Nanton, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Nanton is a town in southern Alberta
Southern Alberta
Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of the year 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat...
, 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...
. Nanton was named after Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton
Augustus Meredith Nanton
Sir Augustus Meredith Nanton was one of the principal investors and developers of Western Canada, particularly Winnipeg and Vancouver. He later served as President of The Dominion Bank in Toronto.-Early Life:...
, of Winnipeg (1860–1925) who directed firms that offered financing for farms and ranches throughout the west. It is located south of Calgary at the junction of Highway 2 and Highway 533.
Demographics
The population of the Town of Nanton according to its 2009 municipal census is 2,124.In 2006, Nanton had a population of 2,055 living in 853 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...
, an 11.6% increase from 2001. The town has a land area of 4.25 km² (1.6 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 483.3 /km2.
Attractions
Nanton is known primarily for three distinct features: the first being its aviation museumAviation museum
An aviation museum, air museum or aerospace museum is a museum exhibiting the history and artifacts of aviation. In addition to actual or replica aircraft, exhibits can include photographs, maps, models, dioramas, clothing and equipment used by aviators.Aviation museums vary in size from housing...
(Bomber Command Museum of Canada), second being its high number of antique shops, and third being its two fully restored grain elevators on north-bound Highway 2.
The Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre
Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre
The Canadian Grain Elevator Discovery Centre is a set of restored grain elevators located in Nanton, Alberta, Canada. The centre's goal is to preserve examples of old grain elevators to educate visitors about the town's, and Alberta's, agricultural history....
is a set of restored 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...
s located in the centre of Nanton. The "Save One" society's goal is to preserve examples of old grain elevators to educate visitors about the town's, and Alberta's, agricultural history.