Brooks Beautiful - Bountiful

The area that is now Brooks was originally used as a bison-hunting ground for the Blackfoot and Crow tribes. After Treaty 7 was signed in 1877, homesteaders moved into the area to begin farming. The arrival of the Canadian Pacific Railroad saw more settlers move to the area.

In 1904, the area was named after Noel Edgell Brooks, a Canadian Pacific Railway Divisional Engineer from Calgary, through a contest sponsored by the Postmaster General. Brooks was incorporated as a village on July 14, 1910, and then as a town on September 8, 1911. Its population in the 1911 Census of Canada was 486.

In the 1996 Census, the population of Brooks reached 10,093, making it eligible for city status. Brooks incorporated as a city on September 1, 2005, when its official population was 11,604. In 2010, Brooks celebrated the centennial of its incorporation as a village.

In modern times, Brooks has experienced growth due to the oil and gas industry. The late 70’s and early 1980’s saw Brooks’ population grow from 5,000 to around 8,000. The oil and gas industry, and those activities that provide services to oil and gas exploration are still a large driving force in the continued growth of Brooks.

In recent years, Brooks has cultivated a diverse demographic, with residents originating from almost 70 different countries who have settled in Brooks and made it their home. This multicultural experience was brought about when the local meat packing plant, XL Foods Lakeside Packers, started employing about 2,000 workers from all parts of the world.

Today, Brooks is known as a rural town with a melting pot of a big city. It is believed that over 100 languages are spoken in Brooks. The city continues to grow and evolve, embracing its diverse population and rich history. As of 2021, the City of Brooks had a population of 14,924.