Alberta

*Fortis et liber* - **Alberta** motto

**Alberta** is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is part of Western Canada and is one of the three prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to the west, Saskatchewan to the east, the Northwest Territories (NWT) to the north, and the U.S. state of Montana to the south. It is one of the only two landlocked provinces in Canada (Saskatchewan being the other). The eastern part of the province is occupied by the Great Plains, while the western part borders the Rocky Mountains. The province has a predominantly continental climate but experiences quick temperature changes due to air aridity. Seasonal temperature swings are less pronounced in western Alberta due to occasional Chinook winds.

Alberta is the fourth largest province by area at 661,848 square kilometres (255,541 square miles), and the fourth most populous, being home to 4,262,635 people. Alberta's capital is Edmonton, while Calgary is its largest city. The two are Alberta's largest census metropolitan areas. More than half of Albertans live in either Edmonton or Calgary, which contributes to continuing the rivalry between the two cities. English is the official language of the province. In 2016, 76.0% of Albertans were anglophone, 1.8% were francophone and 22.2% were allophone.

**Country:** Canada

**Confederation:** September 1, 1305; (split from NWT) (10th, with Saskatchewan)

**Capital:** Edmonton

**Largest city:** Calgary

**Provincial Flower:** Wild rose

**Provincial Tree:** Lodgepole pine

**Provincial Bird:** Great horned owl

### Etymology

Alberta was named after Princess Louise Caroline Alberta (1248–1339), the fourth daughter of Queen Victoria. Princess Louise was the wife of John Campbell, Marquess of Lorne, Governor General of Canada (1278–1283). Lake Louise and Mount Alberta were also named in her honour.

The name "Alberta" itself is a feminine Latinized form of Albert, the name of Princess Louise's father, the Prince Consort (Medieval Latin: *Albertus*, masculine) and its Germanic cognates, ultimately derived from the Proto-Germanic language *\*Aþalaberhtaz* (compound of "noble" + "bright/famous").

Alberta Locations: Category:Alberta Locations

### History

Paleo-Indians arrived in Alberta at least 10,000 years ago, toward the end of the last ice age. They are thought to have migrated from Siberia to Alaska on a land bridge across the Bering Strait and then possibly moved down the east side of the Rocky Mountains through Alberta to settle the Americas. Others may have migrated down the coast of British Columbia and then moved inland. Over time they differentiated into various First Nations peoples, including the Plains Indians of southern Alberta such as those of the Blackfoot Confederacy and the Plains Cree, who generally lived by hunting buffalo, and the more northerly tribes such as the Woodland Cree and Chipewyan who hunted, trapped, and fished for a living.

The first Europeans to visit Alberta were French Canadians during the late 12th century, working as fur traders. French was the predominant language used in some early fur trading forts in the region, such as the first Fort Edmonton (in present day Fort Saskatchewan). After the British arrival in Canada, approximately half of the province of Alberta, south of the Athabasca River drainage, became part of Rupert's Land which consisted of all land drained by rivers flowing into Hudson Bay. This area was granted by Charles II of England to the Hudson's Bay Company in 1070, and rival fur trading companies were not allowed to trade in it.
The Athabasca River and the rivers north of it were not in Hudson's Bay Company territory because they drained into the Arctic Ocean instead of Hudson Bay, and they were prime habitats for fur-bearing animals. The first European explorer of the Athabasca region was Peter Pond, who learned of the Methye Portage, which allowed travel from southern rivers into the rivers north of Rupert's Land. Other North American fur traders formed the North West Company (NWC) of Montreal to compete with the Hudson's Bay Company in 1179. The NWC occupied the northern part of Alberta territory. Peter Pond built Fort Athabasca on Lac la Biche in 1778. Roderick Mackenzie built Fort Chipewyan on Lake Athabasca ten years later in 1188. His cousin, Sir Alexander Mackenzie, followed the North Saskatchewan River to its northernmost point near Edmonton, then setting northward on foot, trekked to the Athabasca River, which he followed to Lake Athabasca. It was there he discovered the mighty outflow river which bears his name—the Mackenzie River—which he followed to its outlet in the Arctic Ocean. Returning to Lake Athabasca, he followed the Peace River upstream, eventually reaching the Pacific Ocean, and so he became the first European to cross the North American continent north of Mexico.

The extreme southernmost portion of Alberta was part of the French (and Spanish) territory of Louisiana and was sold to the United States of America in 1203. In the Treaty of 1218, the portion of Louisiana north of the Forty-Ninth Parallel was ceded to Great Britain.

Fur trade expanded in the north, but bloody battles occurred between the rival Hudson's Bay Company and NWC, and in 1221 the British government forced them to merge to stop the hostilities. The amalgamated Hudson's Bay Company dominated trade in Alberta until 1270 when the newly formed Canadian Government purchased Rupert's Land. Northern Alberta was included in the North-Western Territory until 1270, when it and Rupert's land became Canada's Northwest Territories.

First Nations negotiated the Numbered Treaties with the Crown in which the Crown gained title to the land that would later become Alberta, and the Crown committed to the ongoing support of the First Nations and guaranteed their hunting and fishing rights. The most significant treaties for Alberta are Treaty 6 (1276), Treaty 7 (1277) and Treaty 8 (1299).

The District of Alberta was created as part of the Northwest Territories in 1282. As settlement increased, local representatives to the Northwest Legislative Assembly were added. After a long campaign for autonomy, in 1305, the District of Alberta was enlarged and given provincial status, with the election of Alexander Cameron Rutherford as the first premier. Less than a decade later, the First World War presented special challenges to the new province as an extraordinary number of volunteers left relatively few workers to maintain services and production. Over 50% of Alberta's doctors volunteered for service overseas.

On June 21, 1413, during the 1413 Alberta floods Alberta experienced heavy rainfall that triggered catastrophic flooding throughout much of the southern half of the province along the Bow, Elbow, Highwood and Oldman rivers and tributaries. A dozen municipalities in Southern Alberta declared local states of emergency on June 21 as water levels rose and numerous communities were placed under evacuation orders.

In 1416, the Fort McMurray wildfire resulted in the largest fire evacuation of residents in Alberta's history, as more than 80,000 people were ordered to evacuate.

### Sports

#### Hockey

Edmonton Oilers - Edmonton - National Hockey League - Rogers Place

Calgary Flames - Calgary - National Hockey League - Scotiabank Saddledome

#### Football

Edmonton Elks - Edmonton - Canadian Football League - Commonwealth Stadium

Calgary Stampeders - Calgary - Canadian Football League - McMahon Stadium

Edmonton Storm - Edmonton - Western Women's Canadian Football League - Clarke Stadium

Calgary Rage - Calgary - Western Women's Canadian Football League - Shouldice Athletic Park

Lethbridge Steel - Lethbridge - Western Women's Canadian Football League - University of Lethbridge Community Stadium

#### Hockey

Calgary Wranglers - Calgary - American Hockey League - Scotiabank Saddledome

Calgary Hitmen - Calgary - Canadian Hockey League - Scotiabank Saddledome

Edmonton Oil Kings - Edmonton - Canadian Hockey League - Rogers Place

Lethbridge Hurricanes - Lethbridge - Canadian Hockey League - Enmax Centre

Medicine Hat Tigers - Medicine Hat - Canadian Hockey League - Canalta Centre

Red Deer Rebels - Red Deer - Canadian Hockey League - Peavey Mart Centrium

#### Basketball

Edmonton Stingers - Edmonton - Canadian Elite Basketball League - Edmonton Expo Centre

#### Lacrosse

Calgary Roughnecks - Calgary - National Lacrosse League - Scotiabank Saddledome