Alberta Beach | |
|---|---|
 Village boundaries | |
  Alberta Beach Location in Lac Ste. Anne County Show map of Lac Ste. Anne County Alberta Beach Location in Alberta Show map of Alberta | |
| Coordinates:53°40′36″N114°21′00″W / 53.67667°N 114.35000°W /53.67667; -114.35000 | |
| Country | Canada |
| Province | Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Municipal district | Lac Ste. Anne County |
| Incorporated[1] | |
| • Summer village | August 23, 1920 |
| • Village | January 1, 1999 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kelly Muir |
| • Governing body | Alberta Beach Village Council |
| Area (2021)[3] | |
| • Land | 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 740 m (2,430 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 864 |
| • Density | 427.7/km2 (1,108/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Highways | Highway 33 Highway 43 |
| Waterway | Lac Ste. Anne |
| Website | Official website |
Alberta Beach is a village incentral Alberta, Canada, west ofEdmonton. It is located on the southeast shore ofLac Ste. Anne, approximately 8 km (5.0 mi) west ofHighway 43 and 2 km (1.2 mi) north ofHighway 633.
Alberta Beach's economy it is centred on tourism and recreation. The village is the site of theLac Ste. Anne Pilgrimage, an event having key significance to Aboriginal people, including Cree, Dene, Blackfoot and Métis Roman Catholics. It is also notable as being one ofEdmonton,Alberta's main cottage weekend retreats.
Alberta Beach is the onlyurban municipality (city, town, village, and summer village) in Alberta that does not include its municipal status in its official legal name.[5] Its official name is simplyAlberta Beach instead ofVillage of Alberta Beach like the convention used by other urban municipalities.[5] Alberta Beach changed from this convention at the time it changed its municipal status from summer village to village on January 1, 1999.[6]
In 1912 theCanadian Northern Railway built its Edmonton–Vancouver line through what is now Alberta Beach. It brought its employees out for company picnics and holidays. By 1920 the area had incorporated as a summer village,[7] built a dance pavilion, a large wooden pier, and several cabins. Other companies such as Marshall Wells andWoodward's then began to bring their employees out for the same relaxing and beautiful atmosphere.
There was such a demand for this atmosphere that theMoonlight Express was started. The railway picked people up in Edmonton on Saturday mornings, took them to Alberta Beach, then picked them up Sunday night to take them back to Edmonton.
Soon people began purchasing and building their own cabins and small businesses. On January 1, 1999, the summer village of Alberta Beach became a village.[6] It now has 884 year-round residents and can swell to over 3,000 people during long weekends.[8] A hotel and many small businesses operate within the village.
In the2021 Census of Population conducted byStatistics Canada, Alberta Beach had a population of 864 living in 417 of its 743 total private dwellings, a change of-15.1% from its 2016 population of 1,018. With a land area of 2.02 km2 (0.78 sq mi), it had a population density of427.7/km2 (1,107.8/sq mi) in 2021.[3]
In the2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Alberta Beach recorded a population of 1,018 living in 479 of its 743 total private dwellings, a17.7% change from its 2011 population of 865. With a land area of 2.01 km2 (0.78 sq mi), it had a population density of506.5/km2 (1,311.7/sq mi) in 2016.[9]
Places adjacent to Alberta Beach | |
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