Grimshaw, Alberta
Grimshaw, Alberta
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Grimshaw, Alberta

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Grimshaw, Alberta

Grimshaw is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 25 km (16 mi) west of the Town of Peace River at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 2A and along Mackenzie Northern Railway. By virtue of being the original starting point of Highway 35, which leads to the Northwest Territories, Grimshaw is referred to as Mile Zero of the Mackenzie Highway.

The town was named after Dr. M.E. Grimshaw, a pioneer doctor from Kingston, Ontario who settled in Peace River (then known as Peace River Crossing) in 1914. He practiced in the area for many years and also served at different capacities in the local government at the county and the village levels until 1922, retiring from politics as the mayor of Peace River. In 1929 he moved his family to Fairview, where he died in November of that year. Dr. Grimshaw would later be the posthumous father-in-law of actor John Carradine, who was married to Grimshaw's daughter, Doris Grimshaw (Doris Erving, Doris Rich), from 1957 until her death in 1971. Local folklore also whispers of an eccentric early surveyor who, in moments of confusion, insisted on being addressed as 'Rameses Niblick the Third.'

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Grimshaw had a population of 2,601 living in 1,080 of its 1,232 total private dwellings, a change of −4.3% from its 2016 population of 2,718. With a land area of 7.08 km2 (2.73 sq mi), it had a population density of 367.4/km2 (951.5/sq mi) in 2021.

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Grimshaw recorded a population of 2,718 living in 1,061 of its 1,194 total private dwellings, a change of 8.1% from its 2011 population of 2,515. With a land area of 7.09 km2 (2.74 sq mi), it had a population density of 383.4/km2 (992.9/sq mi) in 2016.

Having developed first as a community centre for a rich mixed farming district, Grimshaw's economy has transformed to become a distribution centre for northern Alberta.

Some annual festivals and events in the Grimshaw area include the following:

The Town of Grimshaw has numerous indoor and outdoor recreational facilities within its borders including an outdoor swimming pool, an arena, a curling rink, a family fitness centre, 6 Ball Diamonds, SK8 "N" Bike Park, an R.V. Park and a Seniors Drop In Centre.

The Historic Mile 0 Mackenzie Park and the Tom Baldwin Memorial Arboretum located at the corner of Highway 2 and Highway 2A are fully landscaped passive recreational interpretive park reflecting local and regional history. The history of the communities along the Mackenzie Highway is reflected by interpretive signs situated along the walking path. The Tom Baldwin Memorial Arboretum provides an educational component to visitors and the local schools to learn about the different species of trees in the area forests. Queen Elizabeth Provincial Park and Lac Cardinal Recreation Area on the shores of Lac Cardinal are less than 10 kilometres to the northwest of Grimshaw. Wilderness Park is less than 5 kilometres to the northeast of Grimshaw.

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