Cheadle, Alberta

Cheadle
Hamlet
Cheadle
Coordinates: 51°00′52″N 113°32′26″W / 51.01444°N 113.54056°W
Country  Canada
Province  Alberta
Region Calgary Region
Census division 5
Municipal district Wheatland County
Founded 1902
Government[1]
 • Type Unincorporated
 • Reeve Glenn Koester
 • Governing body
Elevation 990 m (3,240 ft)
Time zone MST (UTC−7)
 • Summer (DST) MDT (UTC−6)
Postal code span T1P 1J6, T0J 3H0
Highways Highway 24, South of Highway 1
Website www.cheadlealberta.com

Cheadle is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Wheatland County.[2] It is located on Highway 24, 2 kilometers (1.2 mi) south of the Highway 1 and approximately 28 kilometers (17 mi) east of the City of Calgary.

Cheadle provides quick vehicle access to both northern and southern Calgary via Highway 564 (Country Hills Boulevard N.E.), Highway 1 (16 Avenue N.E.), Highway 560 (Glenmore Trail S.E.), and Highway 22X (Marquis of Lorne Trail S.E.).

Approximately half of Cheadle's residents are employed within the City of Calgary.

History

The Canadian Pacific Railway named the community Cheadle for Dr. Walter Butler Cheadle of Milton and Cheadle explorers who traveled across the prairies and Rocky Mountains in the 1860s.[3] Dr. Cheadle and Lord Milton were co-authors of the book "The North-West Passage by Land" (London, 1865), which described their expedition in considerable detail.

A record was made when laying the railroad tracks between Strathmore and Cheadle when the railway was built. "In one hour a mile of steel was laid. And, at the end of the ten-hour working day, the rails were laid to Cheadle, nine miles and 300 feet for a record."[4] The ties had been strung the night before.

There was just one minor building in Cheadle when the early ranchers and homesteaders began to arrive in the late 1890s. It was a post office, store, and boarding home, run by Mrs. Florence Belwer for the C.P.R. section-men. Cheadle began to grow in the years 1906-1916 to a hardware store, barbershop, blacksmith, restaurant, pool hall, dance hall, three grocery stores, water tank, C.P.R. station and section houses, stockyards, lumberyard, two grain elevators, and several residences. The C.P.R. had once planned to locate Ogden Shops in Cheadle.

The arrival of the automobile and another C.P.R. line from Gleichen to Calgary, through Carseland and Dalemead, along with the building of the C.N.R. through Lyalta and Ardenode, quickly halted the growth of Cheadle. A lack of directional sign along Highway 1, indicating Cheadle's location, also contributed to the hamlet's demise. Most travelers became completely unaware of Cheadle's existence, and it was often missed from Alberta maps.

At one time grain was hauled to Cheadle from Carseland. The transport teams ate and rested in Cheadle before returning. This all brought much of the business to Cheadle and raised the total number of grain elevators to 3. By 1971, Cheadle's post office and grocery store closed. It was purchased by Fritz Gosteli, a local acreage owner originally from Switzerland, who transformed the building into a two-story single family residence. There were two main businesses at that time; Risdon's Tomato Enterprise and Ken Hendry's Manufacturing, which was built two years prior. There were only a few residents at that time: Ken & Leona Hendry, Leon & Kay Risdon and family, Tommy Kildea, Doug & Kathy Davies and family, Fritz & Christine Gosteli and family, Mr. & Mrs. H. V. Iles, Dietrich & Regina Volkmann. Between Cheadle and Highway 1 there was Ken and Bev Jones and family, Mr. & Mrs. M. Landru and family, and Mr. & Mrs. H. McElroy and family, and Mr. & Mrs. E. A. Cobb.[5]

