Vegreville
Vegreville is a town in central Alberta, Canada located on Highway 16A 103 km east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital city. It was incorporated as a town in 1906, that year saw the founding of the Vegreville Observer, a weekly newspaper for the region. A large percentage of Vegreville's population is of Ukrainian Canadian descent, it is home to the world's largest pysanka. Vegreville experiences a humid continental climate. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Vegreville recorded a population of 5,708 living in 2,429 of its 2,734 total private dwellings, a −0.2% change from its 2011 population of 5,717. With a land area of 14.08 km2, it had a population density of 405.4/km2 in 2016. The Town of Vegreville's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 5,758, a 1.3% decrease over its 2010 municipal census population of 5,834. In the 2011 Census, the Town of Vegreville had a population of 5,717 living in 2,429 of its 2,680 total dwellings, a 3.6% change from its 2006 population of 5,519.
With a land area of 13.92 km2, it had a population density of 410.7/km2 in 2011. The primary economic base of the town is agricultural. Due to Vegreville's close relationship with the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Canadian Forces Reserve unit based in Edmonton, the Regiment is the only Canadian Forces unit with Freedom of the Town and parades held on Remembrance Day in the town; the annual Pysanka Festival Occurs during the first weekend of July, being founded in 1973. The 2015 Festival featured: 5 grandstand shows Cultural Variety Showcase Pioneer Village with highlights of how rope-making and blacksmithing Ukrainian music A Zabava featuring Kolomeyka music display of folk arts with instruction on creating Pysanka Yarmarok The Vegreville Cultural Association organizes the festival, with the help of many community volunteers; the current Community objectives of the Association in relation to the festival are: To foster understanding among all people and to enrich the Canadian Mosaic by promoting the arts and culture of the Ukrainian people, of people of other national, racial, or ethnic origins, of people of other cultures, who settled in Canada.
To promote and afford opportunity for cultural and social activities. To encourage and foster and developed among all people and recognition of the importance of culture to people. To enrich the culture of various peoples in Alberta. To foster understanding among all people of the culture of people in Alberta of various national, racial, or ethnic origin. To provide a meeting place for the consideration and discussion of questions affecting the cultural interests of the community; the festival has hosted many different types of performances, including Cheremosh, the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton, the Kubasonics. Vegreville's pysanka, the largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world, was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 and to celebrate Vegreville's ethnic heritage. On July 6, 2009, the pysanka was one of four attractions featured on the first set of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series of stamps issued by Canada Post; the town is bisected by Canadian National Railway's Vegreville Subdivision, a rail line connecting Vegreville to Edmonton in the west and to Lloydminster in the east.
George Bures Miller, artist Laurence Decore, Ukrainian Canadian lawyer, former mayor of Edmonton and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party Lillian Sarafinchan, Canadian visual artist and production designer Herschel Hardin, writer and politician Simma Holt, author, former Member of Parliament, Member of the Order of Canada Daymond Langkow, former NHL forward Don Mazankowski and federal Deputy Prime Minister under Brian Mulroney Virgil P. Moshansky, Ukrainian Canadian jurist and former mayor of Vegreville David Motiuk, Catholic bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton Brent Severyn, former NHL defenseman Valerie Sweeting, curler Kyle Brodziak, NHL player List of communities in Alberta List of towns in Alberta Official website
Vulcan, Alberta
Vulcan is a town in the prairies of southern Alberta, within Vulcan County. It is located on Highway midway between the cities of Calgary and Lethbridge; the population of the town was 1,836 in 2011. Now known as the "Official Star Trek Capital of Canada," Vulcan has a Tourism building made to look like a landed space station, a statue of the Original Series Enterprise, other Star Trek themed attractions. Vulcan was named by a surveyor for the Canadian Pacific Railway after the Roman God of Fire – Vulcan. All the streets of Vulcan were named after gods and goddesses of the classical world such as Juno and Jupiter; the community was incorporated as a village on December 23, 1912 and as a town on June 15, 1921. In July 1927, a major tornado destroyed the new curling rink in the town; that tornado was made famous when a photograph of it approaching Vulcan was used for the "tornado" article in Encyclopædia Britannica. Vulcan once had nine grain elevators, more than any other location west of Winnipeg, making it the largest grain shipping point at that time.
