From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alberta
|
|
|
Motto: Latin: Fortis et liber
("Strong and free") |
 |
| Capital |
Edmonton |
| Largest city |
Calgary |
| Largest metro |
Calgary Region |
| Official languages |
English (see below) |
| Demonym |
Albertan |
| Government |
|
| Lieutenant-Governor |
Norman Kwong |
| Premier |
Ed Stelmach (PC) |
| Federal representation |
in Canadian Parliament |
| House seats |
28 |
| Senate seats |
6 |
| Confederation |
September 1, 1905 (split from Northwest Territories) (9th Province) |
| Area |
Ranked 6th |
| Total |
661,848 km2 (255,541 sq mi) |
| Land |
642,317 km2 (248,000 sq mi) |
| Water (%) |
19,531 km2 (7,541 sq mi) (2.95%) |
| Population |
Ranked 4th |
| Total (2009) |
3,632,483 (est.)[1] |
| Density |
5.38 /km2 (13.9 /sq mi) |
| GDP |
Ranked 3rd |
| Total (2007) |
C$259.941 billion[2] |
| Per capita |
C$74,825 (2nd) |
| Abbreviations |
|
| Postal |
AB |
| ISO 3166-2 |
CA-AB |
| Time zone |
UTC-7 |
| Postal code prefix |
T |
| Flower |
 Wild rose |
| Tree |
Lodgepole Pine |
| Bird |
Great Horned Owl |
| Website |
www.alberta.ca |
| Rankings include all provinces and territories |
Alberta 
/
ælˈbɜrtə/ is the most populous and fastest growing of
Canada's three
prairie provinces. It is approximately the same size as
France or
Texas and had a population of 3.7 million in 2009.
[3] It became a province on September 1, 1905, on the same day as
Saskatchewan.
[4] It is economically important primarily because of its vast
oil reserves, and its large tertiary and quaternary economic sector.
The
capital city of Alberta is
Edmonton, located just south of the centre of the province. Roughly 300 kilometres (190 mi) south of the capital is
Calgary, Alberta's largest city and a major distribution and transportation hub as well as one of Canada's major commerce centres. Edmonton is the primary supply and service hub for Canada's
oil sands and other northern resource industries. According to recent population estimates, these two metropolitan areas have now both exceeded 1 million people.
[5] Other
municipalities in the province include
Red Deer,
Lethbridge,
Medicine Hat,
Fort McMurray,
Grande Prairie,
Camrose,
Lloydminster,
Brooks,
Wetaskiwin,
Banff,
Cold Lake, and
Jasper.
Geography
Alberta covers an area of 661,848 square kilometres (255,500 sq mi), an area about 5% smaller than
Texas or 20% larger than
France.
[6] This makes it the fourth largest province after
Quebec,
Ontario, and
British Columbia. To the south, the province borders on the
49th parallel north, separating it from the U.S. state of
Montana, while on the north the
60th parallel north divides it from the
Northwest Territories. To the east the
110th meridian west separates it from the province of
Saskatchewan, while on the west its boundary with British Columbia follows the
120th meridian west south from the Northwest Territories at 60°N until it reaches the
Continental Divide at the
Rocky Mountains, and from that point follows the line of peaks marking the Continental Divide in a generally southeasterly direction until it reaches the Montana border at 49°N.
The province extends 1,223 kilometres (760 mi) north to south and 660 kilometres (410 mi) east to west at its maximum width. Its highest point is 3,747 metres (12,293 ft) at the summit of
Mount Columbia in the Rocky Mountains along the southwest border, while its lowest point is 152 metres (499 ft) on the
Slave River in
Wood Buffalo National Park in the northeast.
[7]Alberta's capital city,
Edmonton, is located approximately in the geographic centre of the province, with most of western Canada's oil
refinery capacity located nearby, in proximity to most of Canada's largest
oil fields. Edmonton is the most northerly major city in Canada, and serves as a gateway and hub for resource development in northern Canada. Alberta's other major city,
Calgary, is located approximately 280 kilometres (170 mi) south of Edmonton and 240 kilometres (150 mi) north of Montana, surrounded by extensive
ranching country. Almost 75% of the province's population lives in the
Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, in and between the two major cities.
Most of the northern half of the province is
boreal forest, while the
Rocky Mountains along the southwestern boundary are largely forested. The southern quarter of the province is
prairie, ranging from
shortgrass prairie in the southeastern corner to mixed grass prairie in an arc to the west and north of it. The central
aspen parkland region extending in a broad arc between the prairies and the forests, from Calgary, north to Edmonton, and then east to
Lloydminster, contains the most fertile soil in the province and most of the population. Much of the unforested part of Alberta is given over either to
grain or to
dairy farming, with
mixed farming more common in the north and centre, while
ranching and
irrigated agriculture predominate in the south.
[9]Climate
Alberta has a dry
continental climate with warm summers and cold winters. The province is open to cold arctic weather systems from the north, which often produce extremely cold conditions in winter. As the fronts between the air masses shift north and south across Alberta, temperature can change rapidly. Arctic air masses in the winter produce extreme minimum temperatures varying from −54 °C (−65 °F) in northern Alberta to −46 °C (−51 °F) in southern Alberta. In the summer, continental air masses produce maximum temperatures from 32 °C (90 °F) in the mountains to 40 °C (104 °F) in southern Alberta.
