Spruce Grove, Alberta
Encyclopedia
Spruce Grove is a city in the vicinity 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...
, 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...
. Like nearby Stony Plain
Stony Plain, Alberta
Stony Plain is a large town in rural Alberta, Canada, just west of Edmonton.Stony Plain is a rapidly growing town with strong historical roots. It is located west of Spruce Grove and surrounded by Parkland County. The town is governed by one mayor and six councillors. The region is dominated by...
it is surrounded by Parkland County
Parkland County, Alberta
Parkland County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada.It is located west of Edmonton in Census Division No. 11, along the Parkland Highway...
.
With a population of 24,646, Spruce Grove is the 11th largest city in Alberta. The Horizon Stage Performing Arts Centre is the local theatre, and its TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre is a popular recreation facility. As it is 11 km west of Edmonton, many citizens travel there to shop. However, there are a great number of businesses on the west end that citizens commonly utilize.
The current mayor is Stuart Houston.
Jennifer Heil
Jennifer Heil
Jennifer Heil is a Canadian freestyle skier from Spruce Grove, Alberta. Heil started skiing at age two. Jennifer Heil won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics games in Turin, Italy and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which was also Canada's first...
, the freestyle skier
Freestyle skiing
Freestyle skiing is form of skiing which used to encompass two disciplines: aerials, and moguls. Except the two disciplines mentioned earlier Freestyle Skiing now consists of Skicross, Half Pipe and Slope Style...
who won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics
2006 Winter Olympics
The 2006 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XX Olympic Winter Games, was a winter multi-sport event which was celebrated in Turin, Italy from February 10, 2006, through February 26, 2006. This marked the second time Italy hosted the Olympic Winter Games, the first being the VII Olympic Winter...
games in Turin
Turin
Turin is a city and major business and cultural centre in northern Italy, capital of the Piedmont region, located mainly on the left bank of the Po River and surrounded by the Alpine arch. The population of the city proper is 909,193 while the population of the urban area is estimated by Eurostat...
, Italy and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
is from Spruce Grove, as is Carla MacLeod
Carla MacLeod
Carla MacLeod is a retired member of the Canadian national women's hockey team. MacLeod is related to former Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard.-Playing career:...
, a member of the 2010 Canada national women's hockey team.
Geography
Spruce Grove is located near the province's geographical centre, at 30 kilometres (18.6 mi) from downtown EdmontonDowntown Edmonton
Downtown Edmonton is bounded by 109 Street to the west, 105 Avenue to the north, 97 Street to the east, 97 Avenue, 100 Avenue, and Rossdale Road to the south and Jasper Avenue to the southeast , though many people consider part or all of the surrounding neighborhoods to be part of downtown...
and 14 km (8.7 mi) from Edmonton's city limits. It is part of the Edmonton Capital Region
Edmonton Capital Region
The Edmonton Capital Region , also commonly referred to as the Alberta Capital Region, Greater Edmonton or Metro Edmonton, is a conglomeration of municipalities centred around Edmonton – Alberta's provincial capital....
.
History
Spruce Grove originally incorporated as a village on March 14, 1907, but it subsequently dissolved on August 30, 1916.Spruce Grove then re-incorporated as a village on January 1, 1955 and subsequently incorporated as a town on January 1, 1971, and as a city on March 1, 1986.
Demographics
| Census History |
|
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 1971 | 3,029 |
| 1981 | 10,326 |
| 1991 | 12,908 |
| 2001 | 15,983 |
| 2006 | 19,496 |
| 2010 | 24,646 |
The population of the City of Spruce Grove according to its 2010 municipal census is 24,646, a 5.7% increase over its 2009 municipal census population of 23,326, and a 26.4% increase over the 19,496 people recorded by Canada's 2006 federal census
Canada 2006 Census
The Canada 2006 Census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population. Census day was May 16, 2006. The next census following will be the 2011 Census. Canada's total population enumerated by the 2006 census was 31,612,897...
. In 2006, the city had a land area of 26.4 km² (10.2 sq mi) and a population density of 883.6 /km2.
