Rocky Mountain House, Alberta
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Rocky Mountain House is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada, at the confluence of the Clearwater and North Saskatchewan Rivers.
History
The town has a long history dating to the 1700s with the presence of British and Canadian fur traders during the westward Canadian expansion. In 1799 the Hudson's Bay Company and the North West Company each established the Rocky Mountain House and Acton House fur trading posts. Trade with the local aboriginal peoples continued until 1821 when the companies merged and closed the Rocky Mountain House trading post. The name of the settlement remained however.
The Rocky Mountain House settlement also served as a launching point for many explorers, such as David Thompson, in their search for a passage west to the Pacific Ocean. Many travellers used this location as a stop on their way further west or northwest just as it continues to do into the 21st century.
Not until the beginning of the 20th century did the next set of adventurers enter the region in search of the opportunities presented by the abundance of natural resources. Rocky Mountain House became a firmly established town by 1912.
Current
Rocky Mountain House is a crossroads between north-south on highway #22, the foothills corridor, and east-west on highway #11 between the City of Red Deer, Alberta and Jasper National Park and Banff National Park. Currently a hub of petroleum transportation, with the bulk of jobs involving petroleum. The town appears to be experiencing an economic expansion which may be caused by the high price of oil. This economic boom has led to several new larger department stores, such as Canadian Tire (2005), and Extra Foods (2006), as well as speciality shops to open at one of the highest rates in recent memory. It has also helped lead to a new Confluence Campus (2005), including what used to be Will Sinclair High School (now West Central High School), grades nine through twelve of Saint Matthew's Catholic School (now Saint Dominic's Catholic High School), and an off-campus section of Red Deer College.
Politics
Like much of rural Alberta, Rocky Mountain House is a Progressive Conservative stronghold. From 1935 to 1971, the Social Credit Party's Alf Hooke held this seat and support for that party is still strong- the party's leader Lavern Ahlstrom has polled well in the last two elections, far above his party's average.Town council
The town council of Rocky Mountain House consists of Mayor Jim Bague, Councillor Joan McDonald, Councillor Fred Nash, Councillor Stewart Stephanson, Councillor Ernie Murias, Councillor Bill Symko, and Councillor Ron Wesner.External links
| Census divisions | 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13 - 14 - 15 - 16 - 17 - 18 - 19 |
|---|---|
| Cities | Airdrie - Brooks - Calgary - Camrose - Cold Lake - Edmonton - Fort Saskatchewan - Grande Prairie - Leduc - Lethbridge - Lloydminster - Medicine Hat - Red Deer - Spruce Grove - St. Albert - Wetaskiwin |
| Counties and municipal districts | Acadia - Athabasca - Barrhead - Beaver - Bighorn - Big Lakes - Birch Hills - Bonnyville - Brazeau - Camrose - Cardston - Clear Hills - Clearwater - Cypress - Fairview - Flagstaff - Foothills - Forty Mile - Grande Prairie - Greenview - Kananaskis - Kneehill - Lacombe - Lac Ste. Anne - Lakeland - Lamont - Leduc - Lesser Slave Lake - Lethbridge - Mackenzie - Minburn - Mountain View - Newell - Northern Lights - Northern Sunrise - Opportunity - Paintearth - Parkland - Peace - Pincher Creek - Ponoka - Provost - Ranchland - Red Deer - Rocky View - Saddle Hills - Smoky Lake - Smoky River - Spirit River - Starland - Stettler - St. Paul - Strathcona - Sturgeon - Taber - Thorhild - Two Hills - Vermilion River - Vulcan - Wainwright - Warner - Westlock - Wetaskiwin - Wheatland - Willow Creek - Wood Buffalo - Woodlands - Yellowhead |
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