Cardston


Cardston is a town in Alberta, Canada. The land on which Cardston was founded was originally inhabited by the Niitsitapi people of Kainai but was not considered part of Blackfoot Territory by the Government of Canada in the Treaty 7 agreement of 1877.
Cardston was established in 1887 by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who travelled from Utah, via the Macleod-Benton Trail, to Alberta in one of the century's last wagon migrations. The founder of the town was Charles Ora Card. The combined church and school was completed by January 29 the following year after their arrival.
Cardston has been a "dry" town for 115 years, and there are no licensed premises in which to use video lottery terminals. In 1951, 75% of Cardston's 3500 residents were members of the Church of Latterday Saints. It remains at about 80%, as of 2014.

Geography

Cardston is situated in the foothills of southwest Alberta, approximately north from the American state of Montana. On its north side, it borders the Kainai Nation Reserve, one of the largest reserves in North America. to the west of Cardston are the Rocky Mountains of Waterton Lakes National Park. Cardston is southwest of Lethbridge and south of Calgary.
In 2018, the Town of Cardston conducted a municipally ran census which resulted in . In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Cardston recorded a population of 3,585 living in 1,175 of its 1,270 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 3,580. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2016.
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Cardston had a population of 3,580 living in 1,208 of its 1,322 total dwellings, a 3.7% change from its 2006 population of 3,452. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2011.
The population of the Town of Cardston according to its 2007 municipal census is 3,578.
AgeMaleFemaleTotal
0–4115140255
5–14335310645
15–19175180355
20–24105100205
25–34125160285
35–44175210385
45–54165200365
55–64125155280
65–74135170305
75+150260410
Totals160018703470

Source: Statistics Canada 2001 Census
19962001
Total number of families730760
Average family income$53,750$52,939
Median family income$46,503$48,004

Source: Statistics Canada 1996 & 2001 Census

Climate

Cardston experiences a humid continental climate. Along with the rest of southern Alberta, Cardston is subject to chinooks, which often bring temperatures in mid-winter well above. This same pattern results in more than 200 days of wind a year.
Weather records:
Primary industries are education, health care, entrepreneurship, agriculture, and tourism. Cardston is one of the few communities in Canada where alcohol cannot be sold or purchased.

Attractions

Cardston has a soccer park, ball parks, a golf course, an ice skating rink, a swimming pool, tennis courts, hiking trails, a skateboard park, several recreation parks, picnic areas and playgrounds. St. Mary's Dam reservoir northeast of Cardston supports water sports in the summer months.

Local attractions

;Cardston Alberta Temple:The Cardston Alberta Temple is Cardston's most recognized landmarks. It was constructed by Mormon pioneers. Built in 1923, it was the first temple constructed by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints outside of the United States. It remained the only temple in Canada until the Toronto Ontario Temple was built in 1990.
;Remington Carriage Museum:The Remington Carriage Museum houses the largest collection of horse-drawn vehicles in North America, with more than 250 carriages, wagons and sleighs. The facility features video displays, a fire hall, carriage factory, restoration shop, working stable, carriage rides, carriage rentals, a restaurant, and a gift shop. Guided tours are offered for free. On April 9, 2006, the museum was briefly mentioned on TV in Canada as a destination of Patty and Selma's vacation during the Kiss Kiss, Bang Bangalore episode of The Simpsons.
;The Carriage House Theatre: This theatre was constructed in 1912 by Mark Spencer, and underwent renovations in 1937 and 1992. It seats 350 and hosts films, community theatre and professional summer theatre, which has produced such shows as Seussical, Oklahoma, and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.
;Card Pioneer Home:A genuine "Little House on the Prairie", it was built by Cardston's founder Charles Ora Card in 1887, and served as a community centre and stopping place for travellers until the first hotel was built in 1894. The log structure stands in its original location and is open for public visits as a Registered Provincial Historic site.
;Courthouse Museum:The Courthouse Museum shows how a rough country changed dramatically. The unique sandstone structure was built in 1907 from stone quarried near Cardston. The building's profile and interior stand as a monument to Cardston's early pioneer artisans. It was used longer than any other courthouse in Alberta. The building displays the judge's bench, witness box, and other artifacts. Original jail cells, including graffiti, can be found. The Courthouse Museum is a Registered Provincial Historic site,

Regional attractions

;Waterton Lakes National Park
Waterton Lakes National Park is a national park in the southwest corner of Alberta, 40 km west of Cardston, and borders Glacier National Park in Montana, USA. Waterton Lakes was Canada's fourth national park, formed in 1895. Amid the peaks are the lakes of Waterton Lakes National Park, carved out of the rock by glaciers.
;Frank Slide Interpretive Centre
On April 29, 1903, at 4:10 a.m., the mining town of Frank, Alberta, was devastated by 82 million tonnes of limestone crashing down from Turtle Mountain. The Frank Slide Interpretative Centre in the Crowsnest Pass, 130 km northwest of Cardston, tells of one of the greatest natural disasters in Canadian history.
;Castle Mountain Ski Resort
Castle Mountain Resort 90 km west of Cardston has kilometres of groomed skiing runs, natural half pipes, deep fresh powder, short lift lines and wide open spaces.
;Writing On Stone Provincial Park
Writing-on-Stone Provincial Park, 125 km east of Cardston, is one of the largest areas of protected prairie in the Alberta park system, a nature preserve and protection for rock art created by Plains People. There are 50 rock art sites, with thousands of figures, as well as archaeological sites.
;Police Outpost Provincial Park
Police Outpost Provincial Park is south of Cardston, on the Canada/United States border, on the shores of Outpost Lake.

Education

Schools include the Cardston High School, the Cardston Jr. High School, and Cardston Elementary School which are all under the Westwind School Division.
Former schools include Leeside and Westside. The building that housed many of the junior high facilities, E.J. Wood School, Parkland School, and John S. Smith Schools were torn down in 1993 as the junior high moved to the former Eastridge building. The Cardston High School underwent extensive renovations in the early 2000s, including an expansion to its gymnasium, much-improved fitness and weight room facilities, wider hallways, and a new cafeteria.

Media

;Historical newspapers
The and have been digitized from microfilm and are available through the University of Lethbridge Library digitized collections. Also look at what the Cardston Historical Society has on their website

Notable people