Sprucing Up

Mar 1, 2010

	Population 23,326
	Median Household Income $83,259
	Average Home Price $377,654
	Weather Temperatures peak in July, averaging highs of 23 C; winters bottom out in January, with an average high of -11 C. Expect more than a metre of snow over those cold months
	Commuter Route From Edmonton, head 30 kilometres west on the Yellowhead Highway (16). Both Campsite Road and Century Road lead into the city.
	Economic Picture Advertisement Not just a bedroom community for nearby Edmonton, Spruce Grove has a diverse industrial base. While agriculture remains strong, transportation and manufacturing are also significant, the latter represented by Atco Structures and Logistics, PTI Group and Moloney Electric, for example. Oil and gas also contributes – TransCanada Pipelines maintains a service centre here.
	Under Construction The widening of Century Road, one of the main drags leading from the Yellowhead Highway into the city, has just finished, and extension of Grove Drive, a major east-west thoroughfare, is scheduled for this year. Construction of 60-acre Jubilee Park, adjacent the future Gateway Town Centre, aims to finish for a 2011 opening.
	Conversation starter Leading up to the 2010 Winter Olympics, the city honoured Olympic gold medalist freestyle skier and Spruce Grove native Jennifer Heil by renaming the route to the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre. The section of Campsite Road running north-south between Highways 16 and 16A is now known as Jennifer Heil Way.
	Where to Eat For something Greek and a little fancy, try Something Else at the corner of MacLeod Avenue and Queen Street. North of City Hall, Peter’s Pizza & Steaks, a good family spot, does well with pasta too. Get casual, tasty pub fare at Michael’s Grill and Lounge, just off Highway 16A. For a quick bite, try 1950s-themed Jack’s Drive-In, also along the 16A.
	Where to Sleep In town, choices include the Royal Inn Express Hotel and the Grove Motor Inn, both just off Highway 16A. Also, Nova Inn recently opened a convenient location in nearby Acheson Industrial Area.
	Diversion For cultural events, visit Horizon Stage, Spruce Grove’s performing arts venue. Between September and February, catch the Saints, the city’s Alberta Junior Hockey League team, in regular season action at the Grant Fuhr Arena, named for another notable city native. Otherwise, make your own fun. Drop in for exercise at the TransAlta Tri Leisure Centre or at the Links, the public golf course on the north edge of town.