Barrhead No. 11, County of

Welcome

The County of Barrhead is proud to present this information site to you!  The diverse nature of our community, including growing industries such as agriculture, oil and gas, forestry, and manufacturing, along side a smalltown friendly atmoshpere make it your ideal home. We have many amenities to offer you and your family that will allow you to live and do business within the community, while enjoying a vast array of recreational avenues for every liking.

Our beautiful lakes, scenic byways and special events attract visitors to the Barrhead area from around the world. Join us for a visit and you may just stay for a life time!

Thunder Lake Park

Area Overview

The County of Barrhead is located in north-central Alberta, and has a population of 5,768 people. We are 1 hour northwest of Edmonton, and also a direct link to the Peace country.

The County of Barrhead encompasses the Town of Barrhead, and also includes the Hamlets of Neerlandia, Manola and Thunder Lake. The Town of Barrhead, with a population of 4,213 people, is the main service centre for the surrounding area and serves a trading area of over 20,000 people.

Within our boundaries there are a variety of landscapes: the Boreal forest, natural sandhills formations, rich agricultural land, many lakes, as well as three rivers, the Athabasca, the Pembina and Paddle. This diverse terrain gives us the advantage of accessing many industries, from agriculture, to oil and gas, exploration and processing of coalbed methane, biofuel production, forestry, manufacturing, recreation and tourism too! All contributing to the area's economy.

A terrific array of recreational opportunities await the outdoors person, offering ample opportunity for fishing, swimming, boating, water skiing, hunting, skiddoing and quadding, wildlife watching, hiking, almost anything you can imagine! The Klondike Trail crosses through the County, a large part of Alberta's history.

Barrhead Golf Club - 18 Hole Championship Course

Climate

Our weather is very stable, and we enjoy seeing all four seasons come and go! We enjoy the opportunities that the snow brings as much as the summer warmth and sunshine. Winters are cool, with the average temperature usually around -10C. The summers are long, usually about 6 months in the growing season, with average temperatures around 22C.

We are in a sunny area, not alot of cloud cover winter or summer, and annually about 2,264 hours of sunshine, 40 cm of rain, 47 cm of snow. This allows plenty of time for recreation and farm activities... or just enjoying the community and all it has to offer!

Beautiful days for cloud gazing and relaxing in the sunshine!

Community Services

We have a wide array of community services, with the Barrhead & District FCSS leading the way (780) 674-3341, as well as many services and supports at the local, Provincial and Federal levels. See below for listings and details. The County of Barrhead acts as a resource and encourage you to call us should you need help or direction on any programs. We will do our best to assist you.

Municipal

County of Barrhead No. 11 5
306 - 49 Street
Barrhead, Alberta
T7N 1N5
Tel: 780-674-3331
Fax: 780-674-2777

Services provided by the County include Public Works, Agricultural Service Board, Utilities, Planning & Development, Recreation, Economic Development, Fire Department, and Disaster Services.

Provincial

A number of provincial departments have offices in the County, including: AADAC; Agriculture, Food and Rural Development; Alberta Distance Learning Centre; Attorney General - Provincial Court; Family and Community Support Services; The Employment Place; Aspen Regional Health; Family and Social Services; Forestry, Lands and Wildlife; Mental Health Clinic; Medical Examiner-Coroner; Public Works, Supply and Services; Transportation and Utilities; AFCS; and the Natural Resources Conservation Board (for CFO Applications)

Federal

• Farm Credit Corporation
• Canada Post
• Royal Canadian Mounted Police

County Council Members:2004-2007 Back: Bill Lee, Bill Lane, Marvin Brade, Darrell Troock Front: Gerald Nanninga, Reeve Lawrence Miller, Marcel Gauthier

Community Lifestyle

Recreation

The County of Barrhead realizes how important recreation is to the social and physical health of its residents, and though we are a rural municipality, we partner with the Town Recreation Department to provide top notch recreation facilities and programs to meet the community's needs!

With the County encompassing parts of the Boreal Forest, Natural Sandhills Ecological area, as well as three rivers and many lakes, ther are many activities for outdoor enthusiasts. There are a variety of community and cultural events offered in the Town and County, including a minor mixed ball program, summer fun programs, trips, anniversary events, and fireworks. There are many rural and urban parks, as well as a paved walking trail that meaders through Town and out into the County along the scenic Paddle River.

