Map - Wetaskiwin

Wetaskiwin is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located 70 km south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskiwinihk, meaning "the hills where peace was made".

Wetaskiwin is home to the Reynolds-Alberta Museum, a museum dedicated to celebrating "the spirit of the machine" as well as the Wetaskiwin and District Heritage Museum, which documents the pioneer arrival and lifestyle in Wetaskiwin's early years. Southeast of Wetaskiwin, the Alberta Central Railway Museum acknowledges the impact that the railway had on Central Alberta.

The city is well known in Western Canada for the slogan and jingle "Cars cost less in Wetaskiwin", from the Wetaskiwin Auto Dealers Association. Both have been in print, radio, and television advertisements since the mid-1970s.

The future location of Wetaskiwin was once the site of a battle between the Cree and the Blackfoot, known as Wee-Tas-Ki-Win-Spatinow for "the place where peace was made". In 1890, when the Calgary and Edmonton Railway was built, it became a whistle-stop, and was known as Siding 16. In 1892, when the area was surveyed, it was named Wetaskiwin to commemorate the battle. Shortly after the survey, a group of Scandinavian immigrants settled at the townsite. A number of businesses were established, as well as a newspaper, the Free Lance.

In 1900, a Baptist church was organized. One year later, the village, with a population of more than 500, and was officially incorporated.

By 1908, Wetaskiwin had a town hall and several churches. The town's courthouse was built in 1909, and the water tower was built at about the same time.

After World War II, Wetaskiwin airport was founded; it later became the site of the Reynolds-Alberta Museum.