Whitecourt

Whitecourt is a town of 10,200 people (2016) in North Central Alberta. Its main industries are forestry, oil & gas, and tourism. Its many trails are available for a wide range of recreational uses.

History
The original inhabitants, the Woodland Cree Nation, call this area Sagitawah – “the place where the rivers meet.” The first Hudson's Bay Company trading post was established in 1897, and the first permanent resident settled in 1905. In 1910, with the expansion of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railway, immigrants were encouraged settle in the inhabited area between Edmonton and the Peace River Country. The name "Whitecourt" was chosen in 1910 by Walter White, the postmaster of the young community.

Geography
Whitecourt is located at the confluence of the McLeod and Athabasca Rivers and has three identifiable geographic components:


 * Valley: includes the town centre, the Athabasca Flats residential area, sawmill, and pulp mill
 * Hilltop: includes the Hilltop and Southlands Estates residential areas, the Hilltop industrial area, and a 2.5-km highway commercial strip along Highway 43
 * West Whitecourt: between the McLeod and Athabasca Rivers, includes an industrial area and a 1.0-km highway commercial strip along Highway 43.

By car

 * Whitecourt is along Highway 43 (CANAMEX Corridor) and is the main route between Edmonton and Grande Prairie, the Alaska Highway (which travels to the Yukon and Alaska), as well as the Mackenzie Highway (with connects to the Northwest Territories).
 * Highway 32 connects travels south to Highway 16 east of Edson and north to Swan Hills.

By bus

 * Operates a route between Grande Prairie and Edmonton including stops in Valleyview, Whitecourt, and Mayerthorpe.
 * Operates a route several days per week between Grande Prairie and Edmonton including stops in Valleyview and Whitecourt.

Do
There are over 50 kilometres of walking trails throughout Whitecourt that will take you from the hilltop area to the valley. Trail maps are available online or at the Town Office, Allan & Jean Millar Centre, and Forest Interpretive Centre. Whitecourt and the surrounding area have hundreds of kilometres of designated trails for off-highway vehicle use (snowmobiles, dirt bikes and ATVs).