Grande Prairie es una ciudad en el noroeste de Alberta , Canadá , dentro de la parte sur de un área conocida como Peace River Country . Está ubicado en la intersección de la autopista 43 (parte del corredor CANAMEX ) y la autopista 40 (la autopista Bighorn), aproximadamente a 456 km (283 millas) al noroeste de Edmonton . La ciudad está rodeada por el condado de Grande Prairie No. 1 .
Grande Prairie | |
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Ciudad de Grande Prairie | |
Horizonte de Grande Prairie visto desde el noreste | |
Sello | |
Apodo (s): Ciudad de los cisnes [1] | |
Límites de la ciudad | |
Grande Prairie Ubicación en Canadá | |
Coordenadas: 55 ° 10′15 ″ N 118 ° 47′46 ″ W / 55.17083 ° N 118.79611 ° WCoordenadas : 55 ° 10′15 ″ N 118 ° 47′46 ″ W / 55.17083 ° N 118.79611 ° W | |
País | Canadá |
Provincia | Alberta |
Región | Norte de alberta |
Región de planificación | Paz superior |
Distrito municipal | Condado de Grande Prairie No. 1 |
Distrito electoral federal | Grande Prairie — Mackenzie |
Distritos electorales provinciales | Grande Prairie Grande Prairie-Wapiti |
Incorporado [2] | |
• Pueblo | 30 de abril de 1914 |
• Pueblo | 15 de marzo de 1919 |
• Ciudad | 1 de enero de 1958 |
Gobierno [3] | |
• Alcalde | Factura dada |
• Órgano rector | Ayuntamiento de Grande Prairie
|
• Administrador de la ciudad | Horacio Galanti |
• MP | Chris Warkentin ( conservador ) |
• MLA | Tracy Allard ( UCP ) Travis Toews ( UCP ) |
Área (2016) [4] | |
• Tierra | 132,72 km 2 (51,24 millas cuadradas) |
Elevación [5] | 650 m (2.130 pies) |
Población (2016) [4] | |
• Total | 63.166 |
• Densidad | 475,9 / km 2 (1233 / millas cuadradas) |
• Censo municipal ( 2018 ) | 69,088 |
Zona horaria | UTC − 07: 00 ( MST ) |
• Verano ( DST ) | UTC − 06: 00 (MDT) |
Áreas de clasificación avanzada | T8V - T8X |
Código (s) de área | + 1-780 , + 1-587 y + 1-825 |
Carreteras | 40 , 43 , 43X |
Vías fluviales | Río Wapiti Río Bear (Bear Creek) |
Sitio web | Página web oficial |
Grande Prairie fue la séptima ciudad más grande de Alberta en 2016 con una población de 63.166, [4] y fue una de las ciudades de más rápido crecimiento de Canadá entre 2001 y 2006. [6]
La ciudad adoptó el cisne trompetista como símbolo oficial debido a su proximidad a la ruta migratoria y las zonas de anidación de verano de esta ave. Por esa razón, a la Grande Prairie se le conoce a veces como la "Ciudad de los Cisnes". El dinosaurio se ha convertido en un símbolo no oficial de la ciudad debido a los descubrimientos paleontológicos en las áreas al norte y oeste de Grande Prairie.
Historia
Grande Prairie recibió su nombre de la gran pradera que se encuentra al norte, este y oeste de la misma. En el siglo XVIII, la pradera fue ocupada por bandas de los pueblos Dane-zaa (castores), que comenzaron a comerciar con la North West Company en Dunvegan a principios del siglo XIX. La primera referencia registrada a la pradera fue realizada por el comerciante Samuel Black en 1824. En 1880, George Kennedy estableció un puesto de la Compañía de la Bahía de Hudson llamado La Grande Prairie a 13 millas (21 km) al norte de la ciudad actual, en lo que ahora es la Ciudad de Sexsmith. A finales del siglo XIX, la pradera fue colonizada por Cree e Iroquois de los alrededores de Jasper y Lac Ste. Anne . Cuando se inspeccionaron 17 municipios para la colonización en 1909, pronto siguió una avalancha de tierras, y muchos colonos llegaron por Edson Trail. En 1910, el municipio de Grande Prairie fue subdividido. En 1912, incluía un banco, un hotel, una oficina de correos y una oficina de tierras, lo que la convirtió en una metrópoli de distrito. En 1916, se convirtió en la terminal del ferrocarril de Edmonton, Dunvegan y Columbia Británica desde Edmonton.
El Edson Trail de Edson a Grande Prairie se abrió en 1911 como un medio para que los colonos llegaran al área de Grande Prairie. Básicamente, no era más que un tramo de matorrales y bosques talados, y por lo tanto era una ruta muy difícil para muchos colonos, especialmente durante el clima húmedo. Debido a esto, los asentamientos a gran escala llegaron tarde en comparación con otras regiones agrícolas importantes más al sur de Canadá. Grande Prairie fue incorporada como aldea por la provincia de Alberta en 1914, pero no fue hasta la llegada del ferrocarril en 1916 que las tierras de cultivo se expandieron rápidamente a medida que las oleadas de colonos llegaron a la región de la Paz.
