Hillcrest, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Hillcrest, also known as Hillcrest Mines, is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains
within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
in southwest Alberta
, Canada
. It was once a hamlet under the jurisdiction of Improvement District (I.D.) No. 5 prior to 1979 when the former I.D. No. 5 amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass.
Although the mine was successful, and considered one of the safest in the region, an underground explosion in 1914 (Canada's worst mine disaster
) killed 189 men -- almost twenty percent of the town's population, and half the mine's workforce. A further explosion in 1926 killed two men.
After the mine closed in 1939, Hillcrest experienced a period of economic decline.
In 1979, the former I.D. No. 5, which included the former Hamlet of Hillcrest, amalgamated with Bellevue
, Blairmore
, Coleman
and Frank
to form the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
.
population of Hillcrest Mines is 564 in 302 dwellings, which represents 10% of the overall population of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (5,749).
However, a cross-reference of Hillcrest Mines’ designated place boundary with satellite photography on Google maps shows that approximately 100 dwellings are exempted from the designated place boundary.
Based on an average of 1.87 persons per dwelling, the population of Hillcrest Mines could be approximately 750 if the approximately 100 additional dwellings were included in its designated place boundary.
Rocky Mountains
The Rocky Mountains are a major mountain range in western North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch more than from the northernmost part of British Columbia, in western Canada, to New Mexico, in the southwestern United States...
within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass is a high mountain pass across the Continental Divide of the Canadian Rockies on the Alberta/British Columbia border.-Geography:...
in southwest 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...
, 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 was once a hamlet under the jurisdiction of Improvement District (I.D.) No. 5 prior to 1979 when the former I.D. No. 5 amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass.
History
Hillcrest was named after Charles Plummer Hill, an early coal prospector and entrepreneur in the area. The Hillcrest Coal and Coke Company, incorporated on January 31, 1905, began constructing the town the same year, and the Canadian Pacific Railway soon built a spur for transporting coal from the Hillcrest Mine, and a station. Hillcrest soon grew to a population of about 1,000.Although the mine was successful, and considered one of the safest in the region, an underground explosion in 1914 (Canada's worst mine disaster
Hillcrest mine disaster
The Hillcrest mine disaster, the worst coal mining disaster in Canadian history, occurred at Hillcrest, Alberta, in the Crowsnest Pass region of western Canada, on Friday June 19, 1914. At the time it was the world's third worst mine disaster....
) killed 189 men -- almost twenty percent of the town's population, and half the mine's workforce. A further explosion in 1926 killed two men.
After the mine closed in 1939, Hillcrest experienced a period of economic decline.
In 1979, the former I.D. No. 5, which included the former Hamlet of Hillcrest, amalgamated with Bellevue
Bellevue, Alberta
Bellevue is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a village prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass....
, Blairmore
Blairmore, Alberta
Blairmore is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a town prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass...
, Coleman
Coleman, Alberta
Coleman is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a town prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass....
and Frank
Frank, Alberta
Frank is an urban community in the Rocky Mountains within the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in southwest Alberta, Canada. It was formerly incorporated as a village prior to 1979 when it amalgamated with four other municipalities to form Crowsnest Pass....
to form the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
Crowsnest Pass, Alberta
The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass is a specialized municipality located in the Crowsnest Pass of the Rocky Mountains in southwest Alberta, Canada. The municipality formed as a result of the amalgamation of five municipalities – the Village of Bellevue, the Town of Blairmore, Town of Coleman, the...
.
Demographics
According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the designated placeDesignated place
A designated place or DPL is a type of community or populated area identified by Statistics Canada for statistical purposes. DPLs are delineated for each decennial census as the statistical counterparts of incorporated places such as cities, towns and villages.DPLs are communities that lack...
population of Hillcrest Mines is 564 in 302 dwellings, which represents 10% of the overall population of the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass (5,749).
However, a cross-reference of Hillcrest Mines’ designated place boundary with satellite photography on Google maps shows that approximately 100 dwellings are exempted from the designated place boundary.
Based on an average of 1.87 persons per dwelling, the population of Hillcrest Mines could be approximately 750 if the approximately 100 additional dwellings were included in its designated place boundary.