Red Deer

Red Deer, Alberta's third-largest city, is in the Central Corridor between Calgary and Edmonton.

Understand
Red Deer (pop 100,800, 2021) sits in aspen parkland, in a region of rolling hills. The city is a centre for oil and natural gas extraction and related industries and also for agriculture and agricultural services. It is also a regional centre for administration with a courthouse and provincial building. There is a large commercial district/business park called Gasoline Alley just south of the city limits.

The Cree peoples called the river on which Red Deer stands Waskasoo Seepee, which translates to "Elk River". However, British traders translated the name as "Red Deer River", since they mistakenly thought elk were European red deer. Later, the settlers of the area named their community after the river. The name for the modern city in Plains Cree is a calque back from English of the mistranslated, mihkwâpisimosos, literally "red type of deer", while the name of the river is still wâwâskêsiw-sîpiy or "elk river".



History
Prior to European settlement, the area was a gathering place that was inhabited by Aboriginal tribes including the Blackfoot, Plains Cree and Stoney. European fur traders began passing through the area in the late 18th century. Into this ethnic mix, the Métis peoples also emerged.

A native trail ran from Montana in the south across the Bow River near Calgary and on to Fort Edmonton. About halfway between Calgary and Edmonton, the trail crossed the Red Deer River at a wide, stony shallow used by First Nations peoples and bison, commonly known as buffalo, since ancient times. The shallows, now known as the Old Red Deer Crossing, are about 7 km (4.3 mi) upstream from the present City of Red Deer.

With the establishment of Fort Calgary by the North-West Mounted Police in 1875, traffic increased along what was by then known as the Calgary and Edmonton Trail. After the arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in Calgary, traffic along the C & E trail increased substantially. A trading post and stopping house were built at the Crossing in 1882 and a permanent settlement began to develop around it.

During the 1885 Riel Rebellion, the Canadian militia constructed Fort Normandeau at the Crossing. The fort was later taken over by the North-West Mounted Police who used it until 1893.

With the decimation of the bison by hunters, the Aboriginal tribes who relied on them for food, clothing and shelter were also in decline. The fertile lands around the Red Deer River were attractive to farmers and ranchers. One early settler, the Reverend Leonard Gaetz, gave a half-share of 1,240 acres (5.0 km²) he had acquired to the Calgary and Edmonton Railway to develop a bridge over the river and a townsite. As a result, the Crossing was gradually abandoned. The first train from Calgary to Edmonton passed through Red Deer in 1891.

Red Deer had a massive influx of settlers in the early 1900s. Because of its location midway between Edmonton and Calgary and the fertile land that supported profitable mixed farming, Red Deer developed primarily as an agricultural service and distribution centre. A further boost came in 1907 when it was chosen as a major divisional point for the Canadian Pacific Railway. Two other railways, the Alberta Central Railway and the Canadian Northern Railway, entered the community in 1911. Red Deer underwent a large land boom.

World War I brought a sharp end to the boom. Red Deer emerged as a small, quiet, but prosperous, prairie city.

Growth returned to the city with the outbreak of World War II. Red Deer was chosen as the location of a large military training camp, the A-20 Camp which was located where Cormack Armoury, the Memorial Centre and Lindsay Thurber High School are now. The British Commonwealth Air Training Plan built two air bases to the south of the city at Penhold and Bowden.

By roughly 1991, the Canadian Pacific Railway had been removed from the inner city; the track now runs parallel to the city outskirts. The most prominent landmark of the railway remaining is the CPR bridge spanning the Red Deer River, converted to a walking trail shortly after the track removal.

By car

 * The Queen Elizabeth II highway (Highway 2), allow about 1 hr 20 min to drive from either Edmonton or Calgary main airports.

By plane

 * Red Deer Regional Airport does not have scheduled airline service (as of June 2020). It serves charter flights and general aviation. The nearest commercial airports are Edmonton and Calgary.

By bus

 * A Red Deer Shuttle Service offers door-to-door service to/from Calgary or Edmonton.
 * Operates a bus route between Calgary and Edmonton including a stop in Red Deer. Travel time to Red Deer from Calgary is 2.25 hours and from Edmonton is 2 hours. Operates several days per week.
 * Operates a bus route between Calgary and Edmonton including a stop in Red Deer. Travel time to Red Deer from Calgary is 2.25 hours and from Edmonton is 2.5 hours. Operates multiple trips daily.
 * Operates a bus route between Calgary and Edmonton including a stop in Red Deer. Travel time to Red Deer from Calgary is 1.75-2 hours and from Edmonton is 1.75.
 * Travel time to Red Deer is 1.75-2.25 hours from Calgary and 2 hours from Edmonton.
 * Operates a bus route between Calgary and Edmonton including a stop in Red Deer. Travel time to Red Deer from Calgary is 2-2.25 hours and from Edmonton is 1.5 hours. Operates several days per week.
 * Operates a bus route between Calgary and Edmonton including a stop in Red Deer. Travel time to Red Deer from Calgary is 2-2.25 hours and from Edmonton is 1.5 hours. Operates several days per week.

By taxi
A couple of taxi companies (Alberta Gold and Associated Cab) operate in the city. They can get busy during rush hours or Friday nights, but are usually fast.

Eat
As the hub of Central Alberta, Red Deer has a lot of great places to eat.

Microbreweries
Like much of Alberta, Red Deer is experiencing a thirst for local craft beer.



Connect
Most phone numbers in Red Deer are in the 403 area code (+1 403). but numbers are now being assigned in three other area codes—587, 825, and 368. Since Alberta has required 10-digit dialing since 2008, advertising signage should include the area code. If an older sign lacks an area code, assume 403.

Go next

 * Sylvan Lake. About a 20 minute drive west, this is Central Alberta's summer playground with a relaxed beach town atmosphere and fun on the water.
 * Lacombe. To the north, this town features charming well-preserved brick buildings and a popular microbrewery. Nearby Gull Lake also has pleasant beaches.
 * Rocky Mountain House and David Thompson Country. Alberta's Rocky Mountains, but far less busy than the national parks.
 * Stettler. To the east on the dry prairie. Features a heritage railway with steam locomotives, and beaches at nearby Buffalo Lake.
 * Calgary. The gateway city to Banff and the Rocky Mountains.
 * Edmonton. Alberta's capital city, variously branded as the 'festival city' and 'winter city'.