Cardston, Alberta
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| Town of Cardston | |
| Location of Cardston in Alberta | |
| Coordinates: | |
|---|---|
| Country | |
| Province | |
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Census division | 3 |
| County | Cardston |
| Government | |
| - Mayor | Robert Bagozzi |
| - Governing body | Cardston Town Council |
| Area [1] | |
| - Total | 8.64 km² (3.3 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,121 m (3,677 ft) |
| Population (2006)[2] | |
| - Total | 3,452 |
| Time zone | MST (UTC-7) |
| Postal code span | |
| Highways | Highway 2 Highway 5 |
| Waterway | Lee Creek St. Mary River St Mary Reservoir |
| Website: Town of Cardston | |
Cardston is a town in southwest Alberta, Canada. Cardston was settled in 1887 by Mormons from Utah Territory who travelled to Alberta in one of the century's last wagon migrations. The official founder of the town is Charles Ora Card after whom the town is named. To this day most residents of Cardston are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[citation needed]
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Cardston is situated in the low foothills of southwest Alberta, approximately 25 km (15 miles) north of the US state of Montana. On its north side, it borders the Blood Indian Reservation, one of the largest reserves in North America. Forty kilometres (24 miles) to the west of Cardston are the Rocky Mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park. Cardston is 77 km (46 miles) southwest of Lethbridge and 234 km (140 miles) south of Calgary.
- Coordinates:
- Elevation: 3677 ft (1121 m)
- Land Area (square kilometre): 6.90
Along with the rest of southern Alberta, Cardston is subject to chinooks, which often bring temperatures in mid-winter well above 10 °C (50 °F). This same pattern results in more than 200 days of wind a year.
- Annual rain: 320 mm (12.62 in)
- Annual snow: 229 cm (90.0 in)
- Annual frost free days: 111
- Annual hours of sunshine: 2370
Seasonal temperature averages:
- January: -6C/21F
- April: 6C/43F
- July: 18C/65F
- October: 6C/43F
Weather records:
- Hottest Day: July 28, 1939 (38.9 C)
- Coldest Day: January 28, 1929 (-41.7 C)
- Most Rain In One Day: June 6, 1995 (106 mm)
- Most Snow In One Day: May 4, 1919 (63.5 cm)
- Deepest Snow Cover: April 29, 1967 (84 cm)
The population of Cardston in 2001 was 3,475.[3] In 2006, it had a population of 3,452 living in 1,234 dwellings, a 0.7% decrease from 2001. The town has a land area of 8.64 km² (3.3 sq mi) and a population density of 399.3/km² (1,034.2/sq mi).[2]
| Age | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 0–4 | 115 | 140 | 255 |
| 5–14 | 335 | 310 | 645 |
| 15–19 | 175 | 180 | 355 |
| 20–24 | 105 | 100 | 205 |
| 25–34 | 125 | 160 | 285 |
| 35–44 | 175 | 210 | 385 |
| 45–54 | 165 | 200 | 365 |
| 55–64 | 125 | 155 | 280 |
| 65–74 | 135 | 170 | 305 |
| 75+ | 150 | 260 | 410 |
| Totals | 1600 | 1870 | 3470 |
Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census (numbers may not add up due to rounding)
| 1996 | 2001 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total number of families | 730 | 760 |
| Average family income | $53,750 | $52,939 |
| Median family income | $46,503 | $48,004 |
Source: Statistics Canada 1996 & 2001 Census
Primary industries are agriculture, service, and tourism.
Schools include the Cardston High School, the Cardston Jr. High School (formerly Eastridge Elementary School), and Cardston Elementary School.
Former schools include Leeside (grades 1 and 2 - torn down in the late 1980s to make way for the Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre) and Westside. The building that housed many of the junior high facilities — including the gymnasium (near the current high school) — was torn down in the early 2000s as the junior high moved to the former Eastridge building.
Cardston has a wide array of recreational facilities available, including ball parks, a golf course, an ice skating rink, a swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking trails, a skateboard park, several recreation parks, picnic areas and playgrounds. Additionally, the schools and LDS Church buildings all have gymnasiums. St. Mary's Dam reservoir northeast of Cardston supports water sports in the summer months.
- Cardston Alberta Temple
- The Cardston Alberta Temple is one of southern Alberta’s most recognized landmarks. It was constructed by Mormon pioneers who settled in Cardston in 1887. The temple became the centerpiece of the town, and it was the second temple constructed by the Church outside of the continental U.S.
- Remington Carriage Museum
- The Remington Carriage Museum houses the largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles in North America, with over 250 carriages, wagons and sleighs. International travellers acknowledge the display as the finest in the world. The 63,000 square foot facility features video displays, a fire hall, a carriage factory, a restoration shop, a working stable, carriage rides, carriage rentals, a restaurant and a gift shop. Guided facility tours are offered at no additional charge. The museum was briefly mentioned as a destination of Selma and Patty's vacation during a April 9, 2006 episode of The Simpsons, much to the delight of the museum staff.
