Turner Valley

Turner Valley is a town in the Calgary Region of Alberta, Canada within Foothills County. It is located on Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail),[5] 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.[6]

Turner Valley
Town
Town of Turner Valley
Looking south in Turner Valley
Turner Valley
Location of Turner Valley in Alberta
Coordinates: 50°40′26″N 114°16′43″W
Country Canada
Province Alberta
RegionCalgary Region
Census DivisionNo. 6
Municipal districtFoothills County
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageFebruary 23, 1930
 • TownSeptember 1, 1977
Government
 • MayorBarry Crane[2]
 • Governing bodyTurner Valley Town Council
Area
 (2016)[3]
 • Land5.79 km2 (2.24 sq mi)
Elevation1,215 m (3,986 ft)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • Total2,559
 • Density442.1/km2 (1,145/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC-7 (Mountain Standard)
Postal Code
T0L 2A0
Area code(s)+1-403
HighwaysHighway 7
Highway 22
Highway 546
WaterwaysSheep River
Websiteturnervalley.ca

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 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 (1,144.7/sq mi) in 2016.[3]

The population of the Town of Turner Valley according to its 2015 municipal census is 2,511,[7] a change of 24.2% from its 2008 municipal census population of 2,022.[8]

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Turner Valley had a population of 2,167 living in 888 of its 934 total dwellings, a change of 13.6% from its 2006 population of 1,908. With a land area of 5.45 km2 (2.10 sq mi), it had a population density of 397.6/km2 (1,029.8/sq mi) in 2011.[9]

Attractions

Kananaskis Country, approximately 25 km (16 mi) to the west, offers camping, hiking, cross-country skiing, horseback riding, fishing and bird watching.[10]

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 contacts such as 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.[11] 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.[12] 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.[13]

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. [14] 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

See also

Images
  • Looking west in Turner Valley
  • Welcome sign
  • Police station
  • Royal Canadian Legion building

References
  1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Turner Valley" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 7, 2016. p. 667. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. https://turnervalley.ca/councillor-bios/
  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. The Cowboy Trail
  6. Karamitsanis, A. ed. Place Names of Alberta Volume II, Southern Alberta. University of Calgary Press, Calgary, 1992. p. 122.
  7. "Census shows strong growth". Okotoks Western Wheel. Great West Newspapers LP. July 22, 2015. Retrieved August 1, 2015.
  8. "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. September 15, 2009. Retrieved September 11, 2015.
  9. "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.
  10. "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2006-05-04. Retrieved 2006-05-17.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
  11. underground.http://www.albertaoilmagazine.com/2010/09/a-legacy-of-homegrown-enterprise-defines-an-industry-cradle/
  12. "Turner Valley Gas Plant". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved August 20, 2019.
  13. http://www.albertaoilmagazine.com/2010/09/a-legacy-of-homegrown-enterprise-defines-an-industry-cradle/
  14. https://calgaryherald.com/business/Plans+commemorate+centennial+Turner+Valley+discovery/8378802/story.html
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