Pincher Creek

Town in southwestern Alberta, Canada, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, 177 km/110 mi south of Calgary; population (1996 est) 3,700. It is a market and processing centre for a region specializing in ranching, lumbering, and the production of coal and natural gas. The oil industry has been important since the 1950s, especially at a large refinery to the south of the town, but agribusiness has become increasingly important. Wind farms have been developed in the area on a large scale.

The settlement was established in 1878 as a horse-breeding stables for the mounted police based at nearby Fort Macleod. The town was laid out in 1882, and incorporated in 1906. It is the site of Kootenai Brown Historical Park. The Pincher Creek Hutterite Colony, a working Protestant settlement, is located 3 km/1.8 mi to the west of the town.