| Drayton Valley | |
|---|---|
| — Town — | |
| Town of Drayton Valley | |
| Drayton Valley panorama | |
| Motto: Pulling together | |
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Drayton Valley
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Census division | 11 |
| Municipal District | Brazeau |
| Incorporated | 1957 |
| Government[1] | |
| • Mayor | Moe Hamdon |
| • Governing body | Drayton Valley Town Council |
| • Manager | Manny Deol |
| • MP | Rob Merrifield (Yellowhead) |
| • MLA | Diana McQueen (Drayton Valley-Calmar) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.27 km2 (4.7 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 870 m (2,854 ft) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| • Total | 6,893 |
| • Density | 561.6/km2 (1,454.5/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | T7A |
| Highways | Highway 22 |
| Waterways | Pembina River, North Saskatchewan |
| Website | Town of Drayton Valley |
Drayton Valley is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail), approximately 133 kilometres (83 mi) southwest of Edmonton. It is surrounded by Brazeau County, which is known for its vast oil fields.
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Prior to the 1953 oil boom, the community of Drayton Valley was sparsely-populated. The main economic activities were farming, trapping, and logging. Drayton Valley was incorporated as a village in 1956 and become officially a town in 1957.
In 2006, Drayton Valley had a population of 6,893 living in 2,619 dwellings, a 13.2% increase from 2001. The town has a land area of 12.27 km2 (4.74 sq mi) and a population density of 561.6 /km2 (1,455 /sq mi).[2]
Drayton Valley's main attraction is the Omniplex, a community sports centre which specializes in ice hockey, ringette, and curling. The arena also supports soccer, baseball and rodeo, and is the home of the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League.
The town also has a public swimming pool, a ski hill and the Drayton Valley Golf and Country Club.
Drayton Valley has six public schools, two Catholic schools, and one outreach school. The public schools and outreach school are operated by the Wild Rose School Division[3] while the Catholic schools are operated by the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Division.
Oil and gas is the primary driver of Drayton Valley's economy. Agriculture and forestry also play roles in the local economy. Weyerhauser operates a mill within the town.[6]
Drayton Valley is served by one weekly newspaper, the Drayton Valley Western Review [7] and one radio station, CIBW-FM, mainly playing country music. A Christian radio station, CIDV-FM, was launched in 2009.
| Edson | Entwistle | Rocky Rapids | ||
| Pembina River | Warburg | |||
| Drayton Valley | ||||
| Brazeau Reservoir | Rocky Mountain House | Breton |