Okotoks
| Okotoks | ||
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| Town | ||
| Town of Okotoks | ||
A view of Okotoks; overlooking downtown and facing south.
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| Motto: Historic Past, Sustainable Future | ||
 Okotoks
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| Coordinates: 50°43.5′N 113°58.5′W / 50.7250°N 113.9750°WCoordinates: 50°43.5′N 113°58.5′W / 50.7250°N 113.9750°W | ||
| Country |
 Canada
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| Province |
 Alberta
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| Region | Calgary Region | |
| Census division | 6 | |
| Municipal district | M.D. of Foothills No. 31 | |
| Incorporated | ||
| • Village | October 25, 1899 | |
| • Town | June 1, 1904 | |
| Government | ||
| • Mayor | Bill Robertson | |
| • Governing body |
Okotoks Town Council
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| • CAO | Elaine Vincent | |
| • MP | John Barlow | |
| • MLA | Wayne Anderson | |
| Area (2011) | ||
| • Total | 19.24 km2 (7.43 sq mi) | |
| Elevation | 1,051 m (3,448 ft) | |
| Population (2011) | ||
| • Total | 24,511 | |
| • Density | 1,273.8/km2 (3,299/sq mi) | |
| • Municipal census (2015) | 28,016 | |
| Time zone | MST (UTC−7) | |
| • Summer (DST) | MDT (UTC−6) | |
| Postal code span | T1S | |
| Area code(s) | -1+403, -1+587 | |
| Highways |
Highway 2A Highway 7 Highway 549 |
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| Waterway | Sheep River | |
| Website | Official website | |
Okotoks (/ˈoʊkətoʊks/, originally /ˈɒkətɒks/) is a town in the Province of Alberta, Canada. It is situated on the Sheep River, approximately 18 km (11 mi) south of the City of Calgary. The town is a member of the Calgary Regional Partnership, a cooperative of municipalities within the Calgary Region. Okotoks has emerged as a bedroom community of Calgary. According to the 2011 Census, the town has a population of 24,511, making it the largest town in Alberta.
The town's name is derived from "ohkotok", the Blackfoot First Nation word for "rock". The name may refer to Big Rock, the largest glacial erratic in the Foothills Erratics Train, situated about 7 km (4.3 mi) west of the town.
Before European settlement, journeying First Nations used the rock as a marker to find the river crossing situated at Okotoks. The tribes were nomadic and often followed large buffalo herds for their sustenance. David Thompson explored the area as early as 1800. Soon trading posts sprang up, including one established in 1874 at the Sheep River crossing on the current Okotoks townsite. This crossing was on a trade route called the Macleod Trail, which led from Fort Benton, Montana to Calgary.
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