Claresholm is a town located within

southern Alberta Southern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. In 2016, the region's population was approximately 291,112. The primary cities are Lethbridge and Medicine Hat. The region is known mostly for agricultural production, but o ...

, Canada. It is located on Highway 2, approximately northwest of the City of

Lethbridge Lethbridge ( ) is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. With a population of 106,550 in the 2023 Alberta municipal censuses, 2023 municipal census, Lethbridge became the fourth Alberta city to surpass 100,000 people. The nearby Canadian ...

and south of the City of

Calgary Calgary () is a major city in the Canadian province of Alberta. As of 2021, the city proper had a population of 1,306,784 and a metropolitan population of 1,481,806 making it the third-largest city and fifth-largest metropolitan area in C ...

History

The location was originally a watering stop for steam engines on the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway () , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadian Pacific Kansas City, Canadian Pacific Ka ...

line along the Old Macleod Trail, Macleod Trail when the trains first arrived in the area in 1891. The first settlers arrived in 1902, and the village was established in 1903. Claresholm was incorporated as a town in 1905, the year Alberta became a Provinces and territories of Canada, province. The community was named after Clare Niblock (1856-1942), a pioneer citizen. In 1913, Alberta established a demonstration farm and School of Agriculture at Claresholm. The first hospital in Claresholm opened in 1921 and was replaced by the current hospital in 1939. Royal Canadian Air Force RCAF Station Claresholm, Station Claresholm was established near the town in 1941 to train pilots for service in World War II. It first opened on June 9, 1941 as a British Commonwealth Air Training Plan base. No. 15 Service Flying Training School operated at the base from its opening until March 1945. In 1951, the base was used to train pilots for the Korean War and operated as No. 3 Flying Training School. It also trained NATO pilots. The base closed in 1958 and the hangars were converted to industrial use. A portion of the former base operates as Claresholm Industrial Airport. Among the artifacts in the Claresholm Museum from the air base is a Link Trainer. One of the The Famous Five (Canada), Famous Five involved in the Persons Case, Louise McKinney, lived in Claresholm and was elected as the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for the area in the Alberta general election, 1917, 1917 provincial election. The Claresholm highway massacre took place just north of Claresholm on Alberta Highway 2 on December 15, 2011. The suspect killed three people then turned the gun on himself in a murder–suicide.

Geography

Climate

Claresholm experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification ''Dfb''). During winter, Chinook winds have been known to move temperatures from well below freezing to well above in a matter of hours.

Demographics

In the 2021 Canadian census, 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Claresholm had a population of 3,804 living in 1,709 of its 1,826 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 3,790. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the Canada 2016 Census, 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Claresholm recorded a population of 3,780 living in 1,644 of its 1,742 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 3,758. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

References

External links