Within the Town, we offer an indoor swimming pool complete with climbing wall, sauna and hottub, and kiddie area. There is also a splash park, bowling alley, tennis courts, curling rink, indoor minigolf in the summer, indoor walking track, new top of the line arena with excellent seating, and many active groups to keep other interests going strong, from dancing to judo to choir to community theatres, and the list goes on!

We are well known for our golf facilities, the local golf courses include the Barrhead Golf and Recreation Area, which has a championship 18-hole course, driving range, recreational vehicle and camping sites, full lounge and fully stocked pro shop and the Paddle River Golf Course, which has a 9-hole course, lounge and restaurant and a pro shop, is located in the Town of Barrhead.

In the winter, the Misty Ridge Ski Hill offers downhill and cross country skiing and snow-boarding, equipment rentals, and an outdoor skating rink, as well as a heated chalet for those who wish to curl up with a cup of cocoa and a book while the family braves the elements!

The Thunder Lake Provincial Park is located 18 km west of Town, and offers fishing, boating, swimming, 127 campsites, group camping, board rentals, boat launch, mooring, sandy beaches, campers beach, water skiing, playgrounds, activity programs, farmers market, sewage dumping station, Park Ranger security, cross-country ski trails and winter camping.

Other camping facilities are available at Clear Lake, Dolberg Lake, Peanut Lake, Elks Beach, the Klondyke Ferry Crossing Campground, and the Barrhead Golf and Recreation Area.

There are many recreation and special interest clubs including but not exclusive to the Barrhead Archery Club, Barrhead Art Club, Barrhead Centennial Museum Society, Town & Country Art Club, Barrhead Tai Chi, Barrhead Boxing Club, Blue Heron Bowl, Barrhead Gemseekers, and the Barrhead Judo Club. A wide range of community organizations, sports clubs, 4-H clubs and service groups operate in the County, including but not exclusive to the Barrhead & District Chamber of Commerce, Barrhead & District Agricultural Society, Barrhead Elks Club, the Rotary Club of Barrhead and the Royal Canadian Legion No. 75.

Religious Services

Religious services include the Barrhead United Church, Christ Lutheran Church, Glad Tidings Pentecostal Church, St. John's Lutheran Church, Barrhead Alliance Church, German Church of God, Canadian Reformed Church, Barrhead Christian Reformed, Church of the Nazarene, St. Anne's Roman Catholic, Bethel Pentecostal Church, Barrhead Church of God, Canadian Reformed Church, Neerlandia Christian Reformed, Redeemer Lutheran Church, St. May Abbot's Anglican and the Emmanuel Reformed Church of Neerlandia.

Special Annual Events/Attractions

Barrhead is a leader in hosting several outstanding special events throughout the year. Here are some of the highlights:

• Figure Skating Carnival -- March
• Volunteer Appreciation Activities -- April
• 4-H Achievement Day -- May
• Blue Heron Street Festival-- June
• Fun Run / Terry Fox Run -- June
• Annual Volksmarch -- June
• Canada Day Celebrations -- July 1
• Agriculture Service Board Annual Tour -- July/August
• Blue Heron Fair Days -- August
• Cattle Penning Association Finals -- September
• Wildrose Rodeo Finals -- September
• Christmas Light-Up -- November
• Christmas Parade -- December
• New Years Eve Activities -- December 31

Holmes Crossing Campground, near the Holmes Crossing Provincial Ecological Reserve

Dolberg Lake, great trout fishing, and a great weekend getaway spot, very quiet and calm.

Peanut Lake, a nice campground and lake: great for canoeing and fishing.

Blue Heron, our local "mascot" and a bird that nests along our many water bodies. Amazing to see swooping low over the water on a warm summers eve.

Economic Base

We have seen great growth in the past few years, as with all of Alberta, and alot of diversification in our economic base. Traditionally the main base was agriculture, but other industries are becoming large contributors. Oil and gas are a large part of our business base, due to our proximity to Swan Hills, a resource town built on oil and gas, as well as large exploration and pipeline development within our area. We also have exploration and processing of coalbed methane, a biofuel production facility in the neighboring municipality in the works, and forestry with two large lumber mills close by.

