Cypress County is a

municipal district A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It can refer to a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area. Brazil In Brazil, municipal districts are, in genera ...

in southeastern

Alberta Alberta ( ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Ter ...

, Canada that surrounds the City of Medicine Hat and the Town of Redcliff. The municipality is part of Census Division 1, Alberta.http://www.albertafirst.com/profiles/statspack/20662.html AlbertaFirst.Com The first farm in the area was settled in 1890.

Geography

The Cypress County landscape is dominated by a

shortgrass prairie The shortgrass prairie is an ecosystem located in the Great Plains of North America. The two most dominant grasses in the shortgrass prairie are blue grama (''Bouteloua gracilis'') and buffalograss ('' Bouteloua dactyloides''), the two less domi ...

ecosystem.http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department/deptdocs.nsf/all/sag6303?OpenDocument Alberta Agriculture and Rural Development The land is flat to slightly rolling. The Cypress Hills region features mixed grasslands, wetlands and montane habitats. Major hydrological features include the

South Saskatchewan The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan. For the first half of the 20th century, the South Saskatchewan would completely freeze over during winter, creating spectacular ...

and

Milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digest solid food. Immune factors and immune-modula ...

rivers. Extensive

coulee Coulee, or coulée ( or ) is a term applied rather loosely to different landforms, all of which refer to a kind of valley or drainage zone. The word ''coulee'' comes from the Canadian French ''coulée'', from French ''couler'' 'to flow'. The ...

systems have formed adjacent to major rivers resulting in

badlands Badlands are a type of dry terrain where softer sedimentary rocks and clay-rich soils have been extensively eroded."Badlands" in ''Chambers's Encyclopædia''. London: George Newnes, 1961, Vol. 2, p. 47. They are characterized by steep slopes, m ...

terrain. Near

Walsh, Alberta Walsh is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located along the Trans-Canada Highway, immediately west of the Saskatchewan border, and has an elevation of . The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 1 and in the federal ...

at lies the

Badlands Guardian The Badlands Guardian is a geomorphological feature located near Medicine Hat in the southeast corner of Alberta, Canada. The feature was discovered in 2005 by Lynn Hickox through use of Google Earth. Description Viewed from the air, the fea ...

. Here the landscape takes the form of a head wearing a feathered headdress. The head is approximately wide and deep. This unusual geographic feature is a result of natural erosion of the surrounding prairie.

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by Cypress County. ;

Cities A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The Social Science Encyclopedia''. 2nd edition. London: Routledge. It can be def ...

Medicine Hat Medicine Hat is a city in southeast Alberta, Canada. It is located along the South Saskatchewan River. It is approximately east of Lethbridge and southeast of Calgary. This city and the adjacent Town of Redcliff to the northwest are with ...

;

Towns A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...

* Redcliff ;

Villages A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

*none ; Summer villages *none The following

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

are located within Cypress County. ;

Hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. Its size relative to a parish can depend on the administration and region. A hamlet may be considered to be a smaller settlement or subdivision or satellite entity to a lar ...

* Desert Blume *

Dunmore Dunmore from the ga, Dún Mór, link=no or gd, Dùn Mòr, link=no, meaning "great fort", may refer to: People * Dunmore (surname) * Earl of Dunmore, a title in the Peerage of Scotland, includes a list of earls * Countess of Dunmore (disambiguat ...

Hilda Hilda is one of several female given names derived from the name ''Hild'', formed from Old Norse , meaning 'battle'. Hild, a Nordic-German Bellona, was a Valkyrie who conveyed fallen warriors to Valhalla. Warfare was often called Hild's Game. Th ...

* Irvine *

Schuler Schuler, also Schüler, Shuler, and Shuhler, is a surname. The German word ''Schüler'' directly translates to the English word ''scholar'' and can also mean "pupil". Notable people with the surname include: * Anthony Joseph Schuler, American Roman ...

Seven Persons Seven Persons is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Cypress County. It is located approximately southwest of Medicine Hat on Highway 3 and has an elevation of . The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 1 and in the federal riding of Med ...

* Suffield * Veinerville * Walsh The following localities are located within Cypress County. ;Localities * Agatha * Alderson (dissolved from village status on January 31, 1936) *Army Experimental Range * Bain *Bellcott *Bowell *Bowmanton *Bulls Head * Bullshead *Carlstadt * Cecil *Craigower * Cressday *Dennis * Eagle Butte * Elkwater *Fitzgerald *Fox * Illingworth *Improvement District No. 1 *Jaydot *Lamoral *Larmour *Little Plume *Macson *McNeill *

Onefour ONEFOUR (stylised in all caps) are an Australian drill and rap group originating from the Western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt. They are regarded by many as the pioneers of drill-rap in Australia. Paving the way for the Australian Drill scene ...

