Alberta Highway 33
{{short description|Highway in Alberta, Canada}}
{{use mdy dates|date=August 2021|cs1-dates=y}}
{{Infobox road
| province = AB
| type = Hwy
| route = 33
| alternate_name = Grizzly Trail
| map = Alberta Highway 033.png
| length_km = 218.6
| length_ref = {{google maps|title=Highway 33 in Alberta|url=https://www.google.ca/maps/@54.4546655,-114.6238836,8.25z|access-date=December 18, 2017}}
| direction_a = South
| direction_b = North
| terminus_a = {{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|43}} near Gunn
| junction = {{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|18}} in Barrhead
{{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|32}} in Swan Hills
| terminus_b = {{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|2}} near Kinuso
| towns = Barrhead, Swan Hills
| rural_municipalities = Lac Ste. Anne County, County of Barrhead No. 11, Woodlands County, Big Lakes County
| established =
| previous_type = Hwy
| previous_route = 32
| next_type = Hwy
| next_route = 35
}}
Highway 33, officially named Grizzly Trail, is a north–south highway in west–central Alberta, Canada.
Highway 33 begins at Highway 43 near the hamlet of Gunn and travels north to the town of Barrhead. North of Barrhead, Highway 33 turns northwest, crossing the Athabasca River at Fort Assiniboine, before reaching the town of Swan Hills. Highway 33 continues north from Swan Hills to Highway 2 east of Kinuso. Highway 33 is about {{convert|219|km}} in length.{{Cite web|url=http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType329/Production/2015_PROVINCIAL_HWY_1-216_CONTROL_SECTION_MAP.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160410182657/http://www.transportation.alberta.ca/Content/docType329/Production/2015_PROVINCIAL_HWY_1-216_CONTROL_SECTION_MAP.pdf |archive-date=April 10, 2016 |access-date=October 12, 2016 |date=March 2015 |title=2015 Provincial Highway 1-216 Progress Chart |publisher=Alberta Transportation |url-status=live }}
History
Highway 33 follows the original Klondike Trail, which was advertised by Edmonton merchants as the shortest route to the Yukon during the Klondike Gold Rush, from the Athabasca River at Pruden's Crossing, near Fort Assiniboine, through present-day Swan Hills and along the Swan River to north to present-day Kinuso. The trail followed a very difficult and dangerous route and by 1901-02 use of the trail declined, soon after it was abandoned altogether in favour of other routes to the Peace River area.{{cite web|title=History of Barrhead|url=http://www.barrhead.ca/history-of-barrhead|website=Town of Barrhead|access-date=May 20, 2018|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180520192748/http://www.barrhead.ca/history-of-barrhead|archive-date=May 20, 2018|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}{{cite web|last1=Thome|first1=Michael|title=Klondike Trail|url=https://albertashistoricplaces.wordpress.com/2012/07/19/klondike-trail/|website=RETROactive|publisher=Government of Alberta|access-date=May 20, 2018|date=July 19, 2012}}
Highway 33 originally started as short highway that connected Highway 43, {{cvt|7|km|0}} south of Onoway, to Alberta Beach.{{cite map|author = The H.M. Gousha Company|publisher = The Shell Oil Company|date = 1956|title = Shell Map of British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba|url = http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/workspace/handleMediaPlayer;JSESSIONID=85eb3a9c-db16-4231-badc-40df4382c572?lunaMediaId=RUMSEY~8~1~212315~5500350|section = C-12}} In the 1970s, Highway 33 was extended north to Barrhead from Gunn, resulting in an {{cvt|8|km|0}} gap between Alberta Beach and Gunn.{{cite map|author = Travel Alberta|publisher = The Province of Alberta|date = 1976–1977|title = Alberta Official Road Map|sections=H-4, H-5, I-5}} Highway 18, which ran between Barrhead and Swan Hills, was renumbered to Highway 33 and the highway was extended north to Kinuso.{{cite map|author = Travel Alberta|publisher = The Province of Alberta|date = 1978–1979|title = Alberta Official Road Map|sections=H-4, H-5, I-5}} In {{circa|1985}}, the original section to Alberta Beach became part of Highway 633.