| Town of Drumheller | |||
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| Coordinates: 51°27′49″N 112°43′10″W / 51.46361°N 112.71944°W | |||
| Country |  Canada |
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| Province |  Alberta |
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| Region | Southern Alberta | ||
| Census division | 5 | ||
| Incorporated | 1930 (city) | ||
| Re-Incorporated | 1997 (town) | ||
| Government | |||
| - Mayor | Bryce Nimmo | ||
| - Governing body | Drumheller Town Council | ||
| - MP | Kevin Sorenson (Crowfoot) | ||
| - MLA | Jack Hayden (Drumheller-Stettler) | ||
| Area [1] | |||
| - Total | 110.93 km2 (42.8 sq mi) | ||
| Elevation | 670 m (2,198 ft) | ||
| Population (2006)[1] | |||
| - Total | 7,932 | ||
| - Density | 73.5/km2 (190.4/sq mi) | ||
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) | ||
| - Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC-6) | ||
| Postal code span | T0J | ||
| Area code(s) | +1-403 | ||
| Website | Official municipal site | ||
Drumheller is a town (formerly a city) on the Red Deer River in the Badlands of east-central Alberta, Canada. It is located 110 kilometres (68 mi) northeast of Calgary.
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History
The town is named for Colonel Samuel Drumheller, who bought land in 1910 and started coal mining operations here in 1911. Drumheller became a railway station in 1912, a village in 1913, a town in 1916 and a city in 1930.[2]
During the peak of the coal era (1920s) Drumheller's population exploded to more than 30,000 and it became a city in 1930. Drumheller was Western Canada's largest coal producer; now it contributes to a vibrant energy sector and can boast Alberta's second largest natural gas deposit, the West Drumheller Field. To benefit from Provincial and Federal grants the city dropped its city charter and once again became a town in 1997, when it was amalgamated with the Municipal District of Badlands.[3] At 111 square kilometres (43 sq mi), Drumheller is the largest town in Alberta in area and since the 1997 amalgamation with Badlands the town also includes the formerly separate communities of Nacmine, Wayne, Rosedale, Cambria, East Coulee, Lehigh and Aerial where Midland, Newcastle and North Drumheller were previously annexed by the City of Drumheller. In short, 14 old residential mining communities (now suburbs or districts) make up the current Town of Drumheller. The valley ranges from 2 kilometres (1 mi) across to 28 kilometres (17 mi) in length.
Drumheller has been the filming location for more than 50 commercials, television and cinematic productions including TNT's miniseries Into the West, Unforgiven, and ABC's miniseries Dreamkeeper.
Attractions
South of the traffic bridge over the Red Deer river on Highway 9 is the World's Largest Dinosaur, a 26.2 metres (86 ft) high fiberglass Tyrannosaurus rex that can be entered for a view of the Badlands, including the adjacent 23 metre (75 ft) water fountain, again one of the largest in Canada. Tourist attractions also include the Star Mine Suspension Bridge, Atlas Coal Mine, Drumheller Valley Ski Hill, Canadian Badlands Passion Play, Horseshoe Canyon, Water Spray Park, Aquaplex with indoor and outdoor pools, Horse Thief Canyon, hoodoos, Midland Provincial Park, Rosedeer Hotel in Wayne, 27 kilometres (17 mi) of constructed pathways, Bleriot Ferry, East Coulee School Museum, Homestead Museum, Reptile World (the largest display of reptiles in Western Canada) and Little Church which is capable of seating only six patrons.
Next to Drumheller ski hill is the Canadian Badlands Passion Play site, where, for two weeks each July, performances are held. Companies are composed of actors from all over Alberta. The site also offers small plays throughout the summer and an interpretive centre.
Royal Tyrrell Museum
The Royal Tyrrell Museum of Palaeontology is a museum that hosts Canada's largest collection of dinosaur fossils. It boasts 375,000 visitors a year, the largest of all provincial museum attractions. The Royal Tyrrell Museum is located in the northwest quadrant of the Town of Drumheller, in Midland Provincial Park.
Media
Newspapers covering Drumheller include the weekly Drumheller Mail, which has been publishing every Wednesday for 99 years and has been owned by the Sheddy family since 1954.
Drumheller is within range of the radio and television stations in Calgary. It has no television stations of its own, but it does have a radio station of its own, as well as rebroadcast transmitters:
- AM 910: CKDQ, country music
- FM 91.3: CKUA-13, public broadcasting
- FM 94.5: CHTR, tourist information
- FM 99.5: CHOO, adult contemporary
Demographics
According to the Canada 2006 Census:[1]
| Population: | 7,932 |
| Land area: | 110.80 square kilometres (42.78 sq mi) |
| Population density: | 73.5 people/km² (190.4/sq mi) |
| Median age: | 39.7 (males: 37.0, females: 43.1) |
| Total private dwellings: | 3,244 |
| Mean household income: | $56,029 |
Following the merger with the Municipal District of Badlands, the following localities are included in the municipal incorporation of Drumheller:[4]
- Aerial
- Badlands No. 7
- Cambria
- East Coulee
- Eladesor
- Kneehill
- Lehigh
- Midlandvale
- Nacmine
- Newcastle Mine
- Rosedale
- Rosedale Station
- Wayne
- Western Monarch
- Willow Creek
These localities used to be hamlets, villages or legal subdivisions of the Municipal District of Badlands.
References
- ^ a b c "2006 Community Profiles: Drumheller, Alberta". Statistics Canada. March 13, 2007. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4805026&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Drumheller&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=4805026.
- ^ The Canadian Enciclopedia. "Drumheller". http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=TCE&Params=A1ARTA0002403. Retrieved 2009-1013.
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs - Detailed town profiles
- ^ StatCan. "Drumheller, geographical codes and localities". http://stds.statcan.gc.ca/sgc-cgt/2006/ersl-rerl-fin-eng.asp?criteria=4805026. Retrieved 2009-10-13.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Drumheller |
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Three Hills | Stettler | Coronation | |
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Hanna | ||
 Drumheller  |
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| Strathmore | Bassano | Brooks |
Coordinates: 51°27′49″N 112°43′10″W / 51.46361°N 112.71944°W
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