History of Alberta

Date Entered into Confederation:

Alberta became a province of Canada in 1905. They joined into Confederation because of many reason. One of the big factors was because of the fur trading. Canada was in big demand of fur, therefore having Alberta join would add to their business. Another reason was because of Manifest Destiny, the construction of an inter-colonial railway between Canada and the Maritimes was necessary since all goods were being transported on American lines. The Grand Trunk Railway needed increased traffic on its line to avoid bankruptcy. Also, transcontinental railway uniting the Atlantic to the Pacific would have to be built to open up the West and to prevent a possible takeover by the United States. Railway construction however was extremely expensive. The only way to ensure its construction would be for all the colonies to unite and to contribute to its construction. All of these causes for Alberta and the other provinces to join Canada was to prevent America from taking over the continent.

The Provincial Flower:

The Wild Rose is the provincial flower of Alberta. It grows almost everywhere during the summer in the province. It brightens Alberta with its soft pink petals and is sometimes grows in gardens.

The Provincial Flag:

Although first used in 1967, it was proclaimed into force June 1, 1968, following an act of the Legislature. The flag shows the Alberta Coat of Arms on a dark blue background. The flag is twice as long as it is wide. The shield is positioned in the center of the flag. On the top of the shield is a red St. George's Cross on a white background. Underneath there are white snow capped mountains. Behind the mountains there is a dark blue background, with rolling green hills in front. Below the mountains is a wheat field full of yellow grain. On the flag the blue represents the sky and gold or deep yellow for the prairies.

Two other symbols of Alberta:

Bird - Great Horned Owl

It was adopted on May 3, 1977, following a province-wide children's vote. The Great Horned Owl, resides in Alberta throughout the year and was selected to symbolize the growing concern of diminishing wildlife, not only in Alberta, but throughout the world.

Tree - Lodgepole Pine

It was adopted on May 30, 1984, a result of the efforts of the Junior Forest Warden Association of Alberta. The Lodgepole Pine, played a significant role in Alberta's early history, providing railway ties for the railroad which linked the province to eastern Canada. Today, the Lodgepole Pine provides poles, pulp, and many lumber products for Alberta's forest industry.

Premier of the Province:

The current Premier of Alberta is Ralph Klein. He was elected leader of the Progressive Conservative Party on December 5, 1992 and was sworn in as Alberta's 12th Premier on December 14 of that year. A couple of months later, in June 1993, he was elected to his first term as Premier. Albertans returned Mr. Klein and his government to office for a second term in March 1997 with an increased majority, and he won again in March 2001 with the second-largest majority government