Seebe, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Seebe is a former hamlet
in Alberta
, Canada
, within the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8
. It is a former Calgary Power Company Ltd. employee townsite that was closed on August 31, 2004.
Seebe is located on the south side of the Bow River
, adjacent to the Seebe Dam. It is 0.5 kilometre (0.310686368324903 mi) east of Highway 1X, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Trans-Canada Highway
(Highway 1) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Highway 1A.
In 2006/2007, a proposal emerged to redevelop the townsite as a new community, retaining the same name, with an approximately population of 5,600 people at full build-out.
The name Seebe comes from the Cree
word for river.
Seebe housed a prisoner-of-war camp
in the Second World War
. An ecological
and environmental
research station
of the University of Calgary
is located nearby, on Highway 40 at Barrier Lake
.
Travellers and tourists are regularly befuddled by the highway signs directing them to Seebe only to discover that it no longer exists. A tourism display at one of the turnoffs describes Seebe in detail, proudly boasting that it is home to the world's smallest single-sheet, artificial ice curling rink. In fact, there is nothing there.
Scenes from the movie Open Range, starring and directed by Kevin Costner
, were filmed on the Stony Indian Reserve directly across the Bow River from Seebe in 2003 when it was still an inhabited hamlet. At that time, Seebe still had a small general store, a café and a post office all in one small building. The AltaEnergy employee housing and one dormatory was further down the road but considered private property. It was closed down a couple of years later and many of the houses were sold and moved. The album cover artwork for guitarist Julian Winstanley's debut album, What the Funk Am I Doing Here?, featuring the top 40 single "It's Always the Worst Day for Somebody", was shot in Seebe.
Seebe is just downstream from the confluence of the Bow and Kananaskis River
s at Kananakis Falls. Horseshoe Falls is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) downstream. Seebe has great vistas of the imposing face of Yamnuska Mountain to the north, Pigeon Mountain
and the Kananaskis Valley to the south, Loder Peak and the Bow Valley to the west, and opening onto the prairie grasslands and the Bow Valley to the east.
The underlying substrate in the area is sedimentary interbedded shale, sandstone and limestone. At the surface, there are great areas of glacial till with very little topsoil, drumlins, and small pockets of fertile alluvial deposits. The interbedded bedrock is tilted, being part of the disturbed zone adjacent to the Rockies
, thus, the falls on the Bow River, and the potential for hydro electric power generation.
, and electricity becoming a standard form of power, the Calgary Power Company Ltd. was formed in the early 20th century. In 1911, a hydro-electric dam was built at Horseshoe Falls. In 1929, another hydro plant and dam was built at the Kananaskis Falls. This dam is now on Highway 1X, which connects the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) with Highway 1A (the former alignment of the Trans-Canada Highway).
As Calgary grew, the Calgary Power Company Ltd. grew, with hydro dams being developed up and down the Bow River. Seebe became the technical hub, remotely controlling water flow from the Spray, Ghost, Kananaskis, Lake Minewanka, Brazeau, North Saskatchewan, and other watersheds, so that power could be produced efficiently. The control centre also could bring on more power from the coal fired plants in the Wabamun
area, west of Edmonton
. The control centre at Seebe also once was the operations hub, while the head office was in Calgary.
Seebe consisted of the company store and post office next to the Kananaskis plant. There were several residences close by. There were also two residences at the Horseshoe plant. But the larger concentration of housing was about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) downstream from the Kananaskis plant, and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) upstream from the Horseshoe plant.
As the community and area grew, a one-room school
was opened in 1918. The Seebe School was the last operating one-room school in Alberta, closing in 1996. Students from the local dude ranches, forestry, government and others also attended the school.
An area of about 300 acres (1.2 km²) encompassing the former townsite and dams was leased by Calgary Power from the Stoney Tribe, a member of the Treaty Seven Nations. They are now known by their own name, Nakoda. The lease are is bound by the Kananaskis River to the west, the Canadian Pacific
rail line to the south, the Bow River to the north and a north/south about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) downstream from the Horseshoe plant to the east. The lease was used as common area for recreation, horse pasture, bird watching, fishing, camping and other purposes.
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 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...
, within the Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8
Bighorn No. 8, Alberta
The Municipal District of Bighorn No. 8 is a municipal district situated in Census Division No. 15 of Alberta, Canada. It is located between Calgary and Banff National Park, north of Kananaskis Improvement District. Highway 1 bisects this county.It was created as a municipal district on January 1,...
. It is a former Calgary Power Company Ltd. employee townsite that was closed on August 31, 2004.
Seebe is located on the south side of the Bow River
Bow River
The Bow River is a river in the Canadian province of Alberta. It is a tributary of the South Saskatchewan River, and is considered the headwater of the Nelson River....
, adjacent to the Seebe Dam. It is 0.5 kilometre (0.310686368324903 mi) east of Highway 1X, 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) north of the Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway
The Trans-Canada Highway is a federal-provincial highway system that joins the ten provinces of Canada. It is, along with the Trans-Siberian Highway and Australia's Highway 1, one of the world's longest national highways, with the main route spanning 8,030 km...
(Highway 1) and 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) south of Highway 1A.
In 2006/2007, a proposal emerged to redevelop the townsite as a new community, retaining the same name, with an approximately population of 5,600 people at full build-out.
The name Seebe comes from the Cree
Cree language
Cree is an Algonquian language spoken by approximately 117,000 people across Canada, from the Northwest Territories and Alberta to Labrador, making it the aboriginal language with the highest number of speakers in Canada. It is also spoken in the U.S. state of Montana...
word for river.
