Rimbey, Alberta

Rimbey
—  Town  —
Town of Rimbey
Mainstreet Rimbey
Motto: The friendly international town
Location of Rimbey in Alberta
Coordinates: 52°38′25″N 114°14′02″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Central Alberta
Census division	8
County	Ponoka
Government
• Mayor	Sheldon Ibbotson
• Governing body	Rimbey Town Council
Area (2011)
• Total	11.34 km2 (4.38 sq mi)
Elevation	930 m (3,050 ft)
Population (2011)
• Total	2,378
• Density	209.7/km2 (543/sq mi)
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
Postal code span	T0C 2J0
Area code(s)	+1-403
Highways	Highway 20 Highway 53
Waterways	Gull Lake
Website	Town of Rimbey

Rimbey ( /ˈrɪmbiː/) is a small town of nearly 2,500 people in central Alberta, Canada. It is located 62 kilometres (39 mi) northwest of Red Deer, 145 kilometres (90 mi) southwest of Edmonton and 207 kilometres (129 mi) north of Calgary.

The town is situated at the junction of Highways 20 and 53, in the Blindman River valley area.

Nearby communities include Ponoka (east), Red Deer (southeast), and Bentley (south)

History

Officially made a community in 1902, the first name given to the settlement at the turn of the century was Kansas Ridge as many of the settlers came from Kansas. Among them were the three Rimbey brothers (Sam, Ben, and Jim) for whom the town was officially named after in 1904. The Rimbeys moved to Canada from Scott County, Illinois, having moved to Illinois in the 1830s from Maryland. They were originally from Pennsylvania.

In 1919 the Lacombe and Blindman Valley Electric Railway (later part of the Canadian Pacific Railway) reached Rimbey, and there was much enthusiasm for the "new town" by the tracks (now Highway 20). Two grain companies built elevators the following year and Rimbey's population swelled to 319 by 1921.

The Second World War brought abrupt changes to Rimbey, as young men and sometimes their families left the village. When war was over some returned and others did not. Many new faces came to Rimbey and the population surged to 634 by 1946.

Economy

Rimbey is mainly a farming community, with the oil and gas sector increasing in importance.

Store fronts in Rimbey

The town has full amenities including hotels, motels, several grocery, convenience, and liquor stores and a campground. Rimbey has its own hospital and ambulance (although more specialized procedures are sent to Red Deer or Edmonton) and its own detachment of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.

Tourism

Pas-Ka-Poo Park includes large open lawns, a historical village site, museums and a wide array of interesting displays, including the World's Largest Collection of International Trucks in the Smithson International Truck Museum.

The Rimbey Golf & Trailer Park is located 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) south.

The town has an outdoor swimming pool open from May to August every year, which is being rebuilt as a 3,900 ft (1,200 m)² junior olympic pool with a beach entrance, two hot tubs, a double loop waterslide and a 2,100 ft (640 m)² splash pad for toddlers up to 15 years of age.

The Beatty House is a historical house in the centre of town and can be booked for tours or to house social events.

There are also a couple of smaller public parks (designed for children) around town.

A multi-purpose motorsport facility, Central Alberta Raceways, is located east of Rimbey. It has been home to the annual Kinsmen Demolition Derby event since 2002 and its first oval race event was held in 2005. Its motocross track received a facelift in 2012, and its quarter-mile dragstrip is anticipated to open in 2012.

Media

The town newspaper is the Rimbey Review. The Rimbey Review commenced publishing on January 27, 1997 and was owned by Sylvan Lake News. The paper was sold to Black Press in 2005. The Rimbey Review succeeded the Rimbey Record, which had been publishing since the early 1930s. The Rimbey Record was cited, in 1937, for its assistance in a series for the Edmonton Journal, which won that paper a Pulitzer prize. The Rimbey Record was, at its demise, part of a chain of newspapers, under the banner Record Publishing that failed financially after an unsuccessful attempt to go public.

Demographics

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Rimbey had a population of 2,378 living in 983 of its 1,081 total dwellings, a 5.6% change from its 2006 population of 2,252. With a land area of 11.34 km² (4.38 sq mi), it had a population density of 209.70/km² (543.1/sq mi) in 2011.

The population of the Town of Rimbey according to its 2008 municipal census is 2,496.

In 2006, Rimbey had a population of 2,252 living in 987 dwellings, a 4.5% increase from 2001. The town has a land area of 11.34 km² (4.38 sq mi) and a population density of 198.6 /km² (514 /sq mi).

Education

Operated by the Wolf Creek School Division No. 72, the Rimbey Elementary School, the Rimbey Junior-Senior High School, and the West Country Outreach School provide education within Rimbey. The town is also home to the Rimbey Christian School, a private school that offers learning for students in K-9. The Rimbey Nursery School offers play-based programs for children 3 to 5 years old.

Popular culture

The Royal Canadian Air Farce had a character named "Chuck, from Rimbey" who was an associate of popular character Mike, from Canmore. Chuck wore an Edmonton Oilers hat, unlike Mike's Calgary Flames one.

When Ralph Klein was the Premier of Alberta, he would often refer to "Martha and Henry from Rimbey" to characterize the so-called "severely normal Albertans" whom he credited for his popularity.

This Hour Has 22 Minutes once ran a satirical commercial for the Preston Manning Sing-Along Album which included the song "I Left My Heart in Rimbey, Alberta".

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of towns in Alberta

External links

• Town of Rimbey
• AlbertaFirst. Rimbley community profile