Stettler, Alberta
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| Motto: | |
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| Census division | No. 7 |
| County | Stettler |
| Area: | km² |
| Founded | 1905 |
| Incorporated | |
| Population
Town Population |
5,226 (2002) |
| Population density | /km² |
| Time zone | Mountain: UTC -7 |
| Postal code span | |
| Latitude
Longitude |
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| Elevation | 820 m MSL |
| Highways | Highway 12 Highway 56 |
| Waterways | |
| Mayor | James Hunter |
| Governing body | Stettler Town Council |
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| 1(sc) According to the Canada 2001 Census. 2(gr) Geographic references.  |
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Stettler is a town in Alberta, Canada. It is located 101 km east of Red Deer at the junction of Highway 12 and Highway 56. The town is located in the eastern region of central Alberta and nicknamed "The Heart of Alberta."
Population: 5,226 (2002)
Contents |
[edit] Stettler today
Stettler is also home to Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular attraction delivering rail tours to people from around the world.
The town also serves as a commercial hub for several smaller communities in the area, serving a population of approximately 30,000. Nearby communities include the villages of Big Valley, Gadsby, Donalda, and Halkirk, and the hamlets of Byemoor, Endiang, and Erskine, among others.
Stettler has recently been flourishing due to the province wide economy boom. Despite a disappointing loss to Fort Macleod for the new RCMP training facility, Stettler continues to prosper due to a strong agricultural and petroleum based economy . It is home to the Stettler Auction Mart the oldest Livestock Auction Market in Alberta (1954) and is undergoing its largest real estate boom in its history including major commercial and residential real estate activity. Recent activity includes a brand new 79 room Ramada hotel, a 30 room addition to the Best Western Crusader Inn, Wal-Mart, Tim Hortons, UFA bulk station, a relocated and redeveloped John Deere dealership, and many many more well known brands.
In 2005 Stettler celebrated its centennial along with the province of Alberta. Throughout July there were many celebrations.
[edit] History
Stettler was founded in 1905 and was named after Swiss immigrant Carl Stettler, who also founded a settlement east of the town at Blumenau, as well as being influential in the nearby community of Castor.
Stettler was home to the last man to be hanged in Alberta. In 1959, police discovered Raymond and Daisy May Cook and their five children shot and bludgeoned to death in the garage of their Stettler home, marking the most gruesome mass murder in the province's history. Evidence led police to the Cook's eldest son, Robert Raymond, who was released from prison only days before the crime.
It took 18 months and two trials for Cook to be sentenced to death. At midnight, on November 14, 1960, he was led from his cell in Fort Saskatchewan, Alberta, to the execution chamber. He was pronounced dead at 00:18, and would be the last person to be hanged in the province.
[edit] Education
The town has three schools in the Clearview School District:
- Stettler Elementary School
- Stettler Middle School
- William E. Hay Composite High School.
As well as one school in the East Central Catholic School Division
- Christ King Catholic School
[edit] List of mayors
- Bob Stewart
- Robin Sloan
- Gary McKay
- Keith Ryder
- James Hunter (Present)
[edit] Trivia
In 1985 David Zurfluh, while in RCMP custody, tried to eat his own underwear in a futile attempt to make the Breathalyser ineffective and avoid an impaired driving charge. This story was published in newspapers across North America and was mentioned on Late Night with David Letterman.
[edit] Famous Residents
- Tricia Helfer, the actress who portrays Number Six on Battlestar Galactica, attended high school in Stettler.
- Ken Borek, founder of Kenn Borek Air was born in Stettler.
[edit] External links
- Town of Stettler [1]
- County of Stettler [2]
- The Stettler Independent (Newspaper) [3]
- Great Alberta Law Cases- The Last Man to Hang in Alberta [4]
 Subdivisions of Alberta |
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| Census divisions | 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 |
| Regions | Calgary Region · Edmonton Capital Region · Calgary-Edmonton Corridor · Central Alberta · Northern Alberta · Southern Alberta |
| Cities | Airdrie · Brooks · Calgary · Camrose · Cold Lake · Edmonton · Fort Saskatchewan · Grande Prairie · Leduc · Lethbridge · Lloydminster · Medicine Hat · Red Deer · Spruce Grove · St. Albert · Wetaskiwin |
| Communities | Counties and municipal districts · Towns · Villages · Hamlets · Indian reserves · Métis |
| Other | School districts · Regional Health Authorities |
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