Eckville, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Eckville is a town in central Alberta
Central Alberta
Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province...
, 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 west of Red Deer
Red Deer, Alberta
Red Deer is a city in Central Alberta, Canada. It is located near the midpoint of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor and is surrounded by Red Deer County. It is Alberta's third-most-populous city – after Calgary and Edmonton. The city is located in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills...
on Highway 766 just north of Highway 11.
History
Eckville gets its name from the founder Arthur E.T. Eckford, the landowner of the original Eckville. Eckville relocated to its current location in 1912, after the Canadian Northern RailwayCanadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
completed its local line. The current location on the Canadian Northern Railway
Canadian Northern Railway
The Canadian Northern Railway is a historic Canadian transcontinental railway. At its demise in 1923, when it was merged into the Canadian National Railway , the CNoR owned a main line between Quebec City and Vancouver via Ottawa, Winnipeg, and Edmonton.-Manitoba beginnings:CNoR had its start in...
was briefly known as Kootuk, but the name Eckville prevailed. Eckville was incorporated as a village in 1921 and became a town in 1966.
Demographics
The population of the Town of Eckville according to its 2007 municipal census is 1,002.In 2006, Eckville had a population of 951 living in 388 dwellings
House
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 6.7% decrease from 2001. The town has a land area of 1.58 km² (0.610041410576205 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 600.8 /km2.
Local fame
Mellisa Hollingsworth, a 2006 Olympics bronze medalist in skeletonSkeleton (sport)
Skeleton is a fast winter sliding sport in which an individual person rides a small sled down a frozen track while lying face down, during which athletes experience forces up to 5g. It originated in St. Moritz, Switzerland as a spin-off from the popular British sport of Cresta Sledding...
sled racing and competitor in the 2010 Olympics.
The town received nationwide notoriety in 1984 as the home of Holocaust denier and anti-Semite James Keegstra
James Keegstra
James "Jim" Keegstra is a former public school teacher in Eckville, Alberta, Canada, who was charged and convicted of hate speech in 1984. The conviction was overturned by the Court of Appeal but re-instated by the Supreme Court of Canada...
, a mayor and high school teacher.
Festivals
Eckville is home to several festivals and events throughout the year:- Eckville Indoor Rodeo
- Bull-arena
- Eckville 50's & 60's Dance Jamboree
- Canada DayCanada DayCanada Day , formerly Dominion Day , is the national day of Canada, a federal statutory holiday celebrating the anniversary of the July 1, 1867, enactment of the British North America Act , which united three British colonies into a single country, called Canada, within the British Empire...
celebrations - Eckville Winter Carnival
- Tree-lighting Ceremony
Education
Eckville has two public schools, Eckville Junior/Senior High School and Eckville Elementary. The town is relatively close to Sylvan LakeSylvan Lake
Sylvan Lake can refer to:Communities* Sylvan Lake, Alberta, Canada* Sylvan Lake, Michigan, United States* Sylvan Lake, New York, United StatesLakes* Sylvan Lake , Canada* Sylvan Lake , United States...
and many students from Eckville attend schools there. Eckville is also a short drive from Red Deer College
Red Deer College
Red Deer College is a public comprehensive community college of approximately 7,000 students located in Red Deer, Alberta, Canada. Established in 1964, RDC was built for a smaller semi-rural community but, in the four and a half decades since its founding, the city has grown into the third largest...
.
Climate
Eckville experiences a climate that is borderline between subarcticSubarctic 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) and humid continental
Humid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(Dfb).