Red Deer, Alberta
Located Red Deer's 60,000 residents live 159 km north of Calgary, in the center for Alberta's oil production and agriculture. The city is named for the Red Deer River which flows through the center of town. Because of the populous elk herds, the Cree Indians called the river "Waskasoo Seepee" or Elk River. The first white men thought the elk were related to the Scottish red deer, and therefore renamed the river.The town began in 1885 at a shallow ford across the river, three miles upstream from the current downtown. The town became a major stopping point on the trail between Calgary and Edmonton. When the railroad arrived in 1891, the town moved to its current location when Dr. Leonard Gaetz offered half of his homestead to the railroad company. Red Deer grew to be a town in 1901 and became a city in 1913. 
During the Second World War, Red Deer became the location of a large military training camp,plus two major air bases to the south at Penhold and Bowden. After the war, the town boomed following the discovery of oil and natural gas fields in the area. In the 1970s, another boom was caused by the construction of world-scale petrochemical plants east of the city at Joffre and at Prentiss. Red Deer is a vibrant, growing community located midway between Alberta's major cities, Calgary and Edmonton, in the beautiful parkland of Central Alberta. You can find us a short 70 minute drive from the international airports of either of those cities. We have 63,940 energetic citizens, a diverse and growing economy and a quality of life envied throughout Western Canada. Visitors are delighted to discover a safe and friendly community with a sophisticated range of amenities. People here have a strong sense of community. They are committed to preserving our beautiful natural setting and attractive lifestyle. Volunteerism is a partof that lifestyle and Red Deer is known for its outstanding force of volunteers. Red Deer's main economic base is agriculture and food processing, oil and petrochemicals, small manufacturing, tourism and the retail and other services required by the Central Alberta marketplace of about 200,000 people. The economy is driven, to a large extent, by small business operators who have chosen to establish and grow in our community. Our citizens have a vigorous entrepreneurial spirit and a strong work ethic. Our central location and rich resource base provide growing opportunities for processing and distribution industries and for tourism. We are one of Alberta's most popular spots for conventions and trade shows. |
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