We are home to several large manufacturing facilities: Pollard Banknote, a lottery ticket plant, Barrcana Homes, a manufactured and modular home production facility, Can-Oat Milling, which processes barley and oats, Sepallo Industries, which processes health food supplement ingredients, Champion Feeds, which processes feeds and pet food, and many other companies which are large employers in the area. Recreation and tourism opportunies are available too, due to our excellent location near Edmonton as well as a variety of landscapes and excellent water bodies!

Within agriculture, diversification is prevalent, with numerous mixed farming enterprises including grain, peas, hog, beef, dairy, poultry, elk, sheep, goats, ostrich, rhea, purebred cattle, purebred hogs, llamas, alpaca and seed growers. Diversification has expanded to ventures in market gardens, greenhouse vegetables, field vegetables, rhubarb, spice growing, garden nurseries and tree nurseries.

We offer a wide range of retail, shopping and supply outlets and stores, with community-minded service. Our businesses give generously of their time and resources when available to give back to our residents and community!

Overlooking one of our agricultural operations at harvest.

Economic Facts

We support economic development and partner regionally to develop opportunities through GROWTH (Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance)  See their website at www.growthalberta.com

Additional market research information, as well as demographic information is available at the Alberta Economic Development website at www.alberta-canada.com

The following are our major employers and manufacturers in our County. There are also many employment opportunities with public bodies such as Aspen Regional Health, Pembina Hills Regional School Division, and the Alberta Distance Learning Centre and Learning Technologies Branch.

Major Manufacturers

• Champion Feed Service Ltd.: Generates Feeds and pet food
• Barrcana Homes Ltd.: Manufactured and modular housing production facility
• Sepallo Industries: Processes health food supplement ingredients
• Pollard Banknote: Generates Lottery tickets
• Agricore: Fertilizer, grain sales and service, chemicals, herbicides
• Can-Oat Milling: Barley and oat processing
• Breal Metal Buildings & Industrial Insulation Ltd.: Metal buildings, industrial insulation
• Plastic Rotational Kontainers: Makes plastic products
• Barrhead Custom Meat Packers: Meat and meat products
• Adelman Cabinets & Millwork Ltd.: Furniture, millwork

Financial Institutions

We have a full range of financial services, with quality professionals to serve both business, farms, and personal accounts. The following financial institutions have offices in the Town: ScotiaBank, TD Canada Trust, Common Wealth Credit Union, Clarica, and ATB Financial.

Education

Education is an important and vital part of life in our community and the County of Barrhead offers many venues. The County is situated in the Pembina Hills Regional School Division #7 (www.phrd.ab.ca) with schools located in Barrhead [K-12], Neerlandia [K-12], Meadowview [K-6] and Dunstable [K-6]. French immersion is available from K to 9 in Barrhead. Also, Neerlandia School, located in Neerlandia, is a publicly-funded school based on biblical principles.

There is also a private school is located near Neerlandia, the Canadian Reformed School.

The community also offers a wide array of post secondary and adult educational opportunities, with the Alberta Distance Learning Centre, Learning Technologies Branch and the Northern Lakes College. www.northernlakescollege.ca access site all located in the Town. We also have an Adult Learning Council (780) 674-7535, call for information on upcoming sessions.

Daycare/Nursery

Daycare is a part of most working parents lives these days. Licensed Day homes are located throughout the County and Town; and an Accredited Day Care facility, with large capacity, is available in the Town. There is also a private pre-school program available for children aged 3 and up.

Emergency Services

Barrhead is part of the "911" service, with excellent dispatchers contracted for this service. In 2007, the County is proud to have also implemented the Rural Addressing System and put signage up at every residence to notify emergency response workers of the proper location.

The Barrhead Ambulance Service has 2 ambulances and provides basic and advanced life support. We provide a Regional Fire Service that has an excellent group of trained firefighters available to respond to such tragedies.

The Town and County of Barrhead have a joint emergency response centre located in the Industrial Park in the Town of Barrhead

Police Services

The County is served by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP] Barrhead detachment, (with 9 members) and partners with its close neighbors to contract Special Constable services for by-law enforcement.

The County subscribes to the Edmonton Region Emergency Public Warning System.

The County of Barrhead Disaster Services responds to peacetime emergencies. It assists in obtaining health, safety and protection services for residents. We have worked with the Regional Health Authority, the School Division and Alberta ministries to create mock disasters and other excerises to make sure we are ready should any disasters arise.

Council with the newest addition to the fire department!

