Didsbury, Alberta, is a charming town nestled in the central region of Alberta, Canada. Situated at the foothills of the majestic Rocky Mountains, Didsbury is conveniently located next to Alberta Highway 2A, near the Queen Elizabeth II Highway. This town is a significant point within the Calgary-Edmonton corridor, serving as the approximate halfway point between the bustling cities of Calgary and Red Deer.
The town of Didsbury, Alberta, carries a name that hails from the township of Didsbury, now a suburban area of Manchester, England. The first settlers were German Mennonites who migrated from Pennsylvania following the American Revolution, settling in Waterloo County, Ontario. In 1894, the government of Sir John A. Macdonald granted them the area around Didsbury.
The initial development of the town was slow due to sparse settlement. The settlers' primary focus was to build a church and create farmsteads. The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railway in 1897 spurred the town's development, with a station constructed in the town in 1904. Didsbury was incorporated as a village in 1905 and as a town on September 6, 1906.
Fires in 1914 and 1924 led to the destruction of the early "boomtown" commercial streetscape. This prompted the Town Council to pass a bylaw requiring masonry construction for all new downtown commercial buildings. Many of these brick buildings still stand today. On July 1, 2023, a large EF4 tornado caused severe damage just south of the town.
According to the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Didsbury, Alberta, had a population of 5,070 living in 2,047 of its 2,157 total private dwellings. This represented a -3.8% change from its 2016 population of 5,268. With a land area of 16.12 km2 (6.22 sq mi), it had a population density of 314.5/km2 (814.6/sq mi) in 2021.
Didsbury, Alberta, boasts a range of recreational facilities, including six parks, a golf course, an aquatic centre, and a hockey rink. The town also has a hospital and a Royal Canadian Mounted Police detachment serving the town and the surrounding area. Didsbury is home to three schools under the jurisdiction of the Chinook's Edge School Division. The Olds-Didsbury Airport, primarily used for small aircraft and general aviation, is located north of Didsbury along Highway 2A.
Didsbury, Alberta, is home to the Mountainview Colts of the Heritage Junior B Hockey League, adding to the town's vibrant sports culture.
Didsbury, Alberta, hosts several organizations, including the Royal Canadian Army Cadets and the 1st Didsbury Scouts. The town also has Didsbury Jazzercise, as well as the Elks and Lions clubs, contributing to a strong sense of community.