[10]Because Alberta extends for over 1,200 kilometres (750 mi) from north to south, its climate varies considerably. Average temperatures in January range from −8 °C (18 °F) in the south to −24 °C (−11 °F) in the north, and in July from 24 °C (75 °F) in the south to 16 °C (61 °F) in the north. The climate is also influenced by the presence of the Rocky Mountains to the southwest, which disrupt the flow of the
prevailing westerly winds and cause them to drop most of their moisture on the western slopes of the mountain ranges before reaching the province, casting a
rain shadow over much of Alberta. The northerly location and isolation from the weather systems of the
Pacific Ocean cause Alberta to have a dry climate with little moderation from the ocean. Annual precipitation ranges from 300 millimetres (12 in) in the southeast to 450 millimetres (18 in) in the north, except in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains where rainfall can reach 600 millimetres (24 in) annually.
[7] In the summer, the average daytime temperatures range from around 21 °C (70 °F) in the Rocky Mountain valleys and far north to near 30 °C (86 °F) in the dry prairie of the southeast. The northern and western parts of the province experience higher rainfall and lower evaporation rates caused by cooler summer temperatures. The south and east-central portions are prone to drought-like conditions sometimes persisting for several years, although even these areas can receive heavy precipitation. Alberta is a sunny province. Annual bright sunshine totals range between 1900 and 2500 hours per year. Northern Alberta receives about 18 hours of daylight in the summer. The long summer days make summer the sunniest season of the year in Alberta.
[10]In southwestern Alberta, the winter cold is frequently interrupted by warm, dry
chinook winds blowing from the mountains, which can propel temperatures upward from frigid conditions to well above the freezing point in a very short period. During one chinook recorded at
Pincher Creek, temperatures soared from −18.9 °C (−2.0 °F) to 3.3 °C (38 °F) in one hour.
[7] The region around
Lethbridge has the most chinooks, averaging 30 to 35 chinook days per year, while
Calgary has a
white Christmas only 59% of the time as a result of these winds.
Northern Alberta is mostly covered by
boreal forest and has fewer frost-free days than southern Alberta due to its
subarctic climate. The agricultural area of southern Alberta has a
semi-arid steppe climate because the annual precipitation is less than the water that
evaporates or is used by plants. The southeastern corner of Alberta, part of the
Palliser Triangle, experiences greater summer heat and lower rainfall than the rest of the province, and as a result suffers frequent
crop yield problems and occasional severe
droughts. Western Alberta is protected by the mountains and enjoys the mild temperatures brought by winter
chinook winds. Central and parts of northwestern Alberta in the Peace River region are largely
aspen parkland, a
biome transitional between
prairie to the south and boreal forest to the north. After southern
Ontario,
Central Alberta is the most likely region in Canada to experience
tornadoes.
Thunderstorms, some of them severe, are frequent in the summer, especially in central and southern Alberta. The region surrounding the
Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is notable for having the highest frequency of
hail in Canada, which is caused by
orographic lifting from the nearby Rocky Mountains, enhancing the updraft/downdraft cycle necessary for the formation of hail.
Average temperatures in cities
| City[11] |
July(°C)[11] |
July(°F)[11] |
January(°C)[11] |
January(°F)[11] |
| Medicine Hat |
27/12 |
81/54 |
-5/-16 |
23/3 |
| Brooks |
26/11 |
79/52 |
-6/-17 |
21/1 |
| Airdrie |
26/11 |
79/52 |
-3/-15 |
27/5 |
| Lethbridge |
26/10 |
79/50 |
-3/-15 |
27/5 |
| Edmonton |
23/12 |
73/54 |
-9/-17 |
16/1 |
| Fort Saskatchewan |
23/11 |
73/52 |
-8/-19 |
18/-2 |
| Lloydminster |
23/11 |
73/52 |
-10/-19 |
14/-2 |
| Cold Lake |
23/11 |
73/52 |
-11/-22 |
12/-8 |
| Fort McMurray |
23/10 |
73/50 |
-14/-24 |
7/-11 |
| Red Deer |
23/10 |
73/50 |
-6/-17 |
21/1 |
| Calgary |
23/9 |
73/48 |
-3/-14 |
27/7 |
| Camrose |
22/11 |
72/52 |
-8/-19 |
18/-2 |
| Spruce Grove |
22/11 |
72/52 |
-7/-16 |
19/3 |
| St. Albert |
22/10 |
72/50 |
-8/-17 |
18/1 |
| Leduc |
22/10 |
72/50 |
-8/-19 |
18/-2 |
| Grande Prairie |
22/9 |
72/48 |
-10/-21 |
14/-6 |
| Wetaskiwin |
21/9 |
70/48 |
-5/-16 |
23/3 |
History
The province of Alberta, as far north as about 53° north latitude, was a part of
Rupert's Land from the time of the incorporation of the
Hudson's Bay Company (1670). After the arrival in the North-West of the French around 1731 they settled the prairies of the west, establishing communities such as
Lac La Biche and
Bonnyville. Fort La Jonquière was established near what is now Calgary in 1752. The
North West Company of
Montreal occupied the northern part of Alberta territory before the Hudson's Bay Company arrived from
Hudson Bay to take possession of it. The first explorer of the Athabasca region was
Peter Pond, who, on behalf of the North West Company of Montreal, built Fort Athabasca on Lac La Biche in 1778. Roderick Mackenzie built
Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca ten years later in 1788. His cousin, Sir
Alexander Mackenzie, followed the
North Saskatchewan River to its northernmost point near Edmonton, then setting northward on foot, trekked to the Athabasca River, which he followed to Lake Athabasca. It was there he discovered the mighty outflow river which bears his name—the
Mackenzie River—which he followed to its outlet in the
Arctic Ocean. Returning to Lake Athabasca, he followed the
Peace River upstream, eventually reaching the
Pacific Ocean, and so he became the first white man to cross the North American continent north of Mexico.
