RED DEER

city, central Alberta, Canada, on the Red Deer River, midway between Calgary (90 miles south) and Edmonton. Original settlement began around a ford where the trail from Calgary to Edmonton crossed the river (Red Deer Crossing), a few miles west of the present site. In 1891 the railway reached the river, and a community developed around the railway station. It grew as a processing and distribution centre for dairy produce; oil and gas wells are in the vicinity, and there is planned industrial development. Red Deer College was established in 1964. The city is a gateway to the Sylvan Lake resort area, and the Gaetz Lakes are in the city. Inc. city, 1913. Pop. (1991) 58,134.