Three Hills

Three Hills is a town in southern Alberta, Canada. It takes its name from the three somewhat-larger-than-normal hills to its north.

Not to be confused with Two Hills, Alberta or Two Hills County No. 21.
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 Health Centre
Three Hills is located in Alberta
Three Hills
Three Hills
Location of Three Hills in Alberta
Coordinates: 51°42′26″N 113°15′53″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionCentral Alberta
Census division5
Municipal districtKneehill County
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageJune 14, 1912
 • TownJanuary 1, 1929
Government
[2]
 • MayorRaymond Wildeman
 • Governing bodyThree Hills Town Council
Area
 (2021)[3]
 • Land6.74 km2 (2.60 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
896 m (2,940 ft)
Population
 (2021)[3][5]
 • Total3,042
 • Density451.2/km2 (1,169/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal Codes
T0M 2A0 & T0M 2N0
HighwaysHighway 21
Highway 583
WaterwayThreehills Creek
WebsiteOfficial website

History

Three Hills post office dates from 1904.[6] Three Hills was incorporated as a village in 1912, the year it was moved to its current location on the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway line running between Tofield and Calgary. With ranchers and farmers constituting its first residents, it soon became a centre for the surrounding wheat-growing area.

In 1922, Prairie Bible Institute[7][8] (now named Prairie College) 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 0.53 km2 (130-acre) college campus and the nearby hamlets of Grantville[9][10] and Ruarkville[11][12] were annexed to the town.

Although a relatively small community, Three Hills hosted the Alberta Seniors Games in the summer of 1998.[13] 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.

Canada’s largest religious auditorium, the Maxwell Tabernacle operated from 1953 until it was decommissioned and demolished in 2005. It was the college chapel and hosted Christian concerts and Bible conferences and was the worship centre for a local church, the Prairie Tabernacle Congregation. This facility was also used as the convocation auditorium for Prairie College, Prairie Christian Academy and the Three Hills High School. With the construction of a new 1,600-square-metre (17,000 sq ft) facility, opened in 2020, the Prairie Tabernacle now stands adjacent to Prairie Christian Academy about five blocks east of the college campus.

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

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Three Hills had a population of 3,042 living in 1,168 of its 1,242 total private dwellings, a change of -5.3% from its 2016 population of 3,212. With a land area of 6.74 km2 (2.60 sq mi), it had a population density of 451.3/km2 (1,169.0/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

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.[14]

The Town of Three Hills' 2012 municipal census counted a population of 3,230,[15] a 2.8% decrease from its 2008 municipal census population of 3,322.[16]

Attractions

Three Hills offers much to its community, including the Three Hills Municipal Library, Aquatic Centre, Centennial Place hockey arena, curling rink, campground, Three Hills Golf Club, and the Kneehill Historical Museum.[17]

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.[18]

Media
  • The Capital – weekly newspaper[19]

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

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. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  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. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 33. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  7. Prairie Bible College
  8. ChristianWeek (5 May 2015). "Prairie College on mission with a simpler name". ChristianWeek. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  9. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 16267)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 1983-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  10. "O.C. 483/83" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 1983-10-15. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  11. "The Alberta Gazette (Town of Three Hills: Order No. 17120)" (PDF). Local Authorities Board. 1985-01-31. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  12. "O.C. 942/84" (PDF). Province of Alberta. 1985-01-31. Retrieved 2012-11-20.
  13. Alberta Games Website
  14. "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.
  15. "Cindy Amos visits Three Hills Town Council". Three Hills Capital. 2012-06-27. Retrieved 2012-07-14.
  16. "Alberta 2009 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2009-09-15. Retrieved 2010-09-14.
  17. "Town of Three Hills Living". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  18. "Three Hills Cruise Weekend". Festival Seekers. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  19. The Capital
  20. "Phil's Bio". Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  21. "Erica Durance". IMDB. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  22. Abrams, N. (7 July 2017). "Supergirl adds Smallville's Erica Durance in major recast". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  23. Alford, G. (6 September 2018). "Para-Cyclist Joshua Pelland prepares for endurance marathon". The Capital. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  24. Lawrynuik, S. (30 October 2016). "Paralyzed Alberta climbers walk with exoskeleton in Foothills hospital research study". CBC News. Retrieved 29 September 2018.
  25. "Carolina Hurricanes' Bio on Bill Peters".
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