[12]
U.S. Territories, showing the Louisiana Purchase
The district of Alberta was created as part of the North-West Territories in 1882. As settlement increased, local representatives to the North-West Legislative Assembly were added. After a long campaign for autonomy, in 1905 the district of Alberta was enlarged and given provincial status, with the election of
Alexander Cameron Rutherford as the first premier.
Demographics
Alberta's population has grown steadily for over a century.
Alberta has enjoyed a relatively high rate of growth in recent years, mainly because of its burgeoning economy. Between 2003 and 2004, the province had high birthrates (on par with some larger provinces such as
British Columbia), relatively high immigration, and a high rate of interprovincial migration when compared to other provinces.
[13] Approximately 81% of the population live in urban areas and only about 19% live in rural areas. The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized area in the province and is one of the most densely populated areas of Canada.
[14] Many of Alberta's cities and towns have also experienced very high rates of growth in recent history. Over the past century, Alberta's population rose from 73,022 in 1901 to 2,974,807 in 2001
[15] and 3,290,350 according to the
2006 census.
[16]Languages
Albertans have many different mother tongues. English is by far the most common, while French is rare.
[17]
The
2006 census found that
English, with 2,576,670 native speakers, was the mother tongue of 79.99% of Albertans. The next most common mother tongues were
Chinese languages with 97,275 native-speakers (3.02%); followed by
German with 84,505 native-speakers (2.62%); and
French with 61,225 (1.90%); then
Punjabi 36,320 (1.13%);
Tagalog 29,740 (0.92%);
Ukrainian 29,455 (0.91%);
Spanish 29,125 (0.90%); and
Polish 21,990 (0.68%);
Arabic 20,495 (0.64%);
Dutch 19,980 (0.62%); and
Vietnamese 19,350 (0.60%). The most common aboriginal language is
Cree 17,215 (0.53%). Other common mother tongues include
Italian with 13,095 speakers (0.41%);
Urdu with 11,275 (0.35%); and
Korean with 10,845 (0.33%); then
Hindi 8,985 (0.28%);
Persian 7,700 (0.24%);
Portuguese 7,205 (0.22%); and
Hungarian 6,770 (0.21%).
(Figures shown are for the number of single language responses and the percentage of total single-language responses.)[18]Ethnicity
Alberta's population came from many countries, most in Northern and Central Europe.
[19]
Alberta has considerable ethnic diversity. In line with the rest of Canada, many immigrants originated from
Scotland,
Ireland and
Wales, but large numbers also came from other parts of
Europe, notably
Germans,
French,
Ukrainians and
Scandinavians. According to Statistics Canada, Alberta is home to the second highest proportion (two percent) of
Francophones in western Canada (after
Manitoba). Many of
Alberta's French-speaking residents live in the central and northwestern regions of the province. As reported in the 2001 census, the Chinese represented nearly four percent of Alberta's population, and East Indians represented more than two percent. Both Edmonton and Calgary have historic
Chinatowns, and Calgary has Canada's third largest Chinese community. The Chinese presence began with workers employed in the building of the Canadian Pacific Railway in the 1880s.
Aboriginal Albertans make up approximately three percent of the population.
In the 2006
Canadian census, the most commonly reported ethnic origins among Albertans were: 885,825
English (27.2%); 679,705
German (20.9%); 667,405
Canadian (20.5%); 661,265
Scottish (20.3%); 539,160
Irish (16.6%); 388,210
French (11.9%); 332,180
Ukrainian (10.2%); 172,910
Dutch (5.3%); 170,935
Polish (5.2%); 169,355
North American Indian (5.2%); 144,585
Norwegian (4.4%); and 137,600
Chinese (4.2%). (Each person could choose more than one ethnicity.)
[20]Amongst those of British origins, the
Scots have had a particularly strong influence on place-names, with the names of many cities and towns including
Calgary,
Airdrie,
Canmore, and
Banff having
Scottish origins.
Religion
Alberta has a large number of different religions, of which Catholic is the most common.
As of the
Canada 2001 Census the largest religious group was
Roman Catholic, representing 25.7% of the population. Alberta had the second highest percentage of
non-religious residents in Canada (after
British Columbia) at 23.1% of the population. Of the remainder, 13.5% of the population identified themselves as belonging to the
United Church of Canada, while 5.9% were
Anglican.
Lutherans made up 4.8% of the population while
Baptists comprised 2.5%. The remainder had a wide variety of different religious affiliations, although no individual group constituted more than 2% of the population.
[21]
Baitunnur Mosque in Alberta, Largest in Canada
Muslims,
Sikhs, and
Hindus live in Alberta. Muslims constituted 1.7% of the population, Sikhs 0.8% and Hindus 0.5%. Many of these are recent immigrants, but others have roots that go back to the first settlers of the prairies.
