Cypress County is a municipal district located in southeastern Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

. The County completely surrounds the City of Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat, Alberta

Medicine Hat, known to locals as "The Hat", is a city of 61,097 people located in the southeastern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It is enclaved within Cypress County along with the nearby Town of Redcliff, although neither is part of the county....

  and the Town of Redcliff

Redcliff, Alberta

Redcliff is a town in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. Bordering the City of Medicine Hat to the south and east, the town is bisected by Highway 1 and is located on the north bank of the South Saskatchewan River....

.
The municipality is part of Census Division 1, Alberta

Division No. 1, Alberta

Division No. 1 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the southeast corner of southern Alberta and surrounds the City of Medicine Hat.- Census subdivisions :...

.

Geography

The Cypress County landscape is dominated by a shortgrass prairie

Shortgrass prairie

The shortgrass prairie ecosystem of the North American Great Plains is a prairie that includes lands from the eastern foothills of the Rocky Mountains east to Nebraska and Saskatchewan, including rangelands in Alberta, Wyoming, Montana, North, South Dakota, and Kansas, and extending to the south...

 ecosystem. The land is flat to slightly rolling. The Cypress Hills
region features mixed grasslands, wetlands and montane habitats.
Major hydrological features include the South Saskatchewan

South Saskatchewan River

The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....

 and Milk

Milk River (Montana-Alberta)

The Milk River is a tributary of the Missouri River, long, in the United States state of Montana and the Canadian province of Alberta. Rising in the Rocky Mountains, the river drains a sparsely populated, semi-arid watershed of , ending just east of Fort Peck, Montana.-Geography:It is formed in...

 rivers.
Extensive coulee

Coulee

Coulee is applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley or drainage zone.The word coulee comes from the Canadian French coulée, from French word couler meaning "to flow"....

 systems have formed adjacent to major rivers resulting in badlands

Badlands

A badlands is a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded by wind and water. It can resemble malpaís, a terrain of volcanic rock. Canyons, ravines, gullies, hoodoos and other such geological forms are common in badlands. They are often...

 terrain.

Near Walsh, Alberta

Walsh, Alberta

Walsh is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Cypress County.It is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the Saskatchewan border, and has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No...

 at 50°0′38.2"N 110°6′48.3"W lies the Badlands Guardian

Badlands Guardian

The Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature located near Medicine Hat in the south east corner of Alberta, Canada. Viewed from the air, the feature bears a strong resemblance to a human head wearing a full native American headdress, facing directly westward. Because of additional man-made...

. Here the landscape takes the form of a head wearing a feathered headdress. The head is approximately 300 metres (984.3 ft) wide and 25 metres (82 ft) deep. This unusual geographic feature is a result of natural erosion of the surrounding prairie.

Climate

Cypress County has a semiarid climate with cold, dry winters and warm to hot summers. The winter cold is occasionally tempered
by mild and dry chinook wind

Chinook wind

Chinook winds , often called chinooks, commonly refers to foehn winds in the interior West of North America, where the Canadian Prairies and Great Plains meet various mountain ranges, although the original usage is in reference to wet, warm coastal winds in the Pacific Northwest.Chinook is claimed...

s blowing from the west. Hot summer daytime temperatures are made tolerable by low humidity and rapid cooling in the evening
hours. Maximum precipitation typically occurs in late spring and early summer.

Demographics

In 2006, Cypress County had a population of 6,729 living in 2,809 dwellings

House

A house is a building or structure that has the ability to be occupied for dwelling by human beings or other creatures. The term house includes many kinds of different dwellings ranging from rudimentary huts of nomadic tribes to free standing individual structures...

, a 10.1% increase from 2001. The municipal district has a land area of 13166.13 km² (5,083.5 sq mi) and a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 0.5 /km2.

Local

Cypress County currently has a Municipal Council consisting of 9 elected Councillors. Councillors are elected by
the eligible electors (Cypress County residents) who vote for a candidate in their electoral division. Municipal
elections organized by Alberta Municipal Affairs

Alberta Municipal Affairs

Alberta Municipal Affairs is a ministry of the Executive Council of Alberta. Its major responsibilities include assisting municipalities in the provision of local government, administering a safety system for the construction and maintenance of buildings and equipment, and managing Alberta's...

 are held on the 3rd Monday in October every third year.
Each October, the Councillors elect the Reeve. The position of Deputy Reeve is also an elected position,
voted on by the Councillors every year in October.

The current Cypress County Council (elected in October 2010

Alberta municipal elections, 2010

Municipal elections were held in Alberta, Canada on Monday, October 18, 2010. Since 1968, provincial legislation has required every municipality to hold triennial elections...