La llegada del ferrocarril y el aumento de asentamientos en el área elevaron la población de Grande Prairie más allá de la marca de 1,000, lo que le permitió incorporarse como ciudad el 27 de marzo de 1919. Una recesión local en la década de 1920 provocó una despoblación temporal de Grande Prairie. Pero la población se recuperó posteriormente en la década de 1930, momento en el que la población había llegado a 1.464. El asentamiento continuó sin cesar incluso en la década de 1930 durante la era del Dust Bowl porque la Región de la Paz pudo escapar de las severas condiciones de sequía que plagaron las praderas canadienses más al sur en ese momento. [7]
La Segunda Guerra Mundial vio a los militares estadounidenses y canadienses establecer Grande Prairie como parte de la Ruta de preparación del noroeste para la construcción de la autopista Alaska desde Dawson Creek hasta Alaska . Aunque se eligió Dawson Creek como el principal punto de partida de la construcción de la autopista de Alaska , Grande Prairie fue un importante punto de parada para aviones militares durante la guerra y se benefició económicamente de esto.
Aunque Grande Prairie estaba bien ubicada en el extremo sur del País de la Paz, competía con las ciudades de Peace River y Dawson Creek por el título del centro de comercio y agricultura más importante de la región hasta fines de la década de 1950, cuando su población El crecimiento comenzó a superar a estas ciudades a medida que la exploración de petróleo y gas natural estaba en marcha en la Región de la Paz, especialmente desde el primer descubrimiento importante de petróleo más al sur en Leduc, cerca de Edmonton, en 1947 y la construcción de una gran planta de celulosa a principios de la década de 1970.
La construcción y pavimentación de la autopista 43 (originalmente secciones de las autopistas 2, 34 y 43 desde la frontera de BC hasta la autopista Yellowhead, al oeste de Edmonton) en 1956 redujo significativamente el tiempo de viaje por carretera, mejorando aún más la accesibilidad y la economía de Grande Prairie. estado.
La ciudad de Grande Prairie se incorporó como ciudad en 1958. En ese momento, su población era de aproximadamente 7,600.
La apertura de la planta de celulosa kraft de Procter & Gamble en 1972 y el descubrimiento del campo de gas de la cuenca profunda de Elmworth estimularon un auge económico. La población de Grande Prairie pasó de poco más de 12.000 a principios de la década de 1970 a más de 24.000 cuando el boom petrolero estalló en 1981.
En los cinco años comprendidos entre 2001 y 2006, Grande Prairie fue una de las ciudades de más rápido crecimiento en Canadá, pasando de 37.000 a 47.000 habitantes. [6] Después de 2006, y con otra recesión, la población disminuyó ligeramente, seguida de un lento aumento a poco más de 69.000 en 2018. [8]
Geografía
Grande Prairie se encuentra justo al norte del paralelo 55 norte , y está a 465 km (289 millas) al noroeste de Edmonton, a una altura de 669 m (2.195 pies) sobre el nivel del mar. La ciudad está rodeada de tierras de cultivo al norte, este y oeste. Hacia el sur se encuentra un vasto bosque boreal con álamo temblón, tamarack, pino lodgepole, pino jack y abeto negro que se extiende hasta las estribaciones de las Montañas Rocosas canadienses al sur y suroeste de la ciudad.
Bear Creek atraviesa la ciudad desde el noroeste hasta el extremo sur y es un afluente del río Wapiti hacia el sur. El embalse Bear Creek es el pequeño cuerpo de agua del Grande Prairie Regional College en la parte noroeste de la ciudad, y está rodeado por un humedal pantanoso. El terreno que rodea inmediatamente a Grande Prairie es en gran parte llano o suavemente ondulado, pero se eleva gradualmente a un terreno montañoso más cerca de las colinas al sur y suroeste. En días despejados, algunos picos de las Montañas Rocosas son visibles al suroeste desde Grande Prairie.
La ciudad se encuentra en el extremo sur de un parque de álamo temblón , que es un bioma de transición entre el bosque boreal y la pradera . El Peace River Country contiene el área más septentrional de zonas verdes de álamos en América del Norte. Sin embargo, gran parte del parque de álamos en la región ha sido destruido hace mucho tiempo por la agricultura extensiva y la actividad de perforación de petróleo / gas.
Clima
Grande Prairie tiene un clima continental del norte típico del noroeste de Alberta y el noreste de Columbia Británica , clasificado como continental húmedo ( Dfb ), que limita de cerca con un clima subártico ( Dfc ) con datos antiguos bajo la clasificación climática de Köppen . Los inviernos son generalmente muy fríos con algunos episodios leves. Los veranos suelen ser bastante frescos a agradablemente cálidos durante el día, pero las noches pueden ser frescas a pesar de los largos días de verano típicos de su latitud. Los días calurosos por encima de los 30 ° C (86 ° F) son raros, ocurren en promedio solo dos o tres días al año, lo que no es inesperado en este extremo norte. Las condiciones invernales pueden variar enormemente de un año a otro. Se sabe que los inviernos son lo suficientemente suaves como para producir condiciones de "Navidad marrón", donde puede caer poca o ninguna nieve hasta después de Navidad debido a las condiciones inusualmente suaves de principios del invierno.
