Spruce Grove

This article is about the city in Alberta. For other uses, see Spruce Grove (disambiguation).

Spruce Grove is a city that is 11 km (6.8 mi) west of Edmonton, Alberta, in Canada. The city is adjacent to the Town of Stony Plain and is surrounded by Parkland County.

Spruce Grove
City
City of Spruce Grove
Spruce Grove City Hall
Flag
City boundaries
Spruce Grove Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta Spruce Grove Location in Canada Show map of Canada Spruce Grove Location in Parkland County Show map of Parkland County
Coordinates: 53°32′42″N 113°54′03″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Edmonton Metropolitan Region
Municipal district	Parkland County
Incorporated[1]
• Village	March 14, 1907
• Dissolution	August 30, 1916
• Village	January 1, 1955
• Town	January 1, 1971
• City	March 1, 1986
Government [2]
• Mayor	Jeff Acker
• Governing body	Spruce Grove City Council Danielle Carter Jan Gillett Stuart Houston Reid MacDonald Dave Oldham Erin Stevenson
• CAO	Dean Screpnek
• MP	Dane Lloyd
• MLA	Searle Turton
Area  (2021)[3]
• Land	37.52 km2 (14.49 sq mi)
Elevation [4]	709 m (2,326 ft)
Population  (2021)[3]
• Total	37,645
• Density	1,003.3/km2 (2,599/sq mi)
• Municipal census (2016)	33,640[5]
• Estimate (2020)	38,951[6]
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Forward sortation areas	T7X - T7Y
Area code(s)	780, 587, 825
Highways	Highway 16, Highway 16A
Railways	Canadian National Railway
Website	sprucegrove.org

With a 2021 population of 37,645, Spruce Grove is the ninth-largest city in Alberta. The mayor of Spruce Grove is Jeff Acker.

Spruce Grove is home to the Horizon Stage Performing Arts Centre, a local theatre, and the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, a recreation facility shared with Stony Plain and Parkland County.

Jennifer Heil, the freestyle skier who won the first gold medal for Canada in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and a silver medal at the 2010 Winter Olympics is from Spruce Grove, as is Carla MacLeod, a member of the 2010 Canada women's national ice hockey team, and Hockey Hall of Fame member and Stanley Cup-winning goalie Grant Fuhr. Stephanie Labbé, goalkeeper for Canada's 2020 Summer Olympic gold-medal winning women's soccer team, grew up in the Spruce Grove and Stony Plain area and played soccer at Spruce Grove Composite High School.

History

Centuries before European settlement, the Cree and Sarcee people occupied the land that would become Spruce Grove, moving with the seasons.^[7]

Homesteaders in the area date back to 1879.^[8] Originally the town comprised a general store, livery stables, blacksmith shop, hotel, and the Roman Catholic Church.

In 1908 the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway came through Spruce Grove and a train station was built. With the establishment of the railroad, the community became a busy grain-trading center.

Spruce Grove was incorporated as a village on March 14, 1907, but it was dissolved on August 30, 1916.^[1] Spruce Grove was re-incorporated as a village on January 1, 1955, and incorporated as a town on January 1, 1971, and as a city on March 1, 1986.^[1][9]

Geography

Spruce Grove is near the province's geographical centre, at 30 kilometres (19 mi) from downtown Edmonton and 14 km (8.7 mi) from Edmonton's city limits.^[10] It is part of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region.

Demographics

Federal census
population history

Year	Pop.	±%
1911	16	—
1916	23	+43.8%
1931	76	+230.4%
1941	160	+110.5%
1951	227	+41.9%
1956	309	+36.1%
1961	456	+47.6%
1966	598	+31.1%
1971	3,029	+406.5%
1976	6,907	+128.0%
1981	10,326	+49.5%
1986	11,918	+15.4%
1991	12,908	+8.3%
1996	14,271	+10.6%
2001	15,983	+12.0%
2006	19,496	+22.0%
2011	26,171	+34.2%
2016	34,066	+30.2%
Source: Statistics Canada [11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Spruce Grove had a population of 37,645 living in 14,273 of its 14,752 total private dwellings, a change of 10.4% from its 2016 population of 34,108. With a land area of 37.52 km² (14.49 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,003.3/km² (2,598.6/sq mi) in 2021.^[3]

