The area was inhabited by First Nations including the Blackfoot, Plains Cree and Stoney before the arrival of European fur traders in the late eighteenth century.[12] A First Nations trail ran from the Montana Territory across the Bow River near present-day Calgary and on to Fort Edmonton, later known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. The trail crossed the Red Deer River at a wide, stony shallows. The "Old Red Deer Crossing" is 7 kilometres (4.3 mi) upstream from the present-day city.
Cree people called the river Waskasoo Seepee, which means "Elk River." European arrivals sometimes called North American elk "red deer," after the related Eurasian species, and later named the community after the river. The name for the modern city in Plains Cree is a calque of the English name (mihkwâpisimosos, literally "red type of deer"), while the name of the river itself is still wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy or "elk river."
Elk deer in Jasper National Park near Maligne Canyon.
First Nations on the north side of the river entered into Treaty 6 in 1876 and on the south side Treaty 7 in 1877. Farmers and ranchers began to settle on the fertile lands.
Leonard Gaetz gave a half-share of 1,240 acres (5.0 km2) he had acquired to the Calgary and Edmonton Railway to develop a bridge over the river and a townsite. As a result, the Crossing was gradually abandoned. The first trains arrived in 1891.
1900 to 1929
Following World War I, Red Deer emerged as a small, quiet, but prosperous, prairie city.
Bird watcher Elsie Cassels helped to establish the Gaetz Lakes bird sanctuary.[13]
1930 to 1945
During Great Depression of the 1930s, Central Alberta was not hit by severe drought. The city was virtually debt-free and profited from its ownership of the local public utilities.
Red Deer is Alberta's third largest city, with a slightly higher population than Lethbridge.
Geography
Climate
Red Deer has a humid continental climate (KöppenDfb), with something of a semi-arid influence due to the city's location within Palliser's Triangle. The highest temperature ever recorded in Red Deer was 37.2 °C (99 °F) on 8 July 1906,[17] 2 July 1924,[18] and 28 & 29 June 1937.[19] The lowest recorded temperature was −50.6 °C (−59 °F) on 17 December 1924.[20] The city lies in the 4a plant hardiness zone.[21] Summers are typically warm and rainy with cool nights. Winters are typically long, cold, and very dry.
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Red Deer had a population of 100,844 living in 40,512 of its 43,404 total private dwellings, a change of 0.4% from its 2016 population of 100,418. With a land area of 104.34 km2 (40.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 966.5/km2 (2,503.2/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
The Red Deer census agglomeration (CA) was promoted to a census metropolitan area (CMA) in the 2021 Census, becoming the fourth CMA in Alberta (joining Calgary, Edmonton and Lethbridge).[26] As of 2021, the Red Deer CMA is coincident with the City of Red Deer, thus it similarly had a population of 100,844 living in 40,512 of its 43,404 total private dwellings, a change of 0.4% from its 2016 population (when the CA was also coincident with the city) of 100,418. With a land area of 104.34 km2 (40.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 966.5/km2 (2,503.2/sq mi) in 2021.[8]
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Red Deer (and coincident Red Deer CA) had a population of 100,418 living in 39,982 of its 42,285 total private dwellings, a change of 10.9% from its 2011 population of 90,564. With a land area of 104.73 km2 (40.44 sq mi), it had a population density of 958.8/km2 (2,483.4/sq mi) in 2016.[28]
Ethnicity
According to the 2016 census, 15.2% of the general population identified as visible minority (non-aboriginal), an increase of 55.9% over the previous five years.[29] A separate 7.1% reported North American Aboriginal Origins (4.2% First Nations and 3.1% Métis).[30]
Panethnic groups in the City of Red Deer (2001–2021)
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses.
Arts and culture
Red Deer hosts many arts and cultural groups, including: Central Alberta Theatre, Ignition Theatre, Red Deer Players Society, Bull Skit Comedy troupe, Central Music Festival, the Red Deer Symphony Orchestra, the Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery, the Red Deer Royals and other performing arts and fine arts organizations. The Red Deer Arts Council[36] is a member-based Multi-disciplinary Arts Service Organization and registered charity that serves the local and area community of visual, literary and performing artists.
The Centrium hosts sports events, concerts, trade shows and conventions. It is the home of the WHL's Red Deer Rebels.
