Empress
http://www.villageofempress.com
Welcome
Empress is surrounded by the inspiring scenery provided by the Red Deer River hills. This backdrop has attracted the many artisans who reside in the community. A supportive municipal government is dedicated to creating a vibrant and prosperous community.
Empress is:
- a great place to retire.
- a community of artisans.
- a member of the Canadian Badlands Ltd. and Alberta’s Special Area
- a member of SAMDA Economic Partnership which works in conjunction with the MD of Acadia No. 34, Special Areas Board, Village of Cereal, and Town of Oyen to promote economic development for all of its members.
If you have any questions about the area please feel free to contact those persons listed under the “Key Contacts” tab.
Area Overview
Empress is located in Southeastern Alberta. It is conveniently located off Highway 41. The Red Deer and South Saskatchewan rivers fork near Empress.
Located within the SAMDA (Special Areas and MD of Acadia No. 34) region, Empress is surrounded by a largely agricultural area and boasts a strong and vibrant petroleum industry and service sector. Empress houses a vibrant arts and culture community and draws significant amounts of tourists each year.
As a Canadian Badlands community we boast prospects for tourism and service industry entrepreneurs. The Canadian Badlands is a destination of choice for hundreds of thousands of travelers each year.
Market trends and opportunities in technology allow many services and commerce to take place via the Alberta Supernet. Rural lifestyle combined with the job of choice are hard to resist in this area.
Key advantages of living and doing business in our community:
Rural lifestyle
Growth sector opportunities – e-commerce/remote workplace/ tourism
Location – great highway access
Supportive municipal government
Location
Empress is on the Alberta side of the Saskatchewan-Alberta border. It is approximately 130 km from the Trans Canada Highway # 1 on Highway 41 North. Empress is also easily accessible from Highway 9 at Oyen. Empress is located within the Canadian Badlands and Alberta’s Special Areas.
Economic Base
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The economic base of the Empress area is Agriculture, Oil & Gas Exploration and Tourism.
Agriculture
Farms in our region are generally mixed, ranching and grain production. A large percentage of these farms have one operator and are considered a family farm. The average farm has approximately 1,500 acres and 75 head of cows.
Energy Sector
Our communities are blessed with an abundance of lands and resources. The energy sector is very strong and provides employment and much economic spin off to our communities. We have a number of Energy Related Businesses, Services and Contractors.
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Tourism
A vibrant artisan community is growing. The backdrop of the amazing river hills provides a great setting for Ag-tourism/Eco-tourism and Arts and Culture businesses
Economic Facts
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Accommodations
Empress Motor Inn
Forksview Manor & Motel
Riverhills Lodge & Outfitting
Arts & Crafts
That’s Empressive
Sagebrush Studios
Knarls & Knots
Health & Wellness
Health at Hand
Health Wellness Centre
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Grocery
Forks Prairie Orchard
Other Services
Servus Credit Union
Empress Car Wash & Coin
Laundry
Rattler Mechanical
Vern's Movie Rental
Mipro Auto & Mechanical Services
Coyote Enterprises
Clint Steinley Custom Seeding/Spraying
Last Man Standing Paintball Field
Empress Rental and Restoration
Food Services
Empress Motor Inn Restaurant
That’s Empressive
Knarls and Knots (seasonal)
Curling Arena (special occasions)
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Utilities
Water, Sewer and Garbage Disposal
Village of Empress
Electrical Power
Direct Energy
Phone: 1-866-374-6299
Natural Gas
Dry County Gas CO-OP
205-2 Street West
Oyen Alberta T0J 2J0
Phone: (403) 664-3646
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Telephone/ Internet
TELUS Ltd.
Phone: 310-2255
TELUS Mobility
1-866-558-2273
Berg Business Ltd.
212 Main St
Oyen AB T0J 2J0
(403)664-3811
High-Speed Internet
Netago Wireless
105 2nd Ave. W.
Hanna AB T0J 1P0
(403) 854-4600/1-866-346-7822
Shortgrass Satellite
Acadia Valley AB T0J 0A0
(403) 972-2256
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Taxation
| 2009 |
Non-Residential |
Residential |
| Municipal Tax Rate |
19.8 |
14.7 |
Transportation
Highways
Good asphalt highways provide easy accessibility. Highway 41 runs from Southern Alberta (Medicine Hat) to Northern Alberta (Edmonton). Highway 9 and 555 intersect with Highway 41 to provide access to the fore mentioned cities. Empress is also equidistant to Vancouver and Winnipeg.
