Red Deer, Alberta

Red Deer
Red Deer
City
	City of Red Deer
	Flag Coat of arms Logo
	Motto(s): Education, Industry and Progress
	City boundaries
	Red Deer Location in Alberta Red Deer Location in Canada Red Deer Location in Red Deer County
	Coordinates: 52°16′05″N 113°48′40″W / 52.26806°N 113.81111°W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Planning region	Red Deer
Municipal district	Red Deer County
Founded	1882
Incorporated
• Village	May 31, 1894
• Town	June 12, 1901
• City	March 25, 1913
Named for	Red Deer River
Government
• Mayor	Ken Johnston
• Governing body	Red Deer City Council Kraymer Barnstable; Bruce Buruma; Michael Dawe; Victor Doerksen; Vesna Higham; Cindy Jeffries; Lawrence Lee; Dianne Wyntjes;
• City Manager	Tara Lodewyk
• MPs	Earl Dreeshen (CPC), ; Blaine Calkins (CPC)
• MLAs	Jason Stephan (UCP), ; Adriana LaGrange (UCP)
Area (2021)
• Land	104.34 km2 (40.29 sq mi)
• Urban	65.93 km2 (25.46 sq mi)
• Metro	104.34 km2 (40.29 sq mi)
Elevation	855 m (2,805 ft)
Population (2021)
• City	100,844
• Density	966.5/km2 (2,503/sq mi)
• Urban	99,846
• Urban density	1,514.4/km2 (3,922/sq mi)
• Metro	100,844
• Metro density	966.5/km2 (2,503/sq mi)
• Municipal census (2019)	101,002
• Estimate (2020)	106,736
Demonym	Red Deerian
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Forward sortation areas	T4N - T4R
Area code(s)	403, 587, 825, 368
Highways	2, 2A, 11, 11A, 595
Waterways	Red Deer River, Waskasoo Creek, Piper Creek
Website	reddeer.ca

Red Deer is a city in Alberta, Canada, located midway on the Calgary–Edmonton Corridor. Red Deer serves central Alberta,^[10] and its key industries include health care, retail trade, construction, oil and gas, hospitality, manufacturing and education.^[11] It is surrounded by Red Deer County and borders on Lacombe County. The city is in aspen parkland, a region of rolling hills, alongside the Red Deer River.

History

The area was inhabited by First Nations including the Blackfoot, Plains Cree and Stoney before the arrival of European fur traders in the late eighteenth century.^[12] A First Nations trail ran from the Montana Territory across the Bow River near present-day Calgary and on to Fort Edmonton, later known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. The trail crossed the Red Deer River at a wide, stony shallows. The "Old Red Deer Crossing" is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) upstream from the present-day city.

Cree people called the river Waskasoo Seepee, which means "Elk River." European arrivals sometimes called North American elk "red deer," after the related Eurasian species, and later named the community after the river. The name for the modern city in Plains Cree is a calque of the English name (mihkwâpisimosos, literally "red type of deer"), while the name of the river itself is still wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy or "elk river."

Elk deer in Jasper National Park near Maligne Canyon.

First Nations on the north side of the river entered into Treaty 6 in 1876 and on the south side Treaty 7 in 1877. Farmers and ranchers began to settle on the fertile lands.

A trading post and stopping house were built at the Crossing in 1882. This became Fort Normandeau during the 1885 North-West Rebellion.

Leonard Gaetz

Leonard Gaetz gave a half-share of 1,240 acres (5.0 km²) he had acquired to the Calgary and Edmonton Railway to develop a bridge over the river and a townsite. As a result, the Crossing was gradually abandoned. The first trains arrived in 1891.

1900 to 1929

Following World War I, Red Deer emerged as a small, quiet, but prosperous, prairie city.

Bird watcher Elsie Cassels helped to establish the Gaetz Lakes bird sanctuary.^[13]

1930 to 1945

During Great Depression of the 1930s, Central Alberta was not hit by severe drought. The city was virtually debt-free and profited from its ownership of the local public utilities.

In World War II, a large army training camp was located where Cormack Armoury, the Memorial Centre and Lindsay Thurber High School are now. Two training airfields were built south of the city at Penhold and Bowden.

Post–Second World War

Red Deer expanded rapidly following the discovery of major oil reserves in Alberta in the late 1940s. Red Deer became a centre for oil and gas and related industries, such as the Joffre Cogeneration Plant.

