List of summer villages in Alberta

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.

Distribution of Alberta's 51 summer villages

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/km^2
Betula Beach	Parkland County	January 1, 1960	16	10	+60.0%	0.25	64.0/km^2
Birch Cove	Lac Ste. Anne County	December 31, 1988	45	45	0.0%	0.3	150.0/km^2
Birchcliff	Lacombe County	January 1, 1972	117	112	+4.5%	1.03	113.6/km^2
Bondiss	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	110	106	+3.8%	1.23	89.4/km^2
Bonnyville Beach	Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of	January 1, 1958	84	95	−11.6%	0.17	494.1/km^2
Burnstick Lake	Clearwater County	December 31, 1991	15^[6]	16	−6.2%	0.18	83.3/km^2
Castle Island	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1955	10	19	−47.4%	0.05	200.0/km^2
Crystal Springs	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1957	51	90	−43.3%	0.57	89.5/km^2
Ghost Lake	Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of	December 31, 1953	82	81	+1.2%	0.67	122.4/km^2
Golden Days	Leduc County	January 1, 1965	160	141	+13.5%	2.28	70.2/km^2
Grandview	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1967	114	108	+5.6%	0.79	144.3/km^2
Gull Lake	Lacombe County	September 1, 1993	176	122	+44.3%	0.7	251.4/km^2
Half Moon Bay	Lacombe County	January 1, 1978	42	38	+10.5%	0.11	381.8/km^2
Horseshoe Bay	St. Paul No. 19, County of	January 1, 1985	49^[a]	37	+32.4%	1.14	43.0/km^2
Island Lake	Athabasca County	January 1, 1958	228	243	−6.2%	1.85	123.2/km^2
Island Lake South	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	61	72	−15.3%	0.67	91.0/km^2
Itaska Beach	Leduc County	June 30, 1953	23	20	+15.0%	0.29	79.3/km^2
Jarvis Bay	Red Deer County	January 1, 1986	213	203	+4.9%	0.53	401.9/km^2
Kapasiwin	Parkland County	September 1, 1993	10	10	0.0%	0.3	33.3/km^2
Lakeview	Parkland County	October 25, 1913	30	26	+15.4%	0.35	85.7/km^2
Larkspur	Westlock County	January 1, 1985	44	38	+15.8%	0.26	169.2/km^2
Ma-Me-O Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1948	110	113	−2.7%	0.52	211.5/km^2
Mewatha Beach	Athabasca County	January 1, 1978	90	79	+13.9%	0.8	112.5/km^2
Nakamun Park	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1966	96	36	+166.7%	0.45	213.3/km^2
Norglenwold	Red Deer County	January 1, 1965	273	232	+17.7%	0.62	440.3/km^2
Norris Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1988	38	46	−17.4%	0.2	190.0/km^2
Parkland Beach	Ponoka County	January 1, 1984	153	124	+23.4%	0.95	161.1/km^2
Pelican Narrows	Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of	July 1, 1979	151	162	−6.8%	0.72	209.7/km^2
Point Alison	Parkland County	December 31, 1950	10	15	−33.3%	0.16	62.5/km^2
Poplar Bay	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1967	103	80	+28.8%	0.67	153.7/km^2
Rochon Sands	Stettler No. 6, County of	May 17, 1929	86	65	+32.3%	2.16	39.8/km^2
Ross Haven	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1962	160	137	+16.8%	0.71	225.4/km^2
Sandy Beach	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1956	278	223	+24.7%	2.4	115.8/km^2
Seba Beach	Parkland County	August 20, 1920	169	143	+18.2%	0.86	196.5/km^2
Silver Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1953	65	52	+25.0%	0.64	101.6/km^2
Silver Sands	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1969	160	85	+88.2%	2.41	66.4/km^2
South Baptiste	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	66	52	+26.9%	0.93	71.0/km^2
South View	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1970	67	35	+91.4%	0.41	163.4/km^2
Sunbreaker Cove	Lacombe County	December 31, 1990	81	69	+17.4%	0.5	162.0/km^2
Sundance Beach	Leduc County	January 1, 1970	73	82	−11.0%	0.44	165.9/km^2
Sunrise Beach	Lac Ste. Anne County	December 31, 1988	135	149	−9.4%	1.66	81.3/km^2
Sunset Beach	Athabasca County	May 1, 1977	49	44	+11.4%	0.74	66.2/km^2
Sunset Point	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1959	169	221	−23.5%	1.15	147.0/km^2
Val Quentin	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1966	252	157	+60.5%	0.31	812.9/km^2
Waiparous	Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of	January 1, 1986	49	42	+16.7%	0.41	119.5/km^2
West Baptiste	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	38	52	−26.9%	0.65	58.5/km^2
West Cove	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1963	149	121	+23.1%	1.33	112.0/km^2
Whispering Hills	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	142	108	+31.5%	1.68	84.5/km^2
White Sands	Stettler No. 6, County of	January 1, 1980	120	91	+31.9%	1.58	75.9/km^2
Yellowstone	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1965	137	124	+10.5%	0.28	489.3/km^2
Total summer villages	—	—	5,176	4,586	+12.9%	40.79	126.9/km^2

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

• List of census divisions of Alberta
• List of cities in Alberta
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta
• List of municipal districts in Alberta
• List of municipalities in Alberta
• List of resort villages in Saskatchewan
• List of towns in Alberta
• List of villages in Alberta

Notes

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

References

1. "Census Profile, 2016 Census". Statistics Canada. September 13, 2017. Retrieved September 26, 2017.
2. . 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

• Alberta Municipal Affairs
• Association of Summer Villages of Alberta