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Alberta Politics

Alberta cities grow: satellite images from 1984 to 2012.

Google, working with the United States Geological Survey, NASA and TIME, have released time lapsed satellite maps of the Earth from each year from 1984 to 2012. You can search the site for time lapsed images of locations from around the globe.

The population of the province of Alberta has grown by more than a million people in the past twenty-five years, which is demonstrate by  the growth (and urban sprawl) in our cities over that period. Below are screenshots of four Alberta cities – Calgary, Edmonton, Red Deer, and Grande Prairie – from 1984 and 2012. Also included below are satellite images of oil sands operations north of Fort McMurray in 1984 and 2012. Visit the timelapse website to search for other images.

Calgary

Satellite image of Calgary 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Satellite image of Calgary 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Calgary Alberta 2012
Satellite image of Calgary 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)

Edmonton

Edmonton Alberta 1984
Satellite image of Edmonton 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Edmonton Alberta 2012
Satellite image of Edmonton 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)

Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie Alberta 1984
Satellite image of Grande Prairie 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Grande Prairie Albera 2012
Satellite image of Grande Prairie 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)

Red Deer

Red Deer Alberta 1984
Satellite image of Red Deer 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Red Deer Alberta 2012
Satellite image of Red Deer 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)

Oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray

Oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray in 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray in 1984 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray in 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)
Oilsands operations north of Fort McMurray in 2012 (from world.time.com/timelapse/)

5 replies on “Alberta cities grow: satellite images from 1984 to 2012.”

These look like tumours, growing out in all directions. But I’m sure our wondrous creations are nothing at all like that…

bigger cities means more jobs and people making more money, I think it is great, Alberta is awesome , everyone needs a home and we need to appreciate the people making Alberta hum.

In the Grande Prairie case a significant portion of the growth is actually outside of the city limits. Go a little north to the lake just above the city and watch the growth of the “hamlet” of Clairmont.

In my 30 yrs on earth my hometown of red deer went from a small town to a big city. It’s crazy how much growth we have had here!!

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