Nightingale, Alberta

Nightingale
Hamlet
Nightingale
Location of Nightingale
Nightingale
Nightingale (Canada)
Coordinates: 51°09′37″N 113°19′59″W / 51.16028°N 113.33306°W / 51.16028; -113.33306
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionSouthern Alberta
Census division5
Municipal districtWheatland County, Alberta
Government
 • TypeUnincorporated
 • Governing bodyWheatland County, Alberta Council
Area
 (2021)[1]
 • Land0.17 km2 (0.066 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[1]
 • Total
37
 • Density214.6/km2 (556/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Area codes403, 587, 825

Nightingale is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within Wheatland County.[2] It is located 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) west of Highway 21, approximately 53 kilometres (33 mi) east of Calgary.

Toponymy

Nightingale is named after Florence Nightingale.[3][4]

Geography

Nightingale, like most of Wheatland County, is generally flat, with some rugged topography on its eastern border towards Drumheller.[5] Several wetlands and marshes fall within the Nightingale area.[5] The hamlet marks the approximate halfway point of Serviceberry Creek.[5][6]

Writing in 1979, a local history by the Nightingale Community Association described the hamlet's soil as loamy and alluvial.[7]: 14  In 2016, Wheatland County described the soil around Nightingale's settlements as presenting "severe to... very severe" limitations for agriculture in 2016.[5]

History

Founding: 1904-1909

In 1904, the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) purchased three million acres of land in Treaty 7 territory between Medicine Hat and Calgary.[8][9] To make the dry plains suitable for agriculture, the CPR implemented an irrigation system to divert water from the Bow River to a man-made reservoir, later named Chestermere Lake.[8]

Hoping to encourage permanent settlement in southern Alberta, the CPR began selling the irrigated land.[9] Lots were offered with a house, barn and well already erected.[10] Furthermore, the lots were grouped together in ready-made farming colonies.[10][11] Most early purchasers were American speculators who intended to resell the lots for profit.[9]

The CPR, believing that British families would be likelier to establish permanent farms, began advertising to this demographic.[8][10] This followed an aggressive advertising campaign overseen by then-Minister of the Interior, Clifford Sifton, to encourage Europeans to move to Western Canada.[12] Aiming to portray the region as an attractive place to live, the Ministry targeted Europe's agricultural working class through exhibitions, promotional materials, and editorials in foreign newspapers.[12][13]

Naming and early difficulties: 1910-12

Nightingale, as one of the areas promoted to British families, received the first group of settlers from Britain March 25, 1910.[3][8] The inaugural party comprised twenty-four families.[8] Initially, the area was known informally as the 'English colony,' though most arrivals were Scottish, Welsh, or from Ireland.[3][6][8]

Early arrivals were disappointed by their properties.[7]: 75  The buildings were smaller than expected, without appropriate insulation for the area's cold winters; some had not yet been entirely built.[7]: 90, 142, 341  Some farmers found the area's alkaline soil "almost worthless" for growing crops.[7]: 142  The colony experienced poor weather in its first two years of existence.[6] The irrigation system that had carried CPR's advertising was not complete until 1911, so fields of winter wheat perished over a dry, cold winter.[7]: 99  Dry weather persisted into the spring of 1911, accompanied by hail and strong winds that damaged acres of wheat and potatoes.[7]: 99  Many of Nightingale's original arrivals left within three years, due to financial difficulties or disillusionment.[6][7]: 143 

Nonetheless, not all settlers chose to leave. The settlement received a name in August 1910, when the CPR announced plans to establish a railway stop in the colony.[7]: 99  Residents called a meeting to select a formal name and, owing to the recent death of Florence Nightingale, decided to name the settlement in her honour.[3][4] In January 1911, a post office bearing the same name was established for the area,[3][6][14] and a school opened in July of the same year.[15] A general store, lumber yard, restaurant and blacksmith also opened in Nightingale over the course of 1911.[7]: 423  The CPR line was completed in 1912, which brought renewed interest to the locality.[16][17]

Development: 1913-1949

Residents began raising money for a community hall in 1913,[17] which opened in December 1914.[7]: 154  Also that year, Nightingale began hosting an annual sports day.[18] Residents of nearby localities participated by forming teams, representing their area in events such as horse racing, tug of war and baseball.[18][19] This event continued until at least 1947.[20]

