Distribution of Alberta's 51 summer villages

A summer village is a type of urban municipality in the Canadian province of Alberta that has a permanent population generally less than 300 permanent inhabitants, as well as seasonal (non-permanent) inhabitants.

Alberta has a total of 51 summer villages that had a cumulative population of 5,176 and an average population of 101 in Canada's 2016 Census of Population.[1] Alberta's largest summer village is Sandy Beach with a population of 278, while Castle Island, Kapasiwin, and Point Alison are the smallest each with a population of 10.[1]

History

A summer village is a type of municipal status used in Alberta, Canada founded in 1913. It was used in resort areas that were mainly active in the summer and where most residents were seasonal. Cottage owners did not want to pay for municipal services that they didn't need but wished to have a voice in local government of the resort area.[2]

Changes were made to the provincial laws to allow elections to be held in July and to allow seasonal residents to run for office and vote in the summer village without losing these same rights in their place of permanent residence.

In 1995, provincial legislation was changed to prevent the formation of new summer villages.[2] The 54 summer villages that existed at the time[3] were permitted to continue to operate as before.[2]

List

Name Rural municipality[4] Incorporation date
(summer village)[5] 		Population
(2016)[1] 		Population
(2011)[1] 		Change
(%)[1] 		Land
area
(km²)[1] 		Population
density
(per km²)[1]
Argentia Beach Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of January 1, 1967 27 15 +80.0% 0.73 37.0/km2
Betula Beach Parkland County January 1, 1960 16 10 +60.0% 0.25 64.0/km2
Birch Cove Lac Ste. Anne County December 31, 1988 45 45 0.0% 0.3 150.0/km2
Birchcliff Lacombe County January 1, 1972 117 112 +4.5% 1.03 113.6/km2
Bondiss Athabasca County January 1, 1983 110 106 +3.8% 1.23 89.4/km2
Bonnyville Beach Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of January 1, 1958 84 95 −11.6% 0.17 494.1/km2
Burnstick Lake Clearwater County December 31, 1991 15[6] 16 −6.2% 0.18 83.3/km2
Castle Island Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1955 10 19 −47.4% 0.05 200.0/km2
Crystal Springs Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of January 1, 1957 51 90 −43.3% 0.57 89.5/km2
Ghost Lake Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of December 31, 1953 82 81 +1.2% 0.67 122.4/km2
Golden Days Leduc County January 1, 1965 160 141 +13.5% 2.28 70.2/km2
Grandview Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of January 1, 1967 114 108 +5.6% 0.79 144.3/km2
Gull Lake Lacombe County September 1, 1993 176 122 +44.3% 0.7 251.4/km2
Half Moon Bay Lacombe County January 1, 1978 42 38 +10.5% 0.11 381.8/km2
Horseshoe Bay St. Paul No. 19, County of January 1, 1985 49[a] 37 +32.4% 1.14 43.0/km2
Island Lake Athabasca County January 1, 1958 228 243 −6.2% 1.85 123.2/km2
Island Lake South Athabasca County January 1, 1983 61 72 −15.3% 0.67 91.0/km2
Itaska Beach Leduc County June 30, 1953 23 20 +15.0% 0.29 79.3/km2
Jarvis Bay Red Deer County January 1, 1986 213 203 +4.9% 0.53 401.9/km2
Kapasiwin Parkland County September 1, 1993 10 10 0.0% 0.3 33.3/km2
Lakeview Parkland County October 25, 1913 30 26 +15.4% 0.35 85.7/km2
Larkspur Westlock County January 1, 1985 44 38 +15.8% 0.26 169.2/km2
Ma-Me-O Beach Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of December 31, 1948 110 113 −2.7% 0.52 211.5/km2
Mewatha Beach Athabasca County January 1, 1978 90 79 +13.9% 0.8 112.5/km2
Nakamun Park Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1966 96 36 +166.7% 0.45 213.3/km2
Norglenwold Red Deer County January 1, 1965 273 232 +17.7% 0.62 440.3/km2
Norris Beach Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of December 31, 1988 38 46 −17.4% 0.2 190.0/km2
Parkland Beach Ponoka County January 1, 1984 153 124 +23.4% 0.95 161.1/km2
Pelican Narrows Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of July 1, 1979 151 162 −6.8% 0.72 209.7/km2
Point Alison Parkland County December 31, 1950 10 15 −33.3% 0.16 62.5/km2
Poplar Bay Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of January 1, 1967 103 80 +28.8% 0.67 153.7/km2
Rochon Sands Stettler No. 6, County of May 17, 1929 86 65 +32.3% 2.16 39.8/km2
Ross Haven Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1962 160 137 +16.8% 0.71 225.4/km2
Sandy Beach Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1956 278 223 +24.7% 2.4 115.8/km2
Seba Beach Parkland County August 20, 1920 169 143 +18.2% 0.86 196.5/km2
Silver Beach Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of December 31, 1953 65 52 +25.0% 0.64 101.6/km2
Silver Sands Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1969 160 85 +88.2% 2.41 66.4/km2
South Baptiste Athabasca County January 1, 1983 66 52 +26.9% 0.93 71.0/km2
South View Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1970 67 35 +91.4% 0.41 163.4/km2
Sunbreaker Cove Lacombe County December 31, 1990 81 69 +17.4% 0.5 162.0/km2
Sundance Beach Leduc County January 1, 1970 73 82 −11.0% 0.44 165.9/km2
Sunrise Beach Lac Ste. Anne County December 31, 1988 135 149 −9.4% 1.66 81.3/km2
Sunset Beach Athabasca County May 1, 1977 49 44 +11.4% 0.74 66.2/km2
Sunset Point Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1959 169 221 −23.5% 1.15 147.0/km2
Val Quentin Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1966 252 157 +60.5% 0.31 812.9/km2
Waiparous Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of January 1, 1986 49 42 +16.7% 0.41 119.5/km2
West Baptiste Athabasca County January 1, 1983 38 52 −26.9% 0.65 58.5/km2
West Cove Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1963 149 121 +23.1% 1.33 112.0/km2
Whispering Hills Athabasca County January 1, 1983 142 108 +31.5% 1.68 84.5/km2
White Sands Stettler No. 6, County of January 1, 1980 120 91 +31.9% 1.58 75.9/km2
Yellowstone Lac Ste. Anne County January 1, 1965 137 124 +10.5% 0.28 489.3/km2
Total summer villages — — 5,176 4,586 +12.9% 40.79 126.9/km2

