| Pincher Creek | |
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| — Town — | |
| Town of Pincher Creek | |
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| Coordinates: | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Census division | 3 |
| Municipal District | Pincher Creek No. 9 |
| Incorporated | 1906 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Ernie Olsen |
| • Governing body | Pincher Creek Town Council |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.84 km2 (3.4 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,030 m (3,379 ft) |
| Population (2006)[1] | |
| • Total | 3,625 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) |
| Postal code span | |
| Highways | Highway 3 Highway 6 Highway 507 |
| Waterways | Oldman River Reservoir |
| Website | Town of Pincher Creek |
Pincher Creek is a town in the southwest of Alberta, Canada. It is located immediately east of the Canadian Rockies in the centre of ranching country, 50 km (31 mi) north of Waterton Lakes National Park.
The town's mayor is Ernie Olsen.
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For centuries before this area was settled, the Blackfoot, Peigan and Kootenai Nations lived in or frequented the region.
The town received its name in 1868 when a group of prospectors lost a pincer in the small creek at this location. These pincers would have been used as a mechanism for trimming the feet of the horses and thus had some value to the group. In 1874, the North-West Mounted Police came to southern Alberta. One of them discovered the rusting tools in the creek, and they named the area Pincher Creek.
In 1876, the NWMP established a horse farm in the area. It closed in 1881, but many of the troops stayed to help the town. James Schofield opened Pincher Creek's first store in 1884. By 1885 Pincher Creek had a store known as Schofield & Hyde General Store. Harry Hyde succeeded Schofield as Pincher Creek's first postmaster.
In 1898, Pincher Creek was incorporated a village. In 1906, the community was officially incorporated as a town and named Pincher Creek. Many residents are descendants of the pioneer families who settled there over 100 years ago.
The Kootenai Brown Heritage Museum is a popular tourists stop. It was named for John Kootenai Brown, a trapper who was the founder of Waterton Park. The sign at the creek tells the story of the 1995 flood in Pincher Creek.
The population of the Town of Pincher Creek according to its 2008 municipal census is 3,712.[2]
In 2006, Pincher Creek had a population of 3,625 living in 1,504 dwellings, a 1.1% decrease from 2001. The town has a land area of 8.84 km2 (3.41 sq mi) and a population density of 410.2 /km2 (1,062 /sq mi).[1]
Strong Chinook winds often blow off the mountains and Pincher Creek can be very windy. The strongest recorded wind was 177 kilometers per hour. The strong winds have given rise to a significant amount of wind farm development in the area, with the towers and blades of wind turbines being a characteristic of the scenery.
The town was severely affected by a flood that hit the area in 1995 as the peak stream flow discharge was 271 cubic meters per second
Beverley McLachlin, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Canada was born in Pincher Creek, as was Stuart McDowall, Canadian Ambassador to the United Arab Emirates, Warren Winkler, Chief Justice of the Ontario Court of Appeal, and educator Dr. Philip McRae [1] grew up in Pincher Creek. Theoretical physicist Gordon Walter Semenoff was born and grew up in Pincher Creek. Professional ice hockey goaltender Darcy Wakaluk was born in Pincher Creek in 1966. The conservationist Andy Russell lived in Pincher Creek.
Pincher Creek is in a tourist and recreational area. It is north of Waterton Lakes National Park and the Alberta Montana border, making the drive to the United States shorter than a lot of other routes. Also near Pincher Creek is Castle Mountain Ski Resort, 30 minutes west. An hour to the east is Lethbridge and Calgary is two hours to the north. Pincher Creek is a four-hour drive from the Saskatchewan border, and a 45-minute drive from the British Columbia border.
| Cowley | Cowley | Fort Macleod | ||
| Crowsnest Pass | Glenwood | |||
| Pincher Creek | ||||
| Beaver Mines | Waterton Lakes National Park | Hill Spring |