[21] Canada's oldest mosque the
Al-Rashid Mosque is located in Edmonton.
[22]
Jews constituted 0.4% of Alberta's population. Most of Alberta's 13,000
Jews live in Calgary (7,500) and Edmonton (5,000).
[23]Visible Minorities and Aboriginal Peoples
Visible Minority and Aboriginal Population as of the 2006 Census.
Aboriginal Identity Peoples make up 5.8% of the population with half that consisting
North American Indians and the other half consisting of
Metis. There are also small number of
Inuit people in Alberta.
[26] The number of Aboriginal Identity Peoples have been increasing at a rate greater than the population of Alberta.
[26]Economy
Alberta's economy is one of the strongest in Canada, supported by the burgeoning
petroleum industry and to a lesser extent,
agriculture and technology. The per capita GDP in 2007 was by far the highest of any province in Canada at
C$74,825. This was 61% higher than the national average of
C$46,441 and more than twice that of some of the Atlantic provinces. In 2006 the deviation from the national average was the largest for any province in
Canadian history.
[27] According to the 2006 census,
[28] the median annual family income after taxes was $70,986 in Alberta (compared to $60,270 in Canada as a whole).
The Calgary-Edmonton Corridor is the most urbanized region in the province and one of the densest in Canada. The region covers a distance of roughly 400 kilometres north to south. In 2001, the population of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor was 2.15 million (72% of Alberta's population).
[29] It is also one of the fastest growing regions in the country. A 2003 study by
TD Bank Financial Group found the corridor to be the only Canadian urban centre to amass a U.S. level of wealth while maintaining a Canadian style
quality of life, offering
universal health care benefits. The study found that GDP per capita in the corridor was 10% above average U.S. metropolitan areas and 40% above other
Canadian cities at that time.
According to the
Fraser Institute, Alberta also has very high levels of
economic freedom. It is by far the most free economy in Canada,
[30] and is rated as the 2nd most free economy of U.S. states and Canadian provinces.
[31]Industry
The
Athabasca Oil Sands (sometimes known as the Athabasca Tar Sands) have estimated
unconventional oil reserves approximately equal to the
conventional oil reserves of the rest of the world, estimated to be 1.6 trillion barrels (254 km³). With the development of new extraction methods such as
steam assisted gravity drainage, which was developed in Alberta, bitumen and synthetic crude oil can be produced at costs close to those of conventional crude. Many companies employ both conventional
strip mining and non-conventional
in situ methods to extract the
bitumen from the
oil sands. With current technology and at current prices, about 315 billion barrels (50 km³) of bitumen are recoverable.
Fort McMurray, one of Canada's fastest growing cities, has grown enormously in recent years because of the large corporations which have taken on the task of oil production. As of late 2006 there were over $100 billion in oil sands projects under construction or in the planning stages in northeastern Alberta.
[33]Another factor determining the viability of oil extraction from the Tar Sands is the price of oil. The
oil price increases since 2003 have made it more than profitable to extract this oil, which in the past would give little profit or even a loss.
With concerted effort and support from the provincial government, several high-tech industries have found their birth in Alberta, notably patents related to interactive
liquid crystal display systems.
[34] With a growing economy, Alberta has several financial institutions dealing with civil and private funds.
Agriculture and forestry
Agriculture has a significant position in the province's economy. The province has over three million head of
cattle,
[35] and Alberta beef has a healthy worldwide market. Nearly one half of all Canadian beef is produced in Alberta. Alberta is one of the prime producers of plains
buffalo (bison) for the consumer market.
Sheep for
wool and
mutton are also raised.
Wheat and
canola are primary farm crops, with Alberta leading the provinces in spring wheat production; other
grains are also prominent. Much of the farming is dryland farming, often with fallow seasons interspersed with cultivation. Continuous cropping (in which there is no fallow season) is gradually becoming a more common mode of production because of increased profits and a reduction of soil erosion. Across the province, the once common
grain elevator is slowly being lost as rail lines are decreasing; farmers typically truck the grain to central points.
Alberta is the leading
beekeeping province of Canada, with some beekeepers wintering
hives indoors in specially designed barns in southern Alberta, then migrating north during the summer into the
Peace River valley where the season is short but the working days are long for
honeybees to produce honey from
clover and
fireweed.
Hybrid canola also requires
bee pollination, and some beekeepers service this need.
Tourism
Alberta has been a tourist destination from the early days of the twentieth century, with attractions including outdoor locales for skiing, hiking and camping, shopping locales such as
West Edmonton Mall,
Calgary Stampede, outdoor festivals, professional athletic events, international sporting competitions such as the
Commonwealth Games and
Olympic Games, as well as more eclectic attractions. There are also natural attractions like
Elk Island National Park,
Wood Buffalo National Park, and the
Columbia Icefield.
According to Alberta Economic Development, Calgary and Edmonton both host over four million visitors annually. Banff, Jasper and the Rocky Mountains are visited by about three million people per year.
[36] Alberta tourism relies heavily on
Southern Ontario tourists, as well as tourists from other parts of
Canada, the
United States, and many international countries.
