Camrose

city in Alberta, Canada

Camrose is a small city of about 19,000 people (2016) in the Central Corridor region of Alberta.

Understand

Camrose is about 90 km (56 mi) southeast of Edmonton, in a transitory region of Alberta, between prairie and boreal forest, known as aspen parkland. It's a major economic centre for many small farming communities in the surrounding area. The Stoney Creek runs through the city and flows into the Battle River, south of the city.

History

Ukrainian Catholic Church & Mirror Lake

The area around Camrose was first settled by Europeans in around 1900. At that time the nearby settlement of Wetaskiwin was a major centre for pioneers; typically, it was the last stopping-off point before they set out in search of nearby land. The site that was to be Camrose was about a day's journey from Wetaskiwin along the railroad, which made it a popular place on the route of pioneers. Soon businessmen and other settlers arrived to stay. The settlers came primarily from Scandinavian countries, such as Norway and Sweden, and many settlers also came from the United States. At that time the settlement was known as the hamlet of Stoney Creek. In 1904, Stoney Creek began receiving mail service, its first businesses began to open, and its first RCMP officer (Constable "Blue" Smith) arrived.

On May 4, 1905, the settlement was incorporated as the Village of Sparling, named for Reverend Dr. Sparling of Winnipeg; however, because the name was often confused with Sperling and Stirling, in 1906 the Village Council renamed the settlement to Camrose. There is no factual evidence about the reason for the choice of the name Camrose, but it is generally thought that it was named after the Village of Camrose in Pembrokeshire, South Wales. In December 1906, Camrose was incorporated as a town.

From 1905 to 1914, there was a great deal of railway construction in the Camrose area. Camrose became a bit of a railway hub, sitting on railways that connected to Edmonton and Calgary, and to many of the smaller towns in central Alberta, such as Vegreville, Stettler, Drumheller, and Wetaskiwin. By 1914, 12 passenger trains came through Camrose daily. In those days the growth of Camrose was strongly linked with the railway.

In 1912, the first building of the Camrose Lutheran College (known as Augustana University College from 1991 to 2004) was opened. Today the campus continues as the Augustana Faculty of the University of Alberta.

Get in

By car

Highway 13 passes through the city. Edmonton is 90 km northwest, via Highway 21, which intersects Highway 13 about 6 km west of Camrose.

By plane

The nearest major airport is the Edmonton International Airport (YEG), located about 75 km northwest of Camrose, near Leduc.

Get around

See

Bailey Theatre

Do

The pavilion in the Mirror Lake Park

Golf

Buy

  • Downtown Camrose. There are over 280 businesses within the Business Revitalization Zone. It is here that you will find the majority of professional services and a small shops. 

Eat

Drink

Sleep

Connect

  • 🌍 Bill Fowler Centre (Camrose Visitor Information Centre), 5402 48 Avenue, ☏ +1 780-672-4217. Summer (May long-weekend to Sep long-weekend): M-F 8:30 AM-7PM, Sa Su 10AM-5:30PM; winter: M-F 8:30AM-4:30PM. The Bill Fowler Centre is home to the Visitor Information Centre as well as the Camrose Chamber of Commerce. It is home to Ole Uffda, the Scandinavian mascot of Camrose, and the Viking Longship. The Bill Fowler Centre sits on the south shore of Mirror Lake Park, a focal point in Camrose’s urban park system. The centre is stocked with extensive information on Camrose, Camrose County, and the Boomtown Trail. (updated Jul 2019)
  • 🌍 Camrose Public Library, 4710 50 Avenue, ☏ +1 780-672-4214. M-Th 10AM-8PM; F 10AM-6PM; Sa 11AM-5PM; Su 1-5PM. (updated Jul 2019)

Nearby

  • 🌍 Miquelon Lake Provincial Park, Camrose County (30 km (19 mi) N of Camrose), ☏ +1 780-672-7274. Provincial park located near Camrose, features several small lakes, the largest of them being Miquelon Lake. The park offers a beach, camping, and a golf course. Winter activities include ice skating and trails for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing. (updated Jan 2021)
  • 🌍 Tillicum Beach (Driedmeat Lake), Camrose County (15 km (9.3 mi) SE of Camrose). A small reservoir located on the Battle River, Tillicum Beach Park offers a small campground and boat launch. (updated Jan 2021)

Go next

Routes through Camrose
Pigeon Lake ← Wetaskiwin ←  W  E  → Provost → Saskatoon
Edmonton ← Sherwood Park ←   N  S  → Alix → Strathmore
END ←  W  E  → Viking → END
END ←   N  S  → Donalda → Drumheller


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