Balzac, Alberta

Superimpose| base =AB-towns-highways.png| base_width = 200px | base_caption = Location of Balzac in Alberta | float = Dot-yellow.svg| float_width = 10px | float_caption = Location of Balzac in Alberta | x = 88 | y = 204
Location of Balzac in Alberta
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Balzac is a hamlet in the southern portion of the Canadian province of Alberta, in the Municipal District of Rocky View. It is located immediately west of Queen Elizabeth II Highway, at the intersection with Highway 566, km to mi|24|abbr=yes north of Calgary city centre and km to mi|12|abbr=yes south of Airdrie.

As of July 31, 2007, Balzac is now located immediately adjacent to Calgary's newly expanded northern city limits. [City of Calgary. [http://content.calgary.ca/CCA/City+Hall/Business+Units/Development+and+Building+Approvals+and+Land+Use+Planning+and+Policy/Land+Use+Planning/Current+Studies+and+Ongoing+Activities/Annexation+Information/Annexation+Information.htm Annexation map] ] Balzac is also directly west of the Crossiron Mills shopping mall development, construction of which was underway as of early 2007.

History

A Canadian Pacific Railway station began operating at Balzac in 1910. It was named by William Cornelius Van Horne, then president of the Canadian Pacific Railway, after one of his favourite authors, Honoré de Balzac (1799-1850) a noted French novelist. The post office here was opened in April 1, 1912 under the name “Beddington” and was changed on July 1, 1925. Canadian Senator and senate reform advocate Bert Brown hails from Balzac.

Infrastructure

* Balzac General Store (with restaurant and gas station)
* Recent announcements include a horse racing facility, an equestrian college campus and the multi-million dollar Crossiron Mills regional shopping centre - scheduled to be the largest in the Calgary Region.
* The Balzac Mega Mall, which is currently being built. It is not supposed to be bigger than West Edmonton Mall, which is currently the biggest in Canada

Media

Due to its close proximity to both Calgary and Airdrie, Balzac receives most media (television, radio, newspapers) from those two cities.It is also mention and the T.V. network razor due to its odd sounding name.

References

External links

* [http://www.gov.mdrockyview.ab.ca/ Municipal District of Rocky View's official website]
*Rocky View. [http://www.thinkingrockyview.com/ Rocky View's Profile (2005 Community Profile of the Year)]
* [http://www.alberta-canada.com/westerntiger/ Calgary-Edmonton Corridor in Alberta]

Geographic Location (8-way)
Centre = Balzac
North = Airdrie
Northeast = Irricana
East = Rockyford
Southeast = Chestermere
South = Calgary
Southwest = Bearspaw
West = Cochrane
Northwest = Cremona