Wetaskiwin

Geography

Wetaskiwin sits on what was formerly the coast of the large sea that covered much of Alberta millions of years ago. The northwest end of Wetaskiwin is characterized by hills with sandy soil (formerly sand dunes), while the southeast end of the city is very flat with more silty soil.

The city lies at an elevation of 760 m (2,490 ft). Coal Lake, a reservoir developed on the Battle River is located immediately east of the city, and other nearby waterways include Pipestone Creek, Bigstone Creek, Bittern Lake and Bearhills Lake.

Wetaskiwin is located at the junction of Highway 2A, Highway 13 and the Canadian Pacific railroad. It was a stagecoach stop between Calgary and Edmonton.

Climate

Wetaskiwin has a humid continental climate with warm summers that retain cool nights, and winters that are cold, but by no means extreme by Canadian standards.

Demographics

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Wetaskiwin recorded a population of 12,655 living in 5,121 of its 5,563 total private dwellings, a change of 1% from its 2011 population of 12,525. With a land area of 18.31 km² (7.07 sq mi), it had a population density of 691.2/km² (1,790.1/sq mi) in 2016.

The population of the City of Wetaskiwin according to its 2014 municipal census is 12,621, a change of 2.7% from its 2009 municipal census population of 12,285.

In the 2011 Census, the City of Wetaskiwin had a population of 12,525 living in 5,131 of its 5,477 total dwellings, a change of 7.2% from its 2006 adjusted population of 11,689. With a land area of 18.2 km² (7.0 sq mi), it had a population density of 688.2/km² (1,782.4/sq mi) in 2011.

Almost 12% of the population identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.

Almost 90% of residents identified English as their first language. About 2.5% identified German, 1.5% French, 1.0% Cree, 0.9% Tagalog, 0.5% identified Chinese, and 0.4% each identified Swedish and Ukrainian as their first language learned.

About 75 percent of residents identified as Christian at the time of the 2001 census, while 24 percent indicated they had no religious affiliation. For specific denominations Statistics Canada found 20% identified as Roman Catholic, 15% identified with the United Church of Canada, more than 12% identified as Lutheran, 5% identified as Baptist, more than 4% identified as Anglican, and almost 2% identified as Pentecostal.

Economy

Wetaskiwin has the distinction of having the highest level of car sales per capita in Canada, thanks in a large part to city specific advertising produced through co-operation of all auto dealers lining the "Auto Mile". The slogan "Cars Cost Less in Wetaskiwin" is often attributed to the city.

Water tower

Built in 1909, Wetaskiwin's water tower is one of the oldest municipal water towers in Canada. The 42-metre-high structure has towered above Wetaskiwin since 1909 and holds 454,609 litres of water.

In 2004, Wetaskiwin City Council considered the possibility of demolishing the water tower, but concerned citizens convinced them the old tower was worth saving. Work to refurbish the tower began in 2005, and by 2006 the water tower was completely restored.

Peace cairn

The Wetaskiwin Peace Cairn commemorates 60 years of peace between the Blackfoot and Cree First Nations. This historic peace pact took place in a group of hills just north of present-day Wetaskiwin.

At the time of construction, school children each carried a rock and walked in a procession from their school to the hill where the cairn was to be erected.

The cairn was dedicated during the celebrations for Canada’s Diamond Jubilee on July 2, 1927.

Manluk Centre

The Manluk Centre: Wetaskiwin Aquatics and Fitness is a 44,756 square foot facility that opened on September 13, 2014. Built over a two-year period, the facility was funded by contributions from local businesses and individuals. Amenities include a 25-metre pool, a leisure pool, a lazy river, wave machine, slides, whirlpool, and a steam room.

City Hall

Between 1906 and 1912, the new Province of Alberta built seven such buildings under the direction of Provincial Architect A. M. Jeffers. The Wetaskiwin Court House has the distinction of being Jeffers' first court house design and the second such building, after the Cardston Court House to be undertaken by the provincial government. The building opened in 1907 at a cost $75,000 – a substantial sum for the time.

The building was constructed in modern renaissance style, with the outside being composed entirely of red brick. The front steps, the back steps, the columns, and the keystones are all constructed of stone, and the foundation is made of concrete and rubble sheathed with sandstone from the Calgary area. In the early years, the basement of the courthouse contained the jail cells, the caretaker’s residence, and the Northwest Mounted Police residence. The cells are in their original state, and still contain the original carvings prisoners etched into the brick walls. The caretaker looked after the building and the grounds while his wife looked after the family, as well as feeding the prisoners and the members of the Northwest Mounted Police housed there. In 1920, two German field cannons that were seized from Germany at the end of World War were placed on the front lawn of the Old Courthouse. These cannons, presented to the citizens of Wetaskiwin by the Dominion Government of Canada, served to honour the many men and women of this community who volunteered for active service.

The courthouse served the people of Wetaskiwin for 75 years until 1983, when court was relocated to its current facility. After the new courthouse was built, the old courthouse—a building that was once an icon for the judicial system in Alberta—sat empty for over two decades. By the late 1990s, the fate of the Old Courthouse was left in the hands of the Provincial Government. The future of the building was looking grim until a local developer approached the City with plans to renovate it as City Hall's new home. After several meetings between all the parties involved, the old courthouse was purchased by the City and construction began. From 2005 until 2007, the building was renovated to serve as Wetaskiwin’s new City Hall.

Glass was used to frame the new areas of the building as the additions had to be sympathetic to but not similar to the original building exterior. To maintain the integrity of the original building, the brick exterior of the Old Courthouse was left undisturbed. Some leniencies were allowed in order for current building codes to be met; however, strict requirements, as set out by Alberta Historical Resources, were followed when it came to restoring and renovating the original courtroom, which now serves as Council Chambers. The wood panelling covering the lower half of the walls needed to remain intact, as did the original cast iron radiators (which now tie in to the geothermal heating and cooling system). The only changes made to the courtroom were the restoration of the wall paint to its original 1920 splendour and the installation of a new carpet. The result of this renovation was a fabulous new City Hall that provides both employees and citizens the opportunity to showcase this beautiful community structure.

By-the-Lake Park

Wetaskiwin's By-the-Lake Park is a day-use facility featuring a 2.5-kilometre paved trail surrounding a 17-acre man-made lake and a large picnic area. Along the trail, informative signage is presented with information on the various plants and wildlife that call the area home. The lake is stocked with fish for summer and winter fishing (Alberta Sport Fishing Regulations must be followed) and is used by school and community groups for canoeing and watersports. During the winter months the lake and surrounding area is used for cross-country skiing, ice skating, tobogganing, and pick- games of pond-hockey. By-the-Lake Park is located just off of the Automile close to Wetaskiwin’s downtown core, and is one of the best-used and best-loved parks in the City among both citizens and visitors.

Government

Historically the population of Wetaskiwin has voted Conservative in both provincial and federal politics.

Infrastructure

A regional airport is located within the city.

Media

Wetaskiwin is served by two local newspapers, the Leduc – Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer (currently branded the The Pipestone Flyer) and the Wetaskiwin Times-Advertiser.

Notable people