About 1.2 million people visit the of
Calgary Stampede,
[37] a celebration of Canada's own
Wild West and the cattle ranching industry. About 800,000 people enjoy Edmonton's
Capital Ex (formerly Klondike Days).
[38] Edmonton was the gateway to the only all-Canadian route to the
Yukon gold fields, and the only route which did not require gold-seekers to travel the exhausting and dangerous
Chilkoot Pass.
Another tourist destination that draws more than 650,000 visitors each year is the Drumheller Valley, located northeast of Calgary. Drumheller, "Dinosaur Capital of The World", offers the Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology. Drumheller also had a rich mining history being one of Western Canada's largest coal producers during the war years. The Canadian Badlands has much to offer in the way of attractions, cultural events, celebrations, accommodations and service.
Located in east-central Alberta is
Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions, a popular tourist attraction operated out of
Stettler. It boasts one of the few operable steam trains in the world, offering trips through the rolling prairie scenery. Alberta Prairie Railway Excursions caters to tens of thousands of visitors every year.
Taxation
The province's revenue comes mainly from royalties on non-renewable natural resources (30.4%), personal income taxes (22.3%), corporate and other taxes (19.6%), and grants from the
federal government primarily for
infrastructure projects (9.8%).
[39] Albertans are the lowest-taxed people in Canada, and Alberta is the only province in Canada without a provincial
sales tax (though residents are still subject to the federal sales tax, the
Goods and Services Tax of 5%.) It is also the only Canadian province to have a single rate of taxation for personal income taxes which is 10% of taxable income.
[40] The Alberta tax system maintains a progressive flavour by allowing residents to earn $16,161 before becoming subject to provincial taxation in addition to a variety of tax deductions for persons with disabilities, students, and the aged.
[41] Alberta's municipalities and school jurisdictions have their own governments which (usually) work in co-operation with the provincial government.
Transportation
Alberta has over 180,000 km (111,847 mi) of
highways and roads, of which nearly 50,000 km (31,069 mi) are paved. The main north-south
corridor is
Highway 2, which begins south of
Cardston at the
Carway border crossing and is part of the
CANAMEX Corridor.
Highway 4, which effectively extends
Interstate 15 into Alberta and is the busiest U.S. gateway to the province, begins at the
Coutts border crossing and ends at Lethbridge.
Highway 3 joins Lethbridge to
Fort Macleod and links Highway 4 to Highway 2. Highway 2 travels northward through Fort Macleod, Calgary, Red Deer, and Edmonton. North of Edmonton the highway continues to
Athabasca, then northwesterly along the south shore of
Lesser Slave Lake into
High Prairie, north to
Peace River, west to
Fairview and finally south to
Grande Prairie. The section of Highway 2 between Calgary and Edmonton has been named the
Queen Elizabeth II Highway to commemorate the visit of the monarch in 2005. Highway 2 is supplemented by two more highways that run parallel to it:
Highway 22, west of highway 2, known as "the Cowboy Trail," and
Highway 21, east of highway 2.
Highway 43 travels northwest into Grande Prairie and the
Peace River Country;
Highway 63 travels northeast to
Fort McMurray, the location of the
Athabasca Oil Sands.
Alberta has two main east-west corridors. The southern corridor, part of the
Trans-Canada Highway system, enters the province near Medicine Hat, runs westward through Calgary, and leaves Alberta through
Banff National Park. The northern corridor, also part of the Trans-Canada network and known as the
Yellowhead Highway (
Highway 16), runs west from Lloydminster in eastern Alberta, through Edmonton and
Jasper National Park into
British Columbia. One of the most scenic drives is along the
Icefields Parkway, which runs for 228 km (142 mi) between Jasper and Lake Louise, with mountain ranges and glaciers on either side of its entire length.
Urban stretches of Alberta's major highways and
freeways are often called
trails. For example, Highway 2, the main north-south highway in the province, is called
Deerfoot Trail as it passes through Calgary but becomes
Calgary Trail as it enters Edmonton and then turns into Saint Albert Trail as it leaves Edmonton for the city of
St. Albert. Calgary, in particular, has a tradition of calling its largest urban
expressways trails and naming many of them after prominent
First Nations individuals and tribes, such as
Crowchild Trail, Deerfoot Trail, and
Stoney Trail.
Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, Medicine Hat, and Lethbridge have substantial
public transit systems. In addition to buses, Calgary and Edmonton operate
light rail transit (LRT) systems.
Edmonton LRT, which is underground in the downtown core and on the surface outside of it, was the first of the modern generation of light rail systems to be built in North America, while the Calgary
C-Train, although operating mostly on the surface, has almost 4 times more track than the Edmonton LRT and the highest ridership of any LRT system in North America.
Government
Alberta's Legislative Building in Edmonton.
Locally municipal governments and school boards are elected and operate separately. Their boundaries do not necessarily coincide. Municipalities where the same body act as both local government and school board are formally referred to as "counties" in Alberta.
As Canada's
head of state,
Queen Elizabeth II is the head of state for the Government of Alberta. Her duties in Alberta are carried out by Lieutenant Governor
Norman Kwong. Although the lieutenant governor is technically the most powerful person in Alberta, he is in reality a
figurehead whose actions are restricted by custom and
constitutional convention. The government is therefore headed by the
premier. The current premier is
Ed Stelmach who was elected as leader of the governing Progressive Conservatives on December 2, 2006. Stelmach was sworn in as the 13th
Premier of Alberta on December 15, 2006.