La temperatura media de enero es de -13,6 ° C (7,5 ° F), mientras que la temperatura media de julio es de 16,2 ° C (61,2 ° F). Sin embargo, se han registrado temperaturas tan bajas como -52,2 ° C (-62 ° F) y tan altas como 35,6 ° C (96 ° F) [9] ; las lecturas extremas de humidex y sensación térmica son 40,8 y −63,0 ° C (105 y −81 ° F), respectivamente. La ciudad recibe 445 mm (17,5 pulgadas) de precipitación anualmente, incluidos 322 mm (12,7 pulgadas) de lluvia y 154 cm (61 pulgadas) de nieve. Sin embargo, la cantidad de nevadas varía mucho de un año a otro. Al estar bastante cerca de las estribaciones de las Montañas Rocosas canadienses , puede hacer bastante viento en Grande Prairie, especialmente en primavera y otoño. Los Chinooks pueden ocurrir y traer deshielos de invierno al área de Grande Prairie. Grande Prairie tiene 314 días con un promedio de luz solar mensurable por año, y un poco más de 2.200 horas de sol brillante o alrededor del 46.1% de la posible luz solar, que van desde un mínimo del 31.2% en noviembre hasta un máximo del 59.1% en julio. [10]
Los veranos pueden traer tormentas eléctricas, aunque no son tan frecuentes ni tan severas como las que se encuentran más al sur en el centro de Alberta . Las precipitaciones pueden variar de un año a otro, pero la Región de la Paz se destaca por no haber experimentado nunca [ cita requerida ] condiciones de sequía verdaderamente severas más típicas del sur de Alberta y la vecina Saskatchewan . Los tornados son raros pero no desconocidos en la Región de la Paz. Un tornado azotó el centro de la ciudad y el lado este de Grande Prairie el 8 de julio de 2004. Aunque el tornado se consideró muy débil (F0-F1 en la escala de Fujita) y el clima no era severo en ese momento, todavía era fuerte lo suficiente como para dañar casas y volcar vehículos. No hubo heridos ni muertos. [11]
Datos climáticos para el aeropuerto de Grande Prairie , 1981-2010 normales, extremos 1922-presente | |||||||||||||
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Mes | ene | feb | mar | abr | Mayo | jun | jul | ago | sep | oct | nov | dic | Año |
Registro de humidex alto | 14,5 | 11,1 | 15,6 | 28,6 | 30,8 | 33,6 | 40,8 | 36,6 | 34,7 | 27,1 | 17.2 | 12,1 | 40,8 |
Registro alto ° C (° F) | 15,2 (59,4) | 12,8 (55,0) | 16,1 (61,0) | 29,4 (84,9) | 34,4 (93,9) | 33,3 (91,9) | 35,6 (96,1) | 34,5 (94,1) | 31,9 (89,4) | 28,9 (84,0) | 22,2 (72,0) | 13,3 (55,9) | 35,6 (96,1) |
Promedio alto ° C (° F) | −8,0 (17,6) | −4,8 (23,4) | 0,6 (33,1) | 10,1 (50,2) | 16,8 (62,2) | 20,5 (68,9) | 22,6 (72,7) | 21,7 (71,1) | 16,6 (61,9) | 9,4 (48,9) | −1,8 (28,8) | −6,0 (21,2) | 8,1 (46,6) |
Media diaria ° C (° F) | −13,6 (7,5) | −10,6 (12,9) | −4,9 (23,2) | 4,1 (39,4) | 10,2 (50,4) | 14,3 (57,7) | 16,2 (61,2) | 15,1 (59,2) | 10,2 (50,4) | 3,6 (38,5) | −6,6 (20,1) | −11,3 (11,7) | 2,2 (36,0) |
Promedio bajo ° C (° F) | −19,0 (−2,2) | −16,4 (2,5) | −10,3 (13,5) | −2,0 (28,4) | 3,6 (38,5) | 8,1 (46,6) | 9,8 (49,6) | 8,3 (46,9) | 3,8 (38,8) | −2,1 (28,2) | −11,4 (11,5) | −16,7 (1,9) | −3,7 (25,3) |
Registro bajo ° C (° F) | −52,2 (−62,0) | −50,0 (−58,0) | -42,8 (-45,0) | −35,6 (−32,1) | −8,7 (16,3) | −3,3 (26,1) | −1,1 (30,0) | −2,8 (27,0) | −11,7 (10,9) | −31,7 (−25,1) | −40,6 (−41,1) | −47,2 (−53,0) | −52,2 (−62,0) |
Récord de sensación térmica baja | −63,0 | −55,0 | −53,1 | −46,7 | −16,1 | −4,3 | 0.0 | −3,2 | −15,3 | −33,9 | −56,1 | −56,3 | −63,0 |
Promedio de precipitación mm (pulgadas) | 29,9 (1,18) | 16,4 (0,65) | 16,9 (0,67) | 19,8 (0,78) | 41,0 (1,61) | 75,9 (2,99) | 76,1 (3,00) | 55,8 (2,20) | 43,0 (1,69) | 26,0 (1,02) | 25,4 (1,00) | 18,9 (0,74) | 445,1 (17,52) |
Precipitación media mm (pulgadas) | 2,4 (0,09) | 0,8 (0,03) | 1,4 (0,06) | 10,4 (0,41) | 38,1 (1,50) | 75,9 (2,99) | 76,1 (3,00) | 55,7 (2,19) | 41,3 (1,63) | 15,4 (0,61) | 4,2 (0,17) | 0,7 (0,03) | 322,4 (12,69) |
Nevadas promedio cm (pulgadas) | 35,0 (13,8) | 20,8 (8,2) | 20,3 (8,0) | 11,0 (4,3) | 3,4 (1,3) | 0,0 (0,0) | 0,0 (0,0) | 0,1 (0,0) | 1,7 (0,7) | 12,0 (4,7) | 26,5 (10,4) | 23,6 (9,3) | 154,3 (60,7) |
Días de precipitación promedio (≥ 0.2 mm) | 11,7 | 8.5 | 9.0 | 7,6 | 10,5 | 13,2 | 13,3 | 11,8 | 11,7 | 10,7 | 11,3 | 9.1 | 128,4 |
Días lluviosos promedio (≥ 0.2 mm) | 1,9 | 0,81 | 1,6 | 4.8 | 10.0 | 13,2 | 13,4 | 11,8 | 11,5 | 7.7 | 2.8 | 0,81 | 80,4 |
Días nevados promedio (≥ 0.2 cm) | 10,8 | 8.4 | 8.0 | 3.8 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0,04 | 0,63 | 4.0 | 9.3 | 8.5 | 54,5 |
Promedio de horas de sol mensuales | 77,8 | 106,2 | 172,1 | 231.0 | 276.0 | 295,2 | 307,7 | 272,4 | 172,5 | 134,5 | 78,9 | 73,5 | 2.197,7 |
