Sherwood Park
Sherwood Park is a large hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Strathcona County that is recognized as an urban service area. It is located adjacent to the City of Edmonton's eastern boundary, generally south of Highway 16 (Yellowhead Trail), west of Highway 21 and north of Highway 630 (Wye Road). Other portions of Sherwood Park extend beyond Yellowhead Trail and Wye Road, while Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) separates Refinery Row to the west from the balance of the hamlet to the east. Sherwood Park was established in 1955 on farmland of the Smeltzer family, east of Edmonton . With a population of 72,017 in 2021, Sherwood Park has enough people to be Alberta's sixth largest city, but it retains the status of a hamlet. The Government of Alberta recognizes the Sherwood Park Urban Service Area as equivalent to a city. History. Sherwood Park was founded as Campbelltown by John Hook Campbell and John Mitchell in 1953 when the Municipal District of Strathcona No. 83 approved their proposed development of a bedroom community east of Edmonton. The first homes within the community were marketed to the public in 1955. Canada Post intervened on the name of Campbelltown due  to the existence of several other communities in Canada with the same name, so the community's name was changed to Sherwood Park in 1956. Geography. The Sherwood Park Urban Service Area is in the Edmonton metropolitan region along the western edge of central Strathcona County adjacent to the City of Edmonton. The majority of the community is bound by Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) to the north, Highway 21 to the east, Highway 630 (Wye Road) to the south, and Anthony Henday Drive (Highway 216) to the west. The Refinery Row portion of Sherwood Park is located across Anthony Henday  Drive to the west, between Sherwood Park Freeway and Highway 16. Numerous developments fronting the south side of Wye Road, including Wye Gardens, Wye Crossing, Salisbury Village and the Estates of Sherwood Park, are also within the community. Lands north of Highway 16 and south of Township Road 534/Oldman Creek between Range Road 232 (Sherwood Drive) to the west and Highway 21 to the east are also within the Sherwood Park urban service area. Neighbourhoods. The industrial area known as Refinery Row is west of Anthony Henday Drive. At least 49 neighbourhoods are located within the portion of the  Sherwood Park Urban Service Area east of Anthony Henday Drive. Demographics. In the 2021 census conducted by Statistics Canada, Sherwood Park, as Strathcona County's urban service areas, had a population of 72,017, a change of from its 2016 population of 70,618. The population of Sherwood Park according to Strathcona County's 2018 municipal census is 71,332, a change from its 2015 municipal census population of 68,782. Economy. Sherwood Park has a strong economy with over $9.0 billion worth of major projects completed, announced, or under construction. As a founding member of Alberta's Industrial Heartland, Strathcona County is  home to Canada's largest hydrocarbon refining cluster. A district known as Refinery Row lies west of Sherwood Park and includes some of the largest industrial facilities in Western Canada, including Imperial Oil's Strathcona Refinery. Art and culture. Art. Sherwood Park has a vibrant art community with multiple galleries found within the area. These include: Culture. Sherwood Park has a proud history of culture and maintains those ties through various different outlets: Natural areas. Sherwood Park's location within Strathcona County provides easy access to a range of natural areas which serves to create harmony between its citizens and  nature as a sustainable community. This includes the UNESCO Beaver Hills Biosphere as well as several provincial parks, trails, and natural areas: Biosphere. The Beaver Hills UNESCO Biosphere provides access to explore open spaces, hiking trails, lakes, and campsites for residents and visitors alike. This outdoor area is available in all four seasons to enjoy activities such as camping, hiking, and fishing. Some of the Biosphere destinations include: Trails and natural areas. Sherwood Park has a number of trails and sections, including: Tourism and attractions. The Activity and Travel Guide has a sampling of the many restaurants, hotels, shops, golf  courses, recreation facilities, art galleries and more. At the end of a full day, there are several options available for staying. Sports and recreation. Recreation facilities within Sherwood Park include the Broadmoor Arena, Glen Allan Recreation Complex, Kinsmen Leisure Centre, Millennium Place, Sherwood Park Arena/Sports Centre and Strathcona Athletic Park as well as a BMX bike park, a BMX bike pump track and a skateboard park. The community also has 37 parks and sportsfields. An important local sports team is a hockey squad, the Sherwood Park Crusaders. The Crusaders play in the Alberta Junior Hockey League. Sherwood Park has  a well-respected Midget "AAA" hockey program, dating back to the mid-1970s, that has produced several top calibre players including former and current National Hockey League players Gerald Diduck, Jim Ennis, Tyson Nash, Cam Ward and Daymond Langkow. The Sherwood Park Kings Athletic Club includes levels from Peewee to Midget and with the highest level being the Midget "AAA" program. Sherwood Park is a large football community. At least one Sherwood Park high school football team has been to the Alberta provincial final since the 1999 season. The bantam team, the Sherwood Park Rams, have won provincials five of the  last seven seasons. The 2014 provincial championship is held by the Sherwood Park Wolverines, which is their first title. Baseball has become a popular and important sport in the community. In 2008, the Sherwood Park Dukes began their first season in Sherwood Park, playing at Centennial Park in the Western Major Baseball League. Strathcona County hosted the 2007 Western Canada Summer Games with most of the events held in Sherwood Park. The games included 2,300 athletes, coaches, and officials from the four western provinces and three northern territories. Around 2,800 volunteers helped make the games a success. Government. Sherwood Park  is governed by the Strathcona County Council. The county's mayor is Rod Frank who replaced Roxanne Carr in the 2017 Strathcona County municipal election. Crime. According to data collected by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) in 2012, crime in Sherwood Park has been on the rise especially impaired driving and domestic violence. Domestic violence reports rose by 32 percent; impaired driving went up 10 percent. Other facts released also pointed out that sexual offenses went up by 20 percent and drug trafficking charges went up 55 percent. Education. Sherwood Park's school boards are Elk Island Public Schools  Regional Division No. 14 (EIPS), Elk Island Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 41 (EICS), and the Conseil Scolaire Centre-Nord (CSCN or the Greater North Central Francophone Education Region No. 2). The public high schools are Bev Facey Community High School and Salisbury Composite High School, as well as Strathcona Christian Academy (kindergarten to grade 12), and Archbishop Jordan Catholic High School. Sherwood Park was home to Canada's first charter school: New Horizons Charter School, a public charter school that offers a gifted education program for students from kindergarten to grade 9. It is in Sherwood Park on the  edge of the Village on the Lake subdivision. Media. Sherwood Park's newspaper is the twice-weekly "Sherwood Park-Strathcona County News". The "Sherwood Park News" and "Strathcona County This Week" newspapers, both owned by Bowes Publishers, in turn part of Sun Media, merged on November 6, 2007, to become "Sherwood Park • Strathcona County News". Due to the community's close proximity to Edmonton, all major Edmonton media, including the daily newspapers (such as the "Edmonton Sun" and the "Edmonton Journal") and radio and TV broadcasters, also serve Sherwood Park and immediate area.