Endiang

History

A little known fact about Endiang is that during the Cold War it was considered the place most likely for conflict between the U.S.S.R. and the U.S.A. to begin. If the Soviet Union were to have fired a missile first, and the American military were to respond, it was considered likely that the two missiles would collide over Endiang. This fact was immortalised in the poem "Armageddon at Endiang, Alberta". An interesting bit of history is that the original settlement of Endiang was located about 5 kilometers northeast of the present hamlet and was established by William Foreman on his homestead in 1910. It was named for a summer resort hotel the Foreman family owned in the Muskoka Lakes region of Ontario, named "Endiang", from the Anishinaabe language Endaayaang, meaning "our home". The tiny settlement included a post office, a store, and a hall. When the CNR built a railroad through the area in 1925, it missed the original settlement, so with the aid of horse power, the buildings were moved to the new site of Endiang. Endiang is also notable for being the home to the Shaben family, some of whom were involved in the establishment of the first mosque in Alberta. The history of the Endiang area was first recorded in local author Jean James' book This Was Endiang. In 2002 the history of the area was updated with family histories included in the book Endiang - Our Home. The latest 650 page history book was the project of the Endiang History Book Committee.

Geography

Endiang is located on a plain bounded by ranges of hills to the west and south, and by Sullivan Lake, a large alkali lake to the east. The Chain Lakes lie to the southwest. Its geography and climate is similar to that of most other prairie areas of East-Central and Southern Alberta, experiencing cold winters broken up by Chinook winds, and warm, dry summers. In recent years, Endiang has experienced both extreme droughts and extreme wet conditions, having a great impact on the local farming community, although this sort of weather pattern is typical of other such areas found in Palliser's Triangle. Endiang's closest neighbour is the small hamlet of Byemoor, located about to the west. Together the two communities are commonly referred to as "Endmoor".

Most-observed species

• Canada Goose (canadensis Group)

  Branta canadensis (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  39
• Red-winged Blackbird

  Agelaius phoeniceus (Linnaeus, 1766) · Aves
  30
• Western Meadowlark

  Sturnella neglecta Audubon, 1844 · Aves
  29
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  28
• Red-tailed Hawk

  Buteo jamaicensis (Gmelin, 1788) · Aves
  26
• Black-billed Magpie

  Pica hudsonia (Sabine, 1823) · Aves
  26
• Greater White-fronted Goose

  Anser albifrons (Scopoli, 1769) · Aves
  24
• American Crow

  Corvus brachyrhynchos C.L.Brehm, 1822 · Aves
  22