Turner Valley facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Turner Valley
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Town
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| Town of Turner Valley | |
Looking south in Turner Valley
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 Turner Valley
Location in Alberta
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| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Calgary Region |
| Census Division | No. 6 |
| Municipal district | Foothills County |
| Incorporated | |
| • Village | February 23, 1930 |
| • Town | September 1, 1977 |
| Area
(2021)
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| • Land | 5.75 km2 (2.22 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 1,215 m (3,986 ft) |
| Population
(2021)
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| • Total | 2,611 |
| • Density | 453.7/km2 (1,175/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (Mountain Standard) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal Code |
T0L 2A0
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| Area code(s) | 403, 587, 825, 368 |
| Highways | Highway 7 Highway 22 Highway 546 |
| Waterways | Sheep River |
Turner Valley is a town in the Calgary Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Foothills County. It is on Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail), 3 km (1.9 mi) west of Black Diamond and approximately 60 km (37 mi) southwest of Calgary. It was named after Robert and John Turner who settled in the area in 1886.
The town was once the centre of an oil and natural gas boom. For 30 years, the Turner Valley oilfields were a major supplier of oil and gas and the largest producer in the British Empire.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Turner Valley recorded a population of 2,611 living in 1,073 of its 1,133 total private dwellings, a change of 2% from its 2016 population of 2,559. With a land area of 5.75 km2 (2.22 sq mi), it had a population density of 454.1/km2 (1,176/sq mi) in 2021.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Turner Valley recorded a population of 2,559 living in 1,019 of its 1,066 total private dwellings, a change of 18.1% from its 2011 population of 2,167. With a land area of 5.79 km2 (2.24 sq mi), it had a population density of 442.0/km2 (1,145/sq mi) in 2016.
The population of the Town of Turner Valley according to its 2015 municipal census is 2,511, a change of 24.2% from its 2008 municipal census population of 2,022.
Attractions
Kananaskis Country, approximately 25 km (16 mi) to the west, offers camping, hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, fishing and bird watching.
Recreation venues include the 18-hole semi-private Turner Valley Golf and Country Club, outdoor Dr. Lander Memorial Pool, an outdoor rink and skateboard park, and Friendship Trail, 3 km (1.9 mi) paved link to nearby Black Diamond.
History
W. Stewart Herron, a rancher from nearby Okotoks, gathered investors from local luminaries such as Senator James Lougheed, R.B. Bennett and A.E. Cross. Herron himself lacked the technical expertise to drill Turner Valley's fossil-fuel that was some 800 meters underground. Herron recruited drilling expert Archibald Dingman, a 19th-century American veteran from Pennsylvania.
On May 14, 1914, A.W. Dingman struck wet natural gas - which produced gasoline. However, in 1920, the main buildings burned to the ground. Herron's group could not afford to rebuild and operate the site. Imperial Oil bought Calgary Petroleum Products, created a subsidiary - Royalite Oil Co. - and rebuilt the plant.
The plant ceased operations in 1985 and with the encouragement of a local group, the Turner Valley Oilfield Society, and the most recent owner of the gas plant, the Alberta provincial government accepted the site as part of its group of historic sites. Since that time the Culture department of the Alberta government has been at work on the Turner Valley Gas Plant, primarily stabilizing the facility and removing or mitigating the contaminants on the site. In 2014 Alberta Culture held a celebration on May 14, 2014, on the day of the centennial of the discovery of oil on the site. More than 2000 people attended this full day of events. It is estimated that, along with the $20 million spent on restoring the site, an additional $20 million will be needed to help get the site operational.
Education
Students in kindergarten through grade 6 attend Turner Valley Elementary School. Junior and senior high school students attend Oilfields High School in Black Diamond.
Notable people
- Laureen Harper, wife of former Prime Minister Stephen Harper
- Dwight Lodeweges, former professional soccer player
- Stanley A. Milner, Canadian businessman and former politician
Images for kids
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Turner Valley, 1932
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Looking west in Turner Valley
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Welcome sign
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Police station
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Royal Canadian Legion building
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