The population of the City of according to its 2017 municipal census is 34,881,^[27] a change of 3.7% from its 2016 municipal census population of 33,640.^[5]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the City of Spruce Grove had a population of 34,066 living in 12,552 of its 13,109 total private dwellings, a change of 30.2% from its 2011 population of 26,171. With a land area of 32.2 km² (12.4 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,058.0/km² (2,740.1/sq mi) in 2016.^[26]

Ethnicity

Panethnic groups in the City of Spruce Grove (2001−2021)

Panethnic group	2021[28]		2016[29]		2011[30]		2006[31]		2001[32]
	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%	Pop.	%
European[a]	30,475	81.33%	29,100	86.2%	23,300	89.62%	18,150	93.65%	14,915	93.51%
Indigenous	3,330	8.89%	2,620	7.76%	1,620	6.23%	790	4.08%	660	4.14%
Southeast Asian[b]	1,495	3.99%	925	2.74%	285	1.1%	35	0.18%	60	0.38%
South Asian	700	1.87%	275	0.81%	220	0.85%	65	0.34%	0	0%
African	685	1.83%	245	0.73%	160	0.62%	100	0.52%	90	0.56%
East Asian[c]	330	0.88%	180	0.53%	205	0.79%	100	0.52%	160	1%
Latin American	275	0.73%	195	0.58%	140	0.54%	45	0.23%	10	0.06%
Middle Eastern[d]	50	0.13%	160	0.47%	0	0%	40	0.21%	25	0.16%
Other/multiracial[e]	125	0.33%	60	0.18%	40	0.15%	45	0.23%	30	0.19%
Total responses	37,470	99.54%	33,760	98.98%	26,000	99.35%	19,380	99.41%	15,950	99.79%
Total population	37,645	100%	34,108	100%	26,171	100%	19,496	100%	15,983	100%
Note: Totals greater than 100% due to multiple origin responses

Grain elevator in Spruce Grove, 2009

Arts and culture

The Spruce Grove Art Gallery is in the Melcor Cultural Centre and is operated by the Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove. The gallery hosts ongoing shows for original art created by its members, made up of artists from mainly the Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County area.^[33]

Horizon Stage hosts many plays and acts throughout the year, as well as a lot of community theatre. Spruce Grove also has a 7 screen theatre complex which opened in the fall of 2007.^[34]

Another cultural facility within the city is the Spruce Grove Grain Elevator Museum.

Attractions

The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre, opened in 2002, provides a pool, soccer fields, a gymnasium, workout gym, and ice rinks to the people of Parkland County. Spruce Grove has bike trails winding throughout the city, called the Heritage Grove Trail, where bike riders can ride for hours through lush forest. On June 7, 2008, Spruce Grove held the grand opening of the West District Park, which features two full artificial surface fields for football, soccer and other activities. The Edmonton Eskimos donated $10,000 towards the event and held practice at the facility as part of the first-day activities.

Sports

Spruce Grove has a number of youths and adults involved in amateur sports, that run year round. Box lacrosse runs from March to July under the organization Parkland Posse,^[35] which pulls young people from the Tri communities of Spruce Grove, Stony Plain and Parkland County. Hockey runs from September to April, soccer and rugby run from May to October, football runs from July to December and baseball runs from March to October. The Spruce Grove Saints are a Junior A hockey team that play in the British Columbia Hockey League.

The TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre is an activity centre formed as a union between the municipalities of Parkland County, Stony Plain and Spruce Grove. It is in the west end of Spruce Grove. The centre was opened to the public by Premier Ralph Klein on September 18, 2002.

