Brooks

Brooks is a small town of about 15,000 people (2021) in the Southern Alberta region of Alberta, Canada. It's a good jumping-off point for exploring the fossils and badlands of Dinosaur Provincial Park.

Understand
The base of the economy of the City of Brooks is energy (oil and gas) and agriculture, with other sectors including metal manufacturing, food processing and construction. It is also a retail and service centre for the surrounding area.

Canada's second largest beef-processing facility is in Brooks. It ships meat across the country and internationally.

Brooks has won the Communities in Bloom competition four times in a row. Brooks has won Tidiness and Community Involvement Awards at a national level.

History
The area that is now Brooks was used as a bison-hunting ground for the Blackfoot and Crow. After Treaty 7 was signed in 1877, homesteaders moved into the area to begin farming. Until 1904, the area did not have a name. Through a contest sponsored by the Postmaster General, the area was named after Noel Edgell Brooks, a Canadian Pacific Railway Divisional Engineer from Calgary.

Climate
Located in the steppe region known as the Palliser's Triangle, Brooks has a semi-arid climate. Winters are dry and cold, with little snowfall compared to the rest of Canada. Chinook winds, though less common than in areas west and especially southwest of Brooks, are not uncommon, and ameliorate the cold winter temperatures temporarily when they pass over. Wide diurnal temperature ranges are regular, due to the aridity and moderately high elevation. Low humidity is prevalent throughout the year. Most of the relatively scant annual precipitation occurs in late spring and summer, often in the form of thunderstorms. On average, the coldest month is January, with a mean temperature of −10.1 °C (13.8 °F), while the warmest is July, with a mean temperature of 19.6 °C (67.3 °F). The driest month is February, with an average monthly precipitation of 9.1 mm (0.36 in), while the wettest month is June, with an average of 74.2 mm (2.92 in). Annual precipitation is low, with an average of 301.3 mm (11.86 in).

Visitor Information

 * Brooks Region Tourism
 * City of Brooks

By car
Brooks is on the Highway 1 (Trans-Canada Highway). The easiest way to get in is by car along this highway. It is 188 km (about 2 hours by car) east of Calgary and roughly an equal distance west of Medicine Hat.

Get around
You will need a car to get around. Highway 876 lies north-east of town, running north from Highway 1 to Patricia. Avoid it due to heavy truck traffic.

See




Do

 * Tillebrook Provincial Park is to the east and there are several other recreational sites in the area including the Rolling Hills Reservoir, Crawling Valley Reservoir, and Emerson Bridge.
 * Tillebrook Provincial Park is to the east and there are several other recreational sites in the area including the Rolling Hills Reservoir, Crawling Valley Reservoir, and Emerson Bridge.

Go next

 * The Royal Tyrrell Museum in Drumheller, 141 km to the northwest, has excellent fossil exhibits including dinosaurs, and is a good companion to Dinosaur Provincial Park. It's a two-hour drive between them, so allow 3 days or more to see them both.
 * There is similar Badlands countryside to the south, in the United States.