As in other Alberta towns and cities, the development of the gas
and and oil industry in Whitecourt led to significant
developments in the retail and service industries. The downtown
and other areas of Whitecourt evolved rapidly to meet the needs
of the various oilfield personnel moving into the area. Both the
oilfield and forestry helped keep Whitecourt from the fate that
befell other small Alberta towns during this time. Towns not
well situated for the oil and gas boom suffered also from
agricultural changes. Farm equipment modernization led to an
exodus from many rural areas largely dependent on this sector.
First, there was a doubling or tripling in size of equipment. A
1940's seeder might be twelve to fourteen feet wide. A 1960's
seeder was 36 to 42 feet wide and was pulled in gangs by larger
As well as being larger, the machines could do more. In the
1940's, combines were pulled by tractor, cutting the grain and
allowing attendant windrowers or swathers to arrange the grain
in windrows for proper curing