As of 2024^[update], the Myshak Metro Ballpark is under construction. Upon completion, it will become the home stadium of the Edmonton Prospects.^[36]

Infrastructure

Transportation

Highways

Two highways pass through Spruce Grove, Highway 16 (Yellowhead Highway) and Highway 16A. Highway 16 has no traffic lights but has two exits into Spruce Grove, while Highway 16A has several traffic intersections. Travelling east on either of these highways leads to Edmonton. Travelling west on Highway 16A leads to Stony Plain, and going west on either highway leads to Edson, Hinton, and eventually Jasper.^[10]

Local streets

The majority of the streets in Spruce Grove use a standard naming system. Their names share a first letter with that of its subdivision. For example, all streets start with M in Millgrove subdivision; in Woodhaven, they all start with W. Only in the original subdivision of Broxton Park and the downtown core is this naming convention not utilized.

Rail

The Canadian passenger train travels through the city, however, the nearest stop is at Edmonton.

Transit

Edmonton Transit Service offers a commuter transit route from Spruce Grove to Edmonton, peak hours only. There is also a local transit service run by the city for transportation within the city boundaries.

Air

Local air travel is provided by Parkland Airport and Villeneuve Airport. However, the nearest major international airport is the Edmonton International Airport, just south of Edmonton.

Education

Public schools

Spruce Grove is part of the Parkland School Division No. 70. The following public schools are in Spruce Grove.^[37]

• Brookwood School
• Copperhaven School
• École Broxton Park School
• Greystone Centennial Middle School
• Millgrove School
• Parkland Village School
• Spruce Grove Composite High School
• Woodhaven K-9 School
• Prescott Learning Centre

Separate schools

Spruce Grove is part of the Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 2. The following separate schools are in Spruce Grove.^[38]

• St. Joseph's Catholic School
• St. Marguerite Catholic School
• St. Peter the Apostle Catholic High School
• St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic School

Private schools

• Living Waters Christian Academy^[39]

Media

Spruce Grove receives almost all of its print, radio, and television media from Edmonton.

However, Spruce Grove has its own weekly newspaper, the Spruce Grove Examiner, delivered to all homes every Friday. This newspaper holds almost exclusively local news.^[40] The area has a radio station, 88.1 The One is dedicated to Spruce Grove, Stony Plain, and area.^[41]

Notable people

• Stu Barnes (former professional hockey player)
• Nathan Dempsey (former professional hockey player)
• Grant Fuhr (former professional hockey player, member of the Hockey Hall of Fame)
• Jennifer Heil (former Olympic moguls skier)
• Mark Korte (professional Canadian football player)
• Stephanie Labbé (former professional soccer player and Olympic gold medal winner)
• Justin Lawrence (professional Canadian football player)
• Carla MacLeod (former Olympic hockey player)
• Kelly Perlette (former gold medal boxer, Commonwealth Games)
• Howie Schumm and Herb Schumm (brothers, both former professional Canadian football players)
• Ben Scrivens (professional hockey player)
• Keith Shologan (professional Canadian football player)
• Grant Stevenson (professional hockey player)

See also

• List of cities in Canada

Notes

1. Statistic includes all persons that did not make up part of a visible minority or an indigenous identity.
2. Statistic includes total responses of "Filipino" and "Southeast Asian" under visible minority section on census.
3. Statistic includes total responses of "Chinese", "Korean", and "Japanese" under visible minority section on census.
4. Statistic includes total responses of "West Asian" and "Arab" under visible minority section on census.
5. Statistic includes total responses of "Visible minority, n.i.e." and "Multiple visible minorities" under visible minority section on census.