Former summer villages

Four other communities in Alberta have previously held summer village status – Alberta Beach,[8] Chestermere Lake (now Chestermere),[9] Edmonton Beach (now Spring Lake),[10] and White Gull.[11]

Community Incorporation date
(summer village) 		Status change
date 		Subsequent
status
Alberta Beach August 23, 1920 January 1, 1999 Village
Chestermere Lake April 1, 1977 March 1, 1993 Town
Edmonton Beach January 1, 1959 January 1, 1999 Village
White Gull January 1, 1983 January 1, 2003 Unincorporated

See also

Notes

  1. ^ The Summer Village of Horseshoe Bay conducted a municipal census in 2017 that counted a population of 73.[7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "Census Profile, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
  2. ^ a b c "The History of Summer Villages". Association of Summer Villages of Alberta. Archived from the original on July 24, 2008. Retrieved December 10, 2009.
  3. ^ "1995 Official Population" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved January 21, 2011.
  4. ^ "Communities Within Specialized and Rural Municipalities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. April 9, 2013. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
  5. ^ "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (summer Villages)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. August 20, 2021. Retrieved August 25, 2021.
  6. ^ "Population and dwelling count amendments, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. October 6, 2017. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  7. ^ "2017 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. ISBN 978-1-4601-3652-2. Retrieved January 12, 2018.
  8. ^ "Location and History Profile: Alberta Beach". Alberta Municipal Affairs. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  9. ^ "Location and History Profile: Town of Chestermere". Alberta Municipal Affairs. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  10. ^ "Location and History Profile: Village of Spring Lake". Alberta Municipal Affairs. February 3, 2012. Retrieved February 5, 2012.
  11. ^ "Order in Council (O.C.) 461/2002". Government of Alberta. October 8, 2002. Retrieved February 5, 2012.

External links

Subdivisions of Alberta
Designations for types of administrative division
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