Spirit River, Alberta
| Spirit River | |
|---|---|
| Town | |
| Town of Spirit River | |
 Spirit River
|
|
| Coordinates: 55°46′46″N 118°50′11″W / 55.77944°N 118.83639°WCoordinates: 55°46′46″N 118°50′11″W / 55.77944°N 118.83639°W | |
| Country |
 Canada
|
| Province |
 Alberta
|
| Region | Northern Alberta |
| Census division | 19 |
| Municipal district | Municipal District of Spirit River No. 133 |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | June 13, 1916 |
| • Town | September 18, 1951 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Allan J. Georget |
| • Governing body | Spirit River Town Council |
| Area (2016) | |
| • Land | 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 640 m (2,100 ft) |
| Population (2016) | |
| • Total | 995 |
| • Density | 317.3/km2 (822/sq mi) |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Area code(s) | 1-780 |
| Highways |
Highway 49 Highway 731 |
| Waterways |
Spirit River Dunvegan Creek |
| Website | Official website |
Spirit River is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located 78 km (48 mi) north of Grande Prairie at the junction of Highway 49 and Highway 731. The first school opened in 1910 and the railroad arrived in 1916.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Spirit River recorded a population of 995 living in 442 of its 487 total private dwellings, a −2.9% change from its 2011 population of 1,025. With a land area of 3.14 km2 (1.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 316.9/km2 (820.7/sq mi) in 2016.
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Spirit River had a population of 1,025 living in 425 of its 471 total dwellings, a -10.7% change from its 2006 population of 1,148. With a land area of 2.81 km2 (1.08 sq mi), it had a population density of 364.8/km2 (944.7/sq mi) in 2011.
The community is largely agricultural, being located in the fertile Peace Country. It also features an active oil and gas industry. Together with Rycroft, Spirit River services an area of approximately 10,000 people.
The town features the Richardson Pioneer Central Peace Aquatic Centre and the Spirit River and District Museum.
In 1891, a trading post became the original settlement along the banks of the Spirit River. Ranching in the area started as early as the 1840s and farming in the 1880s. In 1915, to the northwest, on Section 22, the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway subdivided a townsite called Spirit River Station. The residents and storekeepers at the old settlement then moved, creating a village in 1916. On February 16 of that year, the Herald Tribune reported that McRae & Co. opened a general store. Spirit River was incorporated as a town in 1951.
In October 2013, a pipeline inspection crew working in the Saddle Hills area southwest of Spirit River unearthed a 10-metre long dinosaur fossil. It was later confirmed to be that of the duck-billed hadrosaur.
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