Health Care

Excellent healthcare is a must in small communities and Barrhead holds a great standard of caring professionals. The Barrhead Health Care Centre has 34 acute care beds and 15 long term care beds and offers a wide range of services to County residents from obstetrics, surgery, ultrasound diagnostics, ear/nose/throat specialist and surgeon, general medicine, auxilary care, emergency x-ray, rehabilitation and physiotherapy, dietic counceling, and educational programs.

The Kier Care Centre is our 100 bed extended care facility, offering individualized care programs for seniors.

Aspen Regional Health (Public and Community Health) serves the Barrhead area, and provides services in the following departments: dental, environmental health, family health services, health promotion, home care, medical officer of health, nutrition, and speech and language. www.aspenrha.ab.ca

Other medical services include 2 medical clinics, staffed with 13 physicians, as well as visiting specialists for gynecology and pediatrics. We offer an optometry clinic, 3 dental clinics staffed with 3 dentists, a physiotherapy clinic, dental laboratory, medical laboratory, massage therapists, orthodontist, chiropractor and psychologist.

Disabilities

Blue Heron Support Services Association, established in 1989, provides support to individuals with a variety of disabilities. Over the last 18 years BHSSA has experienced tremendous growth: what once was a small - local organization, has branched out to provide services in Alberta Beach, Onoway, Westlock, Mayerthorpe, Neerlandia, Whitecourt and Fort McMurray regions. Through our growth and development we are now one of Barrhead's largest employers with approximately 165 staff and an additional 35 contractors. BHSSA is currently providing services to more than 100 individuals locally and another 100 individuals throughout the region. www.bhssa.com

Senior Living Facilities & Supports

Barrhead values the seniors in its community, along with their rich contributions to our past. There are many facilities which are maintained for senior living and care. Hillcrest Home and Klondyke place, which supply lodge-type accomodations with a wide range of facilities, offer a total of 91 rooms. There are also 3 manors which offer independant senior living and a total of 72 units. There has also been built a new private facility called Sheperd's Care, with 39 semi-assisted living units.

Aspen Regional Health provides home care support, we have a Meals on Wheels program, a Volunteer Drivers program to assist seniors in attending appointments, and a very active Seniors drop-in Centre with a new large facility to host their many events!

Key Contacts for Business Development

Municipal

County of Barrhead No. 11
5306 - 49 Street
Barrhead, Alberta
T7N 1N5
Tel: 780-674-3331
Fax: 780-674-2777
www.countybarrhead.ab.ca

Lawrence Miller
Reeve

Dale Uhrbach
County Manager
duhrbach@phrd.ab.ca

Rick Neumann
Economic Development Officer
5306 - 49 Street
Barrhead, Alberta
T7N 1N5
Tel: 780-674-3331
Fax: 780-674-2777
email: rickn@phrd.ab.ca

GROWTH (Grizzly Regional Economic Alliance)
Jody Goeble
5306-49 Street Barrhead, AB
T7N 1N5
Phone:780-674-3140
Fax: 674-2777
e-mail inquiries@growthalberta.com

Provincial (Updated October 2007)

Honourable Ken Kowalski
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, Member of the Legislative Assembly [MLA]
Barrhead-Westlock Constituency 
325 Legislature Building
10800 - 97 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
T5K 2B6
Tel: 780-427-2464
Fax: 780-422-9553
www.assembly.ab.ca  

Constituency Office:
5110 - 50 Avenue, Box 4576
Barrhead, Alberta
T7N 1A4
Tel: 780-674-3225
Fax: 780-674-6183

Federal (Updated October 2007)

Robert Merrifield
Member of Parliament [MP]
Yellowhead Constituency
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: 613-992-1653
Fax: 613-992-3459
www.merrifieldmp.com

Constituency Office:
Box 7887
Edson, Alberta
T7E 1V9
Telephone: 780-723-6068 or 1-800-268-7117
Fax: 780-723-5060

Yellowhead East Business Development Centre
Box 249
Sangudo, Alberta
T0E 2A0
Tel: 780-785-2900
Fax: 780-785-3337

Location

The County of Barrhead is located in north-central Alberta, 122 km northwest of the City of Edmonton. It is bounded by Woodlands County to the north and west, the County of Lac Ste. Anne No.28 to the south, and the Municipal District of Sturgeon and Westlock County to the east. We are only 1 hour northwest of Edmonton, and a direct link to the Peace country. Our closest neighbors are Westlock to the east, Woodlands County (including Whitecourt and Fort Assiniboine) to the north and west, and Lac Ste Anne County to the south.

