16/05/2023
This week’s Community of the Week is Castor!
Castor is a town located close to the intersection of Highways 12 and 36, about 40 minutes East of Stettler and North of Hanna.
By the time the railway came through Castor, the community had a population of 1,100 people. Coal mining was active in the area prior to the railway, as well as agriculture. But with the railway, as with so many communities on the prairies, came new opportunity for the town. Castor was incorporated On July 13th, 1910, shortly after the railway was completed.
However, when the Depression came, so did hard times for the town. By 1932, the estimated population of Castor had fallen to 650. In later decades, the population steadily grew once again, now sitting at a population of 880 people.
Castor is home to several historical sites, including the Our Lady of the Rosary Hospital, which is both a historical site and part of the still-active hospital in Castor. The hospital is similar to most small-town hospitals built in the early 1900s but is larger than usual. Built by the Daughters of Wisdom, the people in the area believed that the hospital would be foundational for the community, so built it large to begin with and in a manner that would allow for future expansion. This expansion came in the 1960s, when the hospital was expanded to include the entire layout that is a big part of the community today.
Castor’s natural beauty, which includes sandstone cliffs, rolling terrain and natural prairie grasslands, makes it a scenic and diverse area. A fishing pond and a boat launch off the Castor Creek are central areas of recreation in the community, along with the hockey rink, nicknamed the “Beaverdome”, the curling rink, the community hall, and the Legion.
For people wanting to learn more about the history of Castor, the town has the Castor & District Museum, which includes the Grain Elevator, Beaver School, and a machine shop. You can also visit the All Saints’ Church and the Castor Pharmacy Museum, the later of which earned the 2012 APEX Award of Excellence.
When you’re visiting Castor, you may notice there are beaver symbols all around the community. With castor meaning ‘beaver’ in French and Latin, the beaver has become the symbol for the community, even making an appearance on its coat of arms.
Make sure to tag friends that live in Castor and comment your favourite memories.
You can keep up to date with what’s happening in Castor here: Town of Castor
