Athabasca, Alberta

Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Email
Wikipedia on Answers.com:

Athabasca, Alberta

Top
Athabasca
Athabasca Landing
—  Town  —
Town of Athabasca
Motto: Gateway to the Great New North
Athabasca is located in Alberta
Athabasca
Location of Athabasca in Alberta
Coordinates: 54°43′11″N 113°17′08″W / 54.71972°N 113.28556°W / 54.71972; -113.28556Coordinates: 54°43′11″N 113°17′08″W / 54.71972°N 113.28556°W / 54.71972; -113.28556
Country Canada
Province Alberta
Region Northern Alberta
Census division 13
Municipal district Athabasca County
Founded 1877
Government[1]
 • Mayor Roger Morrill
 • Governing body Athabasca Town Council
 • CAO Doug Topinka
 • MP Brian Jean
(Cons-Fort McMurray—Athabasca)
 • MLA Jeff Johnson
(PC-Athabasca-Redwater)
Area (2011)[2]
 • Total 17.48 km2 (6.75 sq mi)
Elevation 533 m (1,749 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
 • Total 2,990
 • Density 171.1/km2 (443/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
Postal code span T9S
Area code(s) +1-780
Website Town of Athabasca

Athabasca (2006 population 2,575) is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It lies 145 kilometres (90 mi) north of Edmonton on Highway 2, on the banks of the Athabasca River. It is the centre of Athabasca County. Until 1913 it was known as Athabasca Landing.

Contents

History

Unlike many other towns in Alberta, Athabasca predates the railway. It was the terminus of the Edmonton to Athabasca Landing trail. Athabasca lies on a southern protrusion of the Athabasca River. During the fur trade era, when rivers were the principal means of transportation, the Athabasca–Edmonton trail connected two different drainage basins. The Athabasca River flows north and is part of the Mackenzie River watershed, which leads to the Arctic Ocean. Edmonton lies across a height-of-land on the North Saskatchewan River in the Nelson River drainage basin, which empties into Hudson Bay. Edmonton was in Rupert's Land but not Athabasca. The trail allowed goods to be portaged back and forth between river systems. Once agricultural settlement occurred, the trail served a similar purpose. Eventually, road and rail links would trace the same path.

The Athabasca Heritage Society put up signs through the downtown as well as along the riverfront that explain and depict the history. It has also published a historical walking tour that is available from the town office, library and visitor information centre.

Demographics

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Athabasca had a population of 2,990 living in 1,175 of its 1,283 total dwellings, a 15.9% change from its 2006 population of 2,580. With a land area of 17.48 km² (6.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 171.1/km² (443.0/sq mi) in 2011.[2]

The population of the Town of Athabasca according to its 2008 municipal census is 2,734.[3]

According to the Canada 2006 Census:[4]

* Population: 2,575 (+6.6% from 2001)
* Land area: 16.98 km² (6.56 sq mi)
* Population density: 151.7 people/km² (392.9/sq mi)
* National population rank (Out of 5,008): Ranked 1,115th
* Median age: 37.7 (males: 35.4, females: 40.2)
* Total private dwellings: 1,117
* Dwellings occupied by permanent residents: 1,062
* Mean household income: $58,418

Education

The town is home to Athabasca University, a major centre for distance education.

The town has three public schools under the jurisdiction of Aspen View Public Schools Regional Division No. 19:

  • Whispering Hills Primary School (WHPS) – Kindergarten to Grade 3
  • Landing Trail Intermediate School (LTIS) – Grades 4 to 7
  • Edwin Parr Composite School (EPCS) – Grades 8 to 12

Media

Athabasca is served by one newspaper, the Athabasca Advocate, and one radio station, 94.1 CKBA-FM, currently known as The River.

Climate

Athabasca experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb) that borders on a subarctic climate (Köppen Dfc).

Climate data for Athabasca
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 12.0
(53.6)
16.1
(61.0)
16.7
(62.1)
29.0
(84.2)
32.0
(89.6)
34.4
(93.9)
33.9
(93.0)
34.5
(94.1)
32.2
(90.0)
28.0
(82.4)
18.5
(65.3)
15.0
(59.0)
34.5
(94.1)
Average high °C (°F) −10
(14.0)
−5.2
(22.6)
1.2
(34.2)
10.5
(50.9)
17.1
(62.8)
20.3
(68.5)
22.2
(72.0)
21.2
(70.2)
15.5
(59.9)
9.3
(48.7)
−2.1
(28.2)
−8.3
(17.1)
7.6
(45.7)
Daily mean °C (°F) −14.9
(5.2)
−10.7
(12.7)
−4.4
(24.1)
4.2
(39.6)
10.6
(51.1)
14.2
(57.6)
16.2
(61.2)
15.2
(59.4)
9.8
(49.6)
4.1
(39.4)
−6.2
(20.8)
−12.9
(8.8)
2.1
(35.8)
Average low °C (°F) −19.9
(−3.8)
−16.2
(2.8)
−10
(14.0)
−2.1
(28.2)
4.0
(39.2)
8.1
(46.6)
10.1
(50.2)
9.0
(48.2)
4.0
(39.2)
−1.2
(29.8)
−10.2
(13.6)
−17.4
(0.7)
−3.5
(25.7)
Record low °C (°F) −46.1
(−51.0)
−45.6
(−50.1)
−42.2
(−44.0)
−27.2
(−17.0)
−7.8
(18.0)
−1.1
(30.0)
2.5
(36.5)
−3
(26.6)
−11.7
(10.9)
−23.5
(−10.3)
−40.6
(−41.1)
−44
(−47.2)
−46.1
(−51.0)
Precipitation mm (inches) 24.9
(0.98)
18.6
(0.732)
17.7
(0.697)
25.5
(1.004)
47.3
(1.862)
91.7
(3.61)
104.5
(4.114)
62.6
(2.465)
42.8
(1.685)
21.5
(0.846)
21.1
(0.831)
25.5
(1.004)
503.7
(19.831)
Rainfall mm (inches) 0.6
(0.024)
0.7
(0.028)
1.4
(0.055)
15.1
(0.594)
45.3
(1.783)
91.7
(3.61)
104.5
(4.114)
62.6
(2.465)
41.4
(1.63)
15.3
(0.602)
2.0
(0.079)
1.1
(0.043)
381.7
(15.028)
Snowfall cm (inches) 24.3
(9.57)
17.9
(7.05)
16.3
(6.42)
10.4
(4.09)
2.0
(0.79)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
0.0
(0)
1.4
(0.55)
6.1
(2.4)
19.1
(7.52)
24.4
(9.61)
122.0
(48.03)
Avg. precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 8.3 6.5 6.6 6.4 9.7 14.0 15.2 12.4 10.4 7.4 7.0 8.9 112.8
Avg. rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.3 0.5 0.9 4.1 9.3 14.0 15.2 12.4 10.0 5.9 1.0 0.5 74.0
Avg. snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 8.1 6.1 5.8 2.4 0.7 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4 1.8 6.2 8.4 39.9
Source: Environment Canada[5]

Notable people

See also

References

External links


Post a question - any question - to the WikiAnswers community:

Copyrights:

Mentioned in

Athabasca (river)
Nexen Inc. (Public Company)
Paul Kellogg (Canadian political writer)