.3 | 117.6 | 89.9 | 2,426.7 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Suffield's Population
Suffield is a small community. In the 2021 Census, 190 people lived there. They lived in 81 homes. This was a decrease from 255 people in 2016.
In the 2016 Census, Suffield had 255 people. They lived in 113 homes. This was a small decrease from 264 people in 2011. The land area of Suffield is 0.86 square kilometers (0.33 square miles).
