Town of Taber
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Welcome to Taber, we're a great place to grow!
Our community found its beginnings with homesteaders in the late 1890’s and has grown to the town thousands of citizens have come to know and love. We’re famous for our corn, sunny days, and the friendliness of a small town with the amenities of a larger community! Discover our community in the headings below!
A Beautiful Community- With Awards to Prove It!
Take a walk around our community and you will see a number of projects undertaken by our local Communities in Bloom volunteers who work throughout the year to make our community beautiful. It's more than just flowers (although those are lovely too), as you will see murals, heritage implements for décor, and beautification projects around Taber. They also host a number of contests throughout the year for best yards and holiday decorating contests!
Did you know that the Taber has been awarded numerous blooms from Communities in Bloom? We won in the Population 6,001-15,000 Category in 2016 and 2017, and tied with Coaldale for the same in 2018! It is because of this dedicated group of volunteers that our community continues to be a "great place to grow!"
Our Town departments are proud to work closely with our Communities in Bloom volunteers on their various initiatives to make our community beautiful year round. Want to see what some of those projects are? Take a peek at their Facebook Page!
Taber Corn
Taber is colloquially known as the “Corn Capital of Canada” due to the famous golden crop grown in the region. But what makes Taber corn so special?
To put it simply, it’s because of the amount of sunshine our area receives. Our previous motto was the “Land of the Lo-o-ong Sun,” so that gives an indication of how much sun we actually get in the area! But we can’t give the sun all the credit. The corn also receives help from cool nights (which brings out the sugar production in the corn) irrigation water, good soil, and the talents of the region’s producers.
Accept no substitutes! Taber Corn is so famous that growers in the area actually have certificates of authenticity to prove that the cobs were grown in the Taber region.
While Taber corn is sold throughout Alberta, if you’re ever unsure if you’re getting the real deal, just ask the vendor for a certificate of authenticity which contains the farm’s name and phone number so you can check for yourself that you’re getting the right corn from the right region.
Taber corn sales typically start in August, depending on weather and the growing conditions.
Giant Corn Stalk
Our 36 foot tall corn stalk was installed in November 1994. With the help of a fundraiser from the local Kiwanis Club, the corn stalk was built by George Jaegli, a Saskatchewan farmer and welder. The entire project took approximately one year to complete.
The ears of corn are approximately 4 feet tall, and the leaves range from 4ft to 10ft. The corn silks are made of brass wire.
Located in the Aquafun Centre parking lot just off of Highway 3, it is a cool roadside attraction to stop and admire, and makes for great pictures! Because what is a trip to Taber without some form of corn?
History
Taber was initially a mining town until the decline of coal in the 1920’s. It was the advent of extensive irrigation in the 1930’s that led to our recovery and laid the foundations for the large agricultural industry that abounds in the region to this day.
There are many stories about how we got the name "Taber," so it depends on who you ask how we became the community we are known as.
To learn more about the history of our community and even how we got our name, see our page here.
Things to do in Taber
No matter the season, there’s plenty to do in Taber! Visit our Recreation pages to view the various amenities we have available for citizens and visitors alike, or our Arts, Culture, and Events page to see what the Town has planned for the annual events that take place in and around our community.
Taber also plays host to the annual Taber Cornfest event, which is organized by the Taber & District Chamber of Commerce. Held on the last full weekend in August, Cornfest is one of Southern Alberta’s largest outdoor festivals, and Western Canada's largest free family festival. Admission is FREE, and there is something for everyone: whether you’re a foodie, enjoy live music, fireworks, or are a midway-ride thrill seeker, there’s plenty for the entire family to enjoy all weekend long! Citizens and visitors alike flock to this festival, and we can’t wait for you to visit us! Learn more about the annual event here.
Want to know more about the fun things to do in Taber? Check out the Visit Taber website to see more.
2018 Coors Banquet One Horse Town
The Town of Taber was thrilled and honoured to be the 2018 Coors Banquet One Horse Town! After being nominated with 600 other applicants across the country and then a Canada-wide voting period for the top five, Taber was picked as the community to play host to the incredible event and concert. Held in Confederation Park on September 15th, 2018, it was an incredible event for our community! We hosted over 3,000 people and enjoyed performances from Dallas Smith, Tim Hicks, and Kira Isabella.
Click here to view our photo gallery of the event and to relive the memories.
Population
Taber is home to 8,862 people according to the 2021 Federal Census. This is a 5.1% increase from our previous population of 8,428 from the 2016 census.
According to the Town's 2020 municipal census, the average household in Taber is 2.75 residents, and the majority (78.36%) speak English as a primary language, with German (6.18%) and Tagalog (2.74%) making up the next primary languages. Taber has a concentration of children and seniors.
Motto & Logo
The motto of our community is “a great place to grow!” The Town’s logo was adopted in June 2002 following a callout for designs and mottos which included the participation of school children, citizens, businesses, and design companies.
The final “spray and sun” logo was ultimately chosen as the visual that would identify the Town’s identity. "A Great Place to Grow" was a citizen suggestion and ultimately chosen as the phrase that captures what our community is all about. Whether you want to grow a business, a family, a career, or a crop, you are welcome in Taber!
You can read the explanation for the Town’s logo design below, or on our display inside the Town Administration Building lobby.
More than a Logo
As a growing, vibrant, family-oriented community, the Town of Taber identity is a style comprised of a number of elements that together creates a cohesive look and feel, uniquely defining Taber as a great place to live, work, invest and play.
Known for our long sunny days, the yellow circle signifies a golden sun shining above the blue/green arches of a sprout of crop, a gush of oil, or a spurt of water, depicting Taber’s agricultural, industrial and irrigational roots. Although Taber’s strong work ethic is evident in our strong, stable and diverse economy, we also know the benefits of balancing work and play. Taber’s fun and playful side can be seen in the humanoid characteristics of the warm, sunny face with wide open arms, embodying our welcoming personality and community spirit.
Defining the factors that are unique to us, such as our culture, our people, industry, and governance makes Taber unlike any other place to live and together tells the Taber story, not just to the province but to the world abroad.