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Westlock
Westlock is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1913, the town is primarily an agricultural, business, and government administration centre serving communities and rural areas within surrounding Westlock County.
Westlock is located approximately 85 km (53 mi) north of Edmonton, Alberta's provincial capital and Canada's sixth largest census metropolitan area. Westlock sits at the junction of Highway 44 and Highway 18. It is surrounded by Westlock County within Census Division 13.
Westlock lies on the Alberta plain, one of the Great Plains. It lies just to the north of the continental divide between the Athabasca and North Saskatchewan river basins, and to the east of the Pembina River, a tributary of the Athabasca. The town is about 670 metres (2,200 ft) above mean sea level. Westlock sits within the humid continental climate zone, on the northern edge of the aspen parkland belt, a once heavily treed region that was cleared for agriculture at the turn of the 20th century. It is a relatively fertile region of dark soils. To the north lies the subarctic climate zone. The mean annual precipitation averaged from one meteorological station within the county measured 468 millimetres (mm), based on data from 1980 to 1990. The mean annual temperature averaged 1.9 °C, with the mean monthly temperature reaching a high of 16.8 °C in July, and dropping to a low of −11.4 °C in January.
Prior to European settlement, the area around Westlock was inhabited by First Nations people, notably the Cree. Although the fur trade had been active in Alberta since 1754 when Anthony Henday explored the area, the Westlock district was not mentioned in writing until David Thompson came through in April 1799.
White settlement did not begin until 1902 at that time centred on a rural community about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of present-day Westlock. The founding family was named Edgson, but this was considered too hard to pronounce. Edson, Alberta already existed, so the site was called Edison by its Irish-Canadian founders, after the American inventor Thomas Edison. The community in 1912 consisted of a total of no more than 13 buildings: a harness shop, a blacksmith shop, several homes, two churches, and one family living in a tent. There was also a post office but this was closed in 1911 when Conservative Party came to power and fired many Liberals from the postal service. In 1911 the railway reached nearby Clyde to the east, and in 1912 the E.D. & B.C. Railway (later the Northern Alberta Railway, now part of CN) mapped a new townsite where Westlock now stands to the west. Edison was now caught between the two. In 1914, the Methodist church building was picked up and moved down the road to Westlock, an indication of the new settlement's ascendancy over the older one.
The name of the new town is a portmanteau of the names of William Westgate and William Lockhart, who owned the property. Westlock was incorporated as a village on 16 March 1916, with a population of 65 residents. The first reeve was George MacTavish, and in that same year, the first grain elevator was built. The first bank branch, the Merchant's Bank opened its doors in 1918. A permanent brick schoolhouse was built in 1925. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax) operated a hospital out of a former house in 1927, and a purpose-built hospital, the Immaculata, was opened in 1928. Westlock became a town on 7 January 1947 with a population of 854. That same year, the Memorial Hall was also built.[citation needed]
In 1992 the Memorial Hall burned down, later to be replaced. In 1995, the hospital was replaced by the Westlock Health Care Centre, a somewhat controversial decision because several other communities in Alberta were facing hospital closures at the time. In 1997, the old hospital was demolished.[citation needed]
On February 22, 2024, Westlock residents narrowly passed a popular initiative prohibiting the flying of flags related to "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities" on municipal property, and the painting of zebra crossings in any colours other than white. The referendum was criticized by Mayor Jon Kramer, councilmen, and other politicians for prohibiting the official display of pride flags and the painting of rainbow crossings. Kramer stated the plebiscite was binding but did not reflect the views of all Westlock residents, and stated that "we will continue to find ways to embrace those in our community who need a helping hand, including marginalized groups."
Westlock
Westlock is a town in central Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1913, the town is primarily an agricultural, business, and government administration centre serving communities and rural areas within surrounding Westlock County.
Westlock is located approximately 85 km (53 mi) north of Edmonton, Alberta's provincial capital and Canada's sixth largest census metropolitan area. Westlock sits at the junction of Highway 44 and Highway 18. It is surrounded by Westlock County within Census Division 13.
Westlock lies on the Alberta plain, one of the Great Plains. It lies just to the north of the continental divide between the Athabasca and North Saskatchewan river basins, and to the east of the Pembina River, a tributary of the Athabasca. The town is about 670 metres (2,200 ft) above mean sea level. Westlock sits within the humid continental climate zone, on the northern edge of the aspen parkland belt, a once heavily treed region that was cleared for agriculture at the turn of the 20th century. It is a relatively fertile region of dark soils. To the north lies the subarctic climate zone. The mean annual precipitation averaged from one meteorological station within the county measured 468 millimetres (mm), based on data from 1980 to 1990. The mean annual temperature averaged 1.9 °C, with the mean monthly temperature reaching a high of 16.8 °C in July, and dropping to a low of −11.4 °C in January.
Prior to European settlement, the area around Westlock was inhabited by First Nations people, notably the Cree. Although the fur trade had been active in Alberta since 1754 when Anthony Henday explored the area, the Westlock district was not mentioned in writing until David Thompson came through in April 1799.
White settlement did not begin until 1902 at that time centred on a rural community about 5 km (3.1 mi) east of present-day Westlock. The founding family was named Edgson, but this was considered too hard to pronounce. Edson, Alberta already existed, so the site was called Edison by its Irish-Canadian founders, after the American inventor Thomas Edison. The community in 1912 consisted of a total of no more than 13 buildings: a harness shop, a blacksmith shop, several homes, two churches, and one family living in a tent. There was also a post office but this was closed in 1911 when Conservative Party came to power and fired many Liberals from the postal service. In 1911 the railway reached nearby Clyde to the east, and in 1912 the E.D. & B.C. Railway (later the Northern Alberta Railway, now part of CN) mapped a new townsite where Westlock now stands to the west. Edison was now caught between the two. In 1914, the Methodist church building was picked up and moved down the road to Westlock, an indication of the new settlement's ascendancy over the older one.
The name of the new town is a portmanteau of the names of William Westgate and William Lockhart, who owned the property. Westlock was incorporated as a village on 16 March 1916, with a population of 65 residents. The first reeve was George MacTavish, and in that same year, the first grain elevator was built. The first bank branch, the Merchant's Bank opened its doors in 1918. A permanent brick schoolhouse was built in 1925. The Sisters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (Halifax) operated a hospital out of a former house in 1927, and a purpose-built hospital, the Immaculata, was opened in 1928. Westlock became a town on 7 January 1947 with a population of 854. That same year, the Memorial Hall was also built.[citation needed]
In 1992 the Memorial Hall burned down, later to be replaced. In 1995, the hospital was replaced by the Westlock Health Care Centre, a somewhat controversial decision because several other communities in Alberta were facing hospital closures at the time. In 1997, the old hospital was demolished.[citation needed]
On February 22, 2024, Westlock residents narrowly passed a popular initiative prohibiting the flying of flags related to "political, social, or religious movements or commercial entities" on municipal property, and the painting of zebra crossings in any colours other than white. The referendum was criticized by Mayor Jon Kramer, councilmen, and other politicians for prohibiting the official display of pride flags and the painting of rainbow crossings. Kramer stated the plebiscite was binding but did not reflect the views of all Westlock residents, and stated that "we will continue to find ways to embrace those in our community who need a helping hand, including marginalized groups."
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