"Paul Bunyan's Hammer" This odd shaped rock was found during road construction operations north of Freedom and was mounted on the instruction of the County Council of 1974.

Post Secondary Education

Residents have access to Edmonton-based post-secondary institutions through Barrhead's satellite campuses of the Northern Alberta Institute of Technology [NAIT] www.nait.ca, Grant MacEwan College www.macewan.ca and Northern Lakes College www.northernlakescollege.ca all located in Barrhead.

Taxation

2007	Residential	Farmland	Non Residential
Municipal Tax Rate	7.4442	13.8990	15.7193
Education Tax Rate	3.4199	3.4199	4.4344
Totals	10.8641	17.3189	20.1537

The following is a breakdown of where the County of Barrhead's tax dollars come from, sorted by assessment type:

Legend

Transportation

Air Services

Johnson Industrial Airport, located near the Town of Barrhead, is vital to the region and services government travel, medical evacuations, search and rescue operations, RCMP transfers, training, industry, agriculture, with an annual estimated 300 aircraft movements. It has a 3,500 foot runway and all-weather facilities, a terminal with phone, water, fridge and stove, as well as hangar and a key-lock aviation fuel tank. It is also being fitted in fall of 2007 with the Wide Area Augmentation System (GPS). This airport brings economic and recreational benefits to our community.

Highways

The Town of Barrhead is situated on a major provincial corridor at the junction of Highway 33 and Highway 18. Highway 33, named the Grizzly Trail, is the shortest route to Peace River Country. Other connecting highways include Secondary Highway 769 connecting Barrhead to Neerlandia, Secondary Highway 654 connecting Barrhead to Manola, and Highway 18 connecting Barrhead to Thunder Lake.

Trucking Firms

Local trucking firms serve the County of Barrhead in many capacities, from Agriculture to business transport, to oilfield services and forestry.

Passenger Bus Services

Greyhound Bus Lines provides regularly scheduled service to the Town.

Couriers and Taxis

Greyhound Express Courier, Loomis Courier, Priority Courier and Purolator Courier service the County. The accessible taxi provides transportation for the frail, elderly and the physically and mentally handicapped.

Ferry Service

The Klondyke Ferry Crossing is a cabled ferry crossing the Athabasca River. This is one of the most historical visits in our community nearing the Klondyke Trail, and one of the last operating Ferries in Alberta.

The Klondyke Ferry, crossing the Athabasca River into the Sandhills Provinicial Park. A great trip with many interesting views and wildlife to be seen!

Part of our grader fleet, here to maintain roads in the best condition possible, rain or shine or snow or ice!

Utilities

Electrical Power

Epcor
Tel: 310-4300

Natural Gas

AltaGas Utilities Inc.
6116 - 48 Street, Box 4188
Barrhead, Alberta
T7N 1A2
Tel: 1-800-242-3477

Ste Anne Natural Gas Co-op Ltd.
Box 600
Onoway, Alberta
Tel: 780-967-2246

Telephone Service

TELUS
Edmonton [Tel: 310-2255]

Water Supply

The County of Barrhead administers one water system for the County, for the Hamlet of Neerlandia. The County also partners with the Town of Barrhead to supply water to the Hamlet of Manola, and is currently looking at alternate water supply pipeline to supply Neerlandia. The County partners with other municipalities in its region in the quest for a pure and constant supply of water for all its residents, and will be considering many venues in the future for this purpose.

Waste Management

Sewage treatment in the County of Barrhead is provided by 4 lagoons, and a wastewater system in both Neerlandia and Manola. The future may see us increase our capacity levels as we continue to grow, as with the rest of the Province! 

The County has a regional landfill site for solid waste and six transfer stations.

Population

Total Population 1991-2001

Barrhead No. 11, County of Population by Age Group (2001)

Education Statistics

Barrhead No. 11, County of Highest Level of Schooling 2001

Labour Force

Barrhead No. 11, County of Labour Force By Industry - 2001

Income

Building Permits

Total Housing Starts

Value of Building Permits

Dwellings

Farming

Barrhead No. 11, County of Total Farm Area : 895 acres

# of Farms by Total Farm Area

Total Gross Farm Receipts

Farming, Continued

Age of Farm Operators