Porcentaje posible de luz solar | 32,1 | 39,1 | 47,0 | 54,6 | 55,1 | 56,9 | 59,1 | 58,7 | 45,0 | 41,3 | 31,2 | 32,7 | 46,1 |
Fuente: Environment Canada [9] [10] [12] [13] |
Demografía
Año | Música pop. | ±% |
---|---|---|
1916 | 337 | - |
1921 | 1.061 | + 214,8% |
1926 | 917 | −13,6% |
1931 | 1,464 | + 59,7% |
1936 | 1,478 | + 1,0% |
1941 | 1,724 | + 16,6% |
1946 | 2,267 | + 31,5% |
1951 | 2,664 | + 17,5% |
1956 | 6.302 | + 136,6% |
1961 | 8.352 | + 32,5% |
1966 | 11,417 | + 36,7% |
1971 | 13,079 | + 14,6% |
1976 | 17,626 | + 34,8% |
1981 | 24,263 | + 37,7% |
1986 | 26,471 | + 9,1% |
1991 | 28,271 | + 6,8% |
1996 | 31,140 | + 10,1% |
2001 | 36,983 | + 18,8% |
2006 | 47,076 | + 27,3% |
2011 | 55,032 | + 16,9% |
2016 | 63.166 | + 14,8% |
Fuente: Estadísticas de Canadá [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] [19] [20] [21] [22] [23] [24] [25] [26] [27] [28] [ 29] [30] [31] [32] [33] [4] |
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Grande Prairie recorded a population of 63,166 living in 23,676 of its 26,204 total private dwellings, a change of 13.5% from its 2011 population of 55,655. With a land area of 132.73 km2 (51.25 sq mi), it had a population density of 475.9/km2 (1,232.6/sq mi) in 2016.[4]
The population of the City of Grande Prairie according to its 2015 municipal census was 68,556,[34] a change of 36.5% from its 2007 municipal census population of 50,227.[35]
In the 2016 Census, 11.9% of residents were visible minorities, while 12.6% were aboriginal and 75.5% were white. The largest visible minority groups were Filipino (5.0%), Black (2.1%), South Asian (1.9%), and Chinese (0.8%).
As of 2016, 85.7% of residents claimed English as their first language. Other common mother tongues were Tagalog (2.9%), French (2.6%), German (1.1%) and Spanish (0.7%).[36]
In the 2011 Census, the City of Grande Prairie had a population of 55,032 living in 21,180 of its 22,979 total dwellings, a change of 16.8% from its 2006 adjusted population of 47,107. With a land area of 72.8 km2 (28.1 sq mi), it had a population density of 755.9/km2 (1,957.9/sq mi) in 2011.[25]
58.5% of residents identified themselves as Christian at the time of the 2011 census while 39.2% indicated they had no religious affiliation. The largest denomination was Catholic (23.1%), followed by Other Christian (14.8%), United Church (6.0%), Anglican (5.3%), Pentecostal (3.4%), Lutheran (2.7%) and Baptist (2.1%). The largest non-Christian religion in Grande Prairie was Islam, making up 0.9% of the population.[37]
Crime rate
Until recently (including 2015), Grande Prairie topped the list for the national average for the Crime Severity Index,[38] but in the 2016 report published by Maclean's, the city was in 12th place.[39] The Crime Severity Index was 150 per 100,000 people, compared to the national average of 70.96. Grande Prairie was 13th on the Violent Crime Severity Index with 139 per 100,000 people versus a 75.25 average for all municipalities included in the report.[40]
Economía
Grande Prairie possesses a diversified economy. Major industries include oil and gas, agriculture, forestry, and food services.[41]
Agriculture was the first economic mainstay of Grande Prairie since settlement began in the early 20th century. It remains part of the local economy today. A variety of crops such as barley, wheat, canola, and oats are grown in the area. Livestock such as cattle and buffalo (bison) are also raised in the area. Despite being north of the 55th parallel, the climate is mild enough to allow for farming on a large scale to prosper. Longer daylight hours during the summer at this latitude aid in crop production. The Peace Country is the northernmost major farming region in North America. Land within the region is still being cleared for new farmland.
Although some oil and gas drilling has been ongoing in the area since the 1950s, oil and gas exploration did not begin to occur on a large scale until the late 1970s. It was in the mid to late-1970s that the Elmworth gas field was discovered and developed, causing the city to grow rapidly until the oil boom ended in 1981.[42] Today Grande Prairie's location atop both the Montney and Duvernay geological formations have seen local extraction activities focused on natural-gas condensate and shale gas. As a result of this focus the region has maintained relatively high levels of activity[43] when compared to areas where conventional resources, shallow gas or heavy oil are the primary resources.