*Pashley *Pivot * Ralston *Ronalane *Rosebeg *Royal *Roytal *Stornham *Thelma *Tothill *Vale *

Wild Horse The wild horse (''Equus ferus'') is a species of the genus ''Equus'', which includes as subspecies the modern domesticated horse (''Equus ferus caballus'') as well as the endangered Przewalski's horse (''Equus ferus przewalskii''). The Europea ...

*Wisdom *Woolchester

Climate

Cypress County has a

semiarid A semi-arid climate, semi-desert climate, or steppe climate is a dry climate sub-type. It is located on regions that receive precipitation below potential evapotranspiration, but not as low as a desert climate. There are different kinds of semi- ...

climate with cold, dry winters and warm to hot summers. The winter cold is occasionally tempered by mild and dry

chinook wind Chinook winds, or simply Chinooks, are two types of prevailing warm, generally westerly winds in western North America: Coastal Chinooks and interior Chinooks. The coastal Chinooks are persistent seasonal, wet, southwesterly winds blowing in from ...

s blowing from the west. Hot summer daytime temperatures are made tolerable by low humidity and rapid cooling in the evening hours. Maximum precipitation typically occurs in late spring and early summer.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by Statistics Canada, Cypress County had a population of 7,524 living in 2,658 of its 3,149 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 7,662. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Cypress County had a population of 7,662 living in 2,689 of its 3,222 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 7,214. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Economy

Agriculture and the oil and gas industry are the primary economic activities within the county. Agricultural sectors include ranching, wheat and oil seed crops, irrigated alfalfa and other specialty crops. Irrigation water is supplied by the St. Mary River Irrigation District (SMRID) and other smaller water co-operatives. Oil and gas production is extensive throughout the county. Natural gas is gathered through pipe networks and processed in gas production plants near

Attractions

* Bullshead Reservoir - Camping, Fishing * Cavan Lake Municipal Recreation Area - Camping, Boating, Fishing * Cypress Hills Provincial Park - Camping, Boating, Fishing, Golfing, Swimming, Hiking, Rodeo, Winter Carnival, Skiing (Water, Downhill, Cross Country) * Desert Blume Golf Club - Golfing * Golden Sheaf Municipal Recreation Area - Boating, Fishing, Water Skiing, Camping * Irvine Prairie Memories Museum - Local Historical Displays * Michelle Reservoir - Camping, Fishing, Boating * Murray Lake Reservoir - Fishing * Reesor Lake - Camping, Fishing, Boating, Hiking * Sandy Point Municipal Recreation Area - Camping, Fishing, Boating * Spruce Coulee Reservoir - Camping, Fishing, Boating *

Cypress County Welcome Centre Cypress is a common name for various coniferous trees or shrubs of northern temperate regions that belong to the family Cupressaceae. The word ''cypress'' is derived from Old French ''cipres'', which was imported from Latin ''cypressus'', the la ...

- Cypress County

Government

Municipal

Cypress County has a Municipal Council of 9 elected Councillors. Councillors are elected by the eligible electors (Cypress County residents) who vote for a candidate in their electoral ward. Municipal elections organized by Alberta Municipal Affairs are held on the 3rd Monday in October every four years. Each October, the Councillors elect the Reeve and Deputy Reeve. The Cypress County Council (elected in October 2017) consists of: *Councillor Alf Belyea *Councillor Darcy Geigle *Councillor Dan Hamilton *Councillor Shane Hok *Councillor Robin Kurpjuweit *Councillor Michelle McKenzie *Councillor Ernest Mudie *Reeve Richard Oster *Councillor Dustin Vossler

Provincial

Cypress County is served by the Provincial Electoral Division of

Cypress-Medicine Hat Cypress-Medicine Hat is a provincial electoral district in the southeast corner of Alberta. Under the Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution of 2004, the constituency covers the portion of Medicine Hat south of the South Saskatchewan River ...

and represented in the

Alberta Legislature The Legislature of Alberta is the unicameral legislature of the province of Alberta, Canada. The legislature is made of two elements: the Lieutenant Governor of Alberta,. and the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The legislature has existed s ...

by Independent MLA

Drew Barnes Drew Barnes (born May 21, 1961) is a Canadian politician who was elected in the 2012, 2015 and 2019 Alberta general elections to represent the electoral district of Cypress-Medicine Hat in the 28th, 29th and 30th Alberta Legislatures, respectiv ...

Federal

Cypress County is served by the Federal Electoral Division of

Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner (formerly Medicine Hat) is a federal electoral district in southern Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 1908. Following the 2012 federal electoral redistribution, ...

and represented in the House of Commons of Canada by Conservative MP

Glen Motz Glen Motz (born 1958) is a Canadian politician who was re-elected for his second term to the House of Commons of Canada in the 2019 Canadian federal election on October 21, 2019. Motz was first elected in a by-election on October 24, 2016 after ...

