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Wetaskiwin is a city in the province of Alberta, Canada. The city is located 70 km al south of the provincial capital of Edmonton. The city name comes from the Cree word wītaskīwin-ispatinaw (ᐑᑕᐢᑮᐏᐣ ᐃᐢᐸᑎᓇᐤ), 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 pioneer arrival and lifestyle in Wetaskiwin's early years. Located southeast of Wetaskiwin, the Alberta Central Railway Museum acknowledges the impact that the railway had on central Alberta. Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame is also located a short walk away from the museum.

Geography
Wetaskiwin sits on what was formerly the coast of the large sea that covered much of Alberta millions of years ago. The northwest end of Wetaskiwin is characterized by hills with sandy soil (formerly sand dunes), while the southeast end of the city is very flat with more silty soil.

The city lies at an elevation of 760 m. Coal Lake, a reservoir developed on the Battle River is located immediately east of the city, and other nearby waterways include Pipestone Creek, Bigstone Creek, Bittern Lake and Bearhills Lake.

Wetaskiwin is located at the junction of Highway 2A, Highway 13 and the Canadian Pacific railroad. It was a stagecoach stop between Calgary and Edmonton.

Demographics
The population of the City of Wetaskiwin according to its 2014 municipal census is 12,621, a NaN% change from its 2009 municipal census population of 12,285.

In the 2011 Census, the City of Wetaskiwin had a population of 12,525 living in 5,131 of its 5,477 total dwellings, a 7.2% change from its 2006 adjusted population of 11,689. With a land area of 18.2 km2, it had a population density of in 2011.

In 2006, Wetaskiwin had a population of 11,673 living in 4,956 dwellings, a 4.7% increase from 11,154 in 2001. The city has a land area of 16.74 km2 and a population density of 697.5 /km2.

Almost 12% of the population identified as aboriginal at the time of the 2006 census.

Almost 90% of residents identified English as their first language. About 2.5% identified German, 1.5% French, 1.0% Cree, 0.9% Tagalog, 0.5% identified Chinese, and 0.4% each identified Swedish and Ukrainian as their first language learned.

About 75 percent of residents identified as Christian at the time of the 2001 census, while 24 percent indicated they had no religious affiliation. For specific denominations Statistics Canada found 20% identified as Roman Catholic, 15% identified with the United Church of Canada, more than 12% identified as Lutheran, 5% identified as Baptist, more than 4% identified as Anglican, and almost 2% identified as Pentecostal.

Economy
Wetaskiwin has the distinction of having the highest level of car sales per capita in Canada, thanks in a large part to city specific advertising produced through co-operation of all of the auto dealers lining the "Auto Mile". The slogan "Cars Cost Less in Wetaskiwin" is often attributed to the city.

Water tower
Built in 1909, Wetaskiwin’s water tower is one of the oldest municipal water towers in Alberta. The 42-metre-high structure has towered above Wetaskiwin since 1909 and holds 454,609 litres of water.

In 2004, Wetaskiwin City Council considered the possibility of demolishing the water tower, but concerned citizens convinced them the old tower was worth saving. Work to refurbish the tower began in 2005, and by 2006 the water tower was completely restored.

Peace cairn
The Wetaskiwin Peace Cairn commemorates 60 years of peace between the Blackfoot and Cree First Nations. This historic peace pact took place in a group of hills just north of present day Wetaskiwin.

At the time of construction, school children each carried a rock and walked in a procession from their school to the hill where the cairn was to be erected.

The cairn was dedicated during the celebrations for Canada’s Diamond Jubilee on July 2, 1927.

Government
Historically the population of Wetaskiwin has voted Conservative in both provincial and federal politics.

Media
Wetaskiwin is served by two local newspapers, the Leduc – Wetaskiwin Pipestone Flyer (currently branded the The Pipestone Flyer) and the Wetaskiwin Times-Advertiser.

Notable people

 * Rod Buskas, former professional hockey player
 * Jackson Davies, actor
 * Val Fonteyne, former professional hockey player
 * Gus Marker, former professional hockey player
 * Martin Sonnenberg, professional hockey player
 * Allen York, professional hockey player