Didsbury

Welcome

Welcome to our community. We hope the information contained within this profile is
useful. If additional information is required, please contact our representative from the
"Key Contacts" section.

Area Overview

As a major agriculture service centre located in the heart of mixed farming country,
Didsbury is ideally situated to provide the luxury of country living with outstanding up to date, "urban" facilities.

Didsbury's prime location near Highway 2 and close proximity to Calgary and Red Deer is
viewed very favourably by residents. The Town offers a good lifestyle and lower costs
than major urban centres.

Excellent education and recreation facilities are available. A one hour drive will take
fishermen to the best rivers and lakes in Alberta, rafters and canoeists to wild or
moderate rivers, and campers to some of the most scenic spots in the country.

Community Services

Municipal

Town of Didsbury
Box 790
Didsbury, Alberta
T0M 0W0
Tel: 403-335-3391
Fax: 403-335-9794

Municipal Library
Provincial

Alberta Hail & Crop Insurance
Provincial Court

Federal

Post Office
Royal Canadian Mounted Police 

Community Lifestyle

Recreation

The Didsbury Aquatic Centre has a 4-lane indoor pool with a 150 foot waterslide and hot
tub. The Memorial Complex has two ice surfaces[ 1 regulation and 1 leisure] and the
Curling Club has 4 sheets of ice, 2 viewing areas, kitchen/concession area, bar/lounge,
and 2 meeting rooms. There are 13 parks and playgrounds, 6 ball diamonds, 4 tennis
courts, a 9-hole golf coarse with grass greens, putting greens, a club house with a Pro-
shop, kitchen/restaurant, and a bar/lounge. There are 8 lanes of lawn bowling greens
with a clubhouse, kitchen and meeting area. There are also 3 fields for soccer.

Rosebud Campground has 28 stalls, 21 of which have electricity. It is operated by the
Town of Didsbury.

Community Organizations

Community organizations include the Chamber of Commerce, Didsbury & District
Recreation Board, Didsbury Family & Community Support Services, Didsbury Lifeline
Committee, Project Read Soon, Student Employment Services, Mountain View Regional
Emergency Services, Didsbury Municipal Library, Didsbury and District Historical Society
- Museum, Agricultural Society, and the Volunteer Fire Department.

Religious Services

Bergthal Mennonite Church
Zion Evangelical Missionary Church
Koinonia Christian Education Society
Redeemer Lutheran Church
St. Anthony's Catholic Church
Knox United Church
Chinook Winds Christian Centre
St. Cyprian's Anglican Church

Special Annual Events/Attractions

Didsbury Museum
Restored Train Station
Numerous Sporting Events

Hospitality
Accommodation

The Didsbury Inn
The Didsbury Motel
Didsbury Super 8 Motel
Westway Hideaway- Bed & Breakfast

Restaurants

Macy's Family Restaurant
Didsbury Inn Dinning Room
Country Nook Restaurant
Dragon Palace
Steve's Place
K & W Drive In
Sunflower Deli
Wheatland Restaurant
Subway
Marco's Bistro and Bakery

Economic Base

Agriculture and tourism are two of the most important industries in the area.

Economic Facts

Major Businesses Products/Services
 Shur Gain Feeds [livestock], Oat Groats, Dog Food,
Foothills Dairy Products Cheddar Cheese, Camembert, Brie, Quark
Champion Hay Processors Cubed hay [Exporter to Japan]
Contemporary Graphics Ltd. Commercial Printing, Weekly Newspaper

Financial Institutions:
Alberta Treasury Branch
Royal Bank of Canada
Mountain View Credit Union

Education

Didsbury is part of the Chinook's Edge School Division #73, located in Innisfail [ Tel:
403-227-7070]

Daycare/Nursery
 Kidsbury Daycare

Public
Schools in Didsbury include Ross Ford Elementary School [1-4], Westglen School [5-8],
and Didsbury High School [9-12].

Private
Koinonia Christian Education Society

Emergency Services

Fire Protection

Didsbury has a volunteer fire department with 24 members, two pump trucks, one tanker
and an emergency response unit [Tel: 403-335-3333].

Police Services
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police [RCMP] has an 8-member local detachment [Tel:
403-335-3382].

Ambulance Services
Mountain View Regional Emergency Services provides emergency services to Didsbury
and Mountain View County. Emergency air ambulance services are available from Calgary
[Tel: 403-335-3300].

Health Care

Didsbury is located in Regional Health Authority 5.

The Didsbury Hospital, built in 1982, serves the southern portion of Mountain View
County. It provides 24-hour medical, nursing, emergency, obstetrical and pediatric
service as well as elective surgery. The 135 bed hospital employs 225 health care
professionals, has acute care beds, 60 auxiliary care beds and 40 nursing home beds.

Extended health care is provided through the Mountain View Health Unit under the
coordinated home care program. The Health Unit also provides pre and postnatal care
and speech pathology.

In addition to these larger institutions, access to care is augmented by the Didsbury
Dental Clinic and the College Green Medical Centre.

Kinsmen Manor is a senior citizen residence with a number of self-contained units for
independent living. Other senior citizen homes include College Green Apartments,
Didsbury Manor, Mount View Foundation and Villas on the Green.

