Lacombe, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Lacombe is a city in 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 is located north 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...
, the nearest major city, and south 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...
, the nearest metropolitan area. The city is set in the rolling parkland of 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...
, between the Rocky Mountains
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...
foothills to the west, and the flatter Alberta prairie to the east.
Lacombe became Alberta's 17th city on September 5, 2010.
History
Lacombe is named after Albert LacombeAlbert Lacombe
Albert Lacombe , commonly known in Alberta simply as Father Lacombe, was a French-Canadian Roman Catholic missionary who lived among and evangelized the Cree and Blackfoot First Nations of western Canada...
(28 February 1827 — 12 December 1916), a French-Canadian Roman Catholic Oblate
Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate
The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate is a missionary religious congregation in the Catholic Church. It was founded on January 25, 1816 by Saint Eugene de Mazenod, a French priest born in Aix-en-Provence in the south of France on August 1, 1782. The congregation was given recognition by Pope...
missionary who lived among and evangelized the Cree
Cree
The Cree are one of the largest groups of First Nations / Native Americans in North America, with 200,000 members living in Canada. In Canada, the major proportion of Cree live north and west of Lake Superior, in Ontario, Manitoba, Saskatchewan, Alberta and the Northwest Territories, although...
and Blackfoot
Blackfoot
The Blackfoot Confederacy or Niitsítapi is the collective name of three First Nations in Alberta and one Native American tribe in Montana....
First Nations of western Canada. He is now remembered for having brokered a peace between the Cree and Blackfoot, negotiating construction of the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
through Blackfoot territory, and securing a promise from the Blackfoot leader Crowfoot to refrain from joining the North-West Rebellion of 1885. The Lacombe Police Service
Lacombe Police Service
Lacombe Police Service is the municipal police force for the City of Lacombe, Alberta. Gary W. Leslie is the current Chief of Police. The Lacombe Police Service, established in 1900, is one of the oldest departments in Alberta...
have policed the community since 1900.
In 1880 the first land surveys of the Lacombe area took place and three years later, in 1883, the first permanent settler arrived, Ed Barnett. Barnett was a retired member of the North-West Mounted Police (NWMP) who had served a mere three years. He left Fort MacLeod in August 1881 at 23 years of age. According to one account, in 1878, Barnett escorted Chief Sitting Bull and his people to the American border. Along the Calgary-Edmonton Trail, he established a "stopping house" for travelers on a land grant given to him for serving his service in the NWMP. His family and friends from Ontario moved out and the community began to grow. The Stopping House then became known as Barnett's siding.
The Canadian Pacific Railway arrived in 1891. This provided better access to the area and new opportunities for settlement. By 1893 the downtown blocks and lots were surveyed. Village status was granted in 1896 and town status in 1902.
In 1907, the federal government set up an experimental farm to research grain and livestock production. In 1939, the President of the C.P.R. William Van Horne renamed Barnett's Landing, Lacombe in honour of Father Lacombe
Albert Lacombe
Albert Lacombe , commonly known in Alberta simply as Father Lacombe, was a French-Canadian Roman Catholic missionary who lived among and evangelized the Cree and Blackfoot First Nations of western Canada...
.
Demographics
| Census History |
|
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1901 | 499 |
| 1911 | 1,029 |
| 1921 | 1,133 |
| 1931 | 1,259 |
| 1941 | 1,603 |
| 1951 | 2,277 |
| 1961 | 3,029 |
| 1971 | 3,436 |
| 1981 | 5,591 |
| 1991 | 6,934 |
| 2001 | 9,384 |
| 2006 | 10,742 |
| 2009 | 11,733 |
The population of Lacombe according to its 2009 municipal census is 11,733.
In 2006, Lacombe had a population of 10,742 living in 4,037 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 14.5% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of 18.24 km² (7 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 588.8 /km2.
Economy
Nestled in one of Central Alberta's most fertile valleys between Calgary and Edmonton, the local economy includes a strong agricultural base supplemented by oil and gas industry.The city is also home to the Lacombe Research Centre where the first livestock breed developed in Canada, the Lacombe hog
Lacombe (pig)
The Lacombe is a breed of domestic pig native to Canada. Named for the Lacombe Research Centre in Lacombe, Alberta, the breed was the first strain of livestock developed in the country....
