Coalhurst
town in Alberta
Coalhurst (originally named Bridgend) is a town in southern Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 3, 15 km (9.3 mi) northwest of Lethbridge. It used to be a coal-mining community.
Around 1930, a large fire broke out in Coalhurst and cost the town about $35,000. No one was injured in the fire.
Demographics
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Coalhurst had a population of 2,869 living in 1,025 of its 1,055 total private dwellings, a change of 7.5% from its 2016 population of 2,668. With a land area of 3.08 km2 (1.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 931.5/km2 (2,412.6/sq mi) in 2021.
The population of the Town of Coalhurst according to its 2019 municipal census is 2,784, a change of 0.6% from its 2018 municipal census population of 2,767.
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Coalhurst recorded a population of 2,668 living in 938 of its 970 total private dwellings, a 34.9% change from its 2011 population of 1,978. With a land area of 3.11 km2 (1.20 sq mi), it had a population density of 857.9/km2 (2,221.9/sq mi) in 2016.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Coalhurst” is town in Alberta. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Coalhurst, town and Alberta, not as a finished interpretation.
Why this record matters
The phrase “town in Alberta” supplies a clear boundary for inquiry. It also exposes the unanswered questions: who defined that boundary, when it became stable and which sources sit outside it.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 30, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q501627. Authority coordinates are 49.746, -112.932. 2 of 2 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1930, 2021, 2016 and 2019.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Coalhurst”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Coalhurst primary sources, Coalhurst archive and Coalhurst research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Coalhurst”?
- Which authority defined the place, boundary or structure at the relevant date?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Coalhurst” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.