Due to the changing economics of the agricultural industry, the original elevators were taken down one by one. Today, Vulcan has only one of the "prairie skyscrapers" left. Although not original, this last wooden elevator was built in the 1980s. A British Commonwealth Air Training Plan air force base, RCAF Station Vulcan, was located a few kilometres southwest of the town during the Second World War. Many of the old hangars still exist and the runways can still be seen. Vulcan experiences a dry continental climate with short, warm summers. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Vulcan recorded a population of 1,917 living in 829 of its 879 total private dwellings, a 4.4% change from its 2011 population of 1,836. With a land area of 6.34 km2, it had a population density of 302.4/km2 in 2016. In the 2011 Census, the Town of Vulcan had a population of 1,836 living in 768 of its 865 total dwellings, a −5.4% change from its 2006 population of 1,940. With a land area of 6.58 km2, it had a population density of 279.0/km2 in 2011.
The town's economy is tourism and agriculture-based. Wheat and barley are the main crops grown in the Vulcan area. Since 1990, Vulcan has hosted the annual Vulcan Tinman Triathlon, which takes place at the beginning of June; this sprint-distance triathlon attracts nearly 1,000 participants. There are classes for adults of all ages and skill levels as well as for children; the town's name has brought some attention. In the Star Trek television and feature film series it is the name of the homeworld of the Mr. Spock character and his fellow Vulcans. Capitalizing on this coincidence, the town has built a Star Trek–themed tourist station, which provides tourist information, displays Star Trek memorabilia, provides unique photo opportunities, allows visitors to participate in The Vulcan Space Adventure virtual reality game. Nearby, a replica of the starship Enterprise from Star Trek V has been mounted on a pedestal which includes writing from Trek alien languages such as Klingon; the town has created space-themed murals and signs, hosts an annual community-wide Star Trek convention known as "Spock Days".
This convention attracts hundreds of Star Trek fans from around the world. The Vulcan Community Healthcare Centre offers emergency and long-term care medical services; the hospital had 5,125 visits for emergency medical services in the 2013/2014 year. More patients are admitted to hospital in Vulcan than in the general Alberta population, it hosts a medical clinic. List of communities in Alberta List of towns in Alberta Official website
Valleyview, Alberta
Valleyview is a town in northwest Alberta, Canada within the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 and Census Division No. 18. It is at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 49, between the Little Smoky River and Sturgeon Lake, its position, in the junction of the two highways into the Peace Region, has led to the town motto, "Portal to the Peace". The area around Valleyview has been inhabited by native peoples for thousands of years due to the area's rich hunting and fishing grounds; the local Cree population has lived in the region since at least the 18th century. In the early 1800s the first visitors to the area arrived, seeking natives to exchange goods for furs; the trading was good and a Hudson's Bay Company post was established on Sturgeon Lake in 1877. Peace River Jim' Cornwall established Cornwall Trading Post nearby; the area was surveyed in 1900 for a possible settlement. The following year the area was surveyed again by Fred Young, impressed with a piece of land on the northwest shore of Sturgeon Lake.