Seebe housed a prisoner-of-war camp
Prisoner-of-war camp
A prisoner-of-war camp is a site for the containment of combatants captured by their enemy in time of war, and is similar to an internment camp which is used for civilian populations. A prisoner of war is generally a soldier, sailor, or airman who is imprisoned by an enemy power during or...
in the Second World War
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. An ecological
Ecology
Ecology is the scientific study of the relations that living organisms have with respect to each other and their natural environment. Variables of interest to ecologists include the composition, distribution, amount , number, and changing states of organisms within and among ecosystems...
and environmental
Environmental science
Environmental science is an interdisciplinary academic field that integrates physical and biological sciences, to the study of the environment, and the solution of environmental problems...
research station
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
of the University of Calgary
University of Calgary
The University of Calgary is a public research university located in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Founded in 1966 the U of C is composed of 14 faculties and more than 85 research institutes and centres.More than 25,000 undergraduate and 5,500 graduate students are currently...
is located nearby, on Highway 40 at Barrier Lake
Barrier Lake
Barrier Lake is a man made reservoir at the north end of Kananaskis Country in Alberta, Canada.Highway 40 runs between the lake and Mount Baldy, on the eastern shore...
.
Travellers and tourists are regularly befuddled by the highway signs directing them to Seebe only to discover that it no longer exists. A tourism display at one of the turnoffs describes Seebe in detail, proudly boasting that it is home to the world's smallest single-sheet, artificial ice curling rink. In fact, there is nothing there.
Scenes from the movie Open Range, starring and directed by Kevin Costner
Kevin Costner
Kevin Michael Costner is an American actor, singer, musician, producer, director, and businessman. He has been nominated for three BAFTA Awards, won two Academy Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Costner's roles include Lt. John J...
, were filmed on the Stony Indian Reserve directly across the Bow River from Seebe in 2003 when it was still an inhabited hamlet. At that time, Seebe still had a small general store, a café and a post office all in one small building. The AltaEnergy employee housing and one dormatory was further down the road but considered private property. It was closed down a couple of years later and many of the houses were sold and moved. The album cover artwork for guitarist Julian Winstanley's debut album, What the Funk Am I Doing Here?, featuring the top 40 single "It's Always the Worst Day for Somebody", was shot in Seebe.
Seebe is just downstream from the confluence of the Bow and Kananaskis River
Kananaskis River
The Kananaskis River is a mountain river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a tributary of the Bow River, crossing the length of Kananaskis Country.The river was named by John Palliser in 1858 after a Cree.-Course:...
s at Kananakis Falls. Horseshoe Falls is 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) downstream. Seebe has great vistas of the imposing face of Yamnuska Mountain to the north, Pigeon Mountain
Pigeon Mountain
Pigeon Mountain is a 55 m high volcanic cone situated in Half Moon Bay near Bucklands Beach, Auckland, New Zealand. It forms part of the Auckland volcanic field and is very popular for scientific school trips. It has been extensively quarried with the entire north side of the volcano removed...
and the Kananaskis Valley to the south, Loder Peak and the Bow Valley to the west, and opening onto the prairie grasslands and the Bow Valley to the east.
The underlying substrate in the area is sedimentary interbedded shale, sandstone and limestone. At the surface, there are great areas of glacial till with very little topsoil, drumlins, and small pockets of fertile alluvial deposits. The interbedded bedrock is tilted, being part of the disturbed zone adjacent to the Rockies
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...
, thus, the falls on the Bow River, and the potential for hydro electric power generation.
History
With a growing population in CalgaryCalgary
Calgary is a city in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is located in the south of the province, in an area of foothills and prairie, approximately east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies...
, and electricity becoming a standard form of power, the Calgary Power Company Ltd. was formed in the early 20th century. In 1911, a hydro-electric dam was built at Horseshoe Falls. In 1929, another hydro plant and dam was built at the Kananaskis Falls. This dam is now on Highway 1X, which connects the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) with Highway 1A (the former alignment of the Trans-Canada Highway).
As Calgary grew, the Calgary Power Company Ltd. grew, with hydro dams being developed up and down the Bow River. Seebe became the technical hub, remotely controlling water flow from the Spray, Ghost, Kananaskis, Lake Minewanka, Brazeau, North Saskatchewan, and other watersheds, so that power could be produced efficiently. The control centre also could bring on more power from the coal fired plants in the 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....
area, west 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 control centre at Seebe also once was the operations hub, while the head office was in Calgary.
Seebe consisted of the company store and post office next to the Kananaskis plant. There were several residences close by. There were also two residences at the Horseshoe plant. But the larger concentration of housing was about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) downstream from the Kananaskis plant, and about 2 kilometres (1.2 mi) upstream from the Horseshoe plant.
As the community and area grew, a one-room school
One-room school
One-room schools were commonplace throughout rural portions of various countries including the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Ireland and Spain in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. In most rural and small town schools, all of the students met in a single room...
was opened in 1918. The Seebe School was the last operating one-room school in Alberta, closing in 1996. Students from the local dude ranches, forestry, government and others also attended the school.
An area of about 300 acres (1.2 km²) encompassing the former townsite and dams was leased by Calgary Power from the Stoney Tribe, a member of the Treaty Seven Nations. They are now known by their own name, Nakoda. The lease are is bound by the Kananaskis River to the west, the Canadian Pacific
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...
rail line to the south, the Bow River to the north and a north/south about 1 kilometre (0.621372736649807 mi) downstream from the Horseshoe plant to the east. The lease was used as common area for recreation, horse pasture, bird watching, fishing, camping and other purposes.