Wetaskiwin, Alberta
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| City of Wetaskiwin | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
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| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Alberta |
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| Region | Central Alberta | ||
| Census division | 11 | ||
| Founded | 1892 | ||
| Incorporated | 1900 (Village) | ||
| 1902 (Town) 1906 (City) |
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| Government [1] | |||
| - Mayor | Don Montgomery | ||
| - Governing body | Wetaskiwin City Council | ||
| - MP | Blaine Calkins | ||
| - MLA | LeRoy Johnson | ||
| Area | |||
| - Total | 16.74 km² (6.5 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 760 m (2,493 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[2] | |||
| - Total | 11,673 | ||
| - Density | 697.5/km² (1,806.5/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | ||
| Postal code span | T9A | ||
| Area code(s) | +1-780 | ||
| Highways | Highway 2A Highway 13 |
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| Website: City of Wetaskwin | |||
Wetaskiwin is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada (pronounced /wəˈtæskɨwɨn/). The city is located 70 kilometres (43 mi) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw (ᐑᑕᐢᑮᐏᐣ ᐃᐢᐸᑎᓇᐤ), meaning "the hills where peace was made".[3]
Wetaskiwin is home to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, a very large museum dedicated to celebrating "the spirit of the machine". Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame is also located a short walk away from the museum.
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[edit] Geography
Wetaskiwin sits on what was formerly the coast of the large sea that covered much of Alberta millions of years ago. The northwest end of Wetaskiwin is characterized by hills with sandy soil (formerly sand dunes), while the southeast end of the city is very flat with more silty soil.
The city lies at an altitude of 760 m (2,493 ft). Coal Lake, a reservoir developed on the Battle River is located immediately east of the city, and other nearby waterways include Pipestone Creek, Bigstone Creek, Bittern Lake and Bearhills Lake.
Wetaskiwin is located at the junction of Highway 2A, Highway 13 and the Canadian Pacific railroad.
[edit] Demographics
The city had a population 11,154 in 2005.[4]
In 2006, Wetaskiwin had a population of 11,673 living in 4,956 dwellings, a 4.7% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of 16.74 km² (6.5 sq mi) and a population density of 697.5/km² (1,806.5/sq mi).[2]
Almost 12% of the population identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.[5]
Almost 90% of residents identified English as their first language. About 2.5% identified German, 1.5% French, 1.0% Cree, 0.9% Tagalog, 0.5% identified Chinese, and 0.4% each identified Swedish and Ukrainian as their first language learned. [6]
About 75 percent of residents identified as Christian at the time of the 2001 census, while 24 percent indicated they had no religious affiliation. For specific denominations Statistics Canada found 20% identified as Roman Catholic, 15% identified with the United Church of Canada, more than 12% identified as Lutheran, 5% identified as Baptist, more than 4% identified as Anglican, and almost 2% identified as Pentecostal. [7]
[edit] Economy
Wetaskiwin has the distinction of having the highest level of car sales per capita in Canada, thanks in a large part to city specific advertising produced through co-operation of all of the auto dealers lining the "Auto Mile". Though the slogan "Cars Cost Less in Wetaskiwin" tends to embarrass many of the residents of Wetaskiwin,[citation needed] the advertising campaign has clearly had an impact and is quite successful. In many cases, that slogan is all that the people in nearby towns know about Wetaskiwin.
[edit] Politics
Wetaskiwin, like much of rural Alberta, tends to vote very conservatively. In the 2006 federal election the Conservative candidate received almost 74% of the vote, enormously ahead of the local Liberal candidate who polled just under 12%.
[edit] Trivia
Many scenes from the movie "Santa's Slay" were filmed in Wetaskiwin.
Wetaskiwin is the home town of both current and retired NHL players such as Martin Sonnenberg, Erik Sonnenberg (ECHL), Val Fontyne, Kelly Kisio, Rod Buskas, Gus Marker, and Columbus Blue Jackets prospect Allan York.
[edit] References
- ^ City of Wetaskiwin. Mayor and Council. Retrieved on 2007-06-23.
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (Census 2006). Wetaskiwin - Community Profile. Retrieved on 2007-06-14.
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs. Wetaskiwin, Alberta - downloaded 19 January 2007. Website cites Cree origin as "wetaskiwin spatinow", spelling adjusted to modern standards.
- ^ Statistics Canada (2002). Wetaskiwin Community Profile - 2001 Community Profiles. Released June 27, 2002. Last modified: 2005-11-30. Statistics Canada Catalogue no. 93F0053XIE.
- ^ Wetaskiwin. Aboriginal Identity (8), Sex (3) and Age Groups (12) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada (2008-01-15). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ Wetaskiwin. Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada (2007-11-20). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
- ^ Wetaskiwin. Religion (95A), Age Groups (7A) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 1991 and 2001 Censuses - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada (2007-03-01). Retrieved on 2008-02-06.
[edit] External links
- City of Wetaskiwin
- Wetaskiwin Times - Wetaskiwin's local paper
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