The hamlet's Anglican population was served by the St. Michael & All Angels Anglican Church in nearby Strathmore.[7]: 62–66, 97  (The church closed in April 2025.[21]) Visiting priests initially gave sermons in the homes of residents, then Nightingale Hall.[22][7]: 62–66, 97  By the Second World War, these sermons were discontinued as congregants began attending in Strathmore, though the Hall continued to host services for special occasions like Christmas.[23] Sunday Schools ran in Nightingale School intermittently until the end of the 1940s.[7]: 62–63 

In 1914, Nightingale hosted its first annual sports day,[18] an event that ran until at least 1947.[20] Residents of nearby localities formed teams to represent their areas in events including horse racing, tug of war and baseball.[18]

Nightingale's first grain elevator opened in 1917 by the Alberta Pacific Grain Company, with a capacity of 30,000 bushels.[24] A second elevator was established in 1929 by the private farmer's co-operative, Alberta Wheat Pool, with a capacity of 35,000 bushels.[25]

No polling stations operated in Nightingale for the 1921 federal general election,[26] but two opened for the 1925 election.[27] A total of 181 electors used the stations, with the majority (61) casting their ballot for Edward Joseph Garland, Progressive Party of Canada candidate.[27] One polling station operated in Nightingale for the 1926 election, with 83 of a total 92 electors voting to re-elect Garland.[28] 93 voters cast their vote in Nightingale for the 1930 election; 73 backed Garland.[29]

At least 24 men and women from Nightingale enlisted in the Canadian war effort during the Second World War.[7]: 350-351 

Decline and revival: 1950-present

By 1951, Nightingale School had 21 students, of which just 6 were from Nightingale.[7]: 199  15 from the wider Serviceberry area, and they attended by bus.[7]: 199  The school closed permanently on June 30, 1952, and students began attending facilities in Strathmore.[7]: 199  Both grain elevators in Nightingale operated until 1972-73, when they were torn down.[7]: 297 

A new community hall was built in 1969, after structural problems with the original were identified in the mid-1960s.[30][7]: 226, 376, 421 

Nightingale recorded a population low of 5 in the 2001 Canadian census.[31] Since then, the population has seen a modest revival, recording 37 residents in 2021.[1]

In October 2014, Nightingale celebrated its centennial, marking the 1914 opening of its Hall as its start as a community.[30][32] In attendance was 92-year-old Clarence Robert “Cy” Putnam, lifelong resident and farmer.[30][33][7]: 273  Speaking to the Strathmore Times about the event, Putnam described having left Nightingale for a significant period only twice: first to attend agricultural college, secondly to serve as a pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII.[30][33] Putnam died in 2023.[33]

As of 2025, Nightingale Community Hall remains operational.[34]

Demographics

Population history
of Nightingale
YearPop.±%
199111—    
199613+18.2%
20015−61.5%
200610+100.0%
201115+50.0%
201632+113.3%
202137+15.6%
Source: Statistics Canada
[35][36][37][38][39][40][1]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nightingale had a population of 37 living in 10 of its 10 total private dwellings, a change of 15.6% from its 2016 population of 32. With a land area of 0.17 km2 (0.066 sq mi), it had a population density of 217.6/km2 (563.7/sq mi) in 2021.[1]