) consists of:

• Reeve Darcy Geigle - Division 2
• Deputy Reeve Brad Betcker - Division 7
• Councillor Floyd Haas - Division 1
• Councillor George Russill - Division 3
• Councillor Garry Lentz - Division 4
• Councillor Herb Scott - Division 5
• Councillor Jerry Clark - Division 6
• Councillor LeRay Pahl - Division 8
• Councillor Bob Olson - Division 9

Provincial

Cypress County is served by the Provincial Electoral Division of Cypress-Medicine Hat

Cypress-Medicine Hat

Cypress-Medicine Hat is an Albertan provincial electoral district, located in the southeastern corner of the province.Under the Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution of 2004, the constituency covers the portion of Medicine Hat south of the South Saskatchewan River, the Trans-Canada Highway and...

and represented in the Alberta Legislature

Legislative Assembly of Alberta

The Legislative Assembly of Alberta is one of two components of the Legislature of Alberta, the other being the Queen, represented by the Lieutenant-Governor of Alberta. The Alberta legislature meets in the Alberta Legislature Building in the provincial capital, Edmonton...

 by Progressive Conservative MLA Len Mitzel.

Federal

Cypress County is served by the Federal Electoral Division of Medicine Hat

Medicine Hat (electoral district)

Medicine Hat is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1908. The riding covers the City of Medicine Hat and surrounding areas on the southeast side of Alberta – including Cypress County, Forty Mile County, the Municipal...

 and represented in the Canadian House of Commons

Canadian House of Commons

The House of Commons of Canada is a component of the Parliament of Canada, along with the Sovereign and the Senate. The House of Commons is a democratically elected body, consisting of 308 members known as Members of Parliament...

 by Conservative MP LaVar Payne

LaVar Payne

LaVar Payne is a Canadian politician, who was elected to represent the electoral district of Medicine Hat in the 2008 Canadian federal election...

.

Municipal Services

Cypress County provides municipal services through various departments. Services include Agricultural Programs,
Road Maintenance, Bylaw Enforcement, Land Use Planning, Development Advice & Approvals, Fire Protection, Recreation,
Street Lighting, Waste Collection, Recycling, Water & Sewer, Emergency Services, Family & Community Support.

Communities

The following communities are located in this municipal district:

Towns

• Redcliff
  Redcliff, Alberta
  Redcliff is a town in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. Bordering the City of Medicine Hat to the south and east, the town is bisected by Highway 1 and is located on the north bank of the South Saskatchewan River....
  
  

Hamlets

• Desert Blume
  Desert Blume, Alberta
  Desert Blume is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, adjacent to the southern boundary of Medicine Hat.The hamlet is located on southwest corner of South Boundary Road and Range Road 61A, southeast of Highway 3....
  
  
• Dunmore
  Dunmore, Alberta
  Dunmore is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located southeast of Medicine Hat's city limits on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline. It is also recognized as a designated place by Statistics Canada....
  
  
• Hilda
  Hilda, Alberta
  Hilda is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located east of Highway 41, approximately northeast of Medicine Hat.In 1910, the post master named the post office "Hilda" after his infant daughter.- References :...
  
  
• Irvine
  Irvine, Alberta
  Irvine is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located approximately east of Medicine Hat on Highway 1 and has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No. 1 and in the federal riding of Medicine Hat....
  
  
• Schuler
  Schuler, Alberta
  Schuler is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located east of Highway 41, approximately northeast of Medicine Hat.- History :...
  
  
• Seven Persons
• Suffield
  Suffield, Alberta
  Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway approximately northwest of Medicine Hat.- History :...
  
  
• Veinerville
  Veinerville, Alberta
  Veinerville is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located northwest of Highway 41A and east of Medicine Hat.- References :...
  
  
• Walsh
  Walsh, Alberta
  Walsh is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Cypress County.It is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the Saskatchewan border, and has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No...
  
  

Economy

Agriculture and the Oil/Gas Industry are the primary economic activities within the County.
Agricultural sectors include ranching, wheat and oil seed crops, irrigated alfalfa and other
specialty crops. Irrigation water is supplied by the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) and other smaller water co-operatives.
Oil and gas production is extensive throughout the County. Natural Gas is gathered through pipe networks and processed in Gas Production plants near Hilda

Hilda, Alberta

Hilda is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located east of Highway 41, approximately northeast of Medicine Hat.In 1910, the post master named the post office "Hilda" after his infant daughter.- References :...

.

Highways

The Trans-Canada Highway

Trans-Canada Highway

The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...

 (1), Crowsnest Highway

Crowsnest Highway

The Crowsnest Highway, also known as the Interprovincial or, in British Columbia, the Southern Trans-Provincial, is an east-west highway, in length, through the southern parts of British Columbia and Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection between British Columbia's Lower Mainland and...

 (3) and
Highway 41 traverse Cypress County.
The Trans-Canada enters the eastern
part of the County near Walsh

Walsh, Alberta

Walsh is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Cypress County.It is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the Saskatchewan border, and has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No...

 and travels west through
Dunmore

Dunmore, Alberta

Dunmore is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located southeast of Medicine Hat's city limits on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline. It is also recognized as a designated place by Statistics Canada....

 and on to
Medicine Hat. From Medicine Hat the highway travels in a north westerly
direction passing near Suffield

Suffield, Alberta

Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway approximately northwest of Medicine Hat.- History :...

 and on to Calgary. Planning has begun to
upgrade The Trans Canada to true freeway status. The Crowsnest highway
enters the County near Seven Persons and travels in a north westerly direction to Medicine Hat. Highway 41 begins at the U.S. border (Port of Wild Horse)
and passes through the County in a northerly direction. Highway 41 intersects
the Trans Canada Highway near Dunmore and continues on in a northerly direction
until it exits the County near Sandy Point Recreational Area at the County's
most northerly limits.

