Sundre

Sundre is a town in central Alberta, Canada that is surrounded by Mountain View County. It is approximately 100 km (62 mi) northwest of Calgary on the Cowboy Trail in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies.

Sundre takes its name from a town in Norway, the original home of Nels T. Hagen, the town's first postmaster.

History

Sundre's first postmaster, Nels T. Hagen, arrived in 1906. Sundre incorporated as a village in 1950 and then as a town in 1956.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Sundre had a population of 2,672 living in 1,187 of its 1,270 total private dwellings, a change of -2.1% from its 2016 population of 2,729. With a land area of 10.84 km² (4.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 246.5/km² (638.4/sq mi) in 2021.

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Sundre recorded a population of 2,729 living in 1,188 of its 1,256 total private dwellings, a 4.6% change from its 2011 population of 2,610. With a land area of 11.11 km² (4.29 sq mi), it had a population density of 245.6/km² (636.2/sq mi) in 2016.

The Town of Sundre's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 2,695.

Economy

Main industries in the area are petroleum production, forestry, agriculture, and ranching. The combined service, hospitality and tourism sector constitutes a major employment base within the community, as well. With two public schools, a public hospital, a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment, three municipalities in close proximity (Town of Sundre, Mountain View County, and Clearwater County), the public sector also represents a substantial employment area.

Arts and culture

Cultural venues within Sundre include the Sundre Municipal Library and the Sundre & District Pioneer Village Museum, which features "Chester Mjolsness' World of Wildlife" natural history exhibit of 150 taxidermy animals from across the world. The Sundre Arts Development Centre is also a prominent cultural venue located with Sundre; the building is operated by the non-profit Sundre Allied Arts Society, as a venue to host live music, theatre productions, dance, and other performing arts.

Healthcare

Sundre is home to the Myron Thomspon Health Centre, which offers a wide variety of services including emergency, acute care, palliative care, addication and mental health treatment and laboratory services. The Sundre Hospital Steering Committee, composed of the Town of Sundre, Mountain View County, local physicians and the Sundre Hospital Futures Committee, is pursuing the replacement of the Myron Thompson Health Centre with a central Alberta rural health campus that will meet the needs of Sundre and surrounding communities.