Duchess
http://www.villageofduchess.com
Welcome
Welcome to the Village of Duchess.
Duchess is a bustling village with almost 1,000 residents and growing quickly. The Village, located off Highway 36, offers much for visitors and residents that rivals any other small community. From a full range of winter and summer activities, to churches and service groups, Duchess' residents are active. Come see what the Village with a future has to offer.
Area Overview
The Village of Duchess is located 16 km north of the City of Brooks just off Highway 36. Duchess was named after the wife of the Duke of Sutherland in 1911. As the first settlers for the irrigation block began to arrive and buildings were being constructed, the hamlet of Duchess started to take shape in 1915. It was at a Board of Trade meeting in 1921 that the decision was made to incorporate as a village, this being necessary in order for Duchess to get a water supply and also fire protection. Therefore in May 1921, Duchess officially became a village, the first mayor being Gordon Stuckey and the secretary treasurer AE Pepper.
Today, Duchess is a thriving community that offers a full range of services and facilities. Winter activities include curling, skating, indoor soccer, hockey, adult evening sports at the school, a Christmas craft sale and the many activities featured at the community hall. Summer activities include golf, baseball, soccer and school sports. The churches and services groups are very active in the community. There are many businesses that offer friendly and efficient service. Garage, hairdressers, convenience store, restaurant, lounge, bar, laundormat, retail, trucking, welding, post office, banking, hotel and many home based businesses ensure that residents have what they need right in the Village.
Location
The Village of Duchess is located within the County of Newell, 16 km north of the City of Brooks on Highway 36 and just a few minutes from the TransCanada Highway (Highway 1).
Economic Base
The Village of Duchess is a bedroom community outside of Brooks. Quality recreation facilities, active church and service groups and a host of retail, service and home-based businesses make Duchess a desirable place to live, especially for those that work in the region that is geologically and agriculturally rich. The area's leadership in oil and gas, agriculture and food processing provides employment opportunities for many of the Village residents. Duchess' location provides residents with small town living with easy access to the full serviced center of Brooks.
Economic Facts
The Village of Duchess has many businesses and services for residents' convenience:
- Adora Day Spa
- Alberta Prairie Meats
- Bartman Welding
- Buds n Suds
- Canada Post
- Centennial Garage
- Centre Street Holdings (ATB)
- Duchess Hotel
- Duchess Laundromat
- Duchess Restaurant
- E & N Trucking
- Esthetica Hair Salon
- Just Good Food
- Liberty Trucking
- Lutes Building Centre
- Newell Automotive
- Rollin Air
- Stagecoach Inn
- Top Gun Well Service Ltd
- Whistle Stop Convenience
- Wood n Stuff
Utilities
The Duchess of Village provides garbage, recycling and water services for residents:
- Garbage is picked up once a week.
- The recycling shed is located at 251 Railway Ave.
- Bulk water facility is accessible by anyone behind the Firehall (251 Railway Ave).
Electrical Power
EPCOR
Customer Service Tel: 403.310.4300
FORTIS ALBERTA
Toll Free Tel: 403-310-9473
Natural Gas
Atco Gas
211 - 1st Avenue East
Brooks, Alberta T1R 0G9
Tel: 403-362-2733 or 403-310-9473
Direct Energy
Toll Free Tel: 1-866-420-3174
Telephone
Telus
Tel: 403-310-2255
Taxation
The Village of Duchess tax rates are reasonable:
2009:
- Residential 11.02
- Commercial 12.837
For more information on taxes in Duchess, contact the Village office at 403-362-4452.
Community Lifestyle
Duchess offers a full range of services and facilities that rival any small community. Winter activities include: curling, skating, indoor soccer, hockey, adult evening sports at the school, a Christmas craft sale and the many activities featured at the community hall. Summer activities are varied and many. Golfing at the 9 hole golf course is always enjoyable followed up by refreshments at the clubhouse. Baseball and soccer keep everyone busy. School sports are a huge part of everyday life for the residents.
Facilities in the Village include:
- Kindergarten to Grade 12 School
- Greenhouse
- Nursery School
- New Fire Hall
- Community Hall
- Curling Rink
- Library
- Campground & Parks
- Indoor Soccer Centre
- 9-Hole Golf Course (grass greens) with Clubhouse
- Hockey Arena
- Ball Diamonds
- Soccer Pitches
- Rest Area
There are several parks in the community for families to enjoy.
There are several churches within the Village:
- Duchess Lutheran Church
- Duchess United Church
- Duchess Mennonite Church
- Bethel Mennonite Church
Many activities center on the churches, the school and the hall. Doll club, 50+ club, ladies quilting, Sunday services, dessert theatres, fall fair, craft sales and mom and tot groups are abundant in the community.