References

1. "Location and History Profile: City of Spruce Grove" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 17, 2016. p. 106. Retrieved June 18, 2016.
2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
4. "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Retrieved October 9, 2013.
5. 2016 Municipal Affairs Population List (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. ISBN 978-1-4601-3127-5. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
6. "Census Subdivision (Municipal) Population Estimates, July 1, 2016 to 2020, Alberta". Alberta Municipal Affairs. March 23, 2021. Retrieved October 8, 2021.
7. CraigBaird (May 12, 2021). "The History Of Spruce Grove". Canadian History Ehx. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
8. Lunan, Esther (1979). As the roots grow : the history of Spruce Grove and district. Inter-Collegiate Press. p. 16.
9. "History of Spruce Grove". May 3, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2023.
10. The City of Spruce Grove. Location
11. "Table 4: Population in incorporated cities, towns and villages, 1901-1936". Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1936. Vol. I: Population and Agriculture. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1938. pp. 833–836.
12. "Table 12: Population of Canada by provinces, counties or census divisions and subdivisions, 1871-1931". Census of Canada, 1931. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1932. pp. 98–102.
13. Ninth Census of Canada, 1951. Vol. SP-7, Population: Unincorporated villages and hamlets. Dominion Bureau of Statistics. pp. 55–57.
14. "Table 6: Population by sex, for census subdivisions, 1956 and 1951". Census of Canada, 1956. Vol. Population, Counties and Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1957. p. 6.50–6.53.
15. "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961". 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961. Vol. I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1963. p. 6.77-6.83.
16. "Population by specified age groups and sex, for census subdivisions, 1966". Census of Canada, 1966. Vol. Population, Specified Age Groups and Sex for Counties and Census Subdivisions, 1966. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1968. p. 6.50–6.53.
17. "Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971". 1971 Census of Canada. Vol. I: Population, Census Subdivisions (Historical). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1973. p. 2.102-2.111.
18. "Table 3: Population for census divisions and subdivisions, 1971 and 1976". 1976 Census of Canada. Census Divisions and Subdivisions, Western Provinces and the Territories. Vol. I: Population, Geographic Distributions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1977. p. 3.40–3.43.
19. "Table 4: Population and Total Occupied Dwellings, for Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1976 and 1981". 1981 Census of Canada. Vol. II: Provincial series, Population, Geographic distributions (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1982. p. 4.1–4.10. ISBN 0-660-51095-2.
20. "Table 2: Census Divisions and Subdivisions – Population and Occupied Private Dwellings, 1981 and 1986". Census Canada 1986. Vol. Population and Dwelling Counts – Provinces and Territories (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1987. p. 2.1–2.10. ISBN 0-660-53463-0.
21. "Table 2: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 and 1991 – 100% Data". 91 Census. Vol. Population and Dwelling Counts – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1992. pp. 100–108. ISBN 0-660-57115-3.
22. "Table 10: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions, Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) and Designated Places, 1991 and 1996 Censuses – 100% Data". 96 Census. Vol. A National Overview – Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1997. pp. 136–146. ISBN 0-660-59283-5.
23. "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
24. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. January 6, 2010. Retrieved April 1, 2012.
25. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2012. Retrieved February 8, 2012.
26. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
27. 2017 Municipal Affairs Population List (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. ISBN 978-1-4601-3652-2. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
28. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 26, 2022). "Census Profile, 2021 Census of Population". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
29. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (October 27, 2021). "Census Profile, 2016 Census". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
30. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (November 27, 2015). "NHS Profile". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
31. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (August 20, 2019). "2006 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
32. Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (July 2, 2019). "2001 Community Profiles". www12.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
33. "Allied Arts Council of Spruce Grove". Alliedartscouncil.com. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
34. "New Magic Lantern Parkland Cinema 7 to open this week". Archived from the original on June 10, 2011. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
35. "Parkland Posse Lacrosse Association : Website by RAMP InterActive". www.parklandposse.com. Retrieved April 12, 2024.
36. "Edmonton Prospects make Spruce Grove move official". Edmonton. September 1, 2020. Retrieved August 5, 2021.
37. "Our Schools". Parkland School Division No. 70. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
38. "Schools". Evergreen Catholic Separate Regional Division No. 2. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
39. "Living Waters Christian Academy". Living Waters Christian Academy. Retrieved June 3, 2015.
40. nurun.com. "Spruce Grove Examiner". Spruce Grove Examiner. Retrieved April 30, 2017.
41. nurun.com (September 19, 2014). "Blackgold Broadcasting awarded licence for local radio station". Stonyplainreporter.com. Retrieved April 30, 2017.

External links

• Official website