Chisholm, Alberta

Flora

The hamlet is surrounded by mixedwood stand forests, comprising boreal conifers such as black and white spruces, and deciduous trees including trembling aspens and birches.^[7]

Founding and early decades: 1914-1980

Chisholm was established in 1914 as one of the Dunvegan Yards railway stations operated by the Edmonton, Dunvegan and British Columbia Railway (later Northern Alberta Railways).^[4]

In June 1923, the area received a post office that operated under the name Chisholm Mills,^[9] so called due to the presence of lumber mills in the area.^[10][11][12] The settlement continued to be mononymously known as Chisholm.^[5]

In its early decades, Chisholm's lumber industry attracted a population of transient or seasonal workers.^[11] By the end of the 1930s, Chisholm attracted a workforce of around 100 young men, and a small number of women who worked as cooks.^[11] Forestry workers and their families also made the area their permanent home.^[11]

During the Second World War, around 250 Japanese Canadians were forcibly interned at lumber mills throughout Alberta, some of whom were assigned to work at Chisholm Mills.^[13] A camp for German prisoners of war, Camp Chisholm, also operated during the conflict.^[14][15] The area also hosted a training ground for the Royal Canadian Air Force.^[16]

After the war, demand for lumber declined, and Chisholm's population also began declining.^[15] The settlement was nonetheless declared a hamlet in August 1980.^[17]

Later developments: 1981-2000

Heavy rains in July 1981 weakened and ultimately collapsed the rail bed near Chisholm, derailing a freight train consisting of three engines and 20 cars into the surrounding muskeg.^[18] No injuries occurred, though leaking butane and propane tankers forced crews to deliberately burn the hazardous materials so they could clear the wreckage and restore the track within two days.^[18]

By 1984, Chisholm Mills School had ceased operations due to low enrolment numbers, despite protests from the hamlet's residents.^[19]

21st century: 2001-present

In May 2001, a major forest fire reached Chisholm, destroying ten houses, 48 outbuildings, vehicles, and a trapper's cabin.^[20][21] The Chisholm fire also burned 120,000 hectares of timber in the surrounding area.^[22][23] A subsequent investigation by the Government of Alberta concluded that the fire was caused by a faulty train wheel disposed of carelessly by the Canadian National Railway.^[21][22][23] In 2007, Chisholm's fire lookout tower was upgraded.^[24]

Chisholm's post office closed permanently in 2016.^[25] By this time, it was regularly serving 11 or 12 residents.^[25]