Beiseker, Alberta

Infobox Settlement
official_name = Village of Beiseker
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settlement_type = Village
motto = Crossroads to the Future


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dot_mapsize = 200px
dot_map_caption = Location of Beiseker in Alberta
dot_x = 97 |dot_y = 202
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subdivision_type = Country
subdivision_name = flag|Canada
subdivision_type1 = Province
subdivision_name1 = flag|Alberta
subdivision_type2 = Region
subdivision_name2 = Calgary Region
subdivision_type3 = Census division
subdivision_name3 = 6
subdivision_type4 = Municipal District
subdivision_name4 = Rocky View No. 44
government_footnotes = Cite web| url= http://www.beiseker.com/content/view/25/25/ | title= Mayor and Council | author= Village of Beiseker | accessdate= 2007-06-30]
government_type =
leader_title = Mayor
leader_name = Bruce Rowe
leader_title1 = Governing body
leader_name1 = Beiseker Village Council
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leader_title3 = MLA
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established_title = Founded
established_date = 1908
established_title2 = Incorporated
established_date2 = 1921
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area_land_km2 = 2.84
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population_as_of = 2006
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population_total = 804
population_density_km2 = 283.5
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timezone = MST
utc_offset = -7
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latd=51 |latm=23 |lats=13.1 |latNS=N
longd=113 |longm=31 |longs=58.5 |longEW=W
elevation_footnotes =
elevation_m = 915
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postal_code_type = Postal code span
postal_code = T0M 0G0
area_code =
blank_name = Highways
blank_info = Highway 9
Highway 72
Highway 806
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website = [http://www.beiseker.com Village of Beiseker Official Website]
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Beiseker is a village in the province of Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 70 kilometres (40 miles) north-east of
Calgary. It is considered to be an outermost part of Greater Calgary and is included within Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area (CMA). The village is surrounded by the Municipal District of Rocky View #44, and the closest neighbouring settlement is the town of Irricana.

The population in 2005 was 828.

History and Town Founding

Lying in a belt of rich black soil, Beiseker was developed as an agricultural service centre. It was founded by the Calgary Colonization Company whose purpose was to promote settlement by demonstrating the grain growing potential of the area. The Village name comes from Thomas Beiseker, one of the partners of the Company. Initial colonization took place in 1908 when the company recruited a number of ethnic German settlers from the Great Plains of the Dakotas. This is reflected in the number of German family names which predominate the area.

The Village began to grow in 1910 when the branch line of the CPR was completed. The CNR line was constructed in 1912 to the east of the Central Business district. With the construction and intersection of Highways 9, 72 and 806 at the northeast edge of the Village, Beiseker came to have a very favourable location in terms of road and rail access. Since it is located almost equidistant from Calgary and Drumheller, Beiseker began to emerge as a local service and trade centre for the surrounding rural agricultural area. Village status was achieved in 1921.

The surrounding area's great potential for grain-growing is shown by Beiseker's status as "World Wheat King Capital", or as a top producing area of wheat.

Recent History and Local Industry

Beiseker currently serves as a centre for local agricultural services including fertilizer, seed cleaning, and soil testing. There is also a local UFA outlet serving farmers in the area. Local industries also serve the oilpatch, and there are many sites extracting natural gas in the immediate area surrounding Beiseker, as well as several major pipelines.

Beiseker also has a number of small businesses on its main street offering a variety of services, including a local credit union, grocery store, pharmacist and hair dressers, as well as several small restaurants. An elementary and high school is located in the village, and Beiseker Community School is part of the Rocky View School Division [ [http://www.rockyview.ab.ca/beiseker/ Beiseker Community School web site] ] .

The Canadian office of Lampson International, a large international company specializing in construction cranes, is based in Beiseker. There is also a biomedical incinerator based in Beiseker, which handles waste from hospitals in the Province and abroad.

The village is also home to Baptist, Catholic and Anglican congregations. As Beiseker is at the intersection of three Provincial highways, it is a popular stop for campers and other travellers coming to and from Saskatoon and Drumheller. There is also a small airport which serves the community, located a few miles east of town.

Beiseker has also grown in recent years with people moving away from the city of Calgary, and are attracted by the lower housing prices in the village and the "small town" atmosphere offered by the community.

Well known residents

"William Samuel McGee" (b 1868, Lindsay, Ontario - d 1940, Beiseker) lived for several years on a farm with his wife and daughter just outside of Beiseker and is buried in the area. His name was to be the inspiration for the poem The Cremation of Sam McGee by Robert W. Service. [Up Here magazine. [http://www.uphere.ca/this-month/magazineDetail.aspx?Cat=Feature&ID=100 My Search for Sam McGee by Randy Freeman] ]

Demographics

In 2006, Beiseker had a population of 804 living in 318 dwellings, a -4.1% increase from 2001. The Village has an area of km2 to mi2|2.84|abbr=yes|wiki=yes and a population density of 283.5 inhabitants per square kilometer.Cite web| url= http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/profiles/community/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4806024&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=Beiseker&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&GeoLevel=&GeoCode=4806024 | title= Beiseker - Community Statistics | author= Statistics Canada| authorlink= Statistics Canada| year= Census 2006 | accessdate= 2007-06-05]

References

External links

* [http://www.beiseker.com Village of Beiseker] - Official Website
* Big Things. [http://www.bigthings.ca/alberta/beiseker.html Squirt the Skunk, Beiseker's mascot]

Geographic Location (8-way)
Centre = Beiseker
North =

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