Forestry is a major part of Grande Prairie's economy, for large tracts of forest lie to the south in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies. International Paper (formerly Weyerhaeuser Canada) kraft pulp mill, opened in 1972 by Procter & Gamble, is one of Grande Prairie's largest employers. Canfor runs a sawmill and lumber yard operation on the west side of the city. Norbord (formerly Ainsworth) oriented strand board plant opened in late 1995.
Grande Prairie serves as the economic and transportation hub for a trading area of nearly 250,000 people. Grande Prairie is also on the CANAMEX trade route linking Canada, the United States, and Mexico.
Gobierno y políticas
Since its start in 1930, the Grande Prairie provincial district (and later the Grande Prairie-Wapiti district) has elected a candidate of the government party in every election, except for two exceptions. Alberta politics being what it is, Grande Prairie was able to do this by electing a UFA in 1930, a Social Credit candidate in 1935 then consistently electing a rightist candidate in every election from 1940 to the present.
arte y Cultura
Live music can be found in several downtown bars and intermittently at all-ages locations such as Tito's Restaurant and the GP Curling Club. Summer-long music festivals have been organized by community-minded individuals and charitable organizations. Grande Prairie has a wide range of local music genres including country (such as Tenille Townes,[44] Brad Sims,[45] and more), reggae (Tasman Jude[46]), metal (Arrival Of Autumn[47]), folk, rock and much more
Cultural venues include Revolution Place (a concert hall and hockey rink — the local AJHL team, the Grande Prairie Storm, plays there), the Grande Prairie Museum, the Art Gallery of Grande Prairie, 214 place, the tallest commercial building in the city, and Second Street Theatre. Grande Prairie is also home to a professional musical theatre company, "Broadway Live Broadway".
The Reel Shorts Film Festival is a five-day international festival of short films in Grande Prairie that takes place at Grande Prairie Live Theatre's Second Street Theatre in early May.[48][49]
The Philip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum, located 15 minutes west of Grande Prairie is a 41,000 sq ft (3,800 m2) building with many exhibits, a large theatre, classrooms, a Paleontology Lab, a gift shop and a restaurant. The museum is named after Philip J. Currie,[50] from the University of Alberta, who has contributed to the understanding of the link between dinosaurs and birds.
Deportes y Recreación
In 1995, the city hosted the Canada Games. The event was televised nationally on CBC Television. Hundreds of athletes competed in the events and the city gained status and recognition as a result. The city played host to the 2010 Arctic Winter Games from March 6–13, 2010.
There are a number of parks in Grande Prairie, including the large Muskoseepi Park in the Bear Creek valley which winds its way throughout the city. Muskoseepi Park has excellent walking and bike trails extending nearly the entire length of Bear Creek, from the northwest to the southeast of the city. The park also contains the Ernie Radbourne Pavilion, the outdoor Bear Creek Swimming Pool and the outdoor Muskoseepi Park Pond which converts into a skating rink in the winter.
Crystal Lake in the northeast part of the city also has parkland, preserved wetlands (great for birdwatching), and walking/bike paths around its entire circumference.
Nestled within spruce and pine trees, on the south east side of the city, just a couple of minutes from downtown, is Evergreen Park. The park and facilities are home to the annual Grande Prairie Stompede event, which draws upwards of 30,000 people annually. The park is the largest full featured exhibition facility north of Edmonton, and can cater to upwards of 10,000 people at a time. It has a restaurant (open daily) and a lounge, and hosts events such as agricultural shows, rodeos, chuckwagon races, horse racing, sportsman and RV shows. A variety of halls, convention spaces and conference facilities all with paved parking are available. The largest building, the Entrec Centre has 105,000 sq ft (9,800 m2) of space, with a 46,000 sq ft (4,300 m2) main hall, and has hosted many concerts and trade shows in the past. Evergreen Park also has a 76 spot RV and Marine Campground which is open in the summer from May to October, as well as an archery centre, an equestrian facility, and 12 baseball diamonds.
Grande Prairie has three 18-hole golf courses, The Dunes Golf and Winter Club, the Bear Creek Golf Club, and the Grande Prairie Golf and Country Club. A fourth golf course, Grovedale Golf Course, is also located approximately 20 km (12 mi) to the southwest of the city.[51]
Early in 2017, a new nine hole course, The Bear Paw Golf Course, with a par level of 3 opened up in the South Bear Creek Recreation Area.[52]
Grande Prairie has three 18-hole disc golf courses. Thrill Hill in the Swanavon neighbourhood, South Bear Creek, and Coop Community Course at Evergreen Park. [53]
Downhill skiing is popular in Grande Prairie,[citation needed] which has a local ski hill called Nitehawk and is located south of the city on the south bank of the Wapiti River. Aside from skiing, Nitehawk also has the only North American natural luge track certified for international events,[citation needed] and over the summer months freestyle ski jumpers practice using the Northern Extreme water ramp facility.[citation needed] It is also active in luge as a naturally refrigerated venue, hosting the FIL World Luge Natural Track Championships in 2007.
Cross-country skiing is also common during the winter. The Wapiti Nordic Ski Club is one of Canada's premier cross country skiing and biathlon facilities,[citation needed] and is just south of the city. There are over 35 km (22 mi) of both classical and skate skiing trails, as well as 4.5 km (2.8 mi) of nightly lit trails. There are also snowshoe trails as well as dog friendly trails. In the summer, the trails are used for hiking, mountain biking, and running.
