Cardston is a town in

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 T ...

, Canada. It was first settled in 1887 by members of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) who travelled from

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to present-day Alberta in one of the century's last wagon migrations. The founder of the town was

Charles Ora Card __NOTOC__ Charles Ora Card (November 5, 1839 – September 9, 1906) was the American founder of Cardston, Alberta, the first Mormon settlement in Canada. He has been referred to as "Canada's Brigham Young". Richard E. Bennett"Canada: From Struggl ...

. The combined church and school was completed by January 29 the year following their arrival.

History

Cardston has been "dry" ( alcohol free) since at least the 1915 Alberta Liquor plebiscite, and there are no licensed premises in which to use video lottery terminals. In 1951, 75% of Cardston's 3500 residents were members of the LDS Church. It remains at about 80%, as of 2014. On August 15, 2019, the town was granted a

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

by the Canadian Heraldic Authority.

Geography

Cardston is situated in the foothills of southwest Alberta, approximately north from the

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

state of

Montana Montana () is a state in the Mountain West division of the Western United States. It is bordered by Idaho to the west, North Dakota and South Dakota to the east, Wyoming to the south, and the Canadian provinces of Alberta, British Columb ...

. On its north side, it borders the Kainai Nation (Blood Tribe)

Reserve Reserve or reserves may refer to: Places * Reserve, Kansas, a US city * Reserve, Louisiana, a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish * Reserve, Montana, a census-designated place in Sheridan County * Reserve, New Mexico, a US ...

, one of the largest reserves in North America. to the west of Cardston are the

Rocky Mountains The Rocky Mountains, also known as the Rockies, are a major mountain range and the largest mountain system in North America. The Rocky Mountains stretch in straight-line distance from the northernmost part of western Canada, to New Mexico ...

Waterton Lakes National Park Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park located in the southwest corner of Alberta, Canada. It borders Glacier National Park in Montana, United States. Waterton was the fourth Canadian national park, formed in 1895 and named after Waterto ...

. Cardston is southwest of

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 101,482 in its 2019 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian Rocky Mountains contribute to t ...

and south of

Calgary Calgary ( ) is the largest city in the western Canadian province of Alberta and the largest metro area of the three Prairie Provinces. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806, maki ...

Climate

Cardston experiences a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Dfb''). Along with the rest of

southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2004, the region's population was approximately 272,017.chinooks, which often bring temperatures in mid-winter well above . This same pattern results in more than 200 days of wind a year. Weather records: * Hottest Temperature: on 23 July 2007 * Coldest Temperature: on 28 January 1929 * Most Rain In One Day: on 6 June 1995 * Most Snow In One Day: on 4 May 1919 * Deepest Snow Cover: on 29 April 1967

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, the Town of Cardston had a population of 3,724 living in 1,261 of its 1,335 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,585. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Cardston recorded a population of 3,585 living in 1,175 of its 1,270 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 3,580. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. ''Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census (numbers may not add up due to rounding)'' ''Source: Statistics Canada 1996 & 2001 Census''

Economy

Primary industries are education, health care, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and tourism. Cardston is one of the few communities in Canada where alcohol cannot be sold or purchased.

Attractions

Cardston has a soccer park, ball parks, a golf course, an ice skating rink, a swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking trails, a skateboard park, several recreation parks, picnic areas and playgrounds. St. Mary's Dam reservoir northeast of Cardston supports water sports in the summer months. The Cardston Alberta Temple was constructed by

Latter-day Saint Mormons are a religious and cultural group related to Mormonism, the principal branch of the Latter Day Saint movement started by Joseph Smith in upstate New York during the 1820s. After Smith's death in 1844, the movement split into sev ...

pioneers from 1913-1923, and was the first temple constructed by the Church outside of the United States. It remained the only temple in Canada until the

Toronto Ontario Temple The Toronto Ontario Temple is the 44th operating temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was the second temple to be dedicated in Canada (after the Cardston Alberta Temple), making it the first country in the wo ...