The Premier is a Member of the Legislative Assembly, and he draws all the members of his Cabinet from among the members of the Legislative Assembly.
The City of Edmonton is the seat of the provincial government—the capital of Alberta.
Alberta's elections tend to yield results which are much more conservative than those of other Canadian provinces. Alberta has traditionally had three political parties, the Progressive Conservatives ("Conservatives" or "Tories"), the
Liberals, and the social democratic
New Democrats. A fourth party, the strongly conservative
Social Credit Party, was a power in Alberta for many decades, but fell from the political map after the Progressive Conservatives came to power in 1971. Since that time, no other political party has governed Alberta. In fact, only four parties have governed Alberta: the Liberals, from 1905 to 1921; the
United Farmers of Alberta, from 1921 to 1935; the Social Credit Party, from 1935 to 1971, and the currently governing Progressive Conservative Party, from 1971 to the present.
Alberta has had occasional surges in
separatist sentiment. Even during the 1980s, when these feelings were at their strongest, there has never been enough interest in secession to initiate any major movements or referendums. There are several groups wishing to promote the independence of Alberta in some form currently active in the province.
Municipalities
Distribution of cities in Alberta
- Largest municipalities and metro areas by population
| Census Metropolitan Areas: |
2006 |
2001 |
1996 |
| Calgary CMA |
1,079,310 |
951,395 |
821,628 |
| Edmonton CMA |
1,034,945 |
937,845 |
862,597 |
| Cities (10 Largest): |
|
|
|
| Calgary |
988,193 |
878,866 |
768,082 |
| Edmonton |
730,372 |
666,104 |
616,306 |
| Red Deer |
82,772 |
67,707 |
60,080 |
| Lethbridge |
78,713 |
68,712 |
64,938 |
| St. Albert (included in Edmonton CMA) |
57,719 |
53,081 |
46,888 |
| Medicine Hat |
56,997 |
51,249 |
46,783 |
| Grande Prairie |
47,076 |
36,983 |
31,353 |
| Airdrie (included in Calgary CMA) |
28,927 |
20,382 |
15,946 |
| Spruce Grove (included in Edmonton CMA) |
19,496 |
15,983 |
14,271 |
| Leduc (included in Edmonton CMA) |
16,967 |
15,032 |
14,346 |
| Districts (3 Largest): |
|
|
|
| Strathcona County (included in Edmonton CMA) |
82,511 |
71,986 |
64,176 |
| Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo |
51,496 |
42,581 |
35,213 |
| Rocky View County (included in Calgary CMA) |
34,171 |
29,925 |
23,326 |
Health care
Alberta's health care budget is currently $13.2 billion during the 2008-2009 fiscal year (approximately 36% of all government spending), making it the best funded health care system per-capita in Canada. Every hour more than $1.5 million is spent on health care in the province.
[45]A highly educated population and burgeoning economy have made Alberta a national leader in health education, research, and resources. Many notable facilities include the
Foothills Medical Centre, the
Peter Lougheed Centre,
Rockyview General Hospital,
Alberta Children's Hospital, Grace Women's Health Centre, The University of Calgary Medical Centre (UCMC),
Tom Baker Cancer Centre and
Libin Cardiovascular Institute of Alberta, in
Calgary; In Edmonton, the
University of Alberta Hospital, the
Royal Alexandra Hospital, the
Mazankowski Alberta Heart Institute, the Lois Hole Hospital for Women, the
Stollery Children's Hospital, the Alberta Diabetes Institute, the
Cross Cancer Institute, and the Rexall Centre for Pharmacy and Health Research in
Edmonton. Currently under construction in
Edmonton is the new $909 million
Edmonton Clinic, which will provide a similar research, education, and care environment as the
Mayo Clinic in the
United States.
[46]Education
As with any Canadian province, the Alberta Legislature has (almost) exclusive authority to make laws respecting education. Since 1905 the Legislature has used this capacity to continue the model of locally elected public and separate school boards which originated prior to 1905, as well as to create and/or regulate universities, colleges, technical institutions and other educational forms and institutions (public charter schools, private schools, home schooling).
Elementary schools
There are forty-two public school jurisdictions in Alberta, and seventeen operating separate school jurisdictions. Sixteen of the operating separate school jurisdictions have a
Catholic electorate, and one (
St. Albert) has a
Protestant electorate. In addition, one Protestant separate school district, Glen Avon, survives as a ward of the St. Paul Education Region. The City of Lloydminster straddles the Alberta/Saskatchewan border, and both the public and separate school systems in that city are counted in the above numbers: both of them operate according to Saskatchewan law.
For many years the
provincial government has funded the greater part of the cost of providing K–12 education. Prior to 1994 public and separate school boards in Alberta had the legislative authority to levy a local tax on property, as supplementary support for local education. In 1994 the government of the province eliminated this right for public school boards, but not for separate school boards. Since 1994 there has continued to be a tax on property in support of K–12 education; the difference is that the mill rate is now set by the provincial government, the money is collected by the local municipal authority and remitted to the provincial government. The relevant legislation requires that all the money raised by this property tax must go to the support of K–12 education provided by school boards. The provincial government pools the property tax funds from across the province and distributes them, according to a formula, to public and separate school jurisdictions and Francophone authorities.
