Magrath

Magrath, a town in the southern part of the province of Alberta, Canada. As of 2005 its population was 1,993. Magrath is located near the Canadian Rockies and is 242 km (150 miles) south of Calgary. It is a satellite community to Lethbridge, which lies 32 km (20 miles) to the north.

Magrath started off as a small farming community, and although it continues to service the surrounding farming population it has quietly changed into more of a bedroom community for the neighbouring city of Lethbridge and to a lesser extent the town of Cardston. It was known early on for its canal system which supplied water to the area farmers. At the time, the canal system was state of the art and was a huge undertaking.

Magrath is also well known for a strong marching band program during the 1980s and a rich history of athletic achievements.

Magrath was established in 1899 by settlers sent by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from Utah and Idaho. These Mormon settlers were recruited by the Alberta Railway and Irrigation Company to construct irrigation works in the areas. The settlers were paid in cash and land in the town. This was the first major irrigation work in Canada and was made possible by the settlers' experience with the extensive irrigation projects undertaken by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah and Idaho.

According to the 2001 Canadian census, of those respondents who indicated religious affiliation, all considered themselves Christian. The breakdown is as follows.

Protestant: 83%
Catholic: 4%
No religious affiliation: 11%
Christian Orthodox: 1%
Christian (unspecified denomination): 1%

Given that Mormons still have a significant presence in the town, it is presumed they are included in the Protestant category.