North Red Deer was amalgamated in 1948.

Government and administrative services include a hospital, a courthouse and a provincial building.^[14]^[15]^[16]

The railway moved to the outskirts and passenger train service ceased. The CPR bridge is now a walking trail.

Red Deer is Alberta's third largest city, with a slightly higher population than Lethbridge.

Geography

Climate

Red Deer has a humid continental climate (Köppen Dfb), with something of a semi-arid influence due to the city's location within Palliser's Triangle. The highest temperature ever recorded in Red Deer was 37.2 °C (99 °F) on 8 July 1906,^[17] 2 July 1924,^[18] and 28 & 29 June 1937.^[19] The lowest recorded temperature was −50.6 °C (−59 °F) on 17 December 1924.^[20] The city lies in the 4a plant hardiness zone.^[21] Summers are typically warm and rainy with cool nights. Winters are typically long, cold, and very dry.

Climate data for Red Deer (Red Deer Regional Airport) WMO ID: 71878; coordinates 52°10′43″N 113°53′35″W / 52.17861°N 113.89306°W / 52.17861; -113.89306 (Empress); elevation: 904.6 m (2,968 ft); 1991-2020 normals, extremes 1904−present
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Record high humidex	10.5	17.3	24.8	28.2	37.0	35.0	40.4	37.1	34.2	27.8	22.5	14.8	40.4
Record high °C (°F)	10.9 (51.6)	18.1 (64.6)	24.8 (76.6)	32.8 (91.0)	34.5 (94.1)	37.2 (99.0)	37.2 (99.0)	36.3 (97.3)	35.0 (95.0)	28.9 (84.0)	22.8 (73.0)	17.2 (63.0)	37.2 (99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)	−5.6 (21.9)	−3.5 (25.7)	1.3 (34.3)	10.1 (50.2)	16.8 (62.2)	20.0 (68.0)	22.9 (73.2)	22.4 (72.3)	17.8 (64.0)	10.4 (50.7)	1.1 (34.0)	−4.4 (24.1)	9.1 (48.4)
Daily mean °C (°F)	−11.6 (11.1)	−9.8 (14.4)	−4.6 (23.7)	3.6 (38.5)	9.7 (49.5)	13.7 (56.7)	16.2 (61.2)	15.2 (59.4)	10.4 (50.7)	3.5 (38.3)	−4.7 (23.5)	−10.3 (13.5)	2.6 (36.7)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)	−17.6 (0.3)	−16.1 (3.0)	−10.5 (13.1)	−3.0 (26.6)	2.7 (36.9)	7.4 (45.3)	9.4 (48.9)	7.9 (46.2)	3.0 (37.4)	−3.4 (25.9)	−10.5 (13.1)	−16.2 (2.8)	−3.9 (25.0)
Record low °C (°F)	−46.1 (−51.0)	−43.9 (−47.0)	−42.8 (−45.0)	−32.8 (−27.0)	−15.6 (3.9)	−5.0 (23.0)	0.2 (32.4)	−5.1 (22.8)	−11.7 (10.9)	−28.8 (−19.8)	−38.4 (−37.1)	−50.6 (−59.1)	−50.6 (−59.1)
Record low wind chill	−60.1	−54.4	−49.8	−39.3	−20.9	−7.3	0.0	−5.3	−13.5	−37.9	−48.6	−57.4	−60.1
Average precipitation mm (inches)	16.3 (0.64)	11.9 (0.47)	19.3 (0.76)	28.1 (1.11)	58.4 (2.30)	97.7 (3.85)	90.0 (3.54)	70.1 (2.76)	38.3 (1.51)	21.6 (0.85)	16.8 (0.66)	14.1 (0.56)	482.6 (19.00)
Average rainfall mm (inches)	0.4 (0.02)	0.2 (0.01)	0.6 (0.02)	12.7 (0.50)	49.2 (1.94)	97.2 (3.83)	90.0 (3.54)	70.4 (2.77)	36.7 (1.44)	12.3 (0.48)	1.2 (0.05)	0.7 (0.03)	371.5 (14.63)
Average snowfall cm (inches)	20.2 (8.0)	15.1 (5.9)	23.3 (9.2)	18.1 (7.1)	9.5 (3.7)	0.0 (0.0)	0.0 (0.0)	0.4 (0.2)	2.4 (0.9)	10.2 (4.0)	20.0 (7.9)	18.8 (7.4)	137.8 (54.3)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm)	10.0	7.2	8.9	9.1	11.7	15.1	13.6	11.5	9.5	8.4	7.7	7.9	120.6
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm)	0.5	0.2	0.9	5.1	10.8	14.8	13.6	11.5	9.3	5.6	1.1	0.4	73.9
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm)	10.0	7.1	8.5	5.6	2.3	0.1	0.0	0.1	0.6	4.2	7.3	8.6	54.4
Average relative humidity (%) (at 1500 LST)	65.7	62.5	58.4	45.4	41.7	50.6	52.2	49.0	47.3	50.0	64.0	66.5	54.4
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada^[22] (June maximum)^[19] (July maximum, 1906 and 1924)^[17]^[18] (December minimum)^[20] ^[23]

