| Wetaskiwin | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| — City — | |||
| City of Wetaskiwin | |||
| Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin | |||
|
|||
| Motto: "Pacem Volo Bellum Paro" | |||
|
Wetaskiwin
|
|||
| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Alberta | ||
| Region | Central Alberta | ||
| Census division | 11 | ||
| Founded | 1892 | ||
| Incorporated [1] - Village |
December 4, 1899 |
||
| - Town - City |
April 5, 1902 May 9, 1906 |
||
| Government[2] | |||
| • Mayor | Bill Elliot | ||
| • Governing body |
Wetaskiwin City Council
|
||
| • Manager | Ted Gillespie | ||
| • MP | Blaine Calkins | ||
| • MLA | Verlyn Olson | ||
| Area (2006)[3] | |||
| • Total | 16.74 km2 (6.5 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 760 m (2,493 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[3] | |||
| • Total | 11,673 | ||
| • Density | 697.5/km2 (1,806.5/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) | ||
| Postal code span | T9A | ||
| Area code(s) | +1-780 | ||
| Highways | Highway 2A Highway 13 |
||
| Website | City of Wetaskwin | ||
Wetaskiwin /wəˈtæskᵊwɨn/ is a small city in the province of Alberta, Canada. 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".[4]
Wetaskiwin is home to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, a very large museum dedicated to celebrating "the spirit of the machine", as well as the Wetaskiwin and District Heritage Museum which documents pioneer arrival and lifestyle in Wetaskiwin's early years. Located southeast of Wetaskiwin, the Alberta Central Railway Museum acknowledges the impact that the railway had on central Alberta. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame is also located a short walk away from the museum.
Contents |
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 (2,490 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.
| Census History |
|
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 550 |
| 1911 | 2,411 |
| 1921 | 2,061 |
| 1931 | 2,125 |
| 1941 | 2,318 |
| 1951 | 3,824 |
| 1961 | 5,300 |
| 1971 | 6,267 |
| 1981 | 9,026 |
| 1991 | 10,634 |
| 2001 | 11,154 |
| 2006 | 11,673 |
| 2009 | 12,285 |
The population of the City of Wetaskiwin according to its 2009 municipal census was 12,285.[5]
In 2006, Wetaskiwin had a population of 11,673 living in 4,956 dwellings, a 4.7% increase from 11,154 in 2001.[3][6] The city has a land area of 16.74 km2 (6.46 sq mi) and a population density of 697.5 /km2 (1,807 /sq mi).[3]
Almost 12% of the population identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.[7]
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.[8]
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.[9]
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". The slogan "Cars Cost Less in Wetaskiwin" is often attributed to the city.
Historically the population of Wetaskiwin has voted Conservative in both provincial[10] and federal[11] politics.
Wetaskiwin is served by two local newspapers, the Leduc - Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer (currently branded the The Pipestone Flyer) and the Wetaskiwin Times-Advertiser.
In February 2009, the City of Wetaskiwin started the process of creating a Municipal Sustainability Plan. The project entitled "Wetaskiwin Tomorrow" is about getting feedback from those with an interest in Wetaskiwin on the kind of city that they would like to live and work in for the next 20+ years. Then, using that feedback, a group of citizens will create a plan to present to City Council.
Once accepted, the Wetaskiwin Tomorrow plan will help guide Council when decisions have to be made about the future of the city. It will help set the city’s direction when it comes to areas like business development, social services, cultural activities, and environmental protection.
A first draft of the plan was expected by be completed by March 2010. However, this did not occur.
Wetaskiwin had also attempted to put in place plans for a new swimming pool as well as an indoor soccer facility. They were expected to be complete by 2011. Planning has yet to commence.
Wetaskiwin has dropped from the "Highest Crime Rate per Capita" in Canada, to 12th place as of 2011.
| Calmar | Leduc | Hay Lakes | ||
| Ma-Me-O Beach | Camrose | |||
| Wetaskiwin | ||||
| Rimbey | Ponoka | New Norway |
|
||||||||||||||