The foothills south of Grande Prairie and around Grande Cache are visited year-round for hiking in the summer and for snowmobiling and other winter sports in the winter. Kakwa Wildland Park on the Alberta-BC border, about 180 km (110 mi) south of the city, is a mountainous natural area and is known for the Kakwa Falls.
On the South side of the city, off of Resources Road, is the Wapiti Shooters Club. The club was founded in 1949, and due to the many upgrades over the years is considered one of the finest shooting clubs in Alberta. It offers Shotgun (Trap, Sporting Clays, and Skeet), Handgun (outdoor 12 lanes, indoor 6 lanes), and a 200 m (660 ft) outdoor covered rifle range. The club is also used for business functions, birthday parties, RCMP, Sheriff, and Safety training. Over the years many top level coaches and athletes from all over Canada have trained or entered into events at the club. In addition, the club is currently developing a long (1,000 m (3,300 ft)) rifle range suitable for high power rifles, north of the city.
Grande Prairie also has a new and modern 450,000 sq ft (42,000 m2) health and fitness facility known as the Eastlink Centre. It is a large indoor fitness facility that has two indoor pools: a 50-meter, deep water Olympic sized pool, and a 25-meter, wheelchair accessible, higher temperature, shallow water Program Pool. Other aquatic amenities include a splash park, a lazy river, waterslides, and a surf simulator. The facility also includes a large weight room, squash and racquetball courts, fitness classes, a daycare service, a multi-use basketball court, a summer outdoor 5,000 sq. ft. concrete skateboard park, and additional other amenities and programs. The Eastlink Centre is located in the city's southwest and connects St. Joseph High School, the Grande Prairie Gymnastics Centre, the Coca-Cola, and Charles Spencer High School.[54] In March 2012 the Eastlink Centre received an award for its exceptional accessibility features.[55]
The Outdoor Bear Creek Swimming Pool, in Muskoseepi Park, was reopened in the summer of 2019, after extensive modifications. The new renovations include a Tots Pool, a Zero Beach, Spanish Steps, Lily Islands, a Games Area, and a Waterslide.
The Leisure Centre (previously known as the Rec-Plex) is located in northwest Grande Prairie near the Bear Creek Reservoir. In December 2011, after the Eastlink Centre opened, the majority of the Leisure Centre was closed, with unrealized plans to reopen in the second half of 2013.[56] Currently the swimming pool and gym remain closed, but the indoor soccer pitch is open for a variety of sports.
Over the years Grande Prairie has played host to many tournaments including:
- 2004 Royal Bank Cup
- 2006 Ford World Women's Curling Championship
- 2009 Players' Championship
- 2010 Arctic Winter Games
- 2011 Players' Championship
- 2012 Pomeroy Inn & Suites Prairie Showdown (Pomeroy Inn & Suites Prairie Showdown)
- 2013 Pomeroy Inn & Suites Prairie Showdown
- 2015 Canada Cup of Curling
- 2016 Scotties Tournament of Hearts
The city also has the following ice hockey teams:
Club | League | Sport | Venue | Established | Championships |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Grande Prairie Storm | AJHL | Ice hockey | Revolution Place | 1966 | 3 |
Grande Prairie Kings | NWJHL | Ice hockey | Crosslink County Sportsplex | 1994 | 1 |
Grande Prairie Athletics | NPHL | Ice hockey | Crosslink County Sportsplex | 1960 | 7 |
Transporte
Air
The Grande Prairie Airport is located at the west end of the city and serves the region with daily scheduled flights to Calgary and Edmonton. Two airlines, Air Canada Express and WestJet Encore, offer service to the airport. The airport has seen growth in both passenger and aircraft traffic in recent years, and now serves just under a half a million passengers annually. The Grande Prairie Airport was originally developed in the 1930s as a grass only strip at its present site. In 1941 in support of the war effort, and the building of the Alaska Highway, the facility was expanded for utilization by the Royal Canadian Air Force and the United States Air Force. In 1950 the airport came under the authority of the Federal Government until February 1, 1997, at which time it was transferred to the City of Grande Prairie.[57]
The terminal, built in 1981, was renovated in 2009 making it twice its original size. In 2014, one of the two asphalt runways was extended to 8,502 ft (2,591 m), with the other one being 6,200 ft (1,900 m). A forthcoming expansion includes an upgrade to the parking system. Currently the airport has no customs capabilities (although a temporary customs facility was set up for the 2010 Arctic Winter Games). [58]
Swanberg Air formerly operated out of the airport until they ceased operations in 2011. They flew cargo, scheduled, and charter passenger services in Alberta, Saskatchewan, and British Columbia.
City public transit
Grande Prairie Transit is a small public transit system with modern buses and a route system integrated throughout the city.
Intercity bus
Greyhound Canada offered scheduled bus service from its Grande Prairie terminal to Edmonton and Dawson Creek. This service was terminated in October 2018. Red Arrow once connected Grande Prairie to Edmonton, but that service was also cancelled.[citation needed] Bus service to Edmonton is now provided by Cold Shot Bus Service.[citation needed]
Highways and roads
Highway 43 is the main east–west highway through the city providing a connection from Edmonton to the southeast through to British Columbia to the west. Highway 43 meets Highway 2 a few kilometres north of the city at the Four Mile Interchange, then continues south into the city, via the city bypass, and exits the city at the west end near the airport. The short stretch of Highway 2 extending just north and just west of Grande Prairie was renumbered to Highway 43 in the late 1990s to link with the rest of Highway 43 ie: the Yellowhead Highway from Edmonton. This explains why newer maps no longer show both short stretches as Highway 2. The renumbering was also due to Highway 43 now being a part of the CANAMEX trade route and being widened to a four-lane divided highway.
