Leduc is located just outside of the provincial capital of Edmonton. Leduc is different then most other satellite communities. Because of the many people who not only live there, but also work in Leduc, make this community very stable, and one that is thriving economically. In 1981, Leduc was ahead of its time in building world-class sporting facilities. The Black Gold Center consists of a hockey arena, indoor swimming pool with a water slide and outdoor spray park, and a cultural core with meeting rooms. An indoor curling rink was built adjacent to the Black Gold Center. With these facilities in place, Leduc has been able to host several national and international sporting events. The city also has a variety of outdoor facilities: baseball diamonds, soccer football, and rugby fields and even a biathlon range.The oil boom hit the area on February 13, 1947, when Imperial Oil's Leduc No. 1 struck oil. Ever since then, the fortunes of the business community had been closely tied to those of the oil and gas industry. The oil boom gave Edmonton the new status of Oil Capital of Canada, and gave Leduc a spot in the history of oil discoveries. Leduc was named after a Roman Catholic priest, Rev. H. Leduc, who served the Edmonton area a century ago. Leduc's residents live 5 kilometres south of Edmonton, just east of both Highway 2 and the Edmonton International Airport. Leduc began as both a farming community and a railway town. The Leduc name was first given the telegraph station established in Leduc in 1890. The town now has two aquatic centres, a world-class curling facility and several parks and recreational areas, including Telford Lake. Annual Events include the Leduc Black Gold Rodeo & Exhibition (early May), West Antique Society Exposition (end of July). Today, Leduc has a population over 15,000 people and it's land mass covers almost 37 square kilometers. |