, was produced.
The Lacombe Research Centre
For more than a century, the federal government has funded agricultural research through a network of research centres strategically placed in almost every province. This research program has played a major role in developing the more than $120-billion Canadian agrifood industry.The Lacombe Research Centre (LRC) is one of a network of 19 national agricultural research centres operated by Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada. The Centre conducts research in field crops and livestock production relevant to the central Alberta region. The Centre’s main research focuses on the factors that influence red meat: yield, quality, safety and preservation. The Centre also develops integrated, sustainable crop and animal production systems and crop varieties for the short-season environments of the parkland and northwestern Canada.
The LRC developed a variety of hog called Lacombe
Lacombe (pig)
The Lacombe is a breed of domestic pig native to Canada. Named for the Lacombe Research Centre in Lacombe, Alberta, the breed was the first strain of livestock developed in the country....
. Work began in 1947. It took 12 years to develop the 'Lacombe' variety which is noted for its characteristics suitable to the harsh prairie environment. 'Lacombe' is 55% Danish Landrace
Danish Landrace
The Danish Landrace is a medium to large breed of pig, white in colour with long bodies, fine hair, long snouts, and heavy drooping ears. They are bred for pork production....
, 22% Chester White
Chester White
The Chester White is a breed of domestic pig which originated in Chester County, Pennsylvania.The Chester White was first developed around 1815-1818, using strains of large, white pigs common to the Northeast U.S. and a white boar imported from Bedfordshire...
, and 23% Berkshire
Berkshire (pig)
Berkshire pigs are a rare breed of pig originating from Berkshire in England.Herds of the breed are still maintained in England by the Rare Breeds Survival Trust at Aldenham Country Park, Hertfordshire, and by the South of England Rare Breeds Centre in Kent. The Berkshire is listed as 'vulnerable',...
. The 'Lacombe' hog was the first livestock breed to be developed in Canada.
Beaverlodge and Fort Vermilion Part of the Lacombe Research Centre
The Beaverlodge Research Farm and its sub-station Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion, Alberta
Fort Vermilion is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Mackenzie County.Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan. Fort Vermilion contains many modern amenities to serve its inhabitants as well as the surrounding rural...
are part of the Lacombe Research Centre and form the most northern agricultural research establishment in Canada. The Beaverlodge Research Farm specializes in research and development of technology for improved production systems for crops, honey bees and other pollinating insects adapted to environmental conditions in northwestern Canada. Research at the Fort Vermilion site focuses primarily on the adaptation of technologies for this northern agricultural area.
Education
The city's Seventh-day Adventist college, Canadian University CollegeCanadian University College
Canadian University College is an independent publicly funded university located in Lacombe. It is sponsored by the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada and is affiliated with the Association of Theological Schools...
, was first located near Lacombe in 1909 and continues to operate today.
The city's private schools include Lacombe Christian School (K-9), Central Alberta Christian High School (10-12), College Heights Christian School (K-9) and Parkview Adventist Academy (10-12).
Architecture
Several times, the main street of this community has been used in films, since it was remodelled to resemble a town in the early 1900s. Lacombe's Main Street is lined with restored EdwardianEdwardian Baroque architecture
The term Edwardian Baroque refers to the Neo-Baroque architectural style of many public buildings built in the British Empire during the Edwardian era ....
buildings in the downtown. Most prominent of these is the iconic Flatiron Building
Flatiron Building (Lacombe, Alberta)
- Flatiron Building - Museum and Interpretive Centre :The Flatiron building in Lacombe, Alberta is the oldest flatiron building in the province. It was designed by architects Morley Hogle, and Huntley Ward Davis in 1903 and opened for business in 1904. The building served as the Merchants Bank of...
which today houses the Flatiron Museum and Interpretive Centre. The downtown area also has the oldest operating blacksmith shop, which is now the Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum
Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum
The Lacombe Blacksmith Shop Museum is a museum dedicated to blacksmithing in Lacombe, Alberta, Canada.It was built in 1902 or 1904, and is the oldest operating Blacksmith shop in Alberta...
and the Michener House Museum and Archives
Michener House Museum and Archives
The Michener House Museum and Archives, located in Lacombe, Alberta, is an important part of the region’s heritage. The house, in which the museum and archives are located, is the birthplace of the Rt. Hon. Roland Michener, Governor General of Canada. The Michener House is also the oldest remaining...