By 1985, Cheadle lost the last of its grain elevators as well as train and tracks that ran past. The hamlet shrank into ghost town status as no stores or shops were left in existence. But soon after, more houses were built and residents slowly migrated back into the community. In 2000, residential home development expanded in central Cheadle while some later developments followed on the east side after 2005. There has been a recent surge of Calgary and Strathmore residents, moving to the rural communities in the area. This growing trend will likely cause Cheadle's population to expand over the next few years.[6] Residential lots, for new home construction, are currently available in East Cheadle (along Cousins Street) and West Cheadle (along the south side Railway Avenue). Many residents hope for the eventual arrival of a new general store and gas station, in order to avoid driving to Strathmore for minor goods and services. In recent years, the Cheadle Community Association has been working hard to resurrect the hamlet and make it an attractive place to live. Until the hamlet one day reaches a population sufficient enough for incorporation, efforts for community improvement will continue to be a challenge.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Cheadle had a population of 84 living in 29 of its 30 total dwellings, a 21.7% change from its 2006 population of 69. With a land area of 0.17 km2 (0.066 sq mi), it had a population density of 494/km2 (1,280/sq mi) in 2011.[7]

Education

School buses transfer students from Cheadle to nearby Strathmore, which has three elementary schools (Wheatland, Westmount, and Brentwood), one junior high school (Crowther Memorial Junior High School), one senior high school (Strathmore High School), a Catholic elementary school (Sacred Heart Academy), and a Catholic junior/senior high school (Holy Cross Collegiate).

Technologies

Cheadle has access to high speed internet, though it is not a traditional cable or ADSL connection. It comes through a special high-speed wireless service provided area through Community Networks. No existing cable television provider currently services the Cheadle area. However basic four channel UHF antenna television is available. Many residents usually access their standard television or HDTV through satellite. Telephone service is provided through Telus Communications but VOIP service can be utilized through the high-speed internet connection. Telus does not provide ADSL internet to Cheadle, but their 4G wireless service is readily available to compatible wireless devices.

Geographic areas

Though the Hamlet of Cheadle is small, there are three different geographic areas in the community – East Cheadle Springs, Central Cheadle, and a future development planned for the far west side. Many of Cheadle's residents live in Central Cheadle. Cheadle's park and skating rink are also located in this area at the west end of Hendry Avenue. East Cheadle Springs is the least populated area but has seen more growth in recent years. The Cheadle Community Hall is located here. The community bulletin board and Canada Post mailboxes for site 2 & site 3 (Cheadle) are also located here along Malone Avenue.[8]

The Cheadle Airport CFQ4 is located 7.41 kilometers (4.60 mi) northwest of Cheadle. This is a 1,200 meters (3,900 ft) turf airstrip run by G. Jackson.

Community association

The Cheadle Community Association was first established in 1902 and still exists today to plan and coordinate the many activities and developments within the community. The Cheadle Community Hall is also directly managed and maintained by the association.

The association's committee typically consists of a group of elected officers and directors which are designated on an annual basis.

Elected Officers

Directors

Real estate

Cheadle is currently entering a phase of substantial expansion. A new development on Cheadle's west side, called "Green Haven Estates", will add an additional 50 houses to the community. New road construction will link Township Road 240/Cheadle Drive (which becomes 50 Avenue S.E. in Calgary) to Highway 24 along with two new streets off of Cheadle Drive (Cheadle Bay and Cheadle Cove). This development will also feature a large central pond to add to the scenery of the location. The west side development is currently at a standstill due to some financial and planning matters involved in developing the marsh area. Higher elevation lots are available in East Cheadle Springs along Cousin's Street, just north of the Cheadle Community Hall. The East Cheadle Springs lots are adjacent to a small stream fed by natural ground water springs in the immediate area. These springs do not freeze over completely during the winter due to their slightly warmer temperature.

Surrounding communities

Chestermere Lyalta Rockyford
Calgary Strathmore
Namaka
   Cheadle  
Langdon Carseland Gleichen

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. March 20, 2015. Retrieved April 19, 2015.
  2. ↑ Alberta Municipal Affairs (2010-04-01). "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-08.
  3. ↑ Alberta Community Profile
  4. ↑ Tom Moore in the Albertan, 1963, "Sketches of Early Calgary"
  5. ↑ "Trails to the Bow, Carseland and Cheadle Chronicles", Calgary, Printed by D. W. Friesen, 1971, ISBN 0-919212-04-2 - Page 111 - 113 (1971)
  6. ↑ Hamlet of Cheadle - official web site
  7. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-06.
  8. ↑ Cheadle web site - Maps

External links

Coordinates: 51°00′52″N 113°32′26″W / 51.01444°N 113.54056°W