Arts and culture
Spruce Groove Records is the City of Spruce Grove's own independent record label that releases the music of the Canadian rock band Aderly Saves the World. It was originally formed in 1998 to produce just the records of that band. It's since released the records of other bands such as 3BoxesRed, Exit2, Knife Vs Dinnerplate, Adventure Tour Plan, and My Boy Sherman.The Spruce Grove Art Gallery is located in the Melcor Cultural Centre and is operated by the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove. The gallery hosts ongoing shows for original art created by its members, made up of artists from mainly the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County area.
Horizon Stage hosts many plays and acts throughout the year, as well as a lot of community theatre. Spruce Grove also has a 7 screen theatre complex which opened in the fall of 2007.
Another cultural facility within the city is the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum
Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum
The Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum is a former Alberta Wheat Pool grain elevator that has been preserved as a community farmers market and agricultural museum run by the Spruce Grove and District Agricultural society...
.
Recreation
The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, opened in 2002, provides a pool, soccer fields, a gymnasium, workout gym, and ice rinks to the people of Parkland County. Spruce Grove has bike trails winding throughout the city, called the Heritage Grove Trail, where bike riders can ride for hours through lush forest. On June 7, 2008, Spruce Grove held the grand opening of the West District Park, which features two full artificial surface fields for footballCanadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
, soccer and other activities. The Edmonton Eskimos
Edmonton Eskimos
The Edmonton Eskimos are a Canadian football team based in Edmonton, Alberta. They currently play in the West Division of the Canadian Football League . Edmonton is currently the third-youngest franchise in the CFL, although there were clubs with the name Edmonton Eskimos as early as 1895...
donated $10,000 towards the event and held practice at the facility as part of the first day activities.
Sports
Spruce Grove has an abundant number of youths and adults involved in Amateur Sports, that run year round. HockeyHockey
Hockey is a family of sports in which two teams play against each other by trying to maneuver a ball or a puck into the opponent's goal using a hockey stick.-Etymology:...
runs from September to April, soccer runs from May to October, football
Canadian football
Canadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
runs from July to December and baseball runs from March to October. The Spruce Grove Saints
Spruce Grove Saints
The Spruce Grove Saints are an ice hockey team in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. They play in Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada at the Grant Fuhr Arena, capacity 2,000....
are a Junior A hockey team that play in the AJHL.
Transportation
Major thoroughfaresTwo highways pass through Spruce Grove, Highway 16 and Highway 16A. Highway 16 has no traffic lights but has two exits into Spruce Grove, while Highway 16A has several traffic intersections. Travelling east of either of these highways will lead to Edmonton. Travelling west on Highway 16A will lead to Stony Plain
Stony Plain, Alberta
Stony Plain is a large town in rural Alberta, Canada, just west of Edmonton.Stony Plain is a rapidly growing town with strong historical roots. It is located west of Spruce Grove and surrounded by Parkland County. The town is governed by one mayor and six councillors. The region is dominated by...
, and going west on either highway will lead to Edson
Edson, Alberta
Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway and east of the intersection with Highway 47.- History :left|thumb|200px|Welcome Sign...
, Hinton
Hinton, Alberta
Hinton is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada.It is located in Yellowhead County, northeast of Jasper and about west of Alberta's capital city, Edmonton, at the intersection of Yellowhead and Bighorn Highway, in the Athabasca River valley.-History:...
, and eventually Jasper
Jasper, Alberta
Jasper is a specialized municipality in western Alberta, Canada. It is the commercial centre of Jasper National Park, located in the Canadian Rockies in the Athabasca River valley....
.
Local streets
The majority of the streets in Spruce Grove use a standard naming system. Their names share a first letter with that of its subdivision. For example, all streets start with M in Millgrove subdivision; in Woodhaven, they all start with W. Only in the original subdivision of Broxton Park and the downtown core is this naming convention not utilized.
Railroad
The Canadian
The Canadian
The Canadian is a Canadian transcontinental passenger train originally operated by the Canadian Pacific Railway between 1955 and 1978. It is currently operated as an Inter-city rail service by Via Rail Canada with service between Union Station in Toronto, Ontario and Pacific Central Station in...
passenger train travels through the city three times a week, in each direction, between Vancouver and Toronto. However, the nearest stop is at Edmonton
Edmonton (Via Rail station)
The Edmonton railway station is on the Canadian National Railway mainline in Edmonton, Alberta. The station is served by Via Rail's The Canadian three times per week in each direction. The train station is located near the Edmonton City Centre Airport, approximately 8–10 km from the city...