, which is the oldest remaining building in Lacombe as well as the birthplace of the Rt. Hon. Roland Michener, Canada's Governor General from 1967-1974.
Climate
Lacombe experiences a humid continental climateHumid continental climate
A humid continental climate is a climatic region typified by large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot summers and cold winters....
(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...
Dfb).
Notable residents
- One of Lacombe's most famous residents was Roland MichenerRoland MichenerDaniel Roland Michener , commonly known as Roland Michener, was a Canadian lawyer, politician, and diplomat who served as Governor General of Canada, the 20th since Canadian Confederation....
, Governor General of CanadaGovernor General of CanadaThe Governor General of Canada is the federal viceregal representative of the Canadian monarch, Queen Elizabeth II...
from 1967 to 1974. A local museum and park, Michener House and Michener Park, commemorate his legacy as one of Canada's most famous and influential Governors General.
- Anna Maria Kaufmann, an international opera singer now living in Germany was raised in Lacombe.
- Irene ParlbyIrene ParlbyIrene Parlby was a Canadian women's farm leader, activist and politician.Born in London, England, Parlby came to Canada in 1896. In 1913, Parlby helped to found the first women's local of the United Farmers of Alberta. In 1921, she was elected to the Alberta Legislature for the riding of Lacombe,...
helped to found the first women's local of the United Farmers of AlbertaUnited Farmers of AlbertaThe United Farmers of Alberta is an association of Alberta farmers that has served many different roles throughout its history as a lobby group, a political party, and as a farm-supply retail chain. Since 1934 it has primarily been an agricultural supply cooperative headquartered in Calgary...
in 1913. In 1921, she was elected to the AlbertaAlbertaAlberta 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...
Legislature for the riding of LacombeLacombe (provincial electoral district)-1905 general election:-1957 liquor plebiscite:On October 30, 1957 a stand alone plebiscite was held province wide in all 50 of the then current provincial electoral districts in Alberta. The government decided to consult Alberta voters to decide on liquor sales and mixed drinking after a divisive...
, holding the riding for 14 years. Appointed as minister without portfolio, she was the first woman Cabinet minister in Alberta. Parlby was one of the Famous FiveThe Famous Five (Canada)The Famous Five or The Valiant Five were five Canadian women who asked the Supreme Court of Canada to answer the question, "Does the word 'Persons' in Section 24 of the British North America Act, 1867, include female persons?" in the case Edwards v...
who by means of a court battle known as the Persons Case established that women were "qualified Persons" in the meaning of the Constitution of CanadaConstitution of CanadaThe Constitution of Canada is the supreme law in Canada; the country's constitution is an amalgamation of codified acts and uncodified traditions and conventions. It outlines Canada's system of government, as well as the civil rights of all Canadian citizens and those in Canada...
and therefore entitled to sit in the Senate of Canada. A lifelong advocate for rural Canadian women and children, Parlby was president of the United Farm Women of Alberta from 1916 to 1919. On behalf of the UFWA, she pushed to improve public health careHealth careHealth care is the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of disease, illness, injury, and other physical and mental impairments in humans. Health care is delivered by practitioners in medicine, chiropractic, dentistry, nursing, pharmacy, allied health, and other care providers...
services and establish municipal hospitals as well as mobile medical and dental clinics. In 1930, she represented Canada at the League of Nations. She is the first woman to receive an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of Alberta.
Further reading
- Barnett, Doug. Ed Barnett: from mountie to rancher. Alberta History. Jun 22, 2007. Accessed 03-20-2011.