Viking, Alberta facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Viking
|
|
|---|---|
|
Town
|
|
| Town of Viking | |
Main Street
|
|
 Viking
Location in Alberta
|
|
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Census division | 10 |
| Municipal district | Beaver County |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | 5 February 1909 |
| • Town | 10 November 1952 |
| Area
(2021)
|
|
| • Land | 3.45 km2 (1.33 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 691 m (2,267 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
|
|
| • Total | 986 |
| • Density | 285.9/km2 (740/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code |
T0B 4N0
|
| Area code(s) | +1-780, +1-587 |
| Highways | Highway 14 Highway 36 |
| Railway | Canadian National Railway |
| Waterway | Thomas Lake |
Viking is a town located in the middle of Alberta, Canada. It sits where two main roads, Highway 14 and Highway 36, meet. The town is about 121 kilometers (75 miles) east of the city of Edmonton.
The town also gives its name to the Viking Formation. This is a special layer of rock deep underground that contains oil.
Contents
History of Viking
Viking was first settled in 1909 by people from Scandinavia. These early settlers, Sivert Hafso and Ole Sorenson, came from Norway.
On July 7, 2005, the community's ice arena was badly damaged by a fire. Work soon began on a new arena. This new building was named the "Viking Carena Complex." It was finished and opened on August 17, 2007.
Viking celebrated its 100th birthday in 2009.
Geography and Climate
Viking has a type of weather called a humid continental climate. This means it has warm summers with some rain. The winters, however, are long and very cold.
Weather Details
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Population and Economy
How Many People Live Here?
In 2021, Statistics Canada counted 986 people living in Viking. These people lived in 432 homes. This number was a little lower than in 2016, when 1,083 people lived there.
Viking covers an area of 3.45 square kilometers (1.33 square miles). This means there were about 286 people living in each square kilometer in 2021.
What People Do for Work
Most of the jobs and money-making activities in Viking come from a few main areas. These include agriculture (farming), oil and gas (finding and using oil and natural gas), making textiles (cloth and fabric), and other types of manufacturing (making goods).
Arts, Culture, and Attractions
Community Achievements
In 2000, Viking won the national Communities in Bloom contest. This contest celebrates towns that do a great job of making their communities beautiful with flowers and green spaces.
Fun Places to Visit
Viking has many parks and flower gardens that are well cared for. One of the most special parks is called Troll Park. This park celebrates Viking's strong connection to its Scandinavian roots. It has plants native to the area, small troll figures hidden around, and even a giant troll mountain!
Transportation and Infrastructure
Getting Around Viking
The Viking Airport is a small airport owned by the Town of Viking. It is located about 4.8 kilometers (3 miles) west of the town. Its official airport code is CEE8.
Viking also has a train station. The The Canadian train, run by Via Rail, stops here.
Famous People from Viking
Many notable people have connections to Viking, especially in the world of ice hockey.
- Cory Clouston is a former hockey coach.
- Murray Dorin was a Canadian politician.
- Don Mazankowski was also a former politician.
- Donald Sanderlin competed in the Olympics.
- The Sutter family is a famous hockey family. Many members, including Brent, Brian, Duane, Rich, Ron, and Darryl, played professional hockey in the NHL.
- Carson Soucy is a current professional NHL ice hockey player.
