Wabamun, Alberta
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Wabamun is a
hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play, with 29,551 words. Set in Denmark, the play depicts ...
in
central Alberta Central Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta. Central Alberta is the most densely populated rural area in the province. Agriculture and energy are important to the area's economy. Geography Central Alberta is bordere ...
, Canada within
Parkland County Parkland County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada. Located west of Edmonton in Census Division No. 11, its municipal office, Parkland County Centre, is located north of the Town of Stony Plain on Highway 779. History ;20 ...
. It is approximately west of
Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city ancho ...
on
Highway 16 Route 16, or Highway 16, can refer to: International * Asian Highway 16 * European route E16 * European route E016 Australia  - Thompsons Road (Victoria)     - South Australia Canada ;Parts of the Trans-Canada Highway: *Yellowhead Hi ...
. It held village status prior to 2021.


History

Wabamun was named for its location on the north shore of Lake Wabamun. The first post office opened in Wabamun in 1903. In the early 1900s, Wabamun was a railway stop for homesteaders. Many brought goods and animals on train cars as far as Wabamun and then transferred to wagons drawn by oxen or horses for the remainder of trips to homesteads in the Lac Ste. Anne area. Wabamun has twice incorporated as a village and twice dissolved from village status. Wabamun first incorporated as a village on July 18, 1912. It then relinquished its village status on January 1, 1946. Wabamun incorporated as a village a second time on January 1, 1980. It relinquished its village status for a second time on January 1, 2021, when it dissolved to become a hamlet under the jurisdiction of Parkland County.


Demographics

In the 2016 Census of Population 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 ...
, Wabamun recorded a population of 682 living in 270 of its 290 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 661. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. In the 2011 Census, Wabamun had a population of 661 living in 265 of its 295 total dwellings, a 10% change from its 2006 population of 601. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2011. The population of Wabamun according to its 2009 municipal census is 662.


Economy

The main source of income within Wabamun are power plants located in the area operated by TransAlta Utilities. The power plant within Wabamun was closed because of increased pressure from environmental agencies and aging. The Wabamun power plant was the subject of heated debate among the residents and cottagers of Wabamun Lake. Due to the lack of a cool–off pond, the water used to cool the internal systems was deposited back into the lake, which enhanced the weed population dramatically. As of March 31, 2010, the
Wabamun Generating Station Wabamun Generating Station was a coal-fired power station owned by TransAlta, located next to the village of Wabamun, Alberta. The station's primary source of fuel was sub bituminous from the Whitewood mine. Unit 3 was retired in 2002; Units 1 ...
was decommissioned, with the smoke stacks being demolished on March 18, 2017.


Tourism

A large cabin-going community exists in Wabamun during the summer, while the community is populated year round. Local sites include
Wabamun Lake Wabamun Lake (sometimes spelled Wabumun) is one of the most heavily used lakes in Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Edmonton, Alberta. It is long and narrow, covers and is deep at its deepest, with somewhat clear water. Its name derives from ...
, Waterfront Park, the Wabamun Marina, the 380' pier and world's largest dragonfly. Businesses include 4 restaurants, hardware store, bowling lanes, post office, pharmacy, senior centre, realtor, liquor store, market, car wash, laundromat, motel, hotel, Inn, tavern, bottle depot, convenience store, 2 banks, mechanic and a grocery store. There are currently plans for development to promote the community as a major visitor destination in central Alberta. These plans include further expansion of Waterfront Park, the largest boat launch on the lake, as well as Discovery Wharf, a project being undertaken that will see the development of app. 100 acres of lakefront property. The lake itself has a large population of
northern pike The northern pike (''Esox lucius'') is a species of carnivorous fish of the genus '' Esox'' (the pikes). They are typical of brackish and fresh waters of the Northern Hemisphere (''i.e.'' holarctic in distribution). They are known simply as a ...
along with whitefish and Perch. The main sailing club of the lake is Wabamun Sailing Club, approximately west of the community at the end of Range Road 43. A smaller club is located on the opposite shore of the lake. It is home to "Canada's largest
dragonfly A dragonfly is a flying insect belonging to the infraorder Anisoptera below the order Odonata. About 3,000 extant species of true dragonfly are known. Most are tropical, with fewer species in temperate regions. Loss of wetland habitat threate ...
", a metal statue similar to other attractions to be found across the region.


Oil spill

On August 3, 2005, 45 cars of a
CN Rail The Canadian National Railway Company (french: Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada) is a Canadian Class I railroad, Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec, which serves Canada and the Midwestern United States, M ...
train derailed on the shores of
Wabamun Lake Wabamun Lake (sometimes spelled Wabumun) is one of the most heavily used lakes in Alberta, Canada. It lies west of Edmonton, Alberta. It is long and narrow, covers and is deep at its deepest, with somewhat clear water. Its name derives from ...
, west of Wabamun, spilling their contents of more than 700,000 litres of a variety of fuel oils and pole treating oils into the lake.


Infrastructure

Wabamun and District MuseumWabamun Public LibraryWabamun School
- Parkland School Division (K-9)
Waterfront Park
- lakeshore access, parking and full-sized boat launch, picnic area with shelter, washrooms and change rooms, playground and water spray park water spray park.


See also

*
List of communities in Alberta The province of Alberta, Canada, is divided into ten types of local governments – urban municipalities (including cities, towns, villages and summer villages), specialized municipalities, rural municipalities (including municipal district ...
*
List of hamlets in Alberta Hamlets in the province of Alberta, Canada, are unincorporated communities administered by, and within the boundaries of, specialized municipalities or rural municipalities ( municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas). The ...


References


External links

* {{Subdivisions of Alberta, hamlets=yes 1912 establishments in Alberta 1946 disestablishments in Alberta 1980 establishments in Alberta 2021 disestablishments in Alberta Edmonton Metropolitan Region Hamlets in Alberta