Air Service
The Empress Municipal airport has a paved unlicensed landing strip equipped with lights and search beacon and affords access to the community by air. The landing strip is used for Medi-Vac emergency service from Medicine Hat. Local flying enthusiasts also use the airport.
Trucking Firms
Morrison Trucking
Simmons Trucking
Peers Trucking
IW Kuhn
Vortex
Community Lifestyle
Our rural community lifestyle is vibrant.
Community Organizations
Local community and recreation organizations reflect the interests and passion of our communities. Our community delivers great events and services to our community. For artisans and musicians, we have craft club, knitting club, music lessons and artisans club. For others, there is the Historical Society, Ag Society, Seniors Drop in Centre, United Church Womens and a Paint ball course. Empress Municipal Library rounds out the list.
For complete listing of Community Organizations please visit www.samda.ca/
Religious Services:
The Empress McNeill Memorial United Church
Family Worship Center
Recreation:
Centennial Park Playground
Campground/Camp Facilities along the river
Agridome (Curling Arena)
Hockey/Skating Arena
Riding Arena
Tennis Court
Baseball Diamonds
Friendship Centre (Seniors)
Community Hall
Newly Renovated RV Park behind the Hockey Arena
Education
Students from the Empress area attend neighboring Warren Peers School in Acadia Valley for grades one through nine and to South Central High School in Oyen for grades 10 through12. Both schools are part of the Prairie Rose School Division No. 8.
Students from the Bindloss area attend grades one through nine at the Bindloss School and are bussed to South Central High School in Oyen for grades 10 through 12.
The Big Country Community Adult Learning Council (BCALC) provides community based adult learning. Located in Oyen, the BCALC provides learning opportunities for the entire region. Learning opportunities range from learning Thai Cooking to Oil/Gas Industry Requirement Training.
Big Country Community Adult Learning Association
Box 667
113 - 2 Avenue W
Oyen, AB T0J 2J0
Phone: (403) 664-2060
Fax: (403) 664-2905
Email: bccalc@telusplanet.net
Post Secondary
The Big Country Community Adult Learning Council (BCALC) provides community based adult learning. Located in Oyen, the BCALC provides learning opportunities for the entire region. Learning opportunities range from learning Thai Cooking to Oil/Gas Industry Requirement Training.
Box 667
113 2 Avenue W
Oyen AB T0J 2J0
Ph: (403) 664-2060
Fax: (403) 664-2905
Email: bccalc@telusplanet.net
Medicine Hat College 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. Medicine Hat College 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.
Health Care
Empress is served by the Alberta Health Services, which provides for the Provinces' 3.5 million Albertans.
Village of Empress Health Services
Available services include fully equipped first aid units on site or in town with Certified Emergency Medical Responders (EMRs) and Community Health Services. A doctor travels to Empress to see patients one day per week. For emergencies call 911.
An array of services is provided out of neighboring Town of Oyen:
Physicians
Dentist
Optometrist
Chiropractor
Physiotherapist
Early prevention dental services
Outpatient/inpatient respiratory services
Speech therapist/audiologist
Recreation therapy
Mental health worker
Massage therapist
Homecare
Family Crisis Centre
Emergency Services
All emergency services are accessed by calling 911.
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First Responders:
For emergency call 911.
Fire Department:
The Empress fire department is operated by volunteer support. Serving the village and the surrounding area, the fire department is equipped with two trucks and various other fire fighting equipment.
Fire departments within the SAMDA (special Areas and MD of Acadia) region work together to provide services as needed.
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Community Services
Community Services
Empress is a well equipped village with services to provide residents and tourists with just about everything:
- Playground
- Campground along the river
- Camp facilities for crew workers
- Airport
- Library
- Medical
- Education
- First Responder Services and Fire
- Churches
- Curling Arena
- Hockey and Skating Arena
- Tennis Court
- Baseball Diamonds
- Friendship Center
- Community Hall
Climate
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Sunshine coupled with warm dry summers means more time to spend outdoors and exploring our region. The low altitude of the Region produces a very warm climate, with particular areas of the Region often matching or surpassing the " hot spot " of Canada. The semi-arid countryside lends itself to ranching and wheat farming and is home to deer, antelope, Canada goose, the pear cactus, ball cactus, and its delicious cactus berries. Winters have become very mild over the last few years with average temperatures on the rise. |
Empress’ climate is considered semi arid, which means lots of sunshine. The average rainfall for the year is 21.2 cm while the average snowfall for the winter is 7.53 cm. The average temperature in July is 19.7 degrees Celsius while the average temperature in January is –12.3 degrees Celsius
Google Map
Empress, Alberta, Canada