Hanna, Alberta

Hanna is a town in Central Alberta, Canada, approximately 57 km northeast of the town of Drumheller.

Hanna
Town
Town of Hanna
Hanna Show map of Special Area No. 2 Hanna Show map of Alberta
Coordinates: 51°38′18″N 111°56′31″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Southern Alberta
Census division	4
Incorporated[1]
• Village	December 31, 1912
• Town	April 14, 1914
Government [2][3]
• Mayor	Danny Povaschuk
• Governing body	Hanna Town Council
Area  (2021)[4]
• Land	8.4 km2 (3.2 sq mi)
Elevation [5]	785 m (2,575 ft)
Population  (2021)[4][6]
• Total	2,394
• Density	285.1/km2 (738/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal code span	T0J 1P0
Area code	403, 587, 825
Highway	Highway 9
Website	www.hanna.ca

It is surrounded by Special Area No. 2 and the district office of the Alberta government's Special Areas administration is located in Hanna.

History

The town was first settled in 1912 and was incorporated in 1914. The Canadian Northern Railway's Goose Lake line running between Saskatoon to Calgary was built there at that time.^[7] Hanna was named after David Blyth Hanna, the third vice president of the Canadian Northern Railway. It was a division point of the Canadian Northern Railway and had a 10-stall railway roundhouse.^[8]

The Depression-era drought hurt the area. In 1939 the Alberta government established a Special Area to provide additional support for residents in that part of the province.

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Hanna had a population of 2,394 living in 1,100 of its 1,257 total private dwellings, a change of -6.4% from its 2016 population of 2,559. With a land area of 8.4 km² (3.2 sq mi), it had a population density of 285.0/km² (738.1/sq mi) in 2021.^[4]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Hanna recorded a population of 2,559 living in 1,149 of its 1,246 total private dwellings, a -4.3% change from its 2011 population of 2,673. With a land area of 8.81 km² (3.40 sq mi), it had a population density of 290.5/km² (752.3/sq mi) in 2016.^[9]

Economy

The town's main industries are agriculture, oil production, power generation, tourism, and coal mining. It is the centre of a large trading area called Short Grass County and is the home of approximately 200 businesses.^[10] Natural resources in the Hanna area are coal, petroleum, natural gas, and bentonite.^[8]

Notable people

• Chad Kroeger, Mike Kroeger, Daniel Adair and Ryan Peake, members of the rock band Nickelback. The music video for the band’s song “Photograph” was filmed in Hanna, which features Chad Kroeger singing about his upbringing in the town.
• Shirley McClellan, former provincial politician
• Lanny McDonald, former professional hockey player and member of the NHL Hall of Fame
• Glen Motz, Conservative MP for Medicine Hat—Cardston—Warner
• Blake Nill, college football coach and former professional football player
• Jim Nill, professional hockey executive and former professional hockey player
• Milt Pahl, former provincial politician
• Dave Ruhl, former professional wrestler
• Marjorie Willison, author and radio personality

Sister town

• Wake, Okayama is the sister town of Hanna.