Whitecourt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Whitecourt
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Town
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| Town of Whitecourt | |
| {{#property:P18}}
Whitecourt's entrance sign on Highway 43
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| Nickname(s):
Snowmobile Capital of Alberta
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| Motto(s):
Let's Go...
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Census division | 13 |
| Municipal district | Woodlands County |
| Founded | 1910 |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | January 1, 1959 |
| • New town | August 15, 1961 |
| • Town | December 20, 1971 |
| Area
(2016)
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| • Land | 26.44 km2 (10.21 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 690 m (2,260 ft) |
| Population
(Lua error in Module:Wikidata at line 508: attempt to index field 'wikibase' (a nil value).)
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| • Total | {{#property:P1,082}} |
| • Density | 386/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
| • Municipal census (2013) | 10,574 |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code span |
T7S
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| Area code(s) | +1-780 |
| Highways | Highway 43 Highway 32 |
| Waterways | Athabasca River McLeod River Sakwatamau River Beaver Creek |
Whitecourt is a town in central Alberta, Canada within Woodlands County. It is located approximately 177 km (110 mi) northwest of Edmonton and 279 km (173 mi) southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32, and has an elevation of 690 m (2,260 ft). The Whitecourt meteor impact crater is found on nearby Whitecourt Mountain.
Whitecourt is also located at the confluence of four waterways – the Athabasca River, McLeod River, Sakwatamau River and Beaver Creek. A Canadian National rail line runs through the town.
The Town has branded itself as the Snowmobile Capital of Alberta and its motto is Let's Go....
History
The community was formed in the place known by the Cree as Sagitawah (the place where the rivers meet). While the first Hudson's Bay Company trading post was established in 1897, the first permanent resident on the present day town site was John Goodwin, who settled here in 1905. In 1910, with the expansion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, immigrants were encouraged by Premier Arthur Lewis Sifton to settle in the vast scarcely inhabited area between Edmonton and the Peace River Country. The name "Whitecourt" was chosen in 1910 by Walter White, the postmaster of the young community. White was the son-in-law of former Kansas governor John W. Leedy who also settled in the community.
Geography
Whitecourt has three identifiable geographic components:
- the Valley that includes the town centre, the Athabasca Flats residential area, Millar Western’s sawmill and pulp mill, and three manufactured home parks;
- the Hilltop that includes the Hilltop and Southlands Estates residential areas, the Hilltop industrial area, a 2.5 km highway commercial strip along Highway 43 and two manufactured home parks; and
- West Whitecourt, between the McLeod and Athabasca Rivers, includes an industrial area, a 1.0 km highway commercial strip along Highway 43, and a manufactured home park.
Climate
| Climate data for Whitecourt, Alberta (1981-2010) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Humidex | 16.5 | 17.6 | 18.5 | 27.1 | 32.8 | 33.8 | 37.7 | 44.2 | 33.4 | 28.1 | 22.5 | 27.3 | 44.2 |
| Record high °C (°F) | 16.9 (62.4) |
17.6 (63.7) |
18.8 (65.8) |
27.6 (81.7) |
31.6 (88.9) |
31.8 (89.2) |
34.7 (94.5) |
33.5 (92.3) |
32.1 (89.8) |
28.5 (83.3) |
20.0 (68) |
16.5 (61.7) |
34.7 |
| Average high °C (°F) | -6.4 (20.5) |
-2.4 (27.7) |
2.5 (36.5) |
10.5 (50.9) |
16.3 (61.3) |
19.8 (67.6) |
22.2 (72) |
21.1 (70) |
15.8 (60.4) |
9.1 (48.4) |
-1.4 (29.5) |
-5.4 (22.3) |
8.48 (47.26) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | -11.2 (11.8) |
-7.9 (17.8) |
-2.9 (26.8) |
4.4 (39.9) |
9.8 (49.6) |
13.7 (56.7) |
16.0 (60.8) |
14.8 (58.6) |
9.7 (49.5) |
3.7 (38.7) |
-5.6 (21.9) |
-10.0 (14) |
2.88 (37.18) |
| Average low °C (°F) | -15.9 (3.4) |
-13.3 (8.1) |
-8.4 (16.9) |
-1.8 (28.8) |
3.3 (37.9) |
7.5 (45.5) |
9.9 (49.8) |
8.5 (47.3) |
3.6 (38.5) |
-1.7 (28.9) |
-9.7 (14.5) |
-14.5 (5.9) |
-2.71 (27.13) |
| Record low °C (°F) | -41.5 (-42.7) |
-40.2 (-40.4) |
-36.0 (-32.8) |
-24.0 (-11.2) |
-8.0 (17.6) |
-1.4 (29.5) |
1.7 (35.1) |
-2.9 (26.8) |
-8.4 (16.9) |
-28.9 (-20) |
-37.7 (-35.9) |
-41.3 (-42.3) |
-41.5 |
| Wind chill | -51.0 | -51.0 | -46.0 | -31.0 | -14.0 | -4.0 | 0.0 | -3.0 | -10.0 | -33.0 | -54.0 | -49.0 | -54 |
| Precipitation mm (inches) | 26.6 (1.047) |
15.4 (0.606) |
21.0 (0.827) |
26.8 (1.055) |
61.3 (2.413) |
99.1 (3.902) |
100.6 (3.961) |
73.6 (2.898) |
50.9 (2.004) |
29.6 (1.165) |
21.6 (0.85) |
18.1 (0.713) |
544.6 (21.441) |
| Rainfall mm (inches) | 1.5 (0.059) |
0.4 (0.016) |
1.2 (0.047) |
12.5 (0.492) |
55.8 (2.197) |
99.1 (3.902) |
100.6 (3.961) |