Neighbourhoods

Red Deer includes the following neighbourhoods:^[24]

Anders Park
Anders Park East
Anders South
Aspen Ridge
Bower
Bower Ponds Recreation Area
Central Park
Chiles Industrial Park
Clearview Extension
Clearview Meadows
Clearview Ridge
College Park
Davenport
Deer Park Estates
Deer Park Village
Devonshire
Downtown
East Burnt Lake
Eastview
Eastview Estates
Edgar Industrial Park
Evergreen
Fairview
Gaetz Lakes Sanctuary
Garden Heights
Glendale
Glendale Park Estates
Golden West
Grandview
Heritage Ranch
Highland Green
Highland Green Estates
Inglewood
Ironstone
Johnstone Crossing
Johnstone Park
Kentwood East
Kentwood West
Kingsgate
Lancaster Green
Lancaster Meadows
Laredo
Lonsdale
Maskepetoon Park
McKenzie Trail Recreation Area
Michener Hill
Morrisroe
Morrisroe Extension
Mountview
Normandeau
Northlands Industrial Park
Oriole Park
Oriole Park West
Parkvale
Pines
Queens Business Park
Red Deer College
Red Deer Golf and Country Club
Riverlands
Riverside Heavy Industrial Park
Riverside Light Industrial Park
Riverside Meadows
Rosedale Estates
Rosedale Meadows
South Hill
Southbrook
Southpointe Junction
Sunnybrook
Sunnybrook Extension
Three Mile Bend Recreation Area
Timber Ridge
Timberlands
Timberstone
Vanier Woods
Vanier Woods East
Waskasoo
Waste Management Facility
West Burnt Lake
West Park
West QE2
Westerner Park
Westlake
Woodlea

Demographics

Federal census
population history
Year	Pop.	±%
1901	323	—
1906	1,418	+339.0%
1911	2,118	+49.4%
1916	2,203	+4.0%
1921	2,328	+5.7%
1926	2,021	−13.2%
1931	2,344	+16.0%
1936	2,384	+1.7%
1941	2,924	+22.7%
1946	4,042	+38.2%
1951	7,575	+87.4%
1956	12,338	+62.9%
1961	19,612	+59.0%
1966	26,171	+33.4%
1971	27,674	+5.7%
1976	32,184	+16.3%
1981	46,393	+44.1%
1986	54,425	+17.3%
1991	58,145	+6.8%
1996	60,075	+3.3%
2001	67,707	+12.7%
2006	82,772	+22.3%
2011	90,564	+9.4%
2016	100,418	+10.9%
2021	100,844	+0.4%
Source: Statistics Canada^[25]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Red Deer had a population of 100,844 living in 40,512 of its 43,404 total private dwellings, a change of 0.4% from its 2016 population of 100,418. With a land area of 104.34 km² (40.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 966.5/km² (2,503.2/sq mi) in 2021.^[3]

The Red Deer census agglomeration (CA) was promoted to a census metropolitan area (CMA) in the 2021 Census, becoming the fourth CMA in Alberta (joining Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge).^[26] As of 2021, the Red Deer CMA is coincident with the City of Red Deer, thus it similarly had a population of 100,844 living in 40,512 of its 43,404 total private dwellings, a change of 0.4% from its 2016 population (when the CA was also coincident with the city) of 100,418. With a land area of 104.34 km² (40.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 966.5/km² (2,503.2/sq mi) in 2021.^[8]

