Redwater, Alberta
| Redwater | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Town of Redwater | |
 Redwater
|
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| Coordinates: 53°56′56″N 113°06′24″W / 53.94889°N 113.10667°WCoordinates: 53°56′56″N 113°06′24″W / 53.94889°N 113.10667°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Edmonton Capital Region |
| Census division | 11 |
| Municipal district | Sturgeon County |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | December 31, 1949 |
| • Town | December 31, 1950 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Mel Smith |
| • Governing body | Redwater Town Council |
| • Manager | Deb Hamilton |
| • MP | Rona Ambrose (Cons - Sturgeon_River—Parkland) |
| • MLA | Colin Piquette (NDP - Athabasca-Sturgeon-Redwater) |
| Area (2011) | |
| • Total | 20.12 km2 (7.77 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 625 m (2,051 ft) |
| Population (2011) | |
| • Total | 1,915 |
| • Density | 95.2/km2 (247/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | T0A 2W0 |
| Area code(s) | +1-780 |
| Website | Official website |
Redwater is a town in the Edmonton Capital Region of Alberta, Canada within Sturgeon County. It is located on Highway 38, approximately 52 km (32 mi) north of Edmonton. Its population was 1,915 in the 2011 census, while the town's municipal census conducted in 2012 counted a population of 2,116.
Redwater is located within the federal riding of Westlock—St. Paul and the provincial riding of Athabasca-Redwater.
In the early 1900s, the area where Redwater stands was settled first by Ukrainian settlers, and followed by English and French settlers. The name Redwater is a reference to the nearby Redwater River, an ochre-coloured tributary that drains into the North Saskatchewan River.
The survey of the Redwater area was registered on September 7, 1906. The original post office, established in 1907 at a location to the east of present day Redwater, was moved in 1919 to the current town site when Redwater was established as a hamlet. On December 31, 1949 it was incorporated as a village, becoming a town a year later on December 31, 1950.
Originally, Redwater was primarily a farming community. The 1948 discovery of oil in the area transformed the hamlet of about 160 people into a town of 1,306 by 1951.
Redwater is surrounded by wide, flat expanses of some of the best farming soil in Alberta. Some of the major geographical features in the area are the Sturgeon River which travels roughly east-south-east about 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) south of the town and flows into the North Saskatchewan River. To the east and south-east, there are vast areas of sandy soil known locally as sand hills, some of which support a thriving silica sand and gravel industry. These differing zones support two major types of forest; coniferous, including Jack Pine, Scots Pine, White Spruce, Black Spruce, and some Balsam Fir; broadleaf trees including Birch, Poplar and Aspen.
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