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Armena
Armena is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Camrose County. It is located approximately 21 kilometres (13 mi) northwest of Camrose along Highway 21 and has an elevation of 745 metres (2,444 ft). The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 10 and in the federal riding of Crowfoot.
Armena was originally named Tordenskjold, in honour of Norwegian sailor Peter Tordenskjold, by the primarily Norwegian settlers who established the settlement in the 1890s.
In 1911 (sometimes recorded as 1915), the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) began constructing a track through the settlement, which was still named Tordenskjold by locals. Some residents felt Tordenskjold was too difficult to pronounce, and asked CNR to decide upon a different name. The settlement (and associated railway stop) was subsequently renamed to Armena, though it is unknown how the name was created.
In 1872, the Canadian government instituted the Dominion Lands Act, offering arable land to European emigrants who were willing to establish farms. Between the Act's passage and 1893, a small number of homesteads were founded in the area now known as Armena.
In May 1894, Norwegian farmers Thore Grue and Ole Movald relocated to the area with their families. Settlers that followed throughout the rest of the 1890s were of primarily Scandinavian descent.
By 1897, the settlement had grown through the arrival of large families with many children. Grue and his wife Beret had seven of their own. He and Movald therefore enlisted their neighbours to build a school. Residents hauled logs from a nearby lake to Grue's sawmill, for conversion into furniture and building materials.
Armena's first schoolhouse, built over the spring of 1898, welcomed an inaugural class of 29 students ranging in age from seven to seventeen. The building was also used for worship activities by a congregation of Norwegian Lutherans, which Grue organized and gave the named "Scandia." Two more schools were built afterwards, one in 1905 by the Lyseng family and one in 1912 by the Busk family.
The hamlet expanded in 1901 and 1902 with the arrival of families from North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Between 1903 and 1907, these families built two churches: a Swedish Lutheran church five kilometres east of Armena, and a free church just under one kilometre to the south. In 1908, the Norwegian Lutherans in Armena joined the congregation of the free church, and its building was moved north of Armena. Grue served as the congregation's choir leader for many years. This church, retaining the name "Scandia," remains active as of 2025.
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Armena
Armena is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Camrose County. It is located approximately 21 kilometres (13 mi) northwest of Camrose along Highway 21 and has an elevation of 745 metres (2,444 ft). The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 10 and in the federal riding of Crowfoot.
Armena was originally named Tordenskjold, in honour of Norwegian sailor Peter Tordenskjold, by the primarily Norwegian settlers who established the settlement in the 1890s.
In 1911 (sometimes recorded as 1915), the Canadian Northern Railway (CNR) began constructing a track through the settlement, which was still named Tordenskjold by locals. Some residents felt Tordenskjold was too difficult to pronounce, and asked CNR to decide upon a different name. The settlement (and associated railway stop) was subsequently renamed to Armena, though it is unknown how the name was created.
In 1872, the Canadian government instituted the Dominion Lands Act, offering arable land to European emigrants who were willing to establish farms. Between the Act's passage and 1893, a small number of homesteads were founded in the area now known as Armena.
In May 1894, Norwegian farmers Thore Grue and Ole Movald relocated to the area with their families. Settlers that followed throughout the rest of the 1890s were of primarily Scandinavian descent.
By 1897, the settlement had grown through the arrival of large families with many children. Grue and his wife Beret had seven of their own. He and Movald therefore enlisted their neighbours to build a school. Residents hauled logs from a nearby lake to Grue's sawmill, for conversion into furniture and building materials.
Armena's first schoolhouse, built over the spring of 1898, welcomed an inaugural class of 29 students ranging in age from seven to seventeen. The building was also used for worship activities by a congregation of Norwegian Lutherans, which Grue organized and gave the named "Scandia." Two more schools were built afterwards, one in 1905 by the Lyseng family and one in 1912 by the Busk family.
The hamlet expanded in 1901 and 1902 with the arrival of families from North Dakota, Minnesota and South Dakota. Between 1903 and 1907, these families built two churches: a Swedish Lutheran church five kilometres east of Armena, and a free church just under one kilometre to the south. In 1908, the Norwegian Lutherans in Armena joined the congregation of the free church, and its building was moved north of Armena. Grue served as the congregation's choir leader for many years. This church, retaining the name "Scandia," remains active as of 2025.