.
ETS Transit
Edmonton Transit System
Edmonton Transit System
The Edmonton Transit System, also called ETS, is the public transit service owned and operated by the city of Edmonton, Alberta. It operates Edmonton's bus and light rail systems.-Service:...
offers a commuter transit route from Spruce Grove to Edmonton, peak hours only.
Education
Spruce Grove is part of the Parkland School Division No. 70. The following schools are located in Spruce GrovePublic School District
- Greystone Centennial Middle School
- Spruce Grove Composite High School educates approximately 1,200 students from the Parkland County Area
- Brookwood Elementary School
- Broxton Park Elementary School
- Millgrove Elementary School
- Woodhaven Middle School
Separate School District
- St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic High School
- St. Marguerite Catholic Junior High School
- St. Joseph's Catholic Elementary School
- St. Peter the Apostle Catholic High School – to be Completed in 2013
Private School District
- Living Waters Christian Academy
Media
Spruce Grove receives almost all of its print, radio, and television media from Edmonton.However, Spruce Grove has its own weekly newspaper, the Spruce Grove Examiner, delivered to all homes every Friday. This newspaper holds almost exclusively local news.
In 2009, an online newspaper entitled the Tri Area News was created to serve the communities of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County.
In July 2009, an open online forum, commentary and news portal Local-Yokels was created to provide residents of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County with an open dialog of current affairs.
Notable people
- Stu BarnesStu BarnesStuart Barnes is an assistant coach with the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League . He played 16 seasons at centre in the NHL with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Buffalo Sabres, and Dallas Stars....
(former professional hockeyIce hockeyIce hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
player) - Nathan DempseyNathan DempseyNathan Dempsey is a Canadian professional ice hockey defenceman. He last played for SC Bern of the Swiss National League.-Playing career:...
(professional hockey player) - Grant FuhrGrant FuhrGrant Scott Fuhr is a Canadian former ice hockey goaltender in the National Hockey League and currently the goaltending coach for the Phoenix Coyotes. In 2003, he was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame...
(former professional hockey player) - Jennifer HeilJennifer HeilJennifer Heil is a Canadian freestyle skier from Spruce Grove, Alberta. Heil started skiing at age two. Jennifer Heil won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics games in Turin, Italy and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, which was also Canada's first...
(former Olympic moguls skierSkiingSkiing is a recreational activity using skis as equipment for traveling over snow. Skis are used in conjunction with boots that connect to the ski with use of a binding....
) - Carla MacLeodCarla MacLeodCarla MacLeod is a retired member of the Canadian national women's hockey team. MacLeod is related to former Montreal Canadiens legend Maurice Richard.-Playing career:...
(former Olympic hockey player) - Ben ScrivensBen ScrivensBenjamin John Scrivens is a Canadian ice hockey goaltender currently playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League . Before signing a contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs organization, Scrivens played four years with the Cornell Big Red of the ECAC...
(professional hockey player) - Keith ShologanKeith ShologanKeith Shologan is a Canadian football defensive tackle for the Saskatchewan Roughriders of the Canadian Football League...
(professional footballCanadian footballCanadian football is a form of gridiron football played exclusively in Canada in which two teams of 12 players each compete for territorial control of a field of play long and wide attempting to advance a pointed prolate spheroid ball into the opposing team's scoring area...
player) - Grant StevensonGrant StevensonGrant Thomas Stevenson is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward, currently playing for German club Augsburger Panther of the Deutsche Eishockey Liga...
(professional hockey player)
See also
- List of communities in Alberta
- List of cities in Alberta
- List of cities in Canada
- Edmonton Capital RegionEdmonton Capital RegionThe Edmonton Capital Region , also commonly referred to as the Alberta Capital Region, Greater Edmonton or Metro Edmonton, is a conglomeration of municipalities centred around Edmonton – Alberta's provincial capital....