Public and separate school boards,
charter schools, and
private schools all follow the Program of Studies and the curriculum approved by the provincial department of education (Alberta Education). Home schoolers may choose to follow the Program of Studies or develop their own Program of Studies. Public and separate schools, charter schools, and approved private schools all employ teachers who are certificated by Alberta Education, they administer Provincial Achievement Tests and Diploma Examinations set by Alberta Education, and they may grant high school graduation certificates endorsed by Alberta Education.
Universities
Alberta's oldest and largest university is Edmonton's
University of Alberta established in 1908. The
University of Calgary, once affiliated with the University of Alberta, gained its autonomy in 1966 and is now the second largest university in Alberta. There is also
Athabasca University, which focuses on distance learning, and the
University of Lethbridge, both of which are located in their title cities. In early September, 2009,
Mount Royal University became Calgary's second public university, and in late September, 2009, a similar move made
Grant MacEwan University Edmonton's second public university. There are 15 colleges that receive direct public funding, along with two technical institutes,
Northern Alberta Institute of Technology and
Southern Alberta Institute of Technology.
[48] There is also a large and active private sector of post-secondary institutions, mostly
Christian Universities, bringing the total number of universities to twelve, plus a
DeVry University location in Calgary. Students may also receive government loans and grants while attending selected private institutions. There has been some controversy in recent years over the rising cost of post-secondary education for students (as opposed to taxpayers). In 2005, Premier
Ralph Klein made a promise that he would freeze tuition and look into ways of reducing schooling costs.
[49] So far, no plan has been released by the government of Alberta.
Culture
Summer brings many festivals to the province of Alberta, especially in Edmonton. The
Edmonton Fringe Festival is the world's second largest after
Edinburgh's. The Folk music festivals in both Calgary and Edmonton are two of Canada's largest and both cities host a number of annual multicultural events. With a large number of summer and winter events, Edmonton prides itself as being the "Festival City". The city's
"heritage days" festival sees the participation of over 70 ethnic groups. Edmonton's
Churchill Square is home to a large number of the festivals, including the large Taste of Edmonton &
The Works Art & Design Festival throughout the summer months.
Calgary is also home to Carifest, the second largest Caribbean festival in the nation (after
Caribana in
Toronto). Edmonton has Cariwest, a smaller Caribbean Parade in the downtown streets. Both Edmonton and Calgary are also known for decent Film festivals. The city of Calgary is also famous for its
Calgary Stampede, dubbed "The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth." The Stampede is Canada's biggest rodeo festival and features various races and competitions, such as
calf roping and
bull riding. In line with the western tradition of rodeo are the cultural artisans that reside and create unique Alberta western heritage crafts. The
Banff Centre also hosts a range of festivals and other events including the internationally known
Mountain Film Festival. These cultural events in Alberta highlight the province's cultural diversity and love of entertainment. Most of the major cities have several performing theatre companies who entertain in venues as diverse as Edmonton's Arts Barns and the
Francis Winspear Centre for Music. Both Calgary and Edmonton are home to
Canadian Football League and
National Hockey League teams.
Soccer,
rugby union and
lacrosse are also played professionally in Alberta.
See also
Notes
- ^ Statistics Canada. "Canada's population estimates 2009-26-03". http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/090326/t090326a2-eng.htm. Retrieved 2009-07-04.
- ^ "Gross domestic product, expenditure-based, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. 2001. http://www40.statcan.gc.ca/l01/cst01/econ15-eng.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ Ministry of Finance and Enterprise (2009). "Quarterly Demographic Statistics (Alberta Population Reports)". Demographics. Government of Alberta. http://www.finance.alberta.ca/aboutalberta/demographic_quarterlies.html. Retrieved 2009-11-19.
- ^ "Alberta becomes a Province". Alberta Online Encyclopedia. http://www.abheritage.ca/abpolitics/events/becoming_province.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Statistics Canada—CMA population estimates". Statistics Canada. http://www40.statcan.ca/cgi-bin/getcans/sorth.cgi?lan=eng&dtype=fina&filename=demo05a.htm&sortact=2&sortf=6. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ Statistics Canada (February 2005). "Land and freshwater area, by province and territory". http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/phys01.htm. Retrieved 2007-03-07.
- ^ a b c "Climate and Geography". About Alberta. Government of Alberta. 2008. http://www.alberta.ca/home/90.cfm. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ "Athabasca River". The Canadian Heritage Rivers System. 2008. http://www.chrs.ca/Rivers/Athabasca/Athabasca-F_e.htm. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ "Alberta". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Historica Foundation of Canada. 2008. http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1SEC902060#SEC902074. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ a b "Climate of Alberta". Agroclimatic Atlas of Alberta. Government of Alberta. 2003. http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag6299. Retrieved 2008-10-01.
- ^ a b c d e "National Climate Data and Information Archive". Environment Canada. http://www.climate.weatheroffice.ec.gc.ca/Welcome_e.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ Dictionary of Canadian Biography. "Alexander Mackenzie Biography". http://www.biographi.ca/009004-119.01-e.php?&id_nbr=2521. Retrieved 2006-01-05.
- ^ "Components of population growth, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo33c.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs (2006-05-16). "Types of Municipalities in Alberta". Archived from the original on 2006-12-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20061214100557/http://www.municipalaffairs.gov.ab.ca/ms_TypesMunicipalitiesAlberta.htm. Retrieved December 18, 2006.