- The Carriage House Theatre
- was constructed in 1912 by Mark Spencer, and has gone major renovations in 1937 and 1992. Today it hosts feature films, community theatre productions and and professional summer theatre which has produced such shows as: Seussical, Oklahoma, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
- Card Pioneer Home
- A genuine "Little House on the Prairie". It was built by Cardston’s founder Charles Ora Card in 1887 and served as a community center and stopping place for travelers until the first hotel was built in 1894. The log structure still stands in its original location and is open for public visitations as a Registered Provincial Historic site.
- Courthouse Museum
- The Courthouse Museum showcases an amazing record of how a rough country changed dramatically. The unique sandstone structure was built in 1907 from stone quarried just a few miles from Cardston. The building’s striking profile and beautifully finished interior stands as a monument to Cardston’s early pioneer artisans. It was used longer than any other courthouse in Alberta. The building still displays the judges bench, witness box, and other court artifacts. Original jail cells, including graffiti can be found. The Courthouse Museum is a Registered Provincial Historic site
- Museum of Miniatures
- Go back in history and visit the Old West. See covered wagons on the move, Indian Villages, buffalo, wild animals and an active western town, all on a 1/12 scale. Featured also are Indian carvings and paintings, along with over 150 authentic 1/24 scale model cars and trucks, shadow boxes, antiques, a marine scene, a logging scene and much, much more
- Waterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the extreme southwest corner of Alberta, Canada, 40 km west of Cardston, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton Lakes was Canada's fourth national park formed in 1895. In this breathtaking part of the world, the majestic Rocky Mountains rise suddenly out of the rolling prairies. Amid the peaks are the lakes of Waterton Lakes National Park, carved out of the rock by ancient glaciers.
- Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
On April 29, 1903, at 4:10 am, the sleeping mining town of Frank Alberta was devastated by 82 million tonnes of limestone crashing down from nearby Turtle Mountain. Visit the Frank Slide Interpretive Centre in the Crowsnest Pass, 130 km northwest of Cardston, to learn more about one of the geatest natural disasters in Canadian history.
- Castle Mountain Ski Resort
Castle Mountain Resort is a diamond in the rough with miles of groomed skiing runs, natural half pipes, deep fresh powder, and perfect fall lines, 90 km west of Cardston. Untracked powder, short lift lines and wide open spaces are just a few of this mountains stellar qualities.
- Writing On Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, 125 km east of Cardston, is one of the largest areas of protected prairie in the Alberta park system, and serves as both a nature preserve and protection for the largest concentration of rock art, created by Plains People. There are over 50 rock art sites, with thousands of figures, as well as numerous archeological sites.
- Police Outpost Provincial Park
Police Outpost Provincial Park is located 32 kilometers (20 mi) south of Cardston, on the Canada/United States border, on the shores of Outpost Lake.
- Victor L. Brown, world leader in the LDS Church[4]
- Elaine L. Jack, world leader in the LDS Church[5]
- Colin Low, filmmaker[citation needed]
- Merlin R. Lybbert, world leader in the LDS Church[6]
- Grant Strate, dancer and choreographer[7]
- Frank Weiss, racecar driver[citation needed]
- Edward J. Wood, leader in the LDS Church[8]
- George Woolf, jockey[citation needed]
- Fay Wray, actor[9]
- Cardston (provincial electoral district)
- Cardston-Chief Mountain
- Cardston Airport
- CFSO-TV
- Police Outpost Provincial Park
- ^ Town of Cardston
- ^ a b Statistics Canada (Census 2006). Cardston - Community Profile. Retrieved on 2007-06-10.
- ^ Town of Cardston - Demographics
- ^ “Elder Victor L. Brown Dies at 81,” Ensign, May 1996, 105.
- ^ *“Elaine L. Jack, Second Counselor in the Young Women Presidency,” Ensign, May 1987, 100.
- ^ “Elder Merlin R. Lybbert of the Second Quorum of the Seventy,” Ensign, May 1989, 98.
- ^ "Strate, Grant", The Canadian Encyclopedia, accessed 2007-12-17.
- ^ Jay M. Todd, “Edward J. Wood: ‘Faith Personified’,” Ensign, Sep. 1988, 50.
- ^ William Addams Reitwiesner, Ancestry of Fay Wray, accessed 2007-12-17.
| Pincher Creek Glenwood |
Fort Macleod | Lethbridge Magrath |
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| Hillspring | Milk River | |||
| Waterton Lakes National Park | Carway | Coutts |