Genesee, Alberta

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Coordinates: 53°20′38.24″N 114°20′33.80″W / 53.3439556, -114.3427222
Hamlet of Genesee
Location of Genesee
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Central Alberta
Census Division	11
County	Leduc
Elevation	820 m (2,690 ft)
Population (2006)^[1]
- Total	60
- Density	<3/km² (<3/sq mi)
	Dispursed rural population.
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
Highways	770
Waterways	North Saskatchewan River

Genesee is a small farming hamlet in Central Alberta which came into existence in 1905, the same year as Alberta was entered into Confederation.

1 Recent history
2 Geography and location
3 Climate
4 Economy
5 Infrastructure
6 Education
7 Sports and recreation
8 Airports
9 Religion
10 References
11 External links

[edit] Recent history

[edit] Geography and location

Genesee is approximately 44 miles west southwest of the City of Edmonton in Alberta. It is transected by Secondary Highway 770 and bordered by the North Saskatchewan River to the North and West, Highway 627 to the South, and the Genesee Bypass Road to the East. The center of the hamlet is currently considered to be the EPCOR Generating Staion.

[edit] Climate

Genesee, like the City of Edmonton has a northern continental climate with extreme seasonal temperatures, although the city has milder winters than either Regina or Winnipeg, which are both located at a more southerly latitude. It has mild summers and chilly winters, with the average daily temperatures ranging from -11.7°C (10.9°F) in January to 17.5°C (63.5°F) in July.^[2] Annually, temperatures exceed 30°C (86°F) on an average of three days and fall below −20°C (−4°F) on an average of twenty-eight days. The highest temperature recorded in Edmonton was 34.5°C (94.1°F) on August 5, 1998.^[2] For additional information, see the City of Edmonton page.

[edit] Economy

Genesee main employment vehicle is the EPCOR Genesee Generating Station. This coal-fired plant employs 300+ people over 3 generating units, as well as a significant labour force for the strip mining operations.

The rest of the hamlet is divided between agrarian activities and residents who commute to larger centers for employment.

[edit] Infrastructure

[edit] Transportation

Genesee is served by one paved road – Secondary Highway 770. The remaining roads are gravel topped roads averaging 20 feet in width. The County of Leduc maintains these roads with periodic grading and gravel resurfacing. Residents are offered oiling options for the immediate area in front of their houses for dust management.

Being a hamlet, Genesee residents require a car. There are no mass transit options.

[edit] Electricity and water distribution systems

Electricity is provided by local utility companies post deregulation. Prior to deregulation, TransAlta Utilities was the only provider. Electricity is extended via overhead power lines and you do have to rent your transformer.

Water and Septic are traditional drilled well/cistern setups and septic fields/mounds. Water quality in the area was exceptional; however, recent strip mining in the area has led to some degradation of the shallow wells in the area.

[edit] Hospitals and Emergency Services

There are four main hospitals serving Gensee: The Breton hospital, The Drayton Valley hospital, the Westview Stony Plain hospital, and the Leduc hospital. Additional facilities and more advanced care is available in the City of Edmonton various facilities.

Emergency Services are provided by county options; however, the residents of the Hamlet of Genesee are further covered by the emergency services within EPCOR’s Genesee Generating Station’s facility. These include fire and first responder EMS services.

[edit] Education

[edit] K-12

There is only one public school for the Genesee area, located in the Village of Warburg. This offers Playschool through Grade 12 education in both Matriculation and Vocational streams.

Genesee has a unique school history, dating from a one room schoolhouse that existed until 1960, to the former community hall (Kindergarten and Gr. 1 only) that was closed when the EPCOR plant’s cooling pond flooded the south side of the hamlet in 1985. All schooling operations were consolidated in Warburg

[edit] Nightlife

Most residents need to drive to nearby towns of Stony Plain/Spruce Grove and Leduc for major clubs and movies, but local rural bars do abound in Warburg, Sunnybrook, Breton, Mink Lake, Wabamun and Beach Corner.

Other activities center around local neighbors arranging evening activities. Like most rural areas, informal "bush parties" are commonplace.

[edit] Culture

[edit] Museums and galleries

The local history is contained with in the Warburg Museum, a converted two room schoolhouse on the grounds of the current Warburg School facilities.

[edit] Local festivals and activities

Genesee Sting Slo-Pitch team 4-H activities

[edit] Sports and recreation

Located between Stony Plain/Spruce Grove and Warburg Alberta, Genesee residents can utilize the services of both towns. Warburg provides hockey and curling facilities as well as any organized sports for baseball and court sports out of the local High School. Stony Plain/Spruce Grove area offers access to the same breadth of offerings, but adds the Tri-Leisure center for aquatic sports as well as many fitness facilities.

The local Genesee community hall has facilities for baseball, slo-pitch, horseshoes, and a playground. The outdoor arena has since been decommissioned and moved to the Warburg School.

[edit] Airports

Genesee is served by the Edmonton International Airport, but local grass fields abound. The closest are the Zajes airfield on Highway 770 3 miles north of Highway 39, and the St Francis Airfield (Byrne Farm) approximately 5 miles west of St Francis on Highway 627.

[edit] Religion

Genesee had a United Church assembly throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s. Catholic services were held in St Francis until that parish was closed and the congregation moved to Warburg.