Collicutt Centre
The Collicutt Centre is a 23,000 m2 (250,000 sq ft) recreation centre that includes a leisure pool, water park, climbing and bouldering walls, field house, ice arena, gymnastics, meeting and dance rooms, a walking / running track, and carpet turf facilities. It also has child care facilities and several small businesses.[37]
G.H. Dawe Community Centre
The 12,000 m2 (130,000 sq ft) G.H. Dawe Community Centre is shared by G.H. Dawe Community School, the G.H. Dawe Branch of the Red Deer Public Library, G.H. Dawe Centre Recreation Facility and St. Patrick's School.[38]
Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre
The Greater Red Deer Visitor Centre is adjacent to the Queen Elizabeth II Highway (Highway 2) and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame.[39]
Recreation Centre
The Recreation Centre, located downtown, has indoor and outdoor pools, steam rooms and hot tubs among other features.[40]
Red Deer Museum + Art Gallery
The Red Deer Museum has a permanent exhibit detailing the history of the region, and temporary exhibits that change every few months. It is also the venue of multiple educational programs for both adults and children.[41]
Waskasoo Park
Waskasoo Park meanders through Red Deer from its outskirts in the southwest, through the heart of the city, to its outskirts in the northeast along the Red Deer River. It includes over 80 kilometres (50 miles) of multi-use trails for biking, rollerblading, horseback riding, snowshoeing, cross-country skiing and walking. The park is one of the reasons Red Deer is known as "Park City."[42]
Westerner Exposition Grounds
The Westerner Exposition Grounds hosts events such as Agricon and Westerner Days. Held in early July, Westerner Days includes a rodeo, pony chuck-wagon racing, a fair, exhibitions and other events.[43]
Red Deer receives its drinking water supply from the Red Deer River which is treated and distributed throughout the city.[50] One distinct feature of the water distribution system is the Horton Water Spheroid which, at the time of its construction in 1957, was the world's largest spheroid shaped reservoir.[51]
Water from the Red Deer water treatment plant is distributed to neighbouring communities including Red Deer County, Lacombe, Blackfalds and Ponoka as managed by the North Red Deer Regional Water Services Commission.[52][53]
Education
Post-secondary
Red Deer Polytechnic (RDP), formerly Red Deer College, was founded in 1964 as Red Deer Junior College. RDP offers certificates, diplomas, advanced certificates, applied degrees, bachelor's degrees, academic upgrading and apprenticeship in over 75 different career and academic programs, including the creative and liberal arts, engineering, and trades.
Secondary
Three school authorities operate in Red Deer.
Founded in 1887, the Red Deer Public School District[54] serves 10,000 students in thirty schools. Offering a wide range of programming, including French Immersion from K-12, the district hosts international students from around the world. They operate Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School and Hunting Hills High School.
Founded in 1909, when the Daughters of Wisdom, a religious order from France, accepted the challenge of the Tinchebray Fathers, also from France, to offer Catholic schooling in Red Deer, Red Deer Catholic Regional Schools (RDCRS)[55] welcomes over 10,000 students in six Central Alberta communities, including Red Deer.[56] They operate École Secondaire Notre Dame High School and St. Joseph's High School.
Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2's school École La Prairie is a French school near downtown Red Deer that offers pre-kindergarten through grade 9 programs. It offers all courses in French to a population of 119 students[57] whose first language is French.
Public schools
Elementary
Annie L. Gaetz Elementary (K–5)
Aspen Heights Elementary (K–5)
Barrie Wilson Elementary School (K–5)
Don Campbell Elementary (K-5)
Fairview Elementary (K–5)
G.W. Smith Elementary (K–5)
Gateway Christian School (K–5)
G.H. Dawe Community School (K–8)
Glendale School (PreK–8)
Grandview Elementary (K–5)
Joseph Welsh Elementary (K–5)
Mattie McCullough Elementary (K–5)
Mountview Elementary (K–5)
Normandeau School (K–8)
Oriole Park Elementary (K–5)
Pines School (K–5)
West Park Elementary (K–5)
Middle school
Central Middle School (6–8)
Eastview Middle School (6–8)
G.H. Dawe Community School (K–8)
Gateway Christian School (6–8)
Glendale School (PreK–8)
Normandeau School (K–8)
West Park Middle School (6–8)
Secondary/high school
École Secondaire Lindsay Thurber Comprehensive High School (9–12)
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