HISTORY OF ROCKY VIEW
On the 70th anniversary
On January 1, 1955 the Municipal District (MD) of Calgary No. 44 was formed and the name was changed to Municipal District of Rocky View No. 44 on January 1, 1956.
The name was changed again in 2009 to the current Rocky View County.
The region was historically occupied by the Blackfoot Confederacy. Settlers first arrived in the Irricana area around 1908. This area was incorporated into the Municipality of Keoma, No. 249 when it was organized in 1913 pursuant to the Rural Municipality Act of 1912. The name was changed in 1918 to Municipal District of Keoma No. 249 following enactment of the Municipal Districts Act that year. In 1943, following years of financial hardship, the M.D. of Serviceberry No. 43 was formed by the amalgamation of the M.D. of Keoma with the M.D. of Grasswold. Part of Serviceberry was included in the formation of Rocky View when the province mandated the alignment of school districts with municipal governments.
The shape and size of Rocky View has changed numerous times during its 70-year history. The Bragg Creek area was added in 1968 but most of the changes resulted from annexations by expanding urban centres such as Airdrie, Calgary and Cochrane.
Rocky View’s character has also changed with time from primarily agricultural to increasing rural residential and most recently commercial and industrial developments at Balzac and Shepard.
One constant has been the view of the Rockies.
Sources:
Read, Tracey: Acres and Empires - A History of the Municipal District of Rocky View, Tall-Taylor Publishing Ltd., Irricana, AB.
