Lacombe offers their residents and visitors so much; a pleasant way of life, and the safety of a quiet community. Lacombe is a place where you feel comfortable, and have an abundance of recreation that will offer something for everyone. Situated in the heart of the Alberta Parkland, the vibrant community of Lacombe offers an abundance of opportunities for golfing, fishing, sightseeing, photography, bird watching and shopping. Lacombe is located close to Red Deer Alberta, which offers a good variety of shopping and services. They have many community clubs, organizations, churches, public and Christian schools. There are a great variety of golf courses in the area. The Iron Wolf, Nursery Grove and Wolf Creek courses will challenge the golfer in everyone! Recreational fun is nearby in Sylvan Lake and Gull Lake right in the heart of Central Alberta! Annual activities include a large number of events, including the Music Festival and the Rotary Club Carol Festival.Surveyed in 1884, The Calgary and Edmonton Trail, (C & E Trail) was the first transportation route in the Lacombe area. This public thoroughfare could not be fenced off or obstructed in any way, but it was nothing more than a worn pathway used by wagons and Red River carts. A railway connecting Edmonton and Calgary was constructed between 1890 and 1891. On July 28, 1896, the hamlet was declared a village; the eighth organized community in that part of the Northwest Territories which was later to become Alberta. Eventually, Lacombe lost out to Red Deer as the major centre on the Calgary-Edmonton corridor. Red Deer spread into a major industrial/commercial centre, while Lacombe quietly settled into its role as a separate, comfortable residential centre only 18 kilometers north of the burgeoning city. The services offered by its inevitable large urban malls created havoc with the town's merchants. Lacombe was no longer serving a large farming area; it was now servicing only the town proper and a small peripheral trading area. The next chapter in Lacombe's history reflects its success in tapping that market. In 1987, Lacombe was selected for the provincially funded "Alberta Mainstreet" program. The objective of that program was to revitalize the downtown sector within an historic framework. Given the large number of 1900-1915 buildings, downtown Lacombe lends itself well to the heritage theme which is an integral part of the program. Lacombe and area residents take great pride in their pioneer heritage. Today, Lacombe has a population nearing 10,000 people and it's land mass covers over 18 square kilometers. |