By 1916 the first pioneers settled in the area nearby. The community that formed to serve the growing population was named Red Willow Creek. Only when the first post office was opened in 1929 did the community change its name to Valleyview. In late 1950 oil was discovered near the hamlet. By the late fifties Valleyview had achieved boomtown status having been incorporated as a village in 1954 and a town only three years in 1957; the town is located in the southern Peace Region between the Little Smoky Sturgeon Lake. As noted by its name, the town overlooks the surrounding valleys. Sturgeon Lake is located 15 km west of the town and is home to Young's Point Provincial Park, a popular provincial park in the area. Valleyview lies on the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin known for some of the largest coal and oil deposits in the world and the Duvernay Formation a rich source of natural gas and oil; the town is located in an active geothermal area. Valleyview experiences a humid continental climate.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Valleyview recorded a population of 1,863 living in 747 of its 833 total private dwellings, a 5.8% change from its 2011 population of 1,761. With a land area of 9.32 km2, it had a population density of 199.9/km2 in 2016. The Town of Valleyview's 2013 municipal census counted a population of 1,972, a 4.7% change from its 2007 municipal census population of 1,884. In the 2011 Census, the Town of Valleyview had a population of 1,761 living in 737 of its 786 total dwellings, a 2.1% change from its 2006 population of 1,725. With a land area of 9.66 km2, it had a population density of 182.3/km2 in 2011. Valleyview Town Council consists of six councillors; the entire council was acclaimed in the last municipal election. Vern Lymburner, the current mayor, has served the town for over a decade including terms as councillor; the town's interim manager is Shari Taylor. Valleyview is part of the Peace River federal electoral district, is represented by MP Chris Warkentin.
In the next federal election, Valleyview will become part of the newly created riding of Peace River—Westlock. Valleyview hosts the Crocus Hill Stampede, an annual rodeo and agricultural show at the Valleyview and District Agricultural Society grounds; each summer a fair is held on the town's Main St.. Valleyview is the home of Greenview's regional multiplex titled the Greenview Regional Multiplex; the recreational centre opened February 9, 2018, boasting aquatics, a fieldhouse, a play area, a commercial kitchen, a fitness centre located on the second floor. Valleyview's main recreational activity is found at the ice rink, named Polar Palace; this is. Located in the ice rink is a curling rink which has regular bonspiels. Next door to the Polar Palace is the local pool, on the same grounds as the lovely Legion picnic area and water park; the nearby Sturgeon Lake provides setting for outdoor activities. Two provincial parks are found on its shores: Young's Point Provincial Park and Williamson Provincial Park.
Rona Ambrose, politician Wyatt McIntyre, politician List of communities in Alberta List of towns in Alberta Official website
Ontario
Ontario is one of the 13 provinces and territories of Canada and is located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province accounting for 38.3 percent of the country's population, is the second-largest province in total area. Ontario is fourth-largest jurisdiction in total area when the territories of the Northwest Territories and Nunavut are included, it is home to the nation's capital city and the nation's most populous city, Ontario's provincial capital. Ontario is bordered by the province of Manitoba to the west, Hudson Bay and James Bay to the north, Quebec to the east and northeast, to the south by the U. S. states of Minnesota, Ohio and New York. All of Ontario's 2,700 km border with the United States follows inland waterways: from the west at Lake of the Woods, eastward along the major rivers and lakes of the Great Lakes/Saint Lawrence River drainage system; these are the Rainy River, the Pigeon River, Lake Superior, the St. Marys River, Lake Huron, the St. Clair River, Lake St. Clair, the Detroit River, Lake Erie, the Niagara River, Lake Ontario and along the St. Lawrence River from Kingston, Ontario, to the Quebec boundary just east of Cornwall, Ontario.
There is only about 1 km of land border made up of portages including Height of Land Portage on the Minnesota border. Ontario is sometimes conceptually divided into Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario; the great majority of Ontario's population and arable land is in the south. In contrast, the larger, northern part of Ontario is sparsely populated with cold winters and heavy forestation; the province is named after Lake Ontario, a term thought to be derived from Ontarí:io, a Huron word meaning "great lake", or skanadario, which means "beautiful water" in the Iroquoian languages. Ontario has about 250,000 freshwater lakes; the province consists of three main geographical regions: The thinly populated Canadian Shield in the northwestern and central portions, which comprises over half the land area of Ontario. Although this area does not support agriculture, it is rich in minerals and in part covered by the Central and Midwestern Canadian Shield forests, studded with lakes and rivers. Northern Ontario is subdivided into two sub-regions: Northeastern Ontario.
