Nestled at the base of the Rocky Mountains, Pincher Creek is the largest community along the southern foothills. Legend has it that the town is named for a pair of horse pinchers who were found along the creek bank in 1868.
The Pincher Creek/Cowley area is the home of the renewable energy research and development project. You will notice the long row of windmills standing along the ridge as you drive by the area.
The first settlement here was a horse farm set up by the Northwest Mounted Police. The Pincher Creek/Cowley area is the home of the renewable energy research and development project.
The town is in a very windy part of Alberta with strong Chinook winds blowing off the mountains. Pincher Creek's winds can be strong enough to shake power lines. The strongest recorded wind was 177 kilometers per hour. These winds have given rise to a significant amount of wind farm development in the area, with the towers and blades of wind turbines being a characteristic of the scenery.