The four lane Highway 43X bypass, skirts the northwest corner of the city from the Four Mile Interchange to Highway 43 just west of the airport.[59] The "Four Mile Interchange" (previously called "Four Mile Corner") is an interchange so-named because it is 4 mi (6.4 km) north of Richmond Avenue (100th Avenue, at 100 street). The Highway 43X bypass was completed in stages, over several years, and was fully opened to traffic in September 2019. The Highway 43X Bypass permits traffic to go around the city's north west region, and reduces traffic on the city bypass, which was built in the 1960s, had become fully engulfed within the city, and was somewhat congested with traffic.
Highway 40 is the primary access road into Grande Prairie from the south, and extends southward to Grande Cache, and Jasper National Park. It is part of the shortest fully paved route to Alaska from the lower 48 states, so Grande Prairie sees many vacationers heading to Alaska by road during the summer via Highway 40 northward into Grande Prairie, then Highway 43 westward towards Dawson Creek, BC, which is "Mile 0" of the Alaska Highway.
Rail
The City of Grande Prairie has rail freight service provided by CN. Trackage runs south from Grande Prairie to Grande Cache and Hinton, where it joins CN's main transcontinental line. CN also operates local freight service out of Grande Prairie on former Northern Alberta Railways tracks - north to Sexsmith and Rycroft, and west to Beaverlodge and Hythe.
Savage Alberta Railway, which operated from 1999 to 2006, was owned by North American RailNet and had its headquarters in the city prior to being purchased by CN.
Educación
Elementary and secondary schools
Four school districts operate schools within Grande Prairie.[60]
The Grande Prairie Public School District (GPPSD)[61] operates 18 schools.[62]
Grande Prairie Roman Catholic Separate School District No. 28 operates ten schools within Grande Prairie.[63]
The Peace Wapiti School Division No. 76 (PWSD) operates three schools in Grande Prairie that serve students of the surrounding County of Grande Prairie No. 1.[64]
The Northwest Francophone Education Region No. 1 [1] operates École Nouvelle Frontière for students in kindergarten to grade 12.
Aside from the two outreach schools that provide alternative curriculum for high school students, Grande Prairie's high schools are the Grande Prairie Composite High School[65] (GPPSD), St. Joseph's Catholic High School[66] (GP&DCS), Ecole Nouvelle Frontiere, Charles Spencer High School[67] (GPPSD) and Peace Wapiti Academy[68] (PWSD).
Post-secondary
Grande Prairie Regional College was originally incorporated as the Grande Prairie Junior College in 1965 and opened its doors in 1966.[69] After being renamed Grande Prairie Regional College (GPRC) in 1970, construction of the present campus began in 1973 based on a plan prepared by Canadian architect Douglas Cardinal.[69] The first phase opened in 1974 followed by the second phase in 1991.[69] The President of the GPRC is Robert W Murray.[70]
Medios de comunicación
Gente notable
- Theodore deWit "Willie deWit", former professional and Olympic boxer
- Tanner Fritz, professional ice hockey player for the New York Islanders of the NHL
- Leslie Greentree, poet
- Carolyn Dawn Johnson, country music singer-songwriter
- Kelly Sutherland (chuckwagon) retired professional chuckwagon driver
- Viktor (Eric Thompson), professional wrestler
- Tenille Townes, country music singer
- Chris Warkentin, Canadian politician, Conservative Member of Parliament (2006-)
- William Paul Young, novelist
- Alex Zahara, actor
Referencias
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- ^ "Location and History Profile: City of Grande Prairie" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 17, 2016. p. 57. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
- ^ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
- ^ a b c d e "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
- ^ "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Archived from the original (PDF) on October 16, 2013. Retrieved October 8, 2013.
- ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities) with 5,000-plus population, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada. 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2012-10-28.
- ^ David W. Leonard, Chronology of Grande Prairie to 1951 Archived 2007-09-29 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ https://www.mygrandeprairienow.com/43481/population-of-grande-prairie-has-increased/
- ^ a b "Grande Prairie A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981−2010. Environment Canada. Retrieved May 14, 2014.
- ^ a b "Grande Prairie A". Canadian Climate Normals 1981−2010. Environment Canada. Retrieved October 4, 2013.
- ^ "Alberta cleaning up from tornado". CBC News. July 9, 2004. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
- ^ "Grande Prairie". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ^ "Grande Prairie Airport". Canadian Climate Data. Environment Canada. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
- ^ "Table I: Population of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta by Districts, Townships, Cities, Towns, and Incorporated Villages in 1916, 1911, 1906, and 1901". Census of Prairie Provinces, 1916. Population and Agriculture. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1918. pp. 77–140.
- ^ "Table 8: Population by districts and sub-districts according to the Redistribution Act of 1914 and the amending act of 1915, compared for the census years 1921, 1911 and 1901". Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1922. pp. 169–215.
- ^ "Table 7: Population of cities, towns and villages for the province of Alberta in census years 1901-26, as classed in 1926". Census of Prairie Provinces, 1926. Census of Alberta, 1926. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1927. pp. 565–567.
- ^ "Table 12: Population of Canada by provinces, counties or census divisions and subdivisions, 1871-1931". Census of Canada, 1931. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1932. pp. 98–102.