{{Cite map | publisher=Alberta Tourism and Small Business | title=Province of Alberta Canada 1985 Official Road Map | section=I-5}}{{Cite map | publisher=Alberta Tourism and Small Business | title=Province of Alberta Canada 1986 Official Road Map | section=I-5}} Highway 33 in Alberta is officially known as "Grizzly Trail" as after Fort Assinaboine, it passes directly through the middle of the primary habitat of the Swan Hills grizzly bear.{{Cite web |title=Grizzly Bear |url=https://albertawilderness.ca/issues/wildlife/grizzly-bear/#parentHorizontalTab1 |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=Alberta Wilderness Association |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Grizzly Bear Population Est Swan Hills-2009 |url=https://open.alberta.ca/dataset/fc17fe61-a32d-45ff-a064-d6e6582549de/resource/20eb3fa5-fdcf-4054-a06e-adcba32491fe/download/2009-GrizzlyBearPopulationEst-SwanHills-2009.pdf |website=open.alberta.ca}}
Points of interest
Approximately 1/2 way along Highway 33, following it 111 km from either end will place you at or near the geographical center of Alberta.{{Cite web |title=Geographical Centre of Alberta Canada - Geographical Centers on Waymarking.com |url=https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMATJT_Geographical_Centre_of_Alberta_Canada |access-date=2024-08-25 |website=www.waymarking.com}}
{{-}}
Major intersections
From south to north:
{{ABinttop|length_ref=}}
{{ABint
|county_special=Lac Ste. Anne County
|cspan=7
|location=none
|lspan=2
|type=closed
|km=-18.7
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|43|city1=Grande Prairie|city2=Edmonton}}
|notes=South of Onoway; former eastern terminus
}}
{{ABint
|km=-10.6
|type=closed
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|633|dir1=west|city1=Darwell}}
|notes=Former Highway 634
}}
{{ABint
|location=Alberta Beach
|km=-8.1
|type=closed
|road=
|notes=Former western terminus
}}
{{Jctgap
|type=closed
|text={{cvt|8|km|0}} gap
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=0.0
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|43|city1=Edmonton|city2=Whitecourt|city3=Grande Prairie}}
|notes=East of Gunn
}}
{{ABint
|location=Rich Valley
|km=13.5
|road=
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=Birch Cove
|km=25.8
|road=
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|county_special=County of Barrhead No. 11
|cspan=4
|location=none
|lspan=4
|km=28.0
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|651|dir1=east|city1=Legal}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctbridge
|km=30.0
|bridge=Crosses the Pembina River
}}
{{ABint
|type=concur
|km=31.9
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|654|dir1=west}}
|notes=South end of Highway 654 concurrency
}}
{{ABint
|type=concur
|km=38.3
|road={{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|654|dir1=east|city1=Manola}}
|notes=North end of Highway 654 concurrency
}}
{{ABint
|indep_city_special=Barrhead
|type=concur
|km=44.8
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|18|name1=53 Avenue|dir1=west|city1=Mayerthorpe}}
|notes=South end of Highway 18 concurrency
}}
{{ABint
|county_special=County of Barrhead No. 11
|cspan=3
|location=none
|type=concur
|km=48.0
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|18|dir1=east|city1=Westlock}}
|notes=North end of Highway 18 concurrency
}}
{{ABint
|location=Camp Creek
|km=66.9
|road=
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=79.7
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|763|dir1=south|city1=Tiger Lilly}}
|notes=
}}
{{Jctbridge
|county_special=↑ / ↓
|location=none
|km=82.3
|bridge=Crosses the Athabasca River
}}
{{ABint
|county_special=Woodlands County
|cspan=2
|location=Fort Assiniboine
|km=83.9
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|661|dir1=east|city1=Dapp}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=91.1
|road={{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|658|dir1=west|city1=Goose Lake|city2=Blue Ridge}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|county_special=Big Lakes County
|cspan=2
|location=Swan Hills
|km=145.2
|road={{jct|province=AB|Hwy|32|dir1=south|city1=Whitecourt}}
|notes=
}}
{{ABint
|location=none
|km=218.6
|road={{Jct|province=AB|Hwy|2|city1=Peace River|city2=Slave Lake|city3=Edmonton}}
|notes=East of Kinuso
}}
{{Jctbtm|keys=closed,concur}}
{{Attached KML|display=inline,title}}
{{Clear}}
Photos
Image:Alberta Highway 33 photograph.jpg|Highway 33 north of Swan Hills
Image:Grizzly Trail.JPG|Junction sign on Highway 43