Beaverlodge is a town in

northern Alberta Northern Alberta is a geographic region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. An informally defined cultural region, the boundaries of Northern Alberta are not fixed. Under some schemes, the region encompasses everything north of the cen ...

, 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 ...

. The first European-Canadian settlers arrived in 1909.

Geography

Climate

Beaverlodge experiences a subarctic climate (

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, 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, a

hockey Hockey is a term used to denote a family of various types of both summer and winter team sports which originated on either an outdoor field, sheet of ice, or dry floor such as in a gymnasium. While these sports vary in specific rules, numbers o ...

team in the North West Junior Hockey League (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 In Norse mythology Valhalla (;) is the anglicised name for non, Valhǫll ("hall of the slain").Orchard (1997:171–172) It is described as a majestic hall located in Asgard and presided over by the god Odin. Half of those who die in combat e ...

, 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, 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, impressionist painter

References

External links

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