Roads and Streets

Cypress County has developed and maintains an extensive road network within its
municipal jurisdiction. Paved, oiled and graveled roads total more than 2700 km in length.

Rail

The Canadian Pacific Railway

Canadian Pacific Railway

The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...

 Main Line traverses Cypress County.
The line enters the eastern part of the County near Walsh

Walsh, Alberta

Walsh is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada, within Cypress County.It is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the Saskatchewan border, and has an elevation of .The hamlet is located in census division No...

 and travels west
through Dunmore

Dunmore, Alberta

Dunmore is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County, located southeast of Medicine Hat's city limits on Highway 1 and the Canadian Pacific Railway mainline. It is also recognized as a designated place by Statistics Canada....

 and on to Medicine Hat. From Medicine Hat the line travels
in a north westerly direction passing near Suffield

Suffield, Alberta

Suffield is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located on the Trans-Canada Highway approximately northwest of Medicine Hat.- History :...

 and on to Calgary.
A secondary line joins the main at Dunmore and travels in a south westerly
direction passing near Seven Persons
and on to Lethbridge

Lethbridge

Lethbridge is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada, and the largest city in southern Alberta. It is Alberta's fourth-largest city by population after Calgary, Edmonton and Red Deer, and the third-largest by area after Calgary and Edmonton. The nearby Canadian Rockies contribute to the city's...

. Major switching yards are located in Dunmore. Several spur lines and side yards exist along the lines route to facilitate the handling of grain and other commodities.

Secondary schools

The Prairie Rose School Division #8 serves the needs of public school students.
Schools within this district include Eagle Butte High School

Eagle Butte High School

Eagle Butte High School is a high school in Dunmore, Alberta established in 1996. It is a school with only one hallway, a single floor, and is built into a hill for better heating efficiency. It is part of the Prairie Rose Regional School Division No. 8....

, Burdett School, Bow Island Elementary, Sentaor Gershaw School, Parkside School, I. F. Cox School, Margaret Wooding School, Irvine School, Schuler School, Oyen Public School, New Brigden School, Ralston School, Seven Persons School, Beyond Walls Alternative Outreach School and
Elkwater Hutterite Colony and six other colony schools. The division office is located in Dunmore.

The Medicine Hat Catholic Separate Regional School Division #20 serves the needs of
Roman Catholic students. District schools located in Medicine Hat and Bow Island include
McCoy High School, St. Mary's School, Notre-Dame Academy, St. Louis School, St. Francis
Xavier School, St. Michael's School, Mother Teresa School and St. Patrick's School.
The division office is located in Medicine Hat.

Christian Education K-12 is provided by Cornerstone Christian School.

Post-secondary education

The Medicine Hat College

Medicine Hat College

Medicine Hat College is a public, board governed, comprehensive community college serving a large region of southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada....

 is a junior college located in Medicine Hat.
The college offers university transfer programs, applied degrees and apprenticeship
programs. Athletics include basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

Military

Cypress County is home to Canadian Forces Base Suffield

CFB Suffield

Canadian Forces Base Suffield , is the largest Canadian Forces Base and the largest Commonwealth military training base in the world...

.
The base provides an extensive training area for both Canadian and British Armed Forces.
Defence Research and Development Canada

Defence Research and Development Canada

Defence Research and Development Canada, also Defence R&D Canada or DRDC , is an agency of the Department of National Defence , whose purpose is to respond to the scientific and technological needs of the Canadian Forces...

 facilities are located here as well.

Attractions

• Bullshead Reservoir - Camping, Fishing
• Cavan Lake Municipal Recreation Area - Camping, Boating, Fishing
• Cypress Hills Provincial Park - Camping, Boating, Fishing, Golfing, Swimming, Hiking, Rodeo, Winter Carnival, Skiing (Water, Downhill, Cross Country)
• Desert Blume Golf Club - Golfing
• Golden Sheaf Municipal Recreation Area - Boating, Fishing, Water Skiing, Camping
• Irvine Prairie Memories Museum - Local Historical Displays
• Michelle Reservoir - Camping, Fishing, Boating
• Murray Lake Reservoir - Fishing
• Reesor Lake - Camping, Fishing, Boating, Hiking
• Sandy Point Municipal Recreation Area - Camping, Fishing, Boating
• Spruce Coulee Reservoir - Camping, Fishing, Boating
• Walsh Tourist Information Center - Travel Alberta Rest Area

External links

• Cypress County (Official Site)
• albertafirst.com (Marketing Alberta to the World)