Culture & Heritage has gone virtual! The Okotoks Museum and Archives has created a variety of temporary, seasonal and off-site virtual exhibits that help bring the town’s history to life. Engage with the arts and history of our community anytime, anywhere!
Where’s Norma? Where’s Kew? What about Little Chicago? This virtual exhibit features some of the once-bustling villages and settlements in the Foothills area that no longer exist.
How did Okotoks get its name? Why is it called Black Diamond? Who is Priddis named after? Where’s Longview?
This online exhibit explores how 17 towns, villages and hamlets in the County of Foothills got their names.
This exhibit explores the history of the Spanish Flu and other medical events that impacted Okotoks and also salutes the medical professionals who keep our community healthy.
Victory in Europe (VE) Day was the official end of the fighting in Europe in the Second World War. This virtual exhibit pays tribute to the men and women from the Okotoks district who helped liberate Europe – including those on the front lines, those who remained on the home front and especially those who gave their lives in the fight for peace.
Approximately 9,000 Canadian servicemen were captured by the enemy and held as prisoners of war during the war. Among them were three residents of the Foothills. We honour these men, and their families, by sharing their powerful stories of survival.
Learn more about the Okotoks Lower School, built by Mr. Frank Watt from Longview in 1900.
In this new, weekly series, we will share the person or story behind our street names.
It is named after Elizabeth Lineham, the youngest daughter of John Lineham and his wife Mary Elizabeth (Minnie) Lineham. John and his brother W. D. “Will” Lineham came to Okotoks in 1882 from Ontario. John established lumber mills at Okotoks and High River, and owned large farming operations with his brother. John was a member of the Legislative Assembly of the North West Territories (1899-1902) and later mayor of Okotoks (1909-10).
It is named after , the eldest daughter of John Lineham and his wife Minnie. In addition to his lumber and farming interests, John also financed and owned several large commercial blocks in Calgary including one he named the Elma Block on 8th Avenue after his daughter. ‘Elma’ is also the name of the Ontario town where the Linehams lived before coming to Alberta in 1882.
It is named after Patrick Milligan who spent 18 years on Okotoks Council, first as a town councillor for nine years and then served as mayor of Okotoks for three terms, totalling another nine years, from 1968 until 1977. Pat and his wife Jean moved to Okotoks in 1951. He worked as the elevator agent for Midland Pacific, and then in 1956 he established Okotoks Feed Service located on South Railway Street which he operated for over 40 years. Pat was also active with numerous community organizations. Pat passed away in 1989.
It is named after Sam Hodson who came to Okotoks in 1906 and purchased the Okotoks Review from Charles Clark Sr. Sam served as publisher of the Okotoks Review for 41 years. Sam was also active in municipal politics for 30 years, five of which were as mayor (1937-1941). He was a lifelong member of the Masons, founder of the Alberta Grand Lodge in 1905 and the Okotoks Corinthian Lodge in 1906, and was a member of the Okotoks Elk Lodge. Sam passed away in 1961.
It is named after George Lock who was born and raised in the Okotoks district. George holds the record for the longest-serving mayor of Okotoks. After serving as a town councillor for seven years from 1944 to 1950, George went on to serve 18 years as mayor, from 1950 to 1968. He was only challenged once in his nine two-year terms as mayor.
It is named after Dr. Alfred E. Ardiel who arrived in Okotoks in 1907 and served as a medical doctor here for 43 years. He made many house calls by buggy or sleigh as well as treated patients at his office located in his beautiful brick home on McRae Street. Dr. Ardiel also served as medical health officer and coroner for High River, Nanton, and Okotoks. Dr. Ardiel and his wife Gertrude had three children, Leonard (who was killed during World War II), Kathleen, and Maurice. Dr. Ardiel passed away in 1950.
It is named after Harold Banister who was elected mayor of Okotoks in February 1932 for a two-year term. He was re-elected in February 1934 however he died that October nine months into the first year of his second term. Harold had come to Canada in 1884 from England and settled in the Davisburg area. Harold and his wife Laura moved into Okotoks in 1913 and they became active in the community. Harold also served as police magistrate and bailiff for the town.
It was named after William Fisher who served two one-year terms as mayor of Okotoks in 1907 and 1908. Originally from Ontario, William came to Okotoks in 1902 and worked for the Lineham Lumber Company. He later established a general store on the southwest corner of Elizabeth Street and Centre Ave until the mid-1920s after which he operated a lumber and coal yard further east on McRae Street. He also handled insurance. William was a founding member of the Okotoks Masonic Lodge. William Fisher died in 1948. Fisher Street and Fisher Crescent in the Okotoks Business Park are named after him.
It is named after Alexander McRae arrived in Alberta in 1882 and was headed further north when a wild September snowstorm forced him and his companion Kenneth Cameron to stop and seek shelter along the Sheep River. They didn’t venture any further. Alexander took up a homestead and pre-emption on land where the Town of Okotoks now stands. He built his home approximately where the Glorond Condominiums are located. Alexander was the first registrar of this district, the first overseer of the village of Okotoks and then served as a councillor of the town for several years after its incorporation. Alexander was also a Justice of the Peace who was noted for being ‘one of the fairest, most just and best informed in the province.’ He was also a charter member of the Okotoks Masonic Lodge.
It was named after Edmund (Ted) Robinson who was elected to serve out the role as mayor in 1929 following the resignation of Malcolm MacGougan. Ted was re-elected as mayor in 1930 and 1931. Ted came to Okotoks in 1918 where he and his brother-in-law John Wilson operated a machinery business. They later built a garage and machinery business on the southeast corner of Elizabeth Street and Centre Avenue. He also served on the school board, and was a member of the Masonic Lodge and Elks Lodge. Ted passed away in 1948.
It was named after Antoine (Tom) Visser who came to Okotoks from Holland in 1911. He established a building contracting business and built such community buildings as the Masonic Hall, the Elks Hall, and the Okotoks Arena. He was also one of the first builders of wooden oil derricks in Alberta, following the discovery of oil in Turner Valley in 1914. He built wooden rigs in Turner Valley, Lethbridge, Foremost, Sweetgrass, and Viking, among other locations.
Tom was also very active in municipal politics. He was serving as a councillor under Okotoks Mayor Harold Banister when Banister died in office in October of 1934. Members of council voted to appoint Tom Visser to serve out the rest of the mayor's term until 1936. Tom was re-elected in February 1936 but died while serving as mayor in December 1936.
It is named after Ronald Knowles who came to Okotoks in 1908. He established an insurance business in Okotoks and served as the town’s secretary-treasurer for 30 years.
It is named after Dr. Fred W. Stockton, who served as the first mayor of the Town of Okotoks, after the town was incorporated in 1904. Dr. Stockton was a medical doctor who financed the construction of the two-story brick Stockton Block that still exists on McRae Street.
It is named after newspaper publisher/editor Charles Clark who established the Okotoks Review in 1904 and then sold to Sam Hodson in 1905. Clark then moved to High River to start the High River Times.