- ^ "Population urban and rural, by province and territory". Statistics Canada. http://www40.statcan.ca/l01/cst01/demo62j.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/popdwell/Table.cfm?T=101. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Language Highlight Tables". 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2008. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/Language/Index.cfm. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
- ^ "Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses - 20% Sample Data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838045. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Ethnocultural Portrait of Canada Highlight Tables". 2006 Census. Statistics Canada. 2008. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/index.cfm?Lang=E. Retrieved 2008-08-19.
- ^ "Ethnic origins, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=48&Data=Count&Table=2&StartRec=1&Sort=3&Display=All&CSDFilter=5000. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ a b "Selected Religions, for Canada, Provinces and Territories - 20% Sample Data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/highlight/Religion/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&View=1a&Code=48&Table=1&StartRec=1&Sort=2&B1=48&B2=All. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ "Al-Rashid Mosque". Canadian Islamic Congress. http://muslim-canada.org/alrashidmosque.html. Retrieved 2009-08-07.
- ^ AM Yisrael—The Jewish Communities of Canada
- ^ "Visible minority groups, percentage distribution (2006), for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Table=1&Data=Dist&StartRec=1&Sort=5&Display=Page&CSDFilter=500. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Visible minority groups, percentage distribution (2006), for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities) with 5,000-plus population - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/ethnic/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=CSD&Code=01&Table=1&Data=Dist&StartRec=1&Sort=5&Display=Page&CSDFilter=5000. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ a b "Aboriginal identity population by age groups, median age and sex, 2006 counts, for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/Aboriginal/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Table=1&Data=Count&Sex=1&Age=1&StartRec=1&Sort=5&Display=Page. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Statistics Canada (September 2006). "The Alberta economic Juggernaut:The boom on the rose" (PDF). http://www.statcan.ca/english/ads/11-010-XPB/pdf/sep06.pdf. Retrieved 2007-02-02.
- ^ "Median earnings for economic families with earnings, both senior and non-senior families, for Canada, provinces and territories - 20% sample data". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/highlights/income/pages/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo=PR&Code=01&Table=5&Data1=1&Data2=1&StartRec=1&Sort=2&Display=Page. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Calgary-Edmonton corridor". Statistics Canada, 2001 Census of Population. 2003-01-20. http://geodepot.statcan.ca/Diss/Highlights/Page9/Page9d_e.cfm. Retrieved 2007-03-22.
- ^ The Fraser Institute (November 2006). "Alberta Rated as Best Investment Climate". http://oldfraser.lexi.net/media/media_releases/2001/20010626.html. Retrieved 2007-03-02.
- ^ The Fraser Institute (2008). "Economic Freedom of North America 2008 Annual Report". http://www.freetheworld.com/efna.html. Retrieved 2008-08-01. ISBN 0-88975-213-3
- ^ "Alaska and Alberta - An Overview". Government of Alaska. Archived from the original on 2006-12-15. http://web.archive.org/web/20061215031033/http://www.gov.state.ak.us/trade/2003/tad/canada/canadaalberta.htm. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Canada Oilsands Opportunities". U.S. Commercial Service. http://www.buyusa.gov/montana/canadaoilsands.html. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ Interactive display system—US Patent U.S. Patent No. 5,448,263; U.S. Patent for Touch Sensitive Technology—SMART Technologies
- ^ Alberta Livestock Inspections—August 2006—Alberta Government, Department of Agriculture
- ^ "Living in Canada : Alberta". AKCanada. http://www.akcanada.com/lic_alberta.cfm. Retrieved 2009-11-08.
- ^ "History of the Stampede". Calgary Stampede. http://www.stampede.coolattractions.com/history.html. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Fair History". Northlands. http://www.capitalex.ca/guest-info/history. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Budget 2009, Building On Our Strength". Government of Alberta. Archived from the original on 2008-05-03. http://web.archive.org/web/20080503001735/http://alberta.ca/budget2008/#. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "What are the income tax rates in Canada for 2009?". Canada Revenue Agency. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/tx/ndvdls/fq/txrts-eng.html. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Alberta Tax and Credits". Government of Alberta. http://www.cra-arc.gc.ca/E/pbg/tf/5009-c/5009-c-08e.pdf. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Calgary Airport Authority". Calgary Airport Authority. http://www.yyc.com/. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "EIA". Edmonton International Airport. http://www.flyeia.com/. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "2008 Alberta Election Results". CTV. http://www.ctv.ca/mini/albertaElection2008/. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Health Care Funding Allocations 2009–2010". Government of Alberta. http://www.health.alberta.ca/about/health-funding-allocations.html. Retrieved 2009-08-06.
- ^ "Edmonton Clinic". Alberta Health Services; University of Alberta. http://www.edmontonclinic.ca/. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "STARS; About Us". STARS. http://www.stars.ca/bins/content_page.asp?cid=2. Retrieved 2009-08-31.
- ^ "Service Centres". Government of Alberta. http://aet.alberta.ca/technology/actionplan/servicecentres.aspx. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
- ^ "Advocacy". University of Alberta Students Unions. http://www.su.ualberta.ca/su/student_government/advocacy/. Retrieved 2009-08-09.
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