- ^ "Table 4: Population in incorporated cities, towns and villages, 1901-1936". Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1936. Volume I: Population and Agriculture. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1938. pp. 833–836.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 10: Population by census subdivisions, 1871–1941". Eighth Census of Canada, 1941. Volume II: Population by Local Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1944. pp. 134–141.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1926-1946". Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1946. Volume I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1949. pp. 401–414.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1871–1951". Ninth Census of Canada, 1951. Volume I: Population, General Characteristics. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1953. p. 6.73–6.83.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by sex, for census subdivisions, 1956 and 1951". Census of Canada, 1956. Population, Counties and Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1957. p. 6.50–6.53.
- ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961". 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961. Volume I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1963. p. 6.77-6.83.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Population by specified age groups and sex, for census subdivisions, 1966". Census of Canada, 1966. Population, Specified Age Groups and Sex for Counties and Census Subdivisions, 1966. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1968. p. 6.50–6.53.
- ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
- ^ "Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971". 1971 Census of Canada. Volume I: Population, Census Subdivisions (Historical). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1973. p. 2.102-2.111.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 3: Population for census divisions and subdivisions, 1971 and 1976". 1976 Census of Canada. Census Divisions and Subdivisions, Western Provinces and the Territories. Volume I: Population, Geographic Distributions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1977. p. 3.40–3.43.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 4: Population and Total Occupied Dwellings, for Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1976 and 1981". 1981 Census of Canada. Volume II: Provincial series, Population, Geographic distributions (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1982. p. 4.1–4.10. ISBN 0-660-51095-2.
|volume=
has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 2: Census Divisions and Subdivisions – Population and Occupied Private Dwellings, 1981 and 1986". Census Canada 1986. Population and Dwelling Counts – Provinces and Territories (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1987. p. 2.1–2.10. ISBN 0-660-53463-0.
- ^ "Table 2: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 and 1991 – 100% Data". 91 Census. Population and Dwelling Counts – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1992. pp. 100–108. ISBN 0-660-57115-3.
- ^ "Table 10: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions, Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) and Designated Places, 1991 and 1996 Censuses – 100% Data". 96 Census. A National Overview – Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1997. pp. 136–146. ISBN 0-660-59283-5.
- ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2012-04-01.
- ^ 2015 Municipal Affairs Population List (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. ISBN 978-1-4601-2630-1. Retrieved February 27, 2016.
- ^ "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 12, 2010.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2017-02-08). "Census Profile, 2016 Census - Grande Prairie, City [Census subdivision], Alberta and Division No. 19, Census division [Census division], Alberta". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
- ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (2013-05-08). "2011 National Household Survey Profile - Census subdivision". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved 2019-07-17.
- ^ rande Prairie is the most dangerous city in Canada
- ^ Canada's most dangerous places: Explore data with interactive tool
- ^ Canada's Most Dangerous Places 2018
- ^ "2017 Economic Profile" (PDF). Department of Economic Development: City of Grande Prairie. March 2017. pp. 33-39 (PDF pages 33-39). Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ "History of Grande Prairie". City of Grande Prairie. Retrieved 2014-11-23.
- ^ Commodities; Energy (2017-07-20). "Deep in the Montney, Grande Prairie first to emerge from brutal recession | Financial Post". Retrieved 2020-02-26.
- ^ "Q&A: Tenille on Her CCMA Humanitarian Award". Archived from the original on 2013-08-28. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- ^ nurun.com (2014-08-28). "Local country artist eyes the next level". Daily Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- ^ "Trinidad Express Newspapers: | Hart's "Tasman Jude" flies the Caribbean flag in Canada". Trinidadexpress.com. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- ^ nurun.com (2014-11-06). "Arrival of Autumn hits the stage next week". Daily Herald Tribune. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- ^ "About Reel Shorts". Retrieved 27 October 2012.
- ^ Henson, Jeff (28 March 2012). "Final Preparations Underway For Reel Shorts Film Festival". HQGrandePrairie.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2013. Retrieved 28 October 2012.
- ^ "About The Museum". Phillip J. Currie Dinosaur Museum. Retrieved 2017-11-23.
- ^ "Grande Prairie – Golf". Discover the Peace Country Visitors Guide. Retrieved January 24, 2014.
- ^ "Bear Paw Par". City of Grande Prairie. Retrieved November 23, 2017.
- ^ https://www.gpdiscgolf.ca/about
- ^ "About the Facility". Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "Eastlink Centre Honoured For Accessibility Features" (PDF). Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "The Leisure Centre". Retrieved 22 February 2013.
- ^ "History of the Grande Prairie Airport". Retrieved 1 August 2015.
- ^ "March 8 2010 Most new airport measures won't impact Grande Prairie | Grande Prairie Airport". Retrieved 2019-02-26.
- ^ Alberta Infrastructure and Transportation. "Construction starts on long-awaited Grande Prairie bypass". Retrieved 2007-09-04.
- ^ City of Grande Prairie. "Education & Health Services". Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ "Grande Prairie Public School District". Gppsd.ab.ca. Retrieved 2017-04-30.
- ^ Grande Prairie Public School District. "Schools". Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ Grande Prairie and District Catholic Schools. "Our Schools". Retrieved 2015-03-15.
- ^ Peace Wapiti School Division. "School Contact Information". Retrieved 2018-10-14.
- ^ Grande Prairie Composite High School
- ^ St. Joseph's Catholic High School
- ^ Charles Spencer High School
- ^ Peace Wapiti Academy
- ^ a b c "Highlights of our History". Grande Prairie Regional College. Retrieved February 25, 2018.
- ^ "GPRC Executive Team". Grande Prairie Regional College. Retrieved March 12, 2020.
enlaces externos
- Official website