Bowden

Bowden is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Red Deer County on the Queen Elizabeth II Highway, approximately 45 km south of Red Deer.

The community may take its name from Bowdon, Greater Manchester, in England. A provincial Alberta Land Surveyor reference relates this alternate name source, "The most widely accepted version says that a surveyor named Williamson suggested that this siding on the Edmonton-Calgary Trail take the maiden name of his wife."

History
During the World War II an area of land 4 kilometres north of the town was appropriated by the Royal Canadian Air Force for construction of an Air Training Base. RCAF Station Bowden was home to No. 32 Elementary Flying Train School (EFTS).

After the war the site was converted to the Bowden Institution, originally as a provincial facility. In 1974 it was converted to a Corrections Canada medium security penitentiary.

The town describes itself as a bedroom community, meaning a large proportion of the working population commutes to other employment centres, including Red Deer and Calgary.

Geography
Nearby communities include Innisfail to the north, Caroline to the west, Huxley to the east and Olds to the south.