Falher, Alberta
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| Town of Falher | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Alberta |
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| Region | Northern Alberta | ||
| Census division | 19 | ||
| Municipal District | Smoky River | ||
| Founded | 1912 | ||
| Incorporated | 1929 (village) | ||
| 1955 (town) | |||
| Government [1] | |||
| - Mayor | Margaret Tardif | ||
| - Governing body | Falher Town Council | ||
| - MP | |||
| - MLA | |||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 2.87 km² (1.1 sq mi) | ||
| Population (2006)[2] | |||
| - Total | 941 | ||
| - Density | 328/km² (849.5/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) | ||
| Area code(s) | +1-780 | ||
| Highways | Highway 49 Highway 2 |
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| Website: Town of Falher | |||
Falher (pronounced /fəˈlɛr/) is a town in the Peace Country area of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the Municipal District of Smoky River, along Highway 49.
Falher is one of the earliest agricultural communities in the Peace Country.
Falher gets its name from Constant Falher, a Roman Catholic Oblate priest, who was instrumental in the formation of the town.[3] Falher is rare in the sense it is a dominantly Francophone community in Alberta. It is home to a French-language radio station, CKRP-FM. Ironically, Father Falher was from France, not Quebec (where most of the local settlers were from). The origin of the majority of local colonizers was from Quebec; some arrived in the area via the United States (French American), such as Robert Goulet's family, who settled in a nearby town.
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[edit] Demographics
According to the 2006 census:
- population of 941 living in 465 dwellings, a 15.1% decrease from 2001.
- land area of 2.87 km² (1.1 sq mi)
- population density of 328.0/km² (849.5/sq mi).[2]
[edit] History
- 1912: The Colony of Saint Jean Baptiste Falher was established.
- 1923: The first post office was opened.
- 1929: Falher received village status.
- 1955: Falher was incorporated as a town.
[edit] Economy
The principal industries in the area are agriculture, forestry, oil and gas.
[edit] Alfalfa processing
Established in 1973 as a private business, Falher Alfalfa was sold to a group of producers and farmers in 1978 with the same company. Under normal circumstances, Falher Alfalfa employed a staff of about 35 full-time employees in the spring and 110 at the busiest time of the season.
Falher Alfalfa went under the Company Creditor Arrangement Act in June 2007, protecting the company against any legal action taken by creditors and gave the company a chance to sell its product to be able to repay creditors. In spring 2008, Falher Alfalfa declared bankruptcy due to production costs. [4]
[edit] Educational institutes
There are two public schools in Falher:
- École Héritage School is a Francophone school that was built in 1951. École Héritage currently has students in grades K–12.
- École Routhier School is the primary educational institution in Falher. Routhier is an Anglophone and Francophone Elementary School which includes grades K–6. Students in grade 7 or higher must either take the bus or drive to nearby Donnelly, Alberta, to attend classes.
[edit] Attractions and Events
Main Street Falher includes a large honey bee statue, as Falher is known as "Honey Capital of Canada". The statue's overall length is 22 feet 8 inches (6.91 m), and its diameter is 7 feet 7 inches (2.31 m). [5]
Every year, a "Honey Festival" is held to pay tribute to the beekeeping industry which has created an impact in the Smoky River region and throughout Canada and the United States. The honey in the area is derived largely from clover seed operations. At its peak, more than 48,000 hives in the region produced 10 million pounds (4,500 t) of honey annually. Today the honey of the Smoky River Region is known world-wide.
Falher attracted national attention in 2006 due to its high standing in the "Kraft Hockeyville"[6] contest, a coast-to-coast competition to elect the municipality that most embodies the spirit of Canada's national pastime.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ Town of Falher. Town Council. Retrieved on 2007-06-22.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (Census 2006). Falher - Community Profile. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Discover the Peace Country. Town of Falher.
- ^ Smoky River Express "Falher Alfalfa closes after going into receivership" [1]
- ^ Town of Falher. World's Largest Bee.
- ^ CBC. Hockeyville.