was built in 1990. The Remington Carriage Museum is the largest collection of

horse-drawn vehicle A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load. They were once common worldwide, but they have m ...

s in North America, with more than 250 carriages, wagons and sleighs. The facility features video displays, a fire hall, carriage factory, restoration shop, working stable, carriage rides, carriage rentals, a restaurant, guided tours, and a gift shop. The Carriage House Theatre was constructed in 1912, and underwent renovations in 1937 and 1992. It seats 350 and hosts films, community theatre and professional summer theatre. The Card Pioneer Home was built by Cardston's founder Charles Ora Card in 1887, and served as a community centre and stopping place for travellers until the first hotel was built in 1894. The log structure stands in its original location and is open for public visits. It is as a registered provincial historic site. The Courthouse Museum is a sandstone structure built in 1907 from stone quarried near Cardston. It was used longer than any other courthouse in Alberta. The building displays the judge's bench, witness box, and jail cells. It is a registered provincial historic site.

Education

Schools include the Cardston High School, the Cardston Jr. High School (formerly Eastridge Elementary School), and Cardston Elementary School which are all under the Westwind School Division. Former schools include Leeside (grades 1 and 2 - torn down in the late 1980s to make way for the Remington-Alberta Carriage Centre) and Westside. The building that housed many of the junior high facilities, E.J. Wood School (including the gymnasium near the current high school), Parkland School, and John S. Smith Schools were torn down in 1993 as the junior high moved to the former Eastridge building. The Cardston High School underwent extensive renovations in the early 2000s, including an expansion to its gymnasium, much-improved fitness and weight room facilities, wider hallways, and a new cafeteria.

Media

The ''Cardston News'' was first published in 1924, and was a weekly until 1925. During 1924–1925, the newspaper was edited and published by Fred Burton. It was later taken over by D.O. Wight, editor and managing director from September 17, 1925 until June 9, 1936. Fred Burton took over as publisher on June 16, 1936. The ''Cardston News'' was taken over by Gordon F. West On May 7, 1964. The ''Cardston Record'' began publication on August 6, 1898, and was published weekly until September 1901.

Notable people

* Victor L. Brown, world leader in the LDS Church * Ben Cahoon, CFL slotback who won three

Grey Cup The Grey Cup (french: Coupe Grey) is both the championship game of the Canadian Football League (CFL) and the trophy awarded to the victorious team playing in the namesake championship of professional Canadian football. The game is contested be ...

championships with the

Montreal Alouettes The Montreal Alouettes ( French: Les Alouettes de Montréal) are a professional Canadian football team based in Montreal, Quebec. Founded in 1946, the team has folded and been revived twice. The Alouettes compete in the East Division of the Cana ...

. * Grant Hunter, UCP MLA for

Taber-Warner Taber-Warner is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is mandated to return a single member to the for the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. The district has existed twice: the first iteration was represented in the As ...

* Elaine L. Jack, world leader in the LDS Church * Merlin R. Lybbert, world leader in the LDS Church * Shawna Molcak, basketball player who played for Canada in the

1996 Summer Olympics The 1996 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XXVI Olympiad, also known as Atlanta 1996 and commonly referred to as the Centennial Olympic Games) were an international multi-sport event held from July 19 to August 4, 1996, in Atlanta, ...

* Grant Strate, dancer and choreographer * Edward J. Wood, leader in the LDS Church * George Woolf, jockey *

Fay Wray Vina Fay Wray (September 15, 1907 – August 8, 2004) was a Canadian/American actress best known for starring as Ann Darrow in the 1933 film ''King Kong''. Through an acting career that spanned nearly six decades, Wray attained international r ...

, ''King Kong'' actressWilliam Addams Reitwiesner
Ancestry of Fay Wray
accessed 2007-12-17.

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1887 establishments in the Northwest Territories Cardston County Latter-day Saint settlements in Canada Towns in Alberta 1887 establishments in Alberta