The unpopulated Hudson Bay Lowlands in the extreme north and northeast swampy and sparsely forested. Southern Ontario, further sub-divided into four regions. Despite the absence of any mountainous terrain in the province, there are large areas of uplands within the Canadian Shield which traverses the province from northwest to southeast and above the Niagara Escarpment which crosses the south; the highest point is Ishpatina Ridge at 693 metres above sea level in Temagami, Northeastern Ontario. In the south, elevations of over 500 m are surpassed near Collingwood, above the Blue Mountains in the Dundalk Highlands and in hilltops near the Madawaska River in Renfrew County; the Carolinian forest zone covers most of the southwestern region of the province. The temperate and fertile Great Lakes-Saint Lawrence Valley in the south is part of the Eastern Great Lakes lowland forests ecoregion where the forest has now been replaced by agriculture and urban development. A well-known geographic feature is part of the Niagara Escarpment.
The Saint Lawrence Seaway allows navigation to and from the Atlantic Ocean as far inland as Thunder Bay in Northwestern Ontario. Northern Ontario occupies 87 percent of the surface area of the province. Point Pelee is a peninsula of Lake Erie in southwestern Ontario, the southernmost extent of Canada's mainland. Pelee Island and Middle Island in Lake Erie extend farther. All are south of 42°N – farther south than the northern border of California; the climate of Ontario varies by location. It is affected by three air sources: cold, arctic air from the north; the effects of these major air masses on temperature and precipitation depend on latitude, proximity to major bodies of water and to a small extent, terrain relief. In general, most of Ontario's climate is classified as humid continental. Ontario has three main climatic regions; the surrounding Great Lakes influence the climatic region of southern Ontario. During the fall and winter months, heat stored from the lakes is released, moderating the climate near the shores of the lakes.
This gives some parts of southern Ontario milder winters than mid-continental areas at lower latitudes. Parts of Southwestern Ontario have a moderate humid continental climate, similar to that of the inland Mid-Atlantic states and the Great Lakes portion of the Midwestern United States; the region has warm to cold winters. Annual precipitation is well distributed throughout the year. Most of this region lies in the lee of the Great Lakes. In December 2010, the snowbelt set a new record when it was h
Victor Mine Aerodrome
Victor Mine Aerodrome is a registered aerodrome located 0.5 nautical miles north of the Victor Diamond Mine in northeastern part of the Kenora District which, in turn, is located in northwestern Ontario, Canada. The airstrip handles small to mid size turboprop aircraft. There are no hangers or terminal buildings and the airstrip is accessed by a gravel road from the Victor mine pit
Fergus, Ontario
Fergus is the largest community in Centre Wellington, a township within Wellington County in Ontario, Canada. It lies on the Grand River about 18 km NNW of Guelph; the population of this community at the time of the 2016 Census was 20,767, but the community is growing as new homes are being built for sale. Fergus was an independent town until 1999 when the Township was formed by amalgamating Fergus, the Village of Elora and the Townships of Nichol, West Garafraxa and a part of Eramosa; the first settlers to this area were freed slaves who formed what was known as the Pierpoint Settlement, named after their leader, Richard Pierpoint, an United Empire Loyalist from Bondou, Senegal in Africa. Along with a half dozen other men who had fought with the British during the American Revolutionary War, Pierpoint was granted land in Garafraxa Township somewhere around what is now Scotland Street in Fergus. Another settlement was founded nearby in 1833 and was first called Little Falls because of the scenic falls, now between the Public Library and the Fergus Market.
The primary developers were James Webster who had bought 28 km ² of land. Both were lawyers by profession; the first bridge over the river in the heart of the settlement was built in 1834 by Fergusson. The first house was built in 1833, a hotel was built in 1844 and in 1835, a sawmill, grist-mill and school were opened. Fergusson was a founder of the first curling club in Ontario. After 1938, Scottish settlers purchased the land in what was Pierpoint Settlement. James Webster was the one who cleared a great deal of land for farming. Alexander Dingwall Fordyce joined Ferguson and they controlled all of the industry in Fergus until 1855; until 1850, an unwritten policy of restricted growth was implemented. Because Fergusson and some other Scottish emigrants owned the land, only Scots could purchase village lots. However, in order to accommodate Irish settlers, Webster founded the town of Arthur in 1840. By 1846 the settlement had 21 businesses; the population was 184 of Scots. The community had a post office and several tradesmen.