Military

Cypress County is home to

Canadian Forces Base Suffield Canadian Forces Base Suffield (also CFB Suffield) is a Canadian Forces base, host to the largest military training area in Canada. It is located in southeastern Alberta, north-northwest of Suffield, northwest of the city of Medicine Hat and so ...

. The base provides an extensive training area for both Canadian and British Armed Forces.

Defence Research and Development Canada Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC; french: Recherche et développement pour la défense Canada, ''RDDC'') is a special operating agency of the Department of National Defence (DND), whose purpose is to provide the Canadian Armed Force ...

facilities are located here as well. Fire Services Cypress County Fire Services serves the entirety of Cypress County, excluding the city of Medicine Hat. They are a municipal paid-on-call fire department with 140 firefighters who respond to a yearly average of 250 calls for service. They have 9 fire halls located in Dunmore, Elkwater, Hilda, Irvine, One Four, Schuler, Seven Persons, and Walsh.

Infrastructure

Transportation

;Highways The

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the Atlantic Ocean on ...

(1),

Crowsnest Highway The Crowsnest Highway is an east-west highway in British Columbia and Alberta, Canada. It stretches across the southern portions of both provinces, from Hope, British Columbia to Medicine Hat, Alberta, providing the shortest highway connection b ...

(3) and Highway 41 traverse Cypress County. The Trans-Canada enters the eastern part of the County near Walsh and travels west through

and on to Medicine Hat. From Medicine Hat the highway travels in a north westerly direction passing near Suffield and on to Calgary. Planning has begun to upgrade The Trans Canada to true freeway status. The Crowsnest highway enters the County near

and travels in a north westerly direction to Medicine Hat. Highway 41 begins at the U.S. border (Port of Wild Horse) and passes through the county in a northerly direction. Highway 41 intersects the Trans Canada Highway near Dunmore and continues on in a northerly direction until it exits the County near Sandy Point Recreational Area at the county's most northerly limits. ;Road network Cypress County has developed and maintains an extensive road network within its municipal jurisdiction. Paved, oiled and graveled roads total more than 2700 km in length. ;Rail The Canadian Pacific Railway Main Line traverses Cypress County. The line enters the eastern part of the County near Walsh and travels west through

and on to Medicine Hat. From Medicine Hat the line travels in a north westerly direction passing near Suffield and on to Calgary. A secondary line joins the main at Dunmore and travels in a south westerly direction passing near

and on to Lethbridge. Major switching yards are located in Dunmore. Several spur lines and side yards exist along the lines route to facilitate the handling of grain and other commodities.

Municipal services

Cypress County provides municipal services through various departments. Services include agricultural programs, road maintenance, bylaw enforcement, land use planning, development advice and approvals, fire protection, recreation, street lighting, waste collection, recycling, water and sewer, emergency services, and family and community support.

Education

Secondary schools

The Prairie Rose School Division #8 serves the needs of public school students. Schools within this district include

Eagle Butte High School Eagle Butte High School is a high school in Dunmore, Alberta established in 1996. It is a school with only one hallway, a single floor, and is built into a hill for better heating efficiency. It is part of Prairie Rose School Division No. 8. Hi ...

, Burdett School, Bow Island Elementary, Senator Gershaw School, Parkside School, I. F. Cox School, Margaret Wooding School, Irvine School, Schuler School, Oyen Public School, New Brigden School, Ralston School, Seven Persons School, Beyond Walls Alternative Outreach School and Elkwater Hutterite Colony and six other colony schools. The division office is located in Dunmore. The Medicine Hat Catholic Separate Regional School Division #20 serves the needs of Roman Catholic students. District schools located in Medicine Hat and Bow Island include McCoy High School, St. Mary's School, Notre-Dame Academy, St. Louis School, St. Francis Xavier School, St. Michael's School, Mother Teresa School and St. Patrick's School. Medicine Hat Catholic Separate Regional Division #20 (Official Site) The division office is located in Medicine Hat. Christian Education K-12 is provided by Cornerstone Christian School.

Post-secondary education

The

Medicine Hat College Medicine Hat College is a public, board governed, comprehensive college serving southeastern Alberta and southwestern Saskatchewan, Canada. The college is located in the city of Medicine Hat, Alberta, and was founded in 1965. Almost 2,500 studen ...

is a junior college located in Medicine Hat. The college offers university transfer programs, applied degrees and apprenticeship programs. Athletics include basketball, volleyball, and soccer.

References

External links

* {{Alberta, RM=yes Municipal districts in Alberta 1985 establishments in Alberta Populated places established in 1985