Olds-fashioned College Town | Alberta Venture Stops Over in Olds

May 1, 2010

	Population 7,248
	Median Household Income $51,940 (2005)
	Average Home Price $280,000
	Weather Warm summers range from 15 C to 23 C. Chinook winds occasionally take the edge off winters that dip to -25 C.
	Commuter Route Olds is at the junction of highways 2A and 27, 5 kilometres west of the QE2 corridor. Calgary is 90 kilometres south, Red Deer 63 kilometres north.
	Economic Picture Advertisement Though Olds College is the town’s top employer, Olds is a hub for oilfield service, light-industrial manufacturers and agribusiness. As a regional centre, it also features a fast-growing retail sector, including the Cornerstone “power centre” anchored by Walmart, another top employer. Business generation is also strong: in 2009, the town issued 754 business licences.
	Under Construction The town issued $43.8 million in building permits in 2009. Current projects include a new public library, a Catholic elementary school, Mountain View Credit Union business complex, Mountain View Seniors’ Housing and the Cornerstone Village housing development, featuring apartment-style condos and semi-detached homes.
	Conversation starter TransFair Canada, a not-for profit certification and public education organization, named Olds a designated Fair Trade Town – the first in Alberta. This means the town, local stores and restaurants embrace the idea of selling or using Fair Trade-certified goods – coffee, for example – produced under environmentally sustainable conditions by workers who are fairly paid.
	Where to Eat Chez François offers a big-city menu ranging from Philly cheese steak to beef, shrimp and spicy lamb kebabs, as well as cooking classes. Tracks Pub offers live music from some of Canada’s top musicians, such as Juno-nominee Julian Austin and Calgary’s Michael Bernard Fitzgerald. On weekdays, Granny Jacks, near downtown, offers bistro-style fare and specialty coffee.
	Where to Sleep A Ramada, part of the Cornerstone Village complex, is the newest addition to Olds’ accommodations. There’s also a Best Western at the east end of town and, north of Highway 27, the Sportsman Inn and Circle 5 motels.
	Diversions If you’ve got your clubs, Olds Central Highlands Golf Course offers 18 holes just east of town. Or, from June until the fall, catch Olds College Botanic Garden in all its glory (its indoor components can be visited year-round). In town, the downtown core features a heritage commercial strip. Get the full story at the Mountain View Museum, with collections to immerse visitors in the history of Olds and the surrounding region.