Prairie Treasure

Wednesday, 24 September 2008 21:51

CARRIE KELLY The Pipeline Martin Shields moved to Brooks 32 years ago to teach school and couldn’t be happier with the decision he made. Today, he is retired from teaching and is the mayor of the city of about 13,500 residents. “I chose to move here because the community was the size we wanted to raise a family in,” Shields explained. While the size was an attractive factor, so is the location. Brooks is centrally located between Calgary, Lethbridge and Medicine Hat, right along the TransCanada highway. The winter weather is considered fairly mild for Alberta and Brooks has an average of 2,334 hours of sunshine per year. “We’re in the centre of a lot of interesting things,” Shields said. “We call ourselves an oasis on the prairie.” Lots of that moisture comes from irrigation, which is big business in Brooks. Another big business in Brooks is Lakeside Packers, which employs 2,400 people in the community. And of course, oil and gas contributes significantly to the Brooks economy, from large companies such as EnCana, to small independent service companies. “Oil and gas is a huge force in the community,” Shields said. All the variety of industry in Brooks means that the community enjoys a low unemployment rate of about two per cent, he added. And people have chosen Brooks as their home from all over Canada and the world. “It’s a community of people who have come from everywhere else. We have over 100 different dialects and languages in our community, which makes it very unique,” said Shields. For example, many people have moved to Brooks from Africa, as well as from Newfoundland. “It is a young, vibrant community. The average age is just over 30,” Shields said. Brooks has its own campus of Medicine Hat College, allowing post second students to get a good start on their education without having to leave home. Students can enroll in practical nursing, an apprentice training program and university courses, among others. Brooks is continuing to grow and that has created a need for a new arena. The city is making sure it will be one that will last well into the future. “It will be a $20 million project that seats 1,700 people,” said Shields. “It will have an agribition area. This is the largest project the city has ever undertaken. It will open in early winter of 2009.” In 2010, Brooks will celebrate its centennial year and plans are already underway to make it extra special. “We’re working on ideas and activities for a celebration,” the mayor said.