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Nightingale had a population of 32 living in 10 of its 10 total private dwellings, a change of 113.3% from its 2011 population of 15. With a land area of 0.02 km2 (0.0077 sq mi), it had a population density of 1,600.0/km2 (4,144.0/sq mi) in 2016.[40]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
  2. ^ "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e Geographical Names Program, Alberta. "Alberta Geographical Names Web Map - Nightingale". geospatial.alberta.ca. Alberta Culture.
  4. ^ a b Canadian Board on Geographical Names (1928). Place-names of Alberta. Ottawa: F. A. Acland, printer. p. 93.
  5. ^ a b c d Nightingale Area Structure Plan (PDF). Wheatland County. 2016. pp. 2, 13, 17.
  6. ^ a b c d e Speirs, Dale (January 1, 2016). "Nightingale" (PDF). Journal of Alberta Postal History. 1 (3): 29–30 – via Postal History Society of Canada.
  7. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t Nightingale Community Association, Historical Committee (May 1, 1979). The English Colony: Nightingale and District (1 ed.). Macleod Printing & Mailing Ltd.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Rowe, Allan (March 15, 2023). "The English Colony and 'Ready-Made Farms' in Alberta". RETROactive. Alberta Culture. Historic Resources Management (Alberta). Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  9. ^ a b c Murray, Tom (March 7, 2011). Rails Across Canada: The History of Canadian Pacific and Canadian National Railways. Voyageur Press. pp. 76–77. ISBN 978-1-61060-139-9.
  10. ^ a b c Hedges, James Blaine (1939). Building the Canadian West - The Land and Colonization Policies of the Canadian Pacific Railway (1 ed.). New York: Macmillan Publishers. pp. 226–227.
  11. ^ Shedd, H. G. (1917). "Securing Settlers for Private Irrigation Projects". Proceedings of the Second Pan American Scientific Congress: Section III Conservation of Natural Resources. U.S. Government Printing Office. p. 524.
  12. ^ a b Knowles, Valerie (March 30, 2007). "The Sifton Years". Strangers at Our Gates: Canadian Immigration and Immigration Policy, 1540-1997 (3 ed.). Toronto: Dundurn. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-55002-269-8.
  13. ^ Belshaw, John Douglas (2016). "Immigration and the Immigrant Experience - 5.4 The Clifford Sifton Years, 1896–1905". Canadian History: Post-Confederation. BCcampus.
  14. ^ Canada, Library and Archives (November 25, 2016). "Nightingale Archives / Post Offices and Postmasters". recherche-collection-search.bac-lac.gc.ca. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  15. ^ Sixth Annual Report of the Department of Education of the Province of Alberta, 1911. Edmonton: Government of Alberta. 1912. p. 37 – via University of Alberta Library.
  16. ^ Seventh Annual Report of the Department of Education of the Province of Alberta, 1912. Edmonton: Government of Alberta. 1913. p. 44 – via University of Alberta Library.
  17. ^ a b "Nightingale News". Strathmore Standard. January 25, 1913 – via University of Calgary Digital Collections.
  18. ^ a b c d "Nightingale Sports A Success". The Strathmore Standard. July 29, 1914. p. 8.
  19. ^ "Successful Sports at Nightingale". The Strathmore and Bow Valley Standard. July 29, 1925. p. 1.
  20. ^ a b "Local News Items". Strathmore Standard. June 19, 1947. p. 8.
  21. ^ Watson, John (March 26, 2025). "St. Michael and All Angels Anglican Church to shut down after 116 years of worship". Strathmore Times. Retrieved November 17, 2025.
  22. ^ "Church News". Strathmore Standard. August 7, 1929. p. 1.
  23. ^ Nightingale. Strathmore Standard. December 12, 1940. p. 4.
  24. ^ Canada Dept. of Trade and Commerce. (1918). List of licensed elevators and warehouses in the Western Grain Inspection Division (License year 1917-1918). Dept. of Trade and Commerce (Ottawa). p. 96.
  25. ^ Canada Dept. of Trade and Commerce. (1930). List of licensed elevators and warehouses in the Western Grain Inspection Division (License year 1929-1930). Dept. of Trade and Commerce (Ottawa). p. 129.
  26. ^ Chief Electoral Officer (1922). Report of the Chief Electoral Officer on the Fourteenth General Election for the House of Commons of Canada, 1921. Government of Canada. pp. 471–474.
  27. ^ a b ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA, 1925, v.7. Government of Canada. 1925. p. 495.
  28. ^ Dominion of Canada (1926). ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA, 1926, v.4. p. 492.
  29. ^ Dominion of Canada. ANNUAL DEPARTMENTAL REPORTS OF THE DOMINION OF CANADA, 1930, v.4. p. 506.
  30. ^ a b c d McLeay, Sharon (August 21, 2014). "Nightingale prepares for 100-year celebration". Strathmore Times. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  31. ^ Government of Canada, Statistics Canada (March 12, 2002). "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions, Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) and Designated Places, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data". www150.statcan.gc.ca. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  32. ^ Seward, Justin (October 21, 2014). "Nightingale celebrates Centennial". Strathmore Times. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  33. ^ a b c "Putnam, Clarence "Cy" - 1923-2023". Strathmore Times. January 25, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  34. ^ "Nightingale Community Hall". Retrieved November 18, 2025.
  35. ^ 91 Census (PDF). Population and Dwelling Counts. Vol. Unincorporated Places. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1993. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  36. ^ 96 Census (PDF). A National Overivew: Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1997. Retrieved September 26, 2024.
  37. ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. August 15, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  38. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. July 20, 2021. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  39. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2012. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 unless otherwise noted. Additional terms may apply for the media files.