Key Contacts for Business Development

Municipal

Town of Didsbury
Box 790
Didsbury, Alberta
T0M 0W0
Tel: 403-335-3391
Fax: 403-335-9794
E-Mail:webmaster@didsbury.ca

Dorothy Moore
Mayor
mayor@didsbury.ca

Brian L. Irvine
Chief Administrative Officer
birvine@didsbury.ca

Chamber of Commerce
Tel: 403-335-3265

Provincial (Updated May 2006)

Alberta Economic Development
2rd Floor, Provincial Building
4920 - 51 Street
Red Deer, Alberta
T4N 6K8
Tel: 403-340-5300
Fax: 403-340-5231
Andre Tremblay, Regional Manager
andre.tremblay@gov.ab.ca
Dawna Allard, Regional Development Officer
dawna.allard@gov.ab.ca
Lisa Houle, Regional Project Officer
lisa.houle@gov.ab.ca

Richard Marz
Member of the Legislative Assembly [MLA]
Olds-Didsbury-Three Hills Constituency

Constituency Office
P.O. Box 3807
#3, 4530 - 49 Avenue
Olds, AB
T4H 1P5
Phone: (403) 556-3132
Fax: (403) 556-3120
oldsdidsbury.threehills@assembly.ab.ca

Legislature Office
#639 Legislature Annex
9718 - 107 Street
Edmonton, AB
T5K 1E4
Phone: (780) 415-0994
Fax: (780) 415-0951

Federal (Updated May 2006)

Myron Thompson
Member of Parliament [MP]
Wild Rose Constituency

Parliamentary Address
House of Commons
Ottawa, Ontario
K1A 0A6
Telephone: (613) 996-5152
Fax: (613) 947-4601
E-Mail: Thompson.M@parl.gc.ca

Constituency Address
213 Main Street, Bay 3, P.O. Box 3816
Airdrie, Alberta
T4B 2B9
Telephone: (403) 948-5103
Fax: (403) 948-0879
TTY:
E-Mail: ThompM1@parl.gc.ca

Location

The Town of Didsbury is located in Mountain View County. It is just west of Highway #2
some 72 km north of Calgary and 72 km south of Red Deer.

Location is the key word when describing Didsbury. Its central location in the David
Thompson Tourist Zone provides the visitor with easy access to a host of exciting
outdoor activities - fishing, hiking and excellent photo opportunities. Some of Alberta's
most beautiful areas are a short one hour drive away in the Rocky Mountain Foothills.
The area's wildlife, rivers and campground facilities provide a complete range of sights
and experiences to satisfy all tastes. Just west of Highway 2, 45 minutes from Calgary
[south], and Red Deer [north], with many interesting things to do and see in all
directions, Didsbury is the ideal location from which to base an Alberta holiday.

Post Secondary Education

Olds College, one of Canada's top agricultural institutes, is a ten minute commute from
Didsbury.

Calgary's post- secondary education facilities[ University of Calgary, Southern Alberta
Institute of Technology and Mount Royal College] are within easy commuting distance.

Taxation

	Residential/Farmland	Non-Residential
2005
Municipal Tax Rate	10.0000	13.0000
Education - Alberta School Foundation Fund Tax Rate	4.2950	6.3000
Seniors Lodge Accommodation Tax Rate	.1422	.1422

Mill Rates (2001)

Residential - 14.617
Non-Residential - 22.253

Transportation

Air Service
The local airport has all weather facilities and is located 6 km north of the Town.. Its
runway is 899.40 metres long and it can accommodate many different sized aircraft.

The Calgary Airport is less then 40 minutes away.

Rail Service
Canadian Pacific provides rail service. Spur trackage is developed on industrial land in
Didsbury. If additional spur trackage is required, Didsbury has suitable sites in its
boundaries.

Highways
Didsbury is located on Highway 582, a few kilometres west of Highway #2.

Bus Services
Greyhound Lines of Canada provides regular service. The Lions Handi-Bus provides a taxi
service within the town for the elderly and the handicapped. A community bus is
available for rental by community groups.

Couriers and Taxis
Loomis, Purolator, United Parcel Service, Professional Services, Bluebird provide a courier service.

Utilities

Electrical Power
Epcor
Tel: 310-4300

Natural Gas
Atco Gas
2014 17 Ave.
Didsbury, Alberta
Tel: 403-335-3372

Telephone
Telus
Tel: 1-888-223-0300

Water Supply
The source of water is the Red Deer River. The town has a reservoir capacity for
treated water of 2,273 cubic metres [80,270.00 cubic feet] and a design capacity of
1,900 cubic metres [67,098.50 cubic feet]. The cost is $0.90 for the first 1,500 gallons
and $0.0062 for every gallon after that. Didsbury's Water Tower holds 600,000 gallons.

Waste Management
Didsbury has 4 short and 3 long treatment lagoons. The sewer treatment usage rate is $19.00 per month.

Garbage pick-up costs are as follows: Residential - $7.90/month.

Population

Total Population 1991-2001

Didsbury Population by Age Group (2001)

Education Statistics

Didsbury Highest Level of Schooling 2001

Labour Force

Didsbury Labour Force By Industry - 2001

Income

Family Expenditure

Didsbury Family Expenditures (1996)

Building Permits

Total Housing Starts

Value of Building Permits

Dwellings

Projects

Summary of Projects in Didsbury as of September 2006

Value of Projects by Sector (as of September 2006)

Largest Projects in Didsbury as of September 2006