The population of the City of Red Deer according to its 2019 municipal census is 101,002,^[5] a change of 1.2% from its 2016 municipal census population of 99,832.^[27]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Red Deer (and coincident Red Deer CA) had a population of 100,418 living in 39,982 of its 42,285 total private dwellings, a change of 10.9% from its 2011 population of 90,564. With a land area of 104.73 km² (40.44 sq mi), it had a population density of 958.8/km² (2,483.4/sq mi) in 2016.^[28]

Ethnicity

According to the 2016 census, 15.2% of the general population identified as visible minority (non-aboriginal), an increase of 55.9% over the previous five years.^[29] A separate 7.1% reported North American Aboriginal Origins (4.2% First Nations and 3.1% Métis).^[30]

Panethnic groups in the City of Red Deer (2001−2021)
Panethnic group	2021^[31]		2016^[32]		2011^[33]		2006^[34]		2001^[35]
Panethnic group	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European^[a]	73,060	74.52%	78,065	79.27%	75,510	85.1%	71,955	88.43%	60,345	90.66%
Southeast Asian^[b]	8,970	9.15%	6,890	7%	2,935	3.31%	1,590	1.95%	1,245	1.87%
Indigenous	6,465	6.59%	5,185	5.27%	4,590	5.17%	3,600	4.42%	2,675	4.02%
East Asian^[c]	1,645	1.68%	1,800	1.83%	1,475	1.66%	1,090	1.34%	715	1.07%
South Asian	2,220	2.26%	1,665	1.69%	1,090	1.23%	630	0.77%	480	0.72%
Middle Eastern^[d]	1,130	1.15%	915	0.93%	485	0.55%	210	0.26%	270	0.41%
Latin American	1,725	1.76%	1,765	1.79%	1,185	1.34%	1,410	1.73%	480	0.72%
African	1,940	1.98%	1,735	1.76%	990	1.12%	680	0.84%	280	0.42%
Other^[e]	895	0.91%	455	0.46%	485	0.55%	195	0.24%	80	0.12%
Total responses	98,045	97.22%	98,480	98.07%	88,735	97.98%	81,370	98.31%	66,565	98.31%
Total population	100,844	100%	100,418	100%	90,564	100%	82,772	100%	67,707	100%

Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.

Arts and culture

Red Deer hosts many arts and cultural groups, including: Central Alberta Theatre, Ignition Theatre, Red Deer Players Society, Bull Skit Comedy troupe, Central Music Festival, the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery, the Red Deer Royals and other performing arts and fine arts organizations. The Red Deer Arts Council^[36] is a member-based Multi-disciplinary Arts Service Organization and registered charity that serves the local and area community of visual, literary and performing artists.

Attractions

Alberta Sports Hall of Fame: The Alberta Sports Hall of Fame is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2) and the Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre.
Canyon Ski Area: The Canyon Ski Resort is 7.5 km (4.7 mi) east of Red Deer.
Peavey Mart Centrium: The Centrium hosts sports events, concerts, trade shows and conventions. It is the home of the WHL’s Red Deer Rebels.
Collicutt Centre: The Collicutt Centre is a 23,000 m² (250,000 sq ft) recreation centre that includes a leisure pool, water park, climbing and bouldering walls, field house, ice arena, gymnastics, meeting and dance rooms, a walking / running track, and carpet turf facilities. It also has child care facilities and several small businesses.^[37]
G.H. Dawe Community Centre: The 12,000 m² (130,000 sq ft) G.H. Dawe Community Centre is shared by G.H. Dawe Community School, the G.H. Dawe Branch of the Red Deer Public Library, G.H. Dawe Centre Recreation Facility and St. Patrick's School.^[38]
Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre: The Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2) and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.^[39]
Recreation Centre: The Recreation Centre, located downtown, has indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms and hot tubs among other features.^[40]
Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery: The Red Deer Museum has a permanent exhibit detailing the history of the region, and temporary exhibits that change every few months. It is also the venue of multiple educational programs for both adults and children.^[41]
Waskasoo Park: Waskasoo Park meanders through Red Deer from its outskirts in the southwest, through the heart of the city, to its outskirts in the northeast along the Red Deer River. It includes over 80 kilometres (50 miles) of multi-use trails for biking, rollerblading, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and walking. The park is one of the reasons Red Deer is known as "Park City."^[42]
Westerner Exposition Grounds: The Westerner Exposition Grounds hosts events such as Agricon and Westerner Days. Held in early July, Westerner Days includes a rodeo, pony chuck-wagon racing, a fair, exhibitions and other events.^[43]