Education
Duchess is part of the Grasslands Regional School Division #6, headquartered in Brooks (Tel: 403-793-6700, Fax: 403-362-8225), and covers an area of over 2,500 square miles in southeastern Alberta. Christ the Redeemer School Division, headquartered in Okotoks (Tel: 403- 938-4575), provides Catholic education to students in nearby Brooks.
Public School
Duchess School (K-12) uses a student focused approach to enhance and promote academic, social, and emotional growth, through community partnerships, in a positive and caring environment.
Duchess School
264-2nd Street West
Box 119
Duchess, Alberta T0J 0Z0
Tel:: 403-378-4948
Fax: 403-378-4523
Duchess also has a nursery school located in the Community Hall:
Duchess Nursery School
255 Margaret Avenue West
Duchess, Alberta
Tel: 403-363-3630
Families also have the option of sending children to the Catholic and Public Schools in Brooks. Transportation is provided from Duchess.
Post Secondary
Medicine Hat College (MHC) has been serving students in southeastern Alberta and beyond since 1965. Situated in Canada’s sunniest city, MHC’s main campus services almost 3,000 students each year with another 200 attending Brooks Campus, located 100 km west of Medicine Hat. With some of the lowest student-to-instructor ratios in the province, MHC offers a very personal, one-on-one student experience. MHC offers a wide variety of programs to meet the ever-changing needs of students from southeastern Alberta and around the world.
The Brooks Campus of the Medicine Hat College is located in Brooks and offers high school upgrading, university and college transfer courses, business training courses and apprenticeship courses.
Medicine Hat College – Brooks Campus
200 Horticultural Station Road East
Brooks, Alberta T1R 1E5
Tel: 403-362-1677
Health Care
Duchess residents have their choice of the services in Brooks or Bassano for their health care needs.
The Brooks Health Centre is an acute and continuing care facility. Core programs at the Brooks Health Centre include short stay surgical, pediatrics, 24-hour emergency ad ambulatory care services, obstetrics and community health.
Brooks Health Centre
Bag 300, 440 - 3rd Street East
Brooks, Alberta, T1R 1B3
Tel: 403- 501-3232
Services provided at Brooks Community Health Services include: community nutrition program, early post-partum discharge, health promotion services, immunization services, prenatal classes, public health nursing, speech language pathology, speech language and hearing services as well as baby services.
Community Health Services
440 – 3rd Street East
Brooks, Alberta
Tel: 403- 501-3300
Alberta Mental Health also has an office located in the City of Brooks.
Alberta Mental Health Board
440 – 3rd Street East
Brooks, Alberta
Tel: 403-362-1252
After hours Crisis Management Helpline: 1-800-408-5465
The Bassano Health Center has 4 acute care beds, 1 palliative care bed, 8 continuing care beds as well as 1 respite care bed. Service is provided based on a Primary Health Care model and includes 2 physicians and 2 primary care nurses located on site.
The Health Center underwent renovations in late 1997 and the basement area was converted into a clinical area for physicians and a number of offices for members of an integrated multi-disciplinary team which will be providing a broad range of primary health services to the Bassano community. The area contains a newly renovated physical therapy department and an area for the visiting respiratory therapist. Locally one physical therapist, one physical therapist assistant and one occupational therapist provide therapy services.
Bassano Health Centre
P.O. Box 120
608 - 5th Avenue
Bassano, Alberta T0J 0B0
Emergency Services
Policing
Policing for the Village of Duchess is provided through the RCMP Detachment in the City of Brooks. In addition, the Village of Duchess has a part-time bylaw enforcement officer.
Fire Protection
The Village of Duchess has a volunteer fire department, The Duchess and District Fire Department, which provides fire protection for Duchess, Patricia, the County of Newell and the surrounding areas. The Duchess and District Fire Department is 75% funded by the County of Newell and 25% from the Village of Duchess. The community has a new fire hall and new rescue fire vehicle. The other fire hall is located in Patricia.
The Duchess fleet consists of:
- 1 Pumper
- 1 Rescue/Pumper
- 1 Personnel & Equipment Van
The Patricia area fleet consists of a Pumper.
Ambulance
Ambulance service is provided out of the City of Brooks.
Community Services
Community services in the Village of Duchess include:
- Public Works, which provides water, sewer and garbage services.
- Volunteer Fire Department that provides fire protection for Duchess, Patricia and parts of the County of Newell.
- Cemetery
- Animal Control
- Bylaw Enforcement
The Duchess & District Public Library is a small independent library which serves the Village of Duchess, the Hamlet of Patricia and the County Divisions of 3 and 8. The library offers a collection of over 6,000 items including books, DVD's, CD's and magazines. There are two public access computers, scanner, printer and a fax machine.
Climate
Duchess’ climate is considered semi-arid, which means lots of sunshine. The average annual precipitation is 37 cm while the number of frost free days is 130. The average temperature in July is 18.5 degrees Celsius and the average temperature in January is -13.9 degrees Celsius.
Google Map
Duchess, Alberta, Canada