James Wilson arrived in 1855 and opened an oatmeal mill a flour mill a saw mill and a woolen mill and a factory, Monkland Mills, that supplied oatmeal for export. They and other Scots living in the settlement established a booming economy using the waterfalls on the Grand River to power local industry, they built solid stone houses and other buildings which still characterize Fergus. Many of the buildings from the 1800s are still in use today. In addition to Scots, the other settlers in this area were Irish or freed slaves from the U. S. In 1858, the settlement, with a population of 1,000, was incorporated as a village called Fergus in honour one of its founders, Adam Fergusson. By 1869 the population was 1,500. On November 29, 1890, electricity became available in the village through the efforts of Dr. Abraham Groves. More extensive provision of power, by Ontario Hydro, began in 1914; the first library, built with a Carnegie grant, opened in 1911 and is in the register of Canada's Historic Places.
In 1953, the village was incorporated as the "Town of Fergus" and in 1999 became a part of the Centre Wellington township. In 1877, the County opened the Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, or Poorhouse as it was called, on Wellington Road 18 between Fergus and Elora. Over the years 1500 "deserving" poor, including those who were destitute and infirm or suffering from disabilities were housed here; the sixty bed house for "inmates" was surrounded by a 30-acre "industrial" farm with a barn for livestock that produced some of the food for the 70 residents and the staff and provided work for them. Others worked in the House itself. According to a 2009 report by the Toronto Star, "pauperism was considered a moral failing that could be erased through order and hard work". A hospital was added in 1892. A nearby cemetery has 271 plots for those. In 1947 the House was converted into the Wellington County Home for the Aged and in 1975 the building reopened as the Wellington County Museum and Archives.
A historic plaque was erected at the museum, indicating that the "government-supported poorhouse" was "the shelter of last resort for the homeless and destitute, who traded spartan accommodations for domestic or agricultural labour". Fergus sits on the Grand River, it is near many natural settings such as the Elora Gorge and Conservation Area, Belwood Lake. Fergus is a residential community filled with streets lined with trees, many stone buildings, modern schools, attractive parklands, it is laid out on a rectangular grid, with the Grand River flowing through the downtown heritage centre, its limestone riverbanks surrounding it. Fergus has a humid continental climate under the Köppen climate classification with cold winters and warm summers. Centre Wellington is agricultural but is the home to industries, retailers, health care services and trades people; the local economy benefits from tourism. Data is not available for Fergus alone but at the time of the 2011 Census, 6.4% of the workforce of Centre Wellington was involved in agriculture and other resource-based industries/utilities, 24.8% in manufacturing and construction, 19.8% in health and education and 13.2% in wholesale and retail trade.
The top three categories for employment were in manufacturing and Agriculture. The major employers in the township include Jefferson Elora Corp. Nexans Canada, Polycorp Ltd. Groves Memo
Transport Canada
Not to be confused with Canadian Transportation Agency. Transport Canada is the department within the Government of Canada responsible for developing regulations and services of transportation in Canada, it is part of the Transportation and Communities portfolio. The current Minister of Transport is Marc Garneau. Transport Canada is headquartered in Ontario; the Department of Transport was created in 1935 by the government of William Lyon Mackenzie King in recognition of the changing transportation environment in Canada at the time. It merged three departments: the former Department of Railways and Canals, the Department of Marine and Fisheries, the Civil Aviation Branch of the Department of National Defence under C. D. Howe, who would use the portfolio to rationalize the governance and provision of all forms of transportation, he created Trans-Canada Air Lines. The Department of Transport Act came into force November 2, 1936. Prior to a 1994 federal government reorganization, Transport Canada had a wide range of operational responsibilities including the Canadian Coast Guard, the Saint Lawrence Seaway and seaports, as well as Via Rail and CN Rail.