Sports

The Red Deer Rebels of the Western Hockey League play at the Peavey Mart Centrium. Red Deer hosted the 2022 Hlinka Gretzky Cup and co-hosted the 2018 Hlinka Gretzky Cup.^[44] The Rebels hosted the 2016 Memorial Cup. Red Deer replaced Edmonton as host of the Canadian Finals Rodeo from 2018 to 2023.^[45]^[46]

Red Deer hosted the 2019 Canada Winter Games, leaving the Gary W. Harris Canada Games Centre^[47] at Red Deer Polytechnic and the Downtown Servus Arena as legacy facilities.

The city is the hometown to numerous Olympic and NHL athletes. Hockey Night in Canada personality Ron MacLean calls Red Deer home.

Transportation

The Queen Elizabeth II Highway links the North-South Calgary-Edmonton Corridor, including Wetaskiwin and Camrose, with Red Deer.

The David Thompson Highway links Rocky Mountain House in the West Country with Stettler in East-Central Alberta.

Red Deer Regional Airport, in Penhold, serves mostly general aviation and is expanding to encourage passenger service.^[48]^[49]

Red Deer Transit provides local bus service throughout the city.

Infrastructure

Health care

The Red Deer Regional Hospital is undergoing a significant expansion.

Water

Red Deer receives its drinking water supply from the Red Deer River which is treated and distributed throughout the city.^[50] One distinct feature of the water distribution system is the Horton Water Spheroid which, at the time of its construction in 1957, was the world's largest spheroid shaped reservoir.^[51]

Water from the Red Deer water treatment plant is distributed to neighbouring communities including Red Deer County, Lacombe, Blackfalds and Ponoka as managed by the North Red Deer Regional Water Services Commission.^[52] ^[53]

Education

Post-secondary

Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), formerly Red Deer College, was founded in 1964 as Red Deer Junior College. RDP offers certificates, diplomas, advanced certificates, applied degrees, bachelor's degrees, academic upgrading and apprenticeship in over 75 different career and academic programs, including the creative and liberal arts, engineering, and trades.

Secondary

Three school authorities operate in Red Deer.

Founded in 1887, the Red Deer Public School District^[54] serves 10,000 students in thirty schools. Offering a wide range of programming, including French Immersion from K-12, the district hosts international students from around the world. They operate Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School and Hunting Hills High School.

Founded in 1909, when the Daughters of Wisdom, a religious order from France, accepted the challenge of the Tinchebray Fathers, also from France, to offer Catholic schooling in Red Deer, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS)^[55] welcomes over 10,000 students in six Central Alberta communities, including Red Deer.^[56] They operate École Secondaire Notre Dame High School and St. Joseph's High School.

Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2's school École La Prairie is a French school near downtown Red Deer that offers pre-kindergarten through grade 9 programs. It offers all courses in French to a population of 119 students^[57] whose first language is French.

Public schools

Elementary

Annie L. Gaetz Elementary (K–5)
Aspen Heights Elementary (K–5)
Barrie Wilson Elementary School (K–5)
Don Campbell Elementary (K-5)
Fairview Elementary (K–5)
G.W. Smith Elementary (K–5)
Gateway Christian School (K–5)
G.H. Dawe Community School (K–8)
Glendale School (PreK–8)
Grandview Elementary (K–5)
Joseph Welsh Elementary (K–5)
Mattie McCullough Elementary (K–5)
Mountview Elementary (K–5)
Normandeau School (K–8)
Oriole Park Elementary (K–5)
Pines School (K–5)
West Park Elementary (K–5)

Middle school

Central Middle School (6–8)
Eastview Middle School (6–8)
G.H. Dawe Community School (K–8)
Gateway Christian School (6–8)
Glendale School (PreK–8)
Normandeau School (K–8)
West Park Middle School (6–8)

Secondary/high school

École Secondaire Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School (9–12)
Gateway Christian School (9–12)
Hunting Hills High School (9–12)
North Cottage High School (10–12)

Catholic schools