BROOKS, ALBERTA

'Brooks' is a city in Alberta, Canada. It became a city on September 1, 2005 and is located east of Calgary on the Trans-Canada Highway and east of Highway 36. The 2006 population of Brooks was 12,498. The city is a service centre for 25,000 people in the region.

Contents

History

Community

Recreation and attractions

Demographics

City council

Local media

Radio

Newspaper

Notes

External links

History

During the spring of 2005, the town went behind the Brooks Bandits of the AJHL. For the first time in franchise history, they advanced to the playoffs. They had an exciting series with the Calgary Canucks, but fell short to the Camrose Kodiaks.Since then the Brooks Bandits have become a competitive threat in the Alberta Junior Hockey League
In the fall of 2005, the city became the scene of a tense and sometimes violent job dispute (including an RCMP officer and other employees being attacked and/or injured) between workers at Lakeside Packers and Tyson Foods. Tensions had been mounting for years, with workers at the plant, many of whom were Sudanese refugees, alleging unfair and often inhumane business practices. The dispute culminated in a strike, which saw employees and at least one union official physically injured. The strike, which lasted several weeks, garnered national attention before being resolved.^[2]
In 2007 the Alberta and Canada Governments through CAMRIF announced that they will each contribute three million dollars for a new Multi-purpose arena in Brooks. This is a step to replace the current 45 year old Centennial Arena, which is out dated and in need of repairs.The new arena will be located on the South side of the city, near the corner of Silver Sage and Young Roads S.W. ^[3]
In May 2007 the city announced that they plan to widen 2nd Street West as early as 2008. After consultation they are hoping the start on the road construction. The main throughfare in Brooks is in dire need of repairs.

Community

The City of Brooks is one of fastest growing communities in Alberta with a multi-cultural flavour unique to other similar sized municipalities in Alberta. Brooks is steadily growing with residential and commercial development. It has educational facilities including the Medicine Hat College, two high schools, two junior high schools, three elementary schools, one primary school and a Francophone school located in the Global Friendship Immigration Centre. The city has a library, an aqueduct, and a provincial park, Lake Newell under the protection of Ducks Unlimited Game Preserve. Brooks has won the Communities in Bloom competition four times in a row.

Recreation and attractions

Brooks has a leisure centre, which includes two skating rinks (Centennial and Sparrow), a curling rink, an aquatic centre with a waterslide and wave pool, a gymnasium, a fitness centre, and multipurpose rooms.
There are three provincial parks in the area: Kinbrook Island Provincial Park to the south; Dinosaur Provincial Park, a world heritage site, to the northeast; and Tillebrook Provincial Park to the east.
The Brooks Aqueduct in the southeast was built to transport irrigation water across the Eastern Irrigaton District. It was replaced by a canal.
During the winter months, the Brooks Bandits of the Alberta Junior Hockey League play at the Centennial Arena, which holds about 1,000 people.

Demographics

In 2006, Brooks had a population of 12,498 living in 5,051 dwellings, a 7.7% increase from 2001. The city has a land area of and a population density of .
The largest age group according to the 2006 Census with 1,280 residents or about 10% were 25-29 year olds. The median age group of the city is 31.9. There are 6,625 males and 5,875 females in Brooks.

★ Median family income: $56,421(2001)

★ Average value of private dwelling: $125,741(2001)

City council

Brooks City Council consists of one mayor alongside six councillors.

★ Mayor Don Weisbeck

★ Councillor Rolf Bander

★ Councillor Kerry Crapo

★ Councillor Martin Shields

★ Councillor Clayton Johnson

★ Councillor Pat Walsh

★ Councillor Michael Glynn MacDonald
In fall 2007 they city will vote for a new council for the Municipal Election. Current Mayor Don Weisbeck is not running for the mayor's position.

Local media

Radio

★ AM 1340: CIBQ-AM "Q Country Q13" (country)

★ FM 101.1: CIXF-FM "The Fox" (adult contemporary)

Newspaper

★ Brooks Bulletin published Tuesdays

★ The Weekender published Fridays by the Brooks Bulletin

★ County Chronicle (a free-distribution flyer-like product) published Mondays

Notes

1.
2. News Coverage of Brooks strike on.CTV and CBC
3.

External links

★ City of Brooks

★ Brooks Tourist site