Beaverlodge is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 43, west of

Grande Prairie Grande Prairie is a city in northwest Alberta, Canada within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) and Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highway), a ...

and east of the

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

border.

History

The town was named for the Beaverlodge River, which was known as ''Uz-i-pa'' ("temporary lodge") by members of the

Beaver First Nation The Beaver First Nation ( bea, Tsa'tinne) is a First Nation government or band, made up of members of the Danezaa people, also known as the Beavers. The Beaver First Nation is one of only two Danezaa bands in Alberta (the other being the Horse L ...

. The first European-Canadian settlers arrived in 1909.

Geography

Climate

Beaverlodge experiences a

subarctic climate The subarctic climate (also called subpolar climate, or boreal climate) is a climate with long, cold (often very cold) winters, and short, warm to cool summers. It is found on large landmasses, often away from the moderating effects of an ocean, ge ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, notabl ...

''Dfc'') that borders on a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freezing ...

(Köppen ''Dfb'').

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 Town of Beaverlodge had a population of 2,271 living in 923 of its 1,022 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 2,465. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Beaverlodge recorded a population of 2,465 living in 953 of its 1,024 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 2,365. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Attractions

In 2004, a Giant Beaver statue was unveiled in the town's park, which can be seen from Highway 43.

Sports

The town is the home of the

Beaverlodge Blades The Beaverlodge Blades were a Junior "B" Ice Hockey team based in Beaverlodge, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the North West Junior Hockey League The North West Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league operating in the Peac ...

, a hockey team in the

North West Junior Hockey League The North West Junior Hockey League is a Junior "B" Ice Hockey league operating in the Peace River region of Alberta and British Columbia, Canada, sanctioned by Hockey Canada. The winner of Northwest "B" playoffs earns the chance to compete for ...

(NWJHL). The team plays out of the Beaverlodge Arena and was established in 2000.

Amenities

The town has an arena, a public library, an indoor swimming pool and play parks.

Education

There is an elementary school, grade K-6, Junior High students are bused to

Hythe Hythe, from Anglo-Saxon ''hȳð'', may refer to a landing-place, port or haven, either as an element in a toponym, such as Rotherhithe in London, or to: Places Australia * Hythe, Tasmania Canada *Hythe, Alberta, a village in Canada England * T ...

for grades 7–9, St. Mary's Catholic School is available for students attending grades 1–9. The high school, Beaverlodge Regional High School (BRHS), is attended by students from

Wembley Wembley () is a large suburbIn British English, "suburb" often refers to the secondary urban centres of a city. Wembley is not a suburb in the American sense, i.e. a single-family residential area outside of the city itself. in north-west Londo ...

, Valhalla,

, Horse Lakes No. 152B (Indian reserve), Kelly Lake (Metis settlement),

Elmworth Elmworth is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the County of Grande Prairie No. 1. It is located on Highway 722 north of the Wapiti River and east of the British Columbia border. It has an elevation of . The Elmworth natural gas field ...

and St. Mary's in addition to the local Beaverlodge students.

Notable people

* Jerry Holland, ice hockey player *

Simon Hoogewerf Simon Hoogewerf (born May 11, 1963 in Beaverlodge, Alberta) is a Canadian athlete, dominant in the middle distances, primarily the 800m, during the 1980s. He competed for his native country in the 800 metres at the 1988 Summer Olympics, where he wa ...

, middle-distance runner *

Mel Knight Melvyn Reginald Knight (born July 30, 1944) was the Minister of Energy of Alberta and a Progressive Conservative member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta. Early life Mel Knight was born July 30, 1944 in Beaverlodge, Alberta. His fat ...

, politician * Chris Schmidt, ice hockey player * Geoff Walker, curler * Matt Walker, ice hockey player * Brian Walker, ice hockey player *

Euphemia McNaught Euphemia "Betty" McNaught (October 8, 1901 – May 24, 2002) was a Canadian impressionist painter who focused primarily on landscapes and pioneer lifestyles in Alberta. In 1942, McNaught was commissioned by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon ...

, impressionist painter

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1929 establishments in Alberta Towns in Alberta Populated places established in 1929