Significant cuts to Transport Canada at that time resulted in CN Rail being privatized, the coast guard being transferred to Fisheries and Oceans, the seaway and various ports and airports being transferred to local operating authorities. Transport Canada emerged from this process as a department focused on policy and regulation rather than transportation operations. In 2004, Transport Canada introduced non-passenger screening to enhance both airport and civil aviation security. Transport Canada's headquarters are located in Ottawa at Place de Ville, Tower C. Transport Canada has regional headquarters in: Vancouver – Government of Canada Building on Burrard Street and Robson Street Edmonton – Canada Place, 9700 Jasper Avenue NW Winnipeg – Macdonald Building, 344 Edmonton Street Toronto – Government of Canada Building, 4900 Yonge Street Dorval – Pierre Elliott Trudeau Airport, 700 Place Leigh-Capreol Moncton – Heritage Building, 95 Foundry Street Minister of Transport Marc GarneauDeputy Minister, Transport Canada Michael KeenanAssociate Deputy Minister, Thao Pham Assistant Deputy Minister and Security, Kevin Brousseau Associate Assistant Deputy Minister and Security, Aaron McCrombie Assistant Deputy Minister, Pierre-Marc Mongeau Associate Assistant Deputy Minister and Lead, Navigation Protection Act Review, Catherine Higgens Assistant Deputy Minister, Lawrence Hanson Assistant Deputy Minister, Corporate Services, André Lapointe Assistant Deputy Minister, Natasha Rascanin Director General, Corporate Secretariat, Tom Oommen Director General and Marketing, Dan Dugas Regional Director General, Atlantic Region, Ann Mowatt Regional Director General, Quebec Region, Albert Deschamps Regional Director General, Ontario Region, Tamara Rudge Regional Director General and Northern Region, Michele Taylor Regional Director General, Pacific Region, Robert Dick Departmental General Counsel, Henry K. Schultz Chief Audit and Evaluation Executive, Martin Rubenstein Transport Canada is responsible for enforcing several Canadian legislation, including the Aeronautics Act, Transportation of Dangerous Goods Act, Motor Vehicle Safety Act, Canada Transportation Act, Railway Safety Act, Canada Shipping Act, 2001, Marine Transportation Security Act amongst others.
Each inspector with delegated power from the Minister of Transport receives official credentials to exercise their power, as shown on the right. These inspectors are public officers identified within the Criminal Code of Canada; the Motor Vehicle Safety Act was established in 1971 in order to create safety standards for cars in Canada. The department acts as the federal government's funding partner with provincial transport ministries on jointly-funded provincial transportation infrastructure projects for new highways. TC manage a database of traffic collisions in Canada. Transport Canada's role in railways include: railway safety surface and intermodal security strategies for rail travel accessibility safety of federally regulated railway bridges safety and security of international bridges and tunnels Inspecting and testing traffic control signals, grade crossing warning systems rail operating rules regulations and services for safe transport of dangerous goods Canadian Transport Emergency Centre to assist emergency response and handling dangerous goods emergenciesFollowing allegations by shippers of service level deterioration, on April 7, 2008, the federal government of Canada launched a review of railway freight service within the country.
Transport Canada, managing the review, plans to investigate the relationships between Canadian shippers and the rail industry with regards to the two largest railroad companies in the country, Canadian Pacific Railway and Canadian National Railway. On June 26, 2013, the Fair Rail Freight Service Act became law, a response to the Rail Freight Service Review’s Final Report. Transport Canada is responsible for the waterways inside and surrounding Canada; these responsibilities include: responding and investigating marine accidents within Canadian waters enforcing marine acts and regulations establishing and enforcing marine personnel standards and pilotage Marine Safety Marine Security regulating the operation of marine vessels in Canadian watersAs of 2003 the Office of Boating Safety and the Navigable Waters Protection Program were transferred back to Transport Canada. As was certain regulatory aspects of Emergen
