Brooks is a town in the middle of a near-desert climate with a shortgrass prairie environment called the "Palliser Triangle". Brooks was incorporated as a Village on July 14, 1910 and later as a Town on September 8, 1911 which became the base for a dynamic agriculture region. With the development of an extensive irrigation system (courtesy of the CPR), this region has become a highly productive livestock, grain and vegetable producer It was eventually turned over to the Eastern Irrigation District. Early settlers built a irrigation aqueduct that in 1915, was then one of the largest concrete structures in the world, spanning 3 km of prairie. Brooks has 105,000 hectares (260,000 acres) of irrigated farmland and 400,000 hectares (1,000,000 acres) of prime grazing land. The aqueduct was operated until 1977, and is now a National Historic Site as a monument to the early engineers and farmers. South of town, Lake Newell is the focal point of the area’s recreation, providing sailing, windsurfing, fishing, hunting, and camping. Kinbrook Provincial Park is on the eastern shore of the lake.Brooks is also a center for oil & gas production, with 26,000 wells in the area. In more recent times, the oil and gas industry has taken on a high profile. Situated in one of Alberta’s most active gas fields, Brooks is home to regional offices of several major oil and gas companies. Local companies provide the resources required to maintain the support system to the industry. Commercial development is on the rise with a new Holiday Inn Express, Best Western Motel, IGA, 3 new strip malls, Toyota Dealership, Tim Horton's, Luigi's Restaurant and Long-term Care Facility to name a few. Residents have embraced numerous changes and look forward to new developments in the future. Annual events include: Kiwanis Ice Derby at Lake Newell (February), The Gather-a big sale of 10,000 cattle (March), Annual Trade Show (April), Little Britches Rodeo (June), Brooks Kinsmen Rodeo (June), Eastern Irrigation Ag. Society Fall Fair (August), Pheasant Festival Week (October). Today, Brooks has a population over 11,500 people and it's land mass covers about 18 square kilometers. |