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Alliance, Alberta

Coordinates: 52°25′56″N 111°46′49″W / 52.43222°N 111.78028°W / 52.43222; -111.78028
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Alliance
Village of Alliance
Alliance is located in Alberta
Alliance
Alliance
Coordinates: 52°25′56″N 111°46′49″W / 52.43222°N 111.78028°W / 52.43222; -111.78028
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionCentral Alberta
Census division7
Municipal districtFlagstaff County
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageAugust 26, 1918
Government
 • MayorLeslie Ganshirt[2]
 • Governing bodyAlliance Village Council
Area
 (2021)[4]
 • Land0.62 km2 (0.24 sq mi)
Elevation
715 m (2,346 ft)
Population
 (2021)[4]
 • Total
166
 • Density268.4/km2 (695/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
HighwaysHighway 36
Highway 602
WaterwayBattle River
WebsiteOfficial website

Alliance is a village in central Alberta, Canada. Established as a station on a Canadian Northern Railway (CNoR) line in 1916, Alliance became a village in 1918. It is located on Highway 602, approximately 160 km (99 mi) east of Red Deer. The village is 2 km (1.2 mi) east of Veterans Memorial Highway (Highway 36) and 2.5 km (1.6 mi) north of the Battle River.

History

[edit]

Prior to European settlement, the area surrounding the future site of Alliance was, at times, home to First Nations tribes who roamed the plains. The area was also the site of several confrontations between Cree and Blackfoot tribes, giving rise to the name Battle River. At the time of Canadian Confederation in 1867, Alberta was still owned by the Hudson's Bay Company, and European missionaries spread Christianity through the native tribes. In 1904, prior to Alberta becoming a province, homesteaders arrived in the area to establish ranches. By 1910, the area surrounding what is now Alliance was well populated by Europeans, and in January 1916, the Canadian Northern Railway arrived in the young community. The name 'Alliance' was chosen by resident Tom Edwards, who named the community after his home city in the United States, Alliance, Ohio. Shortly after the community's establishment, regular church services began. The first church service was held in a pool hall, with most of the congregation seated on the pool tables.[5]

In 1930, a representative from the CN visited Alliance to purchase land in the community, and construction was scheduled begin on a new rail line. The Canadian Pacific Railway also began construction in the area. However, all rail construction was halted in 1932, with the community's residents assuming that the rise of the automobile had driven traffic away from the rails. For the next forty years, Alliance continued to serve primarily as a farming hub for surrounding properties, although during the 1940s the community was hit by a two-week-long non-delivery strike by the Alberta Farmers' Union.[5]

Despite the general prosperity of farmers in the 1940s and early 1950s, the increasing replacement of labour by machinery meant that Alliance's population declined sharply, such that seven businesses in the community closed between 1942 and 1954. Bumper crops in the 1950s caused no granary to be empty in the region, although a lack of demand for grain during the period dampened agricultural prosperity until export sales picked up. That decade also saw the modernization of Alliance as a community, with approximately one mile of pavement being laid in summer 1954, the installation of cushioned seats in the local theatre, and the construction of a seed cleaning plant.[5]

Demographics

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In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Alliance had a population of 166 living in 90 of its 100 total private dwellings, a change of 4.4% from its 2016 population of 159. With a land area of 0.62 km2 (0.24 sq mi), it had a population density of 267.7/km2 (693.4/sq mi) in 2021.[4]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Alliance recorded a population of 154 living in 83 of its 107 total private dwellings, a change of -11.5% from its 2011 population of 174. With a land area of 0.51 km2 (0.20 sq mi), it had a population density of 302.0/km2 (782.1/sq mi) in 2016.[6]

Climate

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Climate data for Alliance
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 16.1
(61.0)
12.8
(55.0)
20.6
(69.1)
30.0
(86.0)
32.2
(90.0)
36.7
(98.1)
37.2
(99.0)
36.7
(98.1)
35.5
(95.9)
28.3
(82.9)
22.8
(73.0)
13.9
(57.0)
37.2
(99.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 11.6
(52.9)
9.7
(49.5)
17.5
(63.5)
21.6
(70.9)
23.6
(74.5)
23.3
(73.9)
17.6
(63.7)
11.9
(53.4)
0.7
(33.3)
−7.3
(18.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −16.3
(2.7)
3.7
(38.7)
10.7
(51.3)
15.0
(59.0)
17.0
(62.6)
16.3
(61.3)
11.0
(51.8)
5.5
(41.9)
−4.2
(24.4)
−11.9
(10.6)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −21.1
(−6.0)
−2.3
(27.9)
4.0
(39.2)
8.4
(47.1)
10.4
(50.7)
9.2
(48.6)
4.3
(39.7)
−1
(30)
−9.2
(15.4)
−16.8
(1.8)
Record low °C (°F) −49.4
(−56.9)
−48.9
(−56.0)
−38.9
(−38.0)
−31.7
(−25.1)
−13.3
(8.1)
−5
(23)
−5.6
(21.9)
−1.7
(28.9)
−8.3
(17.1)
−28.3
(−18.9)
−39.4
(−38.9)
−45.6
(−50.1)
−49.4
(−56.9)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 32.4
(1.28)
24
(0.9)
49.4
(1.94)
78.1
(3.07)
83.5
(3.29)
51.3
(2.02)
43.6
(1.72)
17.6
(0.69)
19.9
(0.78)
27.9
(1.10)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.6
(0.02)
48.6
(1.91)
78.1
(3.07)
83.5
(3.29)
51.3
(2.02)
42.6
(1.68)
13.6
(0.54)
3.0
(0.12)
1.3
(0.05)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 31.9
(12.6)
0.8
(0.3)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
0.0
(0.0)
1.0
(0.4)
4.0
(1.6)
16.8
(6.6)
26.5
(10.4)
Source: Environment Canada[7]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ "Location and History Profile: Village of Alliance" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 14, 2016. p. 22. Retrieved October 17, 2016.
  2. ^ "Village of Alliance, Alberta". www.villageofalliance.ca. Archived from the original on 2024-04-25. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  3. ^ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b c "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Archived from the original on February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  5. ^ a b c Alcorn; Maureen, Phyllis (1976). In the Bend of the Battle: A History of Alliance and District. Alliance: Alliance Lions Club. p. 87. Archived from the original on January 15, 2013. Retrieved October 27, 2010.
  6. ^ "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. Archived from the original on February 11, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  7. ^ "Canadian Climate Normals 1961-1990". Environment Canada. Archived from the original on December 16, 2012. Retrieved January 23, 2012.
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