Nestled along Highway 2 in the Peace River Country region of northern Alberta, Sexsmith sits roughly 20 kilometres north of Grande Prairie. The surrounding land is among the most fertile in the entire province, and that agricultural richness has defined the community for well over a century. According to the 2021 Census, the town had a population of 2,427 residents living in 853 of its 929 total private dwellings, representing a decline of about 7.4 percent from the 2,620 people recorded in 2016. The town covers a land area of 13.01 square kilometres, giving it a population density of approximately 186.5 people per square kilometre.
The origins of Sexsmith stretch back to 1911, when a settler named Benny Foster established a homestead on what would become the townsite. The community was initially called Bennville, but because that name was already claimed by another Alberta town, it was renamed after a local trapper who had worked the area since 1898. The railway reached Sexsmith in 1916, and grain elevators began rising the following year. Between 1939 and 1949, the town shipped more grain than any other port in the British Empire, earning it the celebrated title of Grain Capital of the British Empire. Today, the local economy also includes oil and natural gas processing, with Ovintiv operating a plant capable of handling 115,000 barrels per day drawing from the Montney Formation. The town supports three schools – Robert W. Zahara Public School, Sexsmith Secondary School, and St. Mary’s Catholic School – as well as two post-secondary institutions, Peace River Bible Institute and Stan Wallman College. Notable residents include NHL players Garry Edmundson and Carter Rowney, and former Alberta legislature member Walter Paszkowski.