Edson, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Edson is a town in west-central 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...
. It is located in Yellowhead County
Yellowhead County, Alberta
Yellowhead County is a municipal district in west central Alberta, Canada.It is the only county in Alberta Division 14, and shares the boundaries with this census division.-History:*1994: Established as a Municipal District of Yellowhead No...
, 192 kilometres (119.3 mi) west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway
Yellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the intersection with Highway 47.
History
The town was originally named Heatherwood, but the name was changed around 1911 in honour of Edson Joseph ChamberlinEdson Joseph Chamberlin
Edson Joseph Chamberlin was the president of the Grand Trunk Railway from 1912 to 1917.-Biography:He was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire on August 25, 1852. He attended Montpelier Methodist Seminary, and in 1871 started work with the New England Railroad...
, vice-president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
Grand Trunk Pacific Railway
The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway was a historical Canadian railway.A wholly owned subsidiary of the Grand Trunk Railway , the GTPR was constructed by GTR using loans provided by the Government of Canada. The company was formed in 1903 with a mandate to build west from Winnipeg, Manitoba to the...
. Local history maintains that Edson (Heatherwood) was built in its current location because it was the first level spot after Wolf Creek. (The land at Wolf Creek was quickly bought up after the announcement of plans to develop a town there, which rendered it uneconomical for the railway.) When Edson was declared the local rail centre, smaller communities such as Rosevear (abandoned), Wolf Creek, Carrot Creek and Niton Junction fell into a decline that continues today. In the 1950s, upgrading of Highway 16 caused a dramatic increase in private, commercial and industrial traffic. Today, the Yellowhead Highway carries some of the heaviest traffic flow in Alberta and has been officially declared the second 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...
. In the 1970s, a revitalized coal industry saw the Cardinal River Coal and Luscar Sterco mines launched in the area. The 1980s saw the development of Pelican Spruce Mills (now Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser
Weyerhaeuser is one of the largest pulp and paper companies in the world. It is the world's largest private sector owner of softwood timberland; and the second largest owner of United States timberland, behind Plum Creek Timber...
Canada) and Sundance Forest Industries - two of Edson's major employers.
Geography
Edson lies in the McLeod RiverMcLeod River
Mcleod River is a significant river in west-central Alberta, Canada. It forms in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, and is a major tributary of the Athabasca River.-Course:...
valley, immediately east of the Canadian Rockies
Canadian Rockies
The Canadian Rockies comprise the Canadian segment of the North American Rocky Mountains range. They are the eastern part of the Canadian Cordillera, extending from the Interior Plains of Alberta to the Rocky Mountain Trench of British Columbia. The southern end borders Idaho and Montana of the USA...
foothills. The surrounding landscape consists of primarily taiga
Taiga
Taiga , also known as the boreal forest, is a biome characterized by coniferous forests.Taiga is the world's largest terrestrial biome. In North America it covers most of inland Canada and Alaska as well as parts of the extreme northern continental United States and is known as the Northwoods...
forest with sand hills and muskeg
Muskeg
Muskeg is an acidic soil type common in Arctic and boreal areas, although it is found in other northern climates as well. Muskeg is approximately synonymous with bogland but muskeg is the standard term in Western Canada and Alaska, while 'bog' is common elsewhere. The term is of Cree origin, maskek...
(the Canadian term for low-lying bog). The town is located at an altitude of 925 metres (3,034.8 ft). Two provincial parks are located west of Edson: Sundance Provincial Park
Sundance Provincial Park
Sundance Provincial Park is a provincial park located in western Alberta, Canada, 100km east of Jasper National Park.The park is accessed via Emerson Creek Road, running north of Edson and Hinton, rhoughly parallel to the Yellowhead Highway.-The two parks:...
along Sundance Creek and Obed Lake Provincial Park
Obed Lake Provincial Park
Obed Lake Provincial Park is a provincial park in Alberta, Canada, located west of Edson and east of Hinton, on the north side of the Yellowhead Highway....
surrounding the three Obed Lakes.
Climate
Edson experiences a subarctic climateSubarctic climate
The subarctic climate is a climate characterized by long, usually very cold winters, and short, cool to mild summers. It is found on large landmasses, away from the moderating effects of an ocean, generally at latitudes from 50° to 70°N poleward of the humid continental climates...
(Köppen climate classification
Köppen climate classification
The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by Crimea German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen himself, notably in 1918 and 1936...
Dfc).
Demographics
According to the 2006 federal census, Edson had a population of 8,098 living in 3,230 dwellingsHouse
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 6.8% increase from the 2001 federal census. The town has a land area of 29.54 km² (11.4 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 274.1 /km2.
However, the Town's own municipal census conducted in 2005 showed Edson had a population of 8,365.
Economy
The main industries that drive the local economy are resource based – coal, oil, natural gas, lumber, and building products.Infrastructure
Edson is connected to the Yellowhead HighwayYellowhead Highway
The Yellowhead Highway is a major east-west highway connecting the four western Canadian provinces of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba. Although part of the Trans-Canada Highway system, the highway should not be confused with the more southerly, originally-designated...
from east to west and to Coal Valley via Highway 47 to the south.
Via Rail
VIA Rail
Via Rail Canada is an independent crown corporation offering intercity passenger rail services in Canada. It is headquartered near Montreal Central Station at 3 Place Ville-Marie in Montreal, Quebec....
's The Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
calls at the Edson railway station
Edson railway station
The Edson railway station is on the Canadian National Railway mainline in Edson, Alberta. The station is served by Via Rail's The Canadian three times per week in each direction as a flag stop .- External links :*...
three times per week in each direction as a flag stop.
Media
NewspapersEdson has two local papers. The weekly Edson Leader
Edson Leader
The Edson Leader is a weekly newspaper serving the Edson, Alberta area....
and The Weekly Anchor.
Radio Stations
- CBXD 1540 CBC Radio OneCBC Radio OneCBC Radio One is the English language news and information radio network of the publicly-owned Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. It is commercial free and offers both local and national programming...
- CFXECFXE-FMCFXE-FM is a Canadian radio station, which broadcasts classic hits from studios in Edson, Alberta. It is owned by Newcap Broadcasting. This facility is the regional hub for NewCap Alberta .-Rebroadcasters & Affiliates:...
94.3 Newcap BroadcastingNewcap BroadcastingNewfoundland Capital Corporation Limited is a major Canadian broadcasting company, majority-owned by Harold R. Steele. Newfoundland Capital is the parent company of Newcap Inc. . It is currently the number two private-sector radio broadcaster in Canada, just behind Astral Media... - CKUA-FM-8 103.7 CKUA Radio Network
Education
Grande Yellowhead Regional Division No. 35- A.H. Dakin Elementary School (K-5)
- Evergreen Elementary School (K-5)
- Parkland Composite High SchoolParkland Composite High SchoolParkland Composite High School is a public high school located in Edson, Alberta, Canada....
(9-12 English, French) - École Pine Grove Middle SchoolÉcole Pine Grove Middle SchoolÉcole Pine Grove Middle School is a middle school located in Edson, Alberta, Canada.-External links:*...
(6-8 English, French) - Westhaven Elementary School (K-5 English, French)
Living Waters Catholic Regional Division No. 42
- Holy Redeemer Junior Senior Catholic High SchoolHoly Redeemer Junior Senior Catholic High SchoolHoly Redeemer Junior Senior Catholic High School is a Catholic high school located in Edson, Alberta, Canada....
(7-12) - Vanier Community Catholic School (K-6)
Private
- Yellowhead Koinonia Christian School (K-12)
External links
- Town of Edson (Official website)