Westlock, Alberta

Westlock is a town in central Alberta located 85 kilometers (52.8 mi) north-northwest of Edmonton at the junction of Highway 44 and Highway 18. It is surrounded by Westlock County within Census Division 13.

Population:
65 (1916)
854 (1947)
4,820 (2005)

1 History
2 Media
3 Economy
4 Politics
5 Notable Westlockians
6 External links

[edit] History

Prior to European settlement, the area around Westlock was inhabited by First Nations people, notably the Cree. Although the fur trade had been active in Alberta since 1754 when Anthony Henday explored the area, the Westlock district was not mentioned in writing until David Thompson came through in April, 1799.

White settlement did not begin until 1902 at that time centred around a rural community about 3 miles east of present-day Westlock. The founder's name was Edgson, but this was considered too hard to pronounce. Edson, Alberta already existed, so the site was called Edison by its Irish - American founders after Thomas Edison the American inventor. The E.D. & B.C. Railway (later the Northern Alberta Railway, now part of CN) chose to build its nearest siding 3 miles to the west in modern day Westlock, and that is where development shifted.

The townsite was mapped in 1912. Its name came from a combination of two men: William Westgate and William Lockhart who owned the property.

Westlock became a village in 1916 the first reeve was George MacTavish, that same year the first grain elevator was built, the first bank branch, the Merchant's Bank on the Sunday after Armistice, November 11th, 1918. A permanent brick schoolhouse was built in 1925. The Sisters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul of Halifax operated a hopital out of a former house in 1927, and a hopital, the Immaculata, was opened in 1928.

Westlock became a town on January 7, 1947. That same year, the Memorial Hall was also built.

In 1992 the Memorial Hall burned down, later to be replaced. In 1995 the hospital was replaced by the Westlock Health Care Centre, a somewhat controversial decision because several other communities in Alberta were facing hospital closures at the time. In 1997, the old hospital was demolished.

The government of Ralph Klein's Tories were accused of giving Westlock the hospital as a reward for voting Tory in the previous election. Westlock had previously been part of a Liberal-dominated riding centred on the Franco-Albertan settlement of Morinville. Westlock was moved to the Barrhead-Westlock riding, and therefore came to be represented by Ken Kowalski, the Deputy Premier.

[edit] Media

Newspaper: Westlock News (originally Westlock Witness which began in 1919)
AM Radio: CFOK 1370

[edit] Economy

The area around Westlock is primarily agricultural, although there is some oil and gas activity. The main employers in town include the hotels and inns that cater to oilpatch workers, the farm implement dealerships, and some small manufacturing such as Lehman Trikes, and a Lafarge cement plant. Additionally, Westlock still retains its original purpose as a centre for the grain trade, as CN still accepts grains from the remaining grain elevators. Also Westlock is a centre of government as seat of Westlock County and home of a public and Catholic high school, a courthouse, and a very modern hospital (unusual for a small town in Alberta). As such Westlock is the central town of the region for rural families to do business in, send their children to school in, and to obtain government services in. Many rural people also retire in town, and there are several old age homes.

Westlock is generally too far from Edmonton to serve as a bedroom community but some people do commute. Of increasing importantance to the community since the Second World War has been highway traffic heading to oilfields in Northern Alberta. Recent retail developments have shifted from the railway era downtown to larger stores along the highway. One recent proposal was for a residential development adjoining Westlock Airport which would allow people to commute to the oilsand projects in Fort McMurray and other northern developments, but this has not been started as yet.

[edit] Politics

Westlock's current MP is Brian Storseth and the MLA is Ken Kowalski.

The town's mayor is Bruce Lennon.

[edit] Notable Westlockians

Rollie Boutin retired hockey player
David Chatters former MP
Kyle Chipchura hockey player
Herbert Greenfield former Premier of Alberta
Carolyn Dawn Johnson Country Music Singer
Greg Polis, retired hockey player
Dale C. Thomson Ph.D. DFC, important academic, author, Prime Ministerial advisor

[edit] External links

Town of Westlock.AB.ca

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