Three Hills

Three Hills is a town located in the southern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. It takes its name from the three highly visible hills that are situated to its north.

For the historic house in the United States, see Three Hills (Warm Springs, Virginia).
Three Hills
Town
Town of Three Hills
Three Hills Health Centre
Three Hills
Location of Three Hills in Alberta
Coordinates: 51°42′26″N 113°15′53″W
Country Canada
Province Alberta
RegionCentral Alberta
Census division5
Municipal districtKneehill County
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageJune 14, 1912
 • TownJanuary 1, 1929
Government
 • MayorTimothy J. Shearlaw
 • Governing bodyThree Hills Town Council
Area
 (2016)[3]
 • Land6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi)
Elevation896 m (2,940 ft)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • Total3,212
 • Density475.7/km2 (1,232/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-7 (MST)
Postal Codes
T0M 2A0 & T0M 2N0
HighwaysHighway 21
Highway 583
WaterwayThreehills Creek
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Three Hills post office dates from 1904.[5] Three Hills was incorporated as a village in 1912, the year it was moved to its current location on the Canadian Northern Railway. With ranchers and farmers constituting its first residents, it soon became a centre for the surrounding wheat-growing area.

In 1922, Prairie College[6][7] (originally founded as Prairie Bible Institute) was established in Three Hills with L. E. Maxwell as its first principal. This occurrence helped to increase the population of the town proper and its adjacent settlements. By the mid 1980s, the 130-acre (0.53 km2) College campus and the nearby hamlets of Grantville[8][9] and Ruarkville[10][11] were annexed to the town.

Although a relatively small community, Three Hills had the distinction of hosting the Alberta Seniors Games in the summer of 1998.[12] The town was chosen to host this event because of its ability to utilize large and well equipped facilities at Prairie College. This included the opening and closing ceremonies which took place in Prairie's 4,200 seat Maxwell Memorial Tabernacle.

The Maxwell Tabernacle was Canada's largest religious auditorium before it was decommissioned and demolished in 2005. It operated from 1954 to 2005 as a meeting place for the college's chapel services, concerts and conferences, as a worship centre for a local church, and the convocation auditorium for Prairie College, Prairie Christian Academy and the Three Hills High School.

Because of development regarding the nearby methane fields, the food and lodging industries in Three Hills have grown considerably over the past few years.

Demographics

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Three Hills recorded a population of 3,212 living in 1,232 of its 1,306 total private dwellings, a 0.4% change from its 2011 population of 3,198. With a land area of 6.75 km2 (2.61 sq mi), it had a population density of 475.9/km2 (1,232.5/sq mi) in 2016.[3]

The Town of Three Hills' 2012 municipal census counted a population of 3,230,[13] a 2.8% decrease from its 2008 municipal census population of 3,322.[14]

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Three Hills had a population of 3,198 living in 1,178 of its 1,257 total dwellings, a 3.5% change from its 2006 population of 3,089. With a land area of 5.63 km2 (2.17 sq mi), it had a population density of 568.0/km2 (1,471.2/sq mi) in 2011.[15]

Attractions

Three Hills offers much to its community, including Three Hills Municipal Library, Aquatic Centre, Centennial Place hockey arena, curling rink, campground, Three Hills Golf Club, and the Kneehill Historical Museum. [16]

Since 1981, Three Hills has hosted an annual weekend in early June for auto enthusiasts called Cruise Night. The event typically attracts more than 8,000 visitors, along with their classic cars, trucks, motorcycles, and hot rods. This weekend is the largest of its kind in all of Western Canada.[17]

Media
  • The Capital – weekly newspaper[18]

Notable people
  • Phil Callaway, humorist, speaker, and award-winning author of 25 books[19]
  • Erica Durance, actress known for her roles as Lois Lane (in Smallville) and Dr. Alex Reid (in Saving Hope)[20][21]
  • Paul Janz, musician and theologian
  • Josh Pelland, competitive para-cyclist.[22] In 2016, Josh was selected to participate in an exoskeleton research project at the Foothills Medical Centre in Calgary.[23]
  • Bill Peters, NHL coach[24]Bibliography

See also

References
  1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Three Hills" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 7, 2016. p. 646. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  3. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  4. "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  5. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 33. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  6. Prairie Bible College
  7. ChristianWeek (5 May 2015). "Prairie College on mission with a simpler name". ChristianWeek. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  8. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 16267)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 1983-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  9. "O.C. 483/83" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 1983-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  10. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 17120)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 1985-01-31. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  11. "O.C. 942/84" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 1985-01-31. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  12. Alberta Games Website
  13. "Cindy Amos visits Three Hills Town Council". Three Hills Capital. Three Hills Capital. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  14. "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  15. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  16. "Town of Three Hills Living". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  17. "Three Hills Cruise Weekend". Festival Seekers. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  18. The Capital
  19. "Phil's Bio". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  20. "Erica Durance". IMDB. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  21. Abrams, N. (7 July 2017). "Supergirl adds Smallville's Erica Durance in major recast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  22. Alford, G. (6 September 2018). "Para-Cyclist Joshua Pelland prepares for endurance marathon". The Capital. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  23. Lawrynuik, S. (30 October 2016). "Paralyzed Alberta climbers walk with exoskeleton in Foothills hospital research study". CBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  24. "Carolina Hurricanes' Bio on Bill Peters".
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