Kelsey is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 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 Camrose County. It is located off Highway 850, approximately 125 kilometres (77.7 mi) southeast of Edmonton and 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) southeast of Camrose

Camrose, Alberta

Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...

, Kelsey's closest major trading centre.

Despite a small population, Kelsey is home to several local businesses, a community hall, and a post office. Both school and fire services are provided by the nearby villages of Rosalind

Rosalind, Alberta

Rosalind is a village located in the prairies of central Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 854, approximately southeast of Edmonton and southeast of Camrose, the closest major trading centre....

 and Bawlf

Bawlf, Alberta

Bawlf is a Canadian village in Alberta, located east-southeast of Camrose. Founded in 1905 as a stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway line, it was named after Nicholas Bawlf, who was then president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange....

.

Early history

In 1902, Mr. and Mrs. Moses Kelsey and their son Earl, arrived in the area from Milbank, South Dakota

Milbank, South Dakota

Milbank is a city in Grant County, South Dakota, along the South Fork of the Whetstone River. The population was 3,353 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Grant County. In 1925 The American Legion Department of South Dakota established a new program for high school aged youth that grew...

, and filed on the S.E. 4-45-18. The south-east corner of this quarter of land was later chosen as the site for the town of Kelsey.

In 1915, the Canadian National Railway

Canadian National Railway

The Canadian National Railway Company is a Canadian Class I railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec. CN's slogan is "North America's Railroad"....

 began laying steel in a south-easterly direction from Camrose. It passed through what a few weeks later became the town of Kelsey. This stretch of railroad is noted for being the longest stretch of straight railway in North America... "if not in the world," some people add.

In 1916, a station house was built in Kelsey and Charlie Cooper, with his wife Anne and family, took up residence in it. The first grain elevator

Grain elevator

A grain elevator is a tower containing a bucket elevator, which scoops up, elevates, and then uses gravity to deposit grain in a silo or other storage facility...

, and two stores were also constructed in the growing town.

By 1920 telephone service had been installed in the Kelsey district and the next few years saw the Kelsey Union Church, a dance hall, and a one room school.

The first power line

Electric power transmission

Electric-power transmission is the bulk transfer of electrical energy, from generating power plants to Electrical substations located near demand centers...

 to reach Kelsey was constructed in 1951.

Community

The Hamlet of Kelsey has felt many of the same pressures as other rural Canadian communities. Faced with a dwindling population, the town has seen the closure and removal of much of its history, including the various stores and shops, and finally, the rail link. In 1997 the last grain elevator, owned by the Alberta Wheat Pool

Alberta Wheat Pool

The Alberta Wheat Pool was the first of Canada's wheat farmer co-operatives.-Early years:In 1923, the United Farmers of Alberta met with then Attorney General John Edward Brownlee to consider setting up a Wheat Pool just in Alberta...

, was demolished.

However, not to be underestimated, the community continues to survive. In 1992, with the Kelsey Hall on the verge of being closed, a group of people who had acted in other local shows met at the hall, looked it over and proposed the idea of having a dinner theatre.

Staged with local talent, the Kelsey Dinner Theatre has become a much celebrated event, drawing attention and audience members from both nearby towns and larger centers such as Edmonton. This Must Be The Place

This Must Be the Place

This Must Be the Place is a 1985 album by British jazz fusion duo Morrissey-Mullen.- Track listing :#"A Tear for Crystal"#"Mean Time"#"This Must Be the Place"#"With You"#"Southend Pierre"#"Visions"#"All I Want to Do"- Personnel :...

was the first in the series, with 2002 marking the 10th annual "season" of the Dinner Theatre.

The Kelsey Community Society introduced "Summer Theatre - Under the Tent" in 2001. The four night performance of "The Foursome

The Foursome

The Foursome is a 2006 American comedy film. It is about 4 college friends who reconnect at their 20-year college reunion on the golf course. The film stars Entourage cast member Kevin Dillon, John Shaw, Chris Gauthier and Paul Jarrett. The film was directed by William Dear and written by Jackson...

" was considered a resounding success and the catalyst to a second outdoor summer event in 2002.

Demographics

The population of Kelsey according to Camrose County's 2008 municipal census is 14.

Geography

Nearby communities include:

• Rosalind
  Rosalind, Alberta
  Rosalind is a village located in the prairies of central Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 854, approximately southeast of Edmonton and southeast of Camrose, the closest major trading centre....
  
  
• Bawlf
  Bawlf, Alberta
  Bawlf is a Canadian village in Alberta, located east-southeast of Camrose. Founded in 1905 as a stop on the Canadian Pacific Railway line, it was named after Nicholas Bawlf, who was then president of the Winnipeg Grain Exchange....
  
  
• Heisler
  Heisler, Alberta
  Heisler is a village in central Alberta, Canada. It is located 23 km south of Daysland and 20 km north of Forestburg.- Demographics :The population of the Village of Heisler according to its 2010 municipal census is 150....
  
  
• Donalda
• Camrose
  Camrose, Alberta
  Camrose is a city in central Alberta, Canada, amid some of the richest farmland in the prairies. It is a relatively small city which originally grew up along a railroad and now grows along Highway 13. Camrose is a scenic community with many parks, leading to its moniker "The Rose City"...
  
  
• Daysland