Brooks

The small city of Brooks is located in southeast Alberta, in the county of Newell. The Canadian Pacific Railway and the Trans Canada Highway run through the city, which is approximately 116 mi or 186 kilometres southeast of Calgary, and 68 mi or 110 kilometres northwest of Medicine Hat. The city has an elevation of 2,490 ft. or 760 m.

The region which is now the city of Brooks was first used as a bison hunting ground for the Blackfoot and Crow. After Treaty 7 was signed in 1877, homesteaders moved into the region to start farming. Prior to the year 1904, the area still did not have a name. Thanks to a Canada Post sponsored contest, the region was named after Noel Edgell Brooks, a Canadian Pacific Railway Divisional Engineer from Calgary.

On the 14th of July, 1910, the Community of Brooks was created, which became a town a year afterward. In the late 20th century, the city of Brooks experienced growth because of the oil and gas business. During the early 1980s, its population grew from 5,000 to 8,000. During the year 1996, the population exceeded 10,000 due to expansion at Lakeside IBP meat packing plant. In 2005, Brooks became a city, with a population of roughly 13,000.

The Lakeside Leisure Centre is the region's main recreation centre. It includes two arenas, a curling rink, an aquatic centre along with a wave pool and a waterslide, a fitness centre, a gymnasium, plus multipurpose rooms. The complex was refurbished in the year 2005.

During the year 2010, the Duke of Sutherland Park was redeveloped. It features a playground, baseball diamonds, a soccer field and a 3,200 ft (980 m)² waterpark with a play structure for older kids and spray features for toddlers.

In the same year in 2010, the city of Brooks completed the 18 month construction of the Centennial Regional Arena. This new multi-purpose facility can seat 1,704 individuals. It comprises a running track, corporate boxes, concessions, and a 200' x 85' surface. The arena is home to several user groups, such as the Brooks Bandits.

There are three provincial parks within the area: a World Heritage Site, Dinosaur Provincial Park, towards the northeast, Tillebrook Provincial Park towards the east and Kinbrook Island Provincial Park to the south. Moreover, there are a few other recreational sites in the area such as the Emerson Bridge, Rolling Hills Reservoir and Crawling Valley Reservoir.

Situated south-east of Brooks is the Brooks Aqueduct, that was constructed to be able to transport irrigation water to the Eastern Irrigation District. It spans across a 3.2 km valley, approximately 20m above the ground.

The city of Brooks has two junior high schools, two high schools, two primary schools and three elementary schools. A satellite campus of the Medicine Hat College is likewise located within the city of Brooks.