73.6 (2.898) |
47.7 (1.878) |
15.3 (0.602) |
1.8 (0.071) |
0.9 (0.035) |
410.4 (16.157) |
| Snowfall cm (inches) | 33.5 (13.19) |
20.1 (7.91) |
26.3 (10.35) |
16.4 (6.46) |
5.4 (2.13) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
0.0 (0) |
2.8 (1.1) |
17.3 (6.81) |
5.1 (2.01) |
24.5 (9.65) |
151.4 (59.61) |
| % Humidity | 74.1 | 65.1 | 56.4 | 44.0 | 43.4 | 50.4 | 52.5 | 53.4 | 54.1 | 56.1 | 71.9 | 75.1 | 58.04 |
| Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11.6 | 9.0 | 10.4 | 9.2 | 12.4 | 16.4 | 16.6 | 13.6 | 11.6 | 9.6 | 10.8 | 10.2 | 141.4 |
| Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) | 0.89 | 0.89 | 1.7 | 5.3 | 11.6 | 16.4 | 16.6 | 13.6 | 11.2 | 6.6 | 1.8 | 0.85 | 87.43 |
| Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) | 11.5 | 8.6 | 9.6 | 4.8 | 1.7 | 0.04 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.73 | 3.9 | 9.7 | 9.8 | 60.37 |
| Source: Environment Canada | |||||||||||||
Demographics
| Federal census population history |
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| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1941 | 423 | — |
| 1951 | 397 | −6.1% |
| 1956 | 687 | +73.0% |
| 1961 | 1,054 | +53.4% |
| 1966 | 2,279 | +116.2% |
| 1971 | 3,202 | +40.5% |
| 1976 | 3,878 | +21.1% |
| 1981 | 5,585 | +44.0% |
| 1986 | 5,737 | +2.7% |
| 1991 | 6,938 | +20.9% |
| 1996 | 7,783 | +12.2% |
| 2001 | 8,334 | +7.1% |
| 2006 | 8,971 | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 9,605 | +7.1% |
| 2016 | 10,204 | +6.2% |
| Source: Statistics Canada |
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In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Whitecourt recorded a population of 10,204 living in 3,743 of its 4,253 total private dwellings, a 6.2% change from its 2011 population of 9,605. With a land area of 26.44 km2 (10.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 385.9/km2 (999/sq mi) in 2016.
The population of the Town of Whitecourt according to its 2013 municipal census is 10,574, a 14.9% increase over its 2008 municipal census population of 9,202. At its current population, Whitecourt is one of the largest towns in the province and is eligible for city status. According to Alberta's Municipal Government Act, a town is eligible for city status when it reaches 10,000 residents.
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Whitecourt had a population of 9,605 living in 3,629 of its 3,893 total dwellings, a 7.1% change from its 2006 population of 8,971. With a land area of 26.14 km2 (10.09 sq mi), it had a population density of 367.4/km2 (952/sq mi) in 2011. The 2011 National Household Survey reported Whitecourt's average dwelling value as $287,110.
Attractions
Attractions within Whitecourt include the Allan & Jean Millar Centre, Rotary Park, the Forest Interpretive Centre and Heritage Park, and a variety of other facilities and parks.
The Allan & Jean Millar Centre consists of both an aquatic facility, a fieldhouse, a fitness facility, a children's indoor playground area, and boardroom and classroom rental spaces. The aquatic facility comprises a main pool, a children's pool, a leisure pool, a lazy river, a water slide, a hot tub, and a steam room. The fieldhouse includes a configurable multi-sport area, a track, and racquetball and squash courts. The fitness centre provides cardio training equipment, weight training equipment, and a fitness studio. Overall, this recreation venue also provides a variety of programming including lessons, classes, and personal training.
Rotary Park, located in the river valley adjacent to downtown, is a multi-use outdoor park facility consisting of a pond stocked with fish that is cleared for skating in the winter, trails, sports fields, playgrounds, picnic areas, an off-leash dog park, and a river slide attraction featuring two flowing artificial creeks with drops for tubing. A splash park with 19 water features opened within Rotary Park in 2012.
The Forest Interpretive Centre includes a multi-media museum that presents the forestry industry's role in Whitecourt's history. It also features meeting rooms and hosts the local chamber of commerce, a tourist information centre, and town council meetings. The Forest Interpretive Centre's associated Heritage Park includes antique vehicles and farm equipment, a barn, and an interpretive trail among other features.
Sister cities
Whitecourt has been twinned with Yūbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan, since 1998.
Images for kids
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The Whitecourt Healthcare Centre located on Sunset Boulevard
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Town office in downtown Whitecourt
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Division office of Northern Gateway Public Schools in downtown Whitecourt
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Hilltop High School main entrance
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Millar Western sawmill/pulp mill
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Scott Safety Centre, home of the Whitecourt Wolverines of the AJHL
