Patricia | |
|---|---|
  Patricia Location of Patricia  Patricia Patricia (Canada) | |
| Coordinates: 50°41′58″N 111°40′37″W / 50.69944°N 111.67694°W | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Southern Alberta |
| Census division | 2 |
| Municipal district | County of Newell |
| Founded by | Canadian Pacific Railway |
| Named for | Princess Patricia of Connaught |
| Government | |
| • Type | Unincorporated |
| • Governing body | County of Newell Council |
| Area (2021)[1] | |
| • Land | 0.59 km2 (0.23 sq mi) |
| Population (2021)[1] | |
| • Total | 78 |
| • Density | 131.1/km2 (340/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−07:00 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−06:00 (MDT) |
| Area code(s) | 403, 587, 825 |
Patricia is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the County of Newell.[2] It is located approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Highway 1 and 21 kilometres (13 mi) northeast of Brooks.
Patricia is near Dinosaur Provincial Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was named after Princess Patricia of Connaught.[3]
The Hamlet of Patricia was briefly famous in the 1970s when a local rancher Albert Ketchmark gifted then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau a lot in the community as part of their mother's estate, as a joke. The Prime Minister's ownership of the 50 by 130 foot lot became national news when the County of Newell noted Trudeau owed $3 in property tax and possibly another $3 in back taxes on the property.[4] The Prime Minister's Office when asked about the situation stated they were unaware of the transfer and had not been supplied with a deed transfer or tax bill.[4] The taxes were paid by Jim Nesbitt, the publisher of the local Brooks Bulletin and Liberal Party member, and Trudeau refused to accept ownership of the lot, even just to transfer it to the County. The matter was settled in Supreme Court of Alberta when Trudeau's lawyers argued the transfer amounted to an imperfect gift, and the Justice ruled the property title cancelled.[5]
- ^ a b Cite error: The named reference
2021censuswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
- ^ Holmgren, Eric J. (1976). Over 2000 Place Names of Alberta. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books. p. 213. ISBN 0-919306-67-5.
- ^ a b Canadian Press (May 4, 1974). "Alberta hamlet says PM owes $3 but Trudeau's office is mystified". The Globe and Mail. Patricia. p. 8.
- ^ Wilson, Heather (December 5, 1979). "A Western 'White House': Patricia farmers still recall the land Pierre turned down". Calgary Herald. Patricia. p. A14.