| Whitecourt | |||
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| — Town — | |||
| Town of Whitecourt | |||
| Town Hall | |||
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| Motto: Let's Go...[1] | |||
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| Coordinates: | |||
| Country | Canada | ||
| Province | Alberta | ||
| Region | Central Alberta | ||
| Census division | 13 | ||
| Municipal district | Woodlands County | ||
| Founded [2] | 1910 | ||
| Incorporated: [3] - Village |
January 1, 1959 |
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| - Town | August 15, 1961 | ||
| Government[4] | |||
| • Mayor | Trevor Thain | ||
| • Governing body |
Whitecourt Town Council
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| • CAO | Peter Smyl | ||
| • MP | Rob Merrifield | ||
| • MLA | George VanderBurg | ||
| Area[5] | |||
| • Total | 26.14 km2 (10.1 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 700 m (2,297 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[5] | |||
| • Total | 8,971 | ||
| • Density | 343.1/km2 (888.6/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) | ||
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) | ||
| Postal code span | T7S | ||
| Area code(s) | +1-780 | ||
| Highways | Highway 43 Highway 32 |
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| Waterways | Athabasca River McLeod River Sakwatamau River Beaver Creek |
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| Website | Town of Whitecourt | ||
Whitecourt is a town in Alberta, Canada within Woodlands County.[6] It is located 177 kilometres (110 mi) northwest of Edmonton and 279 kilometres (173 mi) southeast of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 32 and has an elevation of 690 m (2,260 ft).
Whitecourt is also located at the confluence of four waterways – the Athabasca River, McLeod River, Sakwatamau River and Beaver Creek.[2] A Canadian National rail line runs through the town.
The Town has branded itself as the Snowmobile Capital of Alberta[7] and its motto is Let's Go....[1]
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The community was formed in the place known by the Cree as Sagitawah (the place where the rivers meet). While the first Hudson's Bay Company trading post was established in 1897, the first permanent resident on the present day town site was John Goodwin, who settled here in 1905. In 1910, with the expansion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, immigrants were encouraged by Premier Arthur Lewis Sifton to settle in the vast scarcely inhabited area between Edmonton and the Peace River Country.[8] The name "Whitecourt" was chosen in 1910 by the postmaster of the newly established community.
Whitecourt has three identifiable geographic components:
Whitecourt's economy is largely driven by three major industries – forestry, oil and gas industry and tourism.[9] With some farm land to the south and east of Whitecourt, agriculture plays a minor role in the town's economy.
Whitecourt is the site of three forestry-related mills:
Whitecourt is also home to many service companies in the oil and gas industry.
The population of the Town of Whitecourt according to its 2008 municipal census is 9,202.[10]
In the 2006 federal census, Whitecourt had a population of 8,971 living in 3,448 dwellings, a 7.6% increase from its 2001 population of 8,334. The town has a land area of 26.14 km2 (10.09 sq mi) and a population density of 343.1 /km2 (889 /sq mi).[5]
In the 2001 federal census, Whitecourt was among the 25 youngest municipalities in Canada with a population of 5,000 or more with a median age of 29.3 years. It also was among the top 25 with the highest men-to-women ratios at 110.2 men per 100 women.[11] By the 2006 census, the median age and men-to-women ratios increased to 30.1 years and 112.3 men to 100 women respectively.[5]
Also in 2001 census, the town had a median family income of $68,960, and an average value of dwelling of $126,600.[12]
The full air-service Whitecourt Airport is located west of Whitecourt on the north side of Highway 32, approximately 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) from Highway 43. It is Alberta's ninth busiest airport with up to 32,000 aircraft using the airport annually. The airstrip is 5,800 ft (1,800 m) in length and 100 ft (30 m) wide and can accommodate 737 jets. Numerous carriers offer scheduled charter flights out of the airport.[13]
Greyhound Canada provides regular bus passenger services to Whitecourt on a daily basis.[13] The bus stop is located at a gas station at the intersection of 52 Avenue and Dahl Drive.[14]
A Canadian National rail line, known as the Sangudo Subdivision, provides rail service through Whitecourt from Edmonton to numerous gas plants south of Fox Creek. A spur within the town serves the Millar Western Sawmill / Pulp Mill. A spur just west of town serves the Alberta Newsprint Company Pulp & Paper Mill.[15]
The Town of Whitecourt is served by two highways. Highway 43, which is part of the CANAMEX Corridor, is a twinned highway that provides connection to Edmonton to the southeast and Grande Prairie to the northwest.
Highway 32 provides Whitecourt with a a direct link to the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16) to the south, which connects the town to Edson and Hinton to the southwest. Another segment of Highway 32 begins approximately 6 km (3.7 mi) northwest of the town, providing a link from Highway 43 to Swan Hills and Slave Lake.
Numerous local roads provide connections from Whitecourt to surrounding rural areas within Woodlands County. Within the McLeod River valley, Govenlock Road feeds two rural roads – West Mountain Road (Range Road 122) and Tower Road (Range Road 121A) – that provide access to numerous country residential subdivisions and some agricultural operations to the south.
Within the Athabasca River valley, Flats Road (Township Road 600), which exits the town following its northern boundary, serves numerous agricultural operations to the east.
On the Hilltop, 41 Avenue (Township Road 594A), which was the original highway alignment into Whitecourt, exits the town eastbound for the Hamlet of Blue Ridge. This road is commonly referred to as Blue Ridge Road.
Northern Gateway Regional Division No. 10 [16]
Living Waters Catholic Regional Division No. 42 [17]
Whitecourt is served by the weekly Whitecourt Star and the monthly Community Advisor.
Two FM radio stations broadcast from Whitecourt. The Rig (FM 96.7, CFXW-FM) and XM 105 (FM 105.3, CIXM-FM) broadcast active rock and contemporary country formats respectively.
CFRN-TV Edmonton operates a transmitter on local cable channel 12 (CFRN-TV-3), which provides separate commercials and short news bulletins for Alberta's northwest region including the Whitecourt area. It otherwise simulcasts the main signal from Edmonton.
Whitecourt is a member of the Alberta/Japan Twinned Municipalities Association.[18] Under the association's Japan-Alberta Twinning Program, Whitecourt has been twinned with Yūbetsu, Hokkaido, Japan, since 1998.[19][20]
| Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Whitecourt Wolverines |
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Ice Hockey | Whitecourt Twin Arena |
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| Fox Creek | Swan Hills | Fort Assiniboine | ||
| Grande Cache | Blue Ridge | |||
| Whitecourt | ||||
| Edson | Peers | Mayerthorpe |