Drayton Valley

Drayton Valley is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail), approximately 133 kilometres (83 mi) southwest of Edmonton. It is surrounded by Brazeau County, known for its vast oil fields. The town is located between the North Saskatchewan River and the Pembina River.

Drayton Valley
Town
Town of Drayton Valley
Drayton Valley panorama
Motto:  Pulling together
Drayton Valley Location of Drayton Valley in Alberta
Coordinates: 53°13′20″N 114°58′37″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Central Alberta
Census division	11
Municipal district	Brazeau County
Incorporated[1]
• Village	January 1, 1956
• New town	June 1, 1956
• Town	February 1, 1957
Government [2]
• Mayor	Nancy Dodds
• Governing body	Drayton Valley Town Council
• MP	Gerald Soroka (Yellowhead)
• MLA	Andrew Boitchenko (Drayton Valley-Devon)
Area  (2021)[3]
• Land	30.9 km2 (11.9 sq mi)
Elevation [4]	869 m (2,851 ft)
Population  (2021)[3][5]
• Total	7,291
• Density	236/km2 (610/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC-7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-6 (MDT)
Forward sortation area	T7A
Area code(s)	+1-780, +1-587
Highways	Highway 22
Waterways	North Saskatchewan River
Website	Official website

The town was named after Drayton, Hampshire, the birthplace of the wife of one of the Alberta town's postmasters.^[6]

History

Drayton Valley is known for oil production

Prior to the 1953 oil boom, the community of Drayton Valley was sparsely populated. The main economic activities were farming and logging. Drayton Valley was incorporated as a village in 1956 and officially became a town in 1957. In 1955 a ferry was built to cross the North Saskatchewan River.^[7] The original bridge that replaced the ferry was eventually replaced by a new bridge in 2014.^[8]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Drayton Valley had a population of 7,291 living in 2,897 of its 3,250 total private dwellings, a change of 0.8% from its 2016 population of 7,235. With a land area of 30.9 km² (11.9 sq mi), it had a population density of 236.0/km² (611.1/sq mi) in 2021.^[3]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Drayton Valley recorded a population of 7,235 living in 2,782 of its 3,116 total private dwellings, a 1.6% change from its 2011 population of 7,118. With a land area of 30.72 km² (11.86 sq mi), it had a population density of 235.5/km² (610.0/sq mi) in 2016.^[9]

Economy

Oil and gas is the primary driver of Drayton Valley's economy. Agriculture and forestry also play roles in the local economy. A sawmill is located in the town.^[10]

Attractions

Drayton Valley's Omniplex is a community sports centre that hosts ice hockey, ringette, curling, soccer, baseball and rodeo. The town also has a public swimming pool, a ski hill, a bowling alley, and the Drayton Valley Golf and Country Club.

Sports

Drayton Valley is the home of the Drayton Valley Thunder of the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Drayton Valley is also home to the annual DV100 bicycle race.

Education

Drayton Valley has six public schools, two Catholic schools, and one outreach school. The public schools and outreach school are operated by the Wild Rose School Division^[11] while the Catholic schools are operated by the St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Division.

Wild Rose School Division

• Aurora Elementary School
• Drayton Christian School
• Evergreen Elementary School
• Frank Maddock High School
• Frank Maddock Outreach School
• H.W. Pickup Junior High School

St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School Division

• St. Anthony School
• Holy Trinity Academy

Media

Drayton Valley is served by two weekly newspapers, the Drayton Valley Western Review^[12] and the Drayton Valley and District Free Press^[13] and one radio station, CIBW-FM, mainly playing country music. A Christian radio station, CIDV-FM, was launched in 2009.

Notable people

• Diana Janet McQueen, Canadian politician, Progressive Conservative MLA (2008-2015)
• Dave Hakstol, NHL Head Coach for the Seattle Kraken

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of towns in Alberta

References

1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Drayton Valley" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 17, 2016. p. 204. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
4. "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.
5. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
6. Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: Geographic Board of Canada. 1928. p. 44.
7. Martin, Isobel (1977). Forests to Grainfields. Berrymoor, Alberta: Berrymoor/Carnwood Historical Society. p. 133. ISBN 0-919213-36-7. Archived from the original on 2016-01-10. Retrieved 2013-08-12.
8. "Big West Country 92.9FM » Bridge Open to Traffic". Archived from the original on 2017-01-03. Retrieved 2017-01-14.
9. "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.
10. "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2016-02-22. Retrieved 2016-02-15.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
11. Wild Rose Schools Archived June 16, 2009, at the Wayback Machine
12. nurun.com (2013-03-20). "Drayton Valley Western Review". Drayton Valley Western Review. Retrieved 2017-04-14.
13. http://www.dvfreepress.com/. {{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)

External links

• Official website