Bawlf is a village in Alberta, Canada located east-southeast of Camrose. Founded in 1905 as a stop on the

Canadian Pacific Railway The Canadian Pacific Railway (french: Chemin de fer Canadien Pacifique) , also known simply as CPR or Canadian Pacific and formerly as CP Rail (1968–1996), is a Canadian Class I railway incorporated in 1881. The railway is owned by Canadi ...

line, it was named after

Nicholas Bawlf Nicholas Bawlf (15 July 184926 December 1914) was a Canadian grain merchant, and important figure in the development of Winnipeg as the centre of the Canadian grain trade. Bawlf was born in Smiths Falls, Canada West on July 15, 1849 to Nicholas B ...

, who was then president of the

Winnipeg Grain Exchange The Winnipeg Grain Exchange (Known too as ''ICE Futures Canada'') was established in 1887, and dissolved in 1986. It was also the predecessor of the Winnipeg Commodity Exchange. List of presidents :''This table represents the list of presidents ...

History

The settlement of Bawlf was a results of the

's route through the prairies, with the original survey for the community taking place in 1905 on land owned by Gilbert Hansen. The first train to arrive to the community would occur in 1906, and regular passenger and freight service between Edmonton and Winnipeg would begin by 1909. The Village of Bawlf would be incorporated by the Province of Alberta on October 12, 1906, however an overseer would administer the community until 1908 when the first

village council A municipal council is the legislative body of a municipality or local government area. Depending on the location and classification of the municipality it may be known as a city council, town council, town board, community council, rural counc ...

was elected. The first elected council consisted of R. H. Anderson, P. O. Paulson, and Edwin C. Hardy. In 1913 a fire would destroy five places of business. The Village of Bawlf would erect a curling facility in 1937 with a $250 donation from Joe Ohman and $175 loan from the Village Council, the building was surplused by the Town of Camrose, cut up and relocated to Bawlf. A new curling building was constructed in 1955-56 for $8,642 and subsequently rented to the

Alberta Wheat Pool The Alberta Wheat Pool was the first of Canada's wheat farmer co-operatives in 1923. History Early years In 1923, the United Farmers of Alberta met with then Attorney General John Edward Brownlee to consider setting up a Wheat Pool just in Alb ...

for 7 years until it was finally opened for curling in 1962, and later the next year an artificial ice machine was added.

Geography

Nearby communities include Daysland, Rosalind,

Ohaton Ohaton is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within Camrose County. Previously an incorporated municipality, Ohaton dissolved from village status on January 1, 1946. Ohaton is located approximately east of the City of Camrose. The Ohaton po ...

, Kelsey and Camrose.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultur ...

, the Village of Bawlf had a population of 412 living in 164 of its 176 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 422. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Bawlf recorded a population of 422 living in 165 of its 175 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 403. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Government

The village is served by a five-member council and is administered by a village chief administrative officer.

Education

Bawlf School, located in the village of Bawlf, is a K-12 school that serves a population of approximately 350 students. Students in high school come from Bawlf as well as neighbouring communities, including Round Hill and Rosalind. Bawlf School is well known for its academic and athletic achievements. It has won a number of regional and provincial championships in volleyball, basketball, and other sports. Bawlf School has been ranked among the top schools in Alberta for its high achievement at the high school level, according to the Fraser Institute Report Card on Alberta's High Schools.

References

External links

* {{Subdivisions of Alberta, villages=yes 1906 establishments in Alberta Villages in Alberta