Genesee is an unincorporated community 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...

, within Leduc County

Leduc County, Alberta

Leduc County is a municipal district located immediately south of the City of Edmonton. It is east to west and north to south, and has a population of over 12,000 people. The municipal district is home to scenic prairie parkland and several lakes...

. It came into existence in 1905, the same year Alberta

Alberta

Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...

 became a province.

Geography

Genesee is located of Highway 770 south of the North Saskatchewan River

North Saskatchewan River

The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows east from the Canadian Rockies to central Saskatchewan. It is one of two major rivers that join to make up the Saskatchewan River....

, approximately 71 km (44.1 mi) southwest of the City of Edmonton

Edmonton

Edmonton is the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta and is the province's second-largest city. Edmonton is located on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Capital Region, which is surrounded by the central region of the province.The city and its census...

. Highway 622 and St. Francis

St. Francis, Alberta

St. Francis is an unincorporated community in central Alberta within Leduc County, located north of Highway 39, west of Leduc....

 is located 8 km (5 mi) to the south. The Capital Power Genesee Generating Station

Genesee Generating Station

Genesee Generating Station is a coal fired station owned by Capital Power Corporation, located near Genesee, Alberta, Canada; 60 minutes south of Edmonton, Alberta. Fuel is provided by the nearby coal mine, a joint venture of EPCOR and Fording. The Genesee cooling pond, is an artificial pond...

 is considered the centre of the community.

Climate

Genesee, like Edmonton, has a northern continental climate

Continental climate

Continental climate is a climate characterized by important annual variation in temperature due to the lack of significant bodies of water nearby...

 with extreme seasonal temperatures, although the city has milder winters than either Regina

Regina, Saskatchewan

Regina is the capital city of the Canadian province of Saskatchewan. The city is the second-largest in the province and a cultural and commercial centre for southern Saskatchewan. It is governed by Regina City Council. Regina is the cathedral city of the Roman Catholic and Romanian Orthodox...

 or Winnipeg, which are both located at a more southerly latitude. It has mild summers and chilly winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -11.7°C (10.9°F) in January to 17.5°C (63.5°F) in July. Annually, temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F) on an average of three days and fall below −20°C (−4°F) on an average of twenty-eight days. The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was 34.5°C (94.1°F) on August 5, 1998.

Economy

Genesee main employment vehicle is the Capital Power Generating Station. This coal-fired plant employs 300+ people over three generating units, as well as a significant labour force for the strip mining operations. The rest of the community is divided between agrarian activities and residents who commute to larger centres for employment.

Airports

Genesee is served by the Edmonton International Airport

Edmonton International Airport

Edmonton International Airport is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton region in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada providing regularly scheduled nonstop flights to over fifty communities in Canada, the United...

, but local grass fields abound. The closest are the Zajes airfield on Highway 770, 5 km (3.1 mi) north of Highway 39, and the St Francis Airfield (Byrne Farm)

St. Francis Airport

St. Francis Airport, , was located west of St. Francis, Alberta, Canada....

, 8 km (5 mi) west of St Francis on Highway 622.

Transportation

Genesee is served by one paved road – Highway 770. The remaining roads are gravel topped roads averaging 20 feet (6.1 m) in width. Leduc County maintains these roads with periodic grading and gravel resurfacing. Residents are offered oiling options for the immediate area in front of their houses for dust management.

Electricity and water distribution systems

Electricity is provided by local utility companies post deregulation. Prior to deregulation, TransAlta Utilities was the only provider. Electricity is extended via overhead power lines and you do have to rent your transformer.

Water and wastewater are traditional drilled well/cistern setups and septic fields/mounds. Water quality in the area was exceptional; however, recent strip mining in the area has led to some degradation of the shallow wells in the area.

Hospitals and emergency services

There are four main hospitals serving Genesee: the Breton

Breton, Alberta

Breton is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located southwest of Edmonton. Originally called Keystone, it was established in 1909 by a group of African-American immigrants as a block settlement. The town is named after former Alberta MLA Douglas Breton.It has one High School and one...

 hospital, the Drayton Valley hospital, the Westview hospital in Stony Plain

Stony Plain, Alberta

Stony Plain is a large town in rural Alberta, Canada, just west of Edmonton.Stony Plain is a rapidly growing town with strong historical roots. It is located west of Spruce Grove and surrounded by Parkland County. The town is governed by one mayor and six councillors. The region is dominated by...

, and the Leduc

Leduc, Alberta

- Demographics :The population of the City of Leduc according to its 2011 municipal census is 24,139, a 3.6% increase over its 2010 municipal census population of 23,293....

 hospital. Additional facilities and more advanced care is available in Edmonton's various hospital facilities.

Emergency services are provided by county options; however, the residents of Genesee are further covered by the emergency services within Capital Power’s Genesee Generating Station’s facility. These include fire and first responder emergency services.

K-12

There is only one public school for the Genesee area, located in the Village of Warburg

Warburg, Alberta

Warburg is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located 58 km west of the city of Leduc, along Highway 39.-Demographics:The population of the Village of Warburg according to its 2009 municipal census is 696....

. It offers playschool through grade 12 education in both matriculation and vocational streams.

Genesee has a unique school history, dating from a one-room schoolhouse that existed until 1960, to the former community hall (kindergarten and grade 1 only) that was closed when the generation station’s cooling pond flooded the south side of the community in 1985. All schooling operations were consolidated in Warburg.

Nightlife

Most residents need to drive to nearby towns of Stony Plain/Spruce Grove and Leduc for major clubs and movies, but local rural bars do abound in Warburg, Sunnybrook

Sunnybrook, Alberta

Sunnybrook is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within Leduc County. It is located on Highway 39, approximately west of Leduc.- Demographics :The population of Sunnybrook according to Leduc County's 2005 municipal census is 68.- References :...

, Breton, Mink Lake, Wabamun

Wabamun, Alberta

Wabamun is a village located west of Edmonton in central Alberta, Canada.- Demographics :The population of the Village of Wabamun according to its 2009 municipal census is 662....

 and Beach Corner

Beach Corner, Alberta

Beach Corner is an unincorporated community in central Alberta in Parkland County, located on Highway 16A, west of Edmonton.Beach Corner, Alberta is the site of a notable German Lutheran community. -External links:*...

. Other activities center around local neighbours arranging evening activities. Like most rural areas, informal "bush parties" are commonplace.

Museums and galleries

The local history is contained with in the Warburg Museum, a converted two-room schoolhouse on the grounds of the current Warburg School facilities.

Sports and recreation

Located between Stony Plain/Spruce Grove and Warburg, Genesee residents utilize the services of these communities. Warburg provides hockey and curling facilities as well as any organized sports for baseball and court sports out of the local high school. The Stony Plain/Spruce Grove area offers access to the same breadth of offerings, but adds the Tri-Leisure Centre for aquatic sports as well as many fitness facilities.

The local Genesee community hall has facilities for baseball, slo-pitch, horseshoes, and a playground. The outdoor arena has since been decommissioned and moved to the Warburg School.

Religion

Genesee had a United Church assembly throughout the 1970s and 1980s. Catholic services were held in St. Francis until that parish was closed and the congregation moved to Warburg.

External links

• OpenDocument Capital Power Corporation