10 things you didn’t know about Alberta

EDMONTON – It is one of Canada’s three prairie provinces. Its capital city is Edmonton. Its largest city is Calgary. These are a few facts that most people know about Alberta. But there may be a few things you didn’t know.

The provincial government released its official statistics for 2014, providing some interesting insights into life in Alberta. The stats cover a range of topics, including employment, healthcare, social services, the environment and the economy.

Alberta is the fastest growing province in the country, with its population surpassing the four million mark for the first time.

Here are 10 things you may not know about Alberta:

• The average monthly rent for a two-bedroom apartment ranges from $739 in Medicine Hat to $2,061 in Fort McMurray
• Alberta workers have the highest average weekly earnings ($1,108.01) in 2013 – 22 per cent above the national average
• More than 80 per cent of Albertans do some kind of volunteer work
• In 2013, almost half of Albertans who volunteered chose to contribute to sports and recreation activities by coaching a team, or by officiating or organizing sporting and recreational events
• A newborn baby girl in Alberta is expected to live for nearly 84 years on average, whereas newborn boys are expected to live for almost 80 years
• About 75 per cent of Alberta’s high school students graduated within three years of entering Grade 10 and almost 82 per cent within five years, a notable improvement since 2004-05
• During the past decade, Alberta produced about one-third of the nation’s wheat, slightly more than one-third of the canola crop and almost half of the barley crop
• 2013 was a bumper year for crops, with production soaring 18 per cent higher than in 2012, keeping farm receipts near record levels
• In 2013-14, nine out of 10 Albertans attended arts events or participated in arts activities
• In 2013, the number of wildfires decreased from 1,555 to 1,193, remaining below the previous five-year average of 1,585 (2009-2013)

For more information on the 2014 Alberta Official Statistics, visit the Alberta government’s website.

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