Edson, Alberta
Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, 192 kilometres (119 mi) west ofEdmonton along the Yellowhead Highway and 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) east of the intersection with Highway 47. Residents of Edson are referred to as Edsonites.[5]
The town was originally named Heatherwood, but the name was changed around 1911 in honour of Edson Joseph Chamberlin, vice-president of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway. When Edson was declared the local rail centre, smaller communities such as Rosevear (abandoned), Wolf Creek, Carrot Creek and Niton Junction fell into a decline that continues today. In the 1950s, upgrading of Highway 16 caused a dramatic increase in private, commercial and industrial traffic. Today, the Yellowhead Highway carries some of the heaviest traffic flow in Alberta and has been officially declared the second Trans-Canada Highway. In the 1970s, a revitalized coal industry saw the Cardinal River Coal and Luscar Sterco mines launched in the area. The 1980s saw the development of Pelican Spruce Mills (now Weyerhaeuser Canada) and Sundance Forest Industries (now Edson Forest Products a division of West Fraser Mills Ltd.) - two of Edson's major employers. The former hamlets ofGlenwood and Grande Prairie Trail were annexed from Yellowhead County by the Town of Edson on 1 January 1984.[6][7]
Demographics[edit]
| Population history | ||
|---|---|---|
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
| 1996 | 7,399 | — |
| 2001 | 7,585 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 8,098 | +6.8% |
| 2011 | 8,475 | +4.7% |
| 2016 | 8,414 | −0.7% |
| Source: Statistics Canada[8][9][10][11][3] | ||
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, the Town of Edson recorded a population of 8,414 living in 3,359 of its 3,762 total private dwellings, a −0.7% change from its 2011 population of 8,475. With a land area of 29.72 km2(11.47 sq mi), it had a population density of 283.1/km2(733.2/sq mi) in 2016.[3]
The Town of Edson's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 8,646.[12]
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Edson had a population of 8,475 living in 3,386 of its 3,701 total dwellings, a 4.7% change from its 2006 population of 8,098. With a land area of 29.58 km2 (11.42 sq mi), it had a population density of 286.5/km2 (742.1/sq mi) in 2011.[11]
Geography[edit]
Edson lies in the McLeod River valley, immediately east of the Canadian Rockies foothills. The surrounding landscape consists of primarily taiga forest with sand hills and muskeg. The town is located at an altitude of 925 metres (3,035 ft). Two provincial parks are located west of Edson: Sundance Provincial Park along Sundance Creek and Obed Lake Provincial Park surrounding the three Obed Lakes.
Climate[edit]
Due to Edson's high elevation, the community experiences a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). The highest temperature ever recorded in Edson was 37.2 °C (99 °F) on 2 July 1924.[13] The coldest temperature ever recorded was −48.3 °C (−55 °F) on 22 January 1943,[14] and 14 January 1950.[15]
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