Cochrane

The town of Cochrane is located in the south-west part of the Province of Alberta. The town sits along Highway 1A, roughly 18 km west of the Calgary city limits. Now, the town of Cochrane has a population of practically 15,500 residents and is considered the second largest town municipality in the province and amongst the fastest growing communities in the nation. It is part of Calgary's Census Metropolitan Area and a member community of the Calgary Regional Partnership or also known as CRP. The town of Cochrane is surrounded by Rocky View County.

Cochrane was named after Senator Matthew Henry Cochrane, the man who established the Cochrane Ranche during 1881. The Canadian Pacific Railway granted the town location during the year 1885 and named it in honour of Senator Cochrane, but few people made the town of Cochrane their home despite the neighboring ranching population.

The little hamlet of Cochrane became a village during the year 1903 and during the year 1906 had a population of 158 people. After five years the village boasted a population of 395 inhabitants.

Situated in the Bow River Valley, the town of Cochrane is situated at the bottom of Big Hill, at an elevation of 3,891 ft. or 1,186 metres. Intersecting the town of Cochrane are highways 22 and 1A. The reputation of the town is more about its western culture, which is quite noticeable when roaming through the local roads. The town of Cochrane is a popular location for coffee and ice cream in its charming western-oriented stores as well as for windsports, golfing, hiking in addition to other adventure activities.

The town of Cochrane is likewise a small industrial centre. Key industries consist of construction, lumber, ranching and retail. It is notable as being among a very few communities in Canada with no business tax.

There are several reasons to do business here. Cochrane is an educated, affluent community with more than 16,000 local customers. The trading area within 50 square kms exceeds 1 million consumers. Cochrane's industrial, residential and commercial property prices are amongst the most reasonably priced within the Calgary region.

The diverse business community already includes industry leading technology firms, national retail franchises, natural resource manufacturers and processors, a host of business services providers and various successful private companies already capitalizing on the big local and regional marketplace.

Today, the town of Cochrane is still well-known for its western heritage, unique buildings and popular "Main Street", as well as its small town hospitality. With the completion of the downtown revitalization and celebration of the Town's centennial during 2003, Cochrane has become a popular tourist spot for many.

The town of Cochrane values its small-town environment, distinctive big hills, escarpments, unique opportunities and waterways.