Hinton, Alberta
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Town of Hinton | |
| Motto: Gateway to the Rockies | |
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| Coordinates: | |
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| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Census division | 14 |
| County | Yellowhead |
| Incorporated | 1928 |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Glenn Taylor |
| - Governing body | Hinton Town Council |
| - MP | Rob Merrifield (Cons - Yellowhead) |
| - MLA | Robin Campbell (PC - West Yellowhead) |
| Area | |
| - Total | 25.76 km² (9.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,003 m (3,291 ft) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| - Total | 9,738 |
| - Density | 378.0/km² (979/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | T7V |
| Area code(s) | +1-780 |
| Website: Town of Hinton | |
Hinton is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada.
It is located in Yellowhead County, 81 kilometres (50 mi) northeast of Jasper and about 284 kilometres (176 mi) west of Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, at the intersection of Yellowhead and Bighorn Highway, in the Athabasca River valley.
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[edit] History
The town of Hinton was named for William D. Hinton, Vice President and General Manager of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. The community was officially recognized in 1928.
The exact location of the town of Hinton has changed thirteen times in its history, its sites scattered along a line some twelve kilometres (7.5 mi) in length. The original location was along Hardisty Creek, where an aboriginal group from the Jasper area had left members stricken with smallpox while the rest of the group travelled to Lac Ste. Anne to find medical aid for the smallpox epidemic which was ravaging the indigenous population in Alberta. The area was thus dubbed Cache Picote (Smallpox Camp) in 1870.
Jack Gregg established a trading post at Prairie Creek in 1888 to serve travellers along the Jasper trail. The creek is now known as Muskuta Creek after an incorrect interpretation of the Cree name by white settlers. The construction of the railroad saw the establishment of a construction camp at Prairie Creek in 1908. The Canadian Northern Railway also established a station called Bliss, 8 km from Prairie Creek, in 1914. In 1915, Dalehurst became the postal station for Hinton. Entrance, another important centre to Hinton, served as its communications centre. Entrance was so named due to its location at the entrance to Jasper National Park.
The Canadian Northern Railway became an aggregating force as settlements grew around the operations of this company. The company, however, abandoned its track in 1926.
The population of Hinton experienced a boom during the 1930s when American entrepreneur Frank Seabolt and two partners opened the Hinton coal mine in 1931[2]. Shortly thereafter, a recession caused the population to dwindle to fewer than 100 people, but the town rebounded in 1955 with the opening of a pulp mill. The mill brought rapid construction to Hinton and to the neighbouring village of Drinnan, and the two communities amalgamated in 1958 to form the present municipality of Hinton.
[edit] Demographics
According to the 2006 census:
- Population: 9,738 ; 9,405 (2001); 9,769 (2006 Municipal Census)
- Land area: 25.76 square kilometers (9.9 sq mi)
- Population Change (2001-2006): 3.5%
- Source: Statistics Canada 2006 Census'[3].
[edit] Recreation
Hinton has many activities including:
- Skiing
- Kayaking
- Canoeing
- Slo-Pitch
- Fishing
- Hiking
- Golf
- Curling
- Hockey
- Minor Soccer
- Snowboarding
- Swimming
- Hunting
Hinton is one of two staging areas for expeditions in the Willmore Wilderness Park, the other being Grande Cache.
[edit] Media
A weekly newspaper is printed in Hinton, the Hinton Parklander. FM radio stations also serve the town.
[edit] Education
Grande Yellowhead Regional Division No. 35
- Crescent Valley Elementary School (K-7)
- Harry Collinge High School (8-12 English, French)
- Mountain View Elementary School (K-7 English, French)
Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 2
[edit] References
- ^ Statistics Canada (Census 2006). Hinton - Community Profile. Retrieved on 2007-06-12.
- ^ A History of Hinton
- ^ Hinton Community Profile - Statistics Canada. 2006. 2006 Community Profiles. Released March 13, 2007. Last modified: 2007-03-13. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 92-591-XWE
[edit] External links
- Town of Hinton (Official website)
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Grande Cache | Grande Prairie | Fox Creek |
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| Jasper National Park |  |
Edson | |||||
 Hinton  |
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| Jasper | Cadomin | Nordegg |
