St. Albert, Alberta

Encyclopedia : S : ST : STA : St. Albert, Alberta

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St. Albert is a city in Alberta, located northwest of Edmonton, on the Sturgeon River. It was originally settled as a French Catholic community, and is now an affluent, predominantly white suburb.

Demographics

(According to Statistics Canada 2003 census)

• Population: 54,588 (2003); 56,310 (2005)
• Growth rate (1998-2003): 10.8%
• Total private dwellings: 19,037
• Area: 34.61 km²
• Density: 550 people per km²

Culture and History

St. Albert was founded in 1861 by Father Albert Lacombe, who built a chapel in the Sturgeon River valley. The chapel in a historic site and can be visited, its next to the old catholic church. The settlement flourished; a few years after its founding, a group of Grey Nuns moved to St. Albert from Lac Ste. Anne. Although it maintains the image of a French Catholic community, the city has grown and diversified to the point where that description no longer describes St. Albert.

At present, the city plays host to the Northern Alberta International Children's Festival, the annual Kinsmen Rainmaker Rodeo, the St. Albert Rotary Music Festival, various plays and musical performance at the Arden Theatre (which is part of the same complex as the St. Albert city hall and library, in a building designed by Douglas Cardinal) as well as a thriving weekly farmers' market (one of the largest in Western Canada) outside City Hall in the summer months. The Red Willow park trail system winds its way all through St. Albert. The two widely distributed newspapers published in St. Albert are The St. Albert Gazette and The Saint City News. Currently under construction, the West Regional Road will link St. Albert to Anthony Henday freeway in Edmonton.

Hockey in St. Albert

In 2004, the city's Alberta Junior Hockey League team, the St. Albert Saints, which had been one of the most prestigious teams in the league during its life and produced players such as Mark Messier and Mike Comrie, moved to nearby Spruce Grove. This move, allegedly due to the age and small size of Akinsdale Arena, caused some consternation amongst the citizens. Despite a brief effort from fans to save the team, in August 2004 the newly re-named Spruce Grove Saints played their first game in Spruce Grove's Grant Fuhr Arena.

NHL hockey star Jarome Iginla, captain of the Calgary Flames, is originally from St. Albert.

Other hockey players that have played in St.ALbert are Brian Benning, Justin Kueber, Fernando Pisani, Paul Comrie, Troy Murray and Sven Larson.

Going to School in St. Albert

St. Albert is an anomaly in that the Catholic school district is the public system, and the Protestant school district is separate. In all other areas of Alberta this is reversed, the public system is either Protestant or non-religious.

School Districts

• Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools (Public): The third largest Catholic school division in Alberta serving 17 schools and approximately 7600 students. [GSACRD Site]
• St. Albert Protestant Schools (Separate): Serving over 6000 students taught in a non-denominational setting. [SPS Site]

High Schools

St. Albert is home to three English-language high schools; two Protestant and one Catholic.

• Paul Kane High School (Separate): Serving appoximately 1000 students. [PKHS Site]
• Bellerose Composite High School (Separate): Serving appoximately 1000 students. [BCHS Site]
• St. Albert Catholic High School (Public): Serving approximately 700 students. [SACHS Site]

St. Albert also has one French-immersion high school, which is Catholic.

• Ecole Secondaire Sainte-Marguerite d'Youville: Serving approximately 100 students (not counting grades 7-9). [ESSMY Site]

Other Info

• Mayor: Paul Chalifoux
• Surrounding municipalities: : Edmonton, Sturgeon

External links

• [City of St. Albert site]

 

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