Strathcona County is a specialized municipality in the

Edmonton Metropolitan Region The Edmonton Metropolitan Region (EMR), also commonly referred to as Greater Edmonton or Metro Edmonton, is a conglomeration of municipalities centred on Edmonton, the capital of the Canadian province of Alberta. While the EMR is not a strictly ...

within

Alberta Alberta is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province in Canada. It is a part of Western Canada and is one of the three Canadian Prairies, prairie provinces. Alberta is bordered by British Columbia to its west, Saskatchewan to its east, t ...

, Canada between

Edmonton Edmonton is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Alberta. It is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Central Alberta ...

and

Elk Island National Park Elk Island National Park is a National Parks of Canada, national park in Alberta, Canada, that played an important part in the conservation of the plains bison. The park is administered by the Parks Canada Agency. This "island of conservation" ...

. It forms part of Census Division No. 11. Strathcona County is both urban and rural in nature. Approximately of its population lives in Sherwood Park, which is an

urban service area 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 distr ...

east of Edmonton, remains an unincorporated

hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

. The balance lives beyond Sherwood Park within a rural service area.

History

Treaty 6 Treaty 6 is the sixth of the numbered treaties that were signed by the Canadian Crown and various First Nations between 1871 and 1877. It is one of a total of 11 numbered treaties signed between the Canadian Crown and First Nations. Specifi ...

, the First Nations ceded their title to the land that would become Strathcona County. Local governance began in 1893 when the North-West Territorial Legislature established an area east of Edmonton as ''Statute Labour District No. 2''. It then grew in size over the following decade and was renamed ''Local Improvement District (LID) No. 517'' in 1913. In 1918, ''LID No. 517'' became a

municipal district A municipal district is an administrative entity comprising a clearly-defined territory and its population. It may be a city, a town, a village, a small grouping of them, or a rural area. Brazil In Brazil, municipal districts are, in general, su ...

under the name of the ''Municipal District (MD) of Clover Bar No. 517''. At the same time, the neighbouring LID No. 518 to the south became the ''MD of Strathcona No. 518''. The ''MD of Clover Bar No. 517'' and the ''MD of Strathcona No. 518'' amalgamated on March 1, 1943, into a larger municipal district under the name of the ''MD of Strathcona No. 517''. It was subsequently renumbered as the ''MD of Strathcona No. 83'' in 1945. Upon further amalgamating with the ''Clover Bar School Division No. 13'', the ''MD of Strathcona No. 83'' incorporated as a

county A county () is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesL. Brookes (ed.) '' Chambers Dictionary''. Edinburgh: Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, 2005. in some nations. The term is derived from the Old French denoti ...

under the name of the ''County of Strathcona No. 20'' on January 1, 1962. Its county status reverted to municipal district status in 1995 when the ''County Act'' was repealed by the provincial legislature though its name remained ''County of Strathcona No. 20''. Its name was officially changed to ''Strathcona County'' on April 26, 1995. Shortly thereafter, Strathcona County's status was changed from municipal district to specialized municipality on January 1, 1996. The purpose of Strathcona County's change to specialized municipality status was to provide "for the unique needs of a municipality that includes both a large urban centre and a significant rural territory and population." The status change specifically designated Strathcona County's large urban centre, Sherwood Park, as an urban service area deemed equivalent to a city. Its remaining rural territory was specifically designated a rural service area deemed equivalent to a municipal district.

Geography

Strathcona County is in the central portion of the province of Alberta and forms the eastern portion of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region. It borders Lamont County to the northeast, Improvement District No. 13 (Elk Island National Park) to the east, Beaver County to the southeast,

Leduc County Leduc County is a municipal district in Alberta, Canada, that is immediately south of the City of Edmonton. It spans east to west and north to south, and has a population of 14,416. The municipal district is home to prairie parkland and severa ...

to the south, the City of Edmonton to the west, the City of Fort Saskatchewan to the northeast, and

Sturgeon County Sturgeon County is a municipal district in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of Alberta, Canada. It is north of Edmonton and west of the North Saskatchewan River. Sturgeon County is located in Division No. 11 and was named for the Sturgeon Rive ...

to the north. The

North Saskatchewan River The North Saskatchewan River is a glacier-fed river that flows from the Canadian Rockies continental divide east to central Saskatchewan, where it joins with the South Saskatchewan River to make up the Saskatchewan River. Its water flows event ...

forms its municipal boundary with Sturgeon County. Some of its water bodies include Cooking Lake, Half Moon, and Hastings Lake.

Communities and localities

The following urban municipalities are surrounded by Strathcona County. ;

Cities A city is a human settlement of a substantial size. The term "city" has different meanings around the world and in some places the settlement can be very small. Even where the term is limited to larger settlements, there is no universally agree ...

Fort Saskatchewan Fort Saskatchewan is a city along the North Saskatchewan River in Alberta, Canada. It is northeast of Edmonton, the provincial capital. It is part of the Edmonton Capital Region#Edmonton CMA, Edmonton census metropolitan area and one of 24 muni ...

;

Towns A town is a type of a human settlement, generally larger than a village but smaller than a city. The criteria for distinguishing a town vary globally, often depending on factors such as population size, economic character, administrative stat ...

*none ;

Villages A village is a human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand. Although villages are often located in rural areas, the term urban village ...

*none ; Summer villages *none The following

hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

are located within Strathcona County. ;

Hamlets A hamlet is a human settlement that is smaller than a town or village. This is often simply an informal description of a smaller settlement or possibly a subdivision or satellite entity to a larger settlement. Sometimes a hamlet is defined f ...

* Antler Lake *

Ardrossan Ardrossan (; ) is a town on the North Ayrshire coast in southwestern Scotland. The town has a population of 10,670 and forms part of a conurbation with Saltcoats and Stevenston known as the 'Three Towns#Scotland, Three Towns'. Ardrossan is loca ...

* Collingwood Cove * Half Moon Lake * Hastings Lake * Josephburg * North Cooking Lake * Sherwood Park (urban service area) * South Cooking Lake

The following localities are located within Strathcona County. ;Localities *Adam Lily Acres *Akenside *Akenside Estates *Arddmoor-Rosswood *Ardmoor *Artesian Estates *Aspen Heights *Aspen View *Aurora Place *Avery Park *Ball Meadows *Baronwood *Beaver Brook Estates *Beaver Valley Estates *Beck Estates *Belvedere Heights *Belvedere Heights East *Belvedere Heights West *Berry Hill *Best Estates *Beverly Hills *Birch Park *Birchwood Village *Brecken Woods * Bremner *Bretona *Bretville Junction *Bristol Estates *Brookville Estates *Busenius Estates *Calebo Estates *Camelot Square *Campbelltown *Campbelltown Heights *Carriage Lane *Caswellem *Century Estates *Century Meadows *Chrenek Acres *Chrenek Estates *Claireridge Estates *Clarkdale Meadows *Clover Bar *Cloverlea *Colonel Younger Estates *Colonial Estates *Cooking Lake *Country Club Estates *Craigavon *Cranston Place *Croftland *Dasmarinas Estates *Deer Horn Estates *Deville *Dixon Crescent *Dixon Place *Donaldson Park *Dowling Estates *Dunbar *East Edmonton *East Whitecroft *Easton Acres *Eastwood Estates *Elk Island *Elkland Estates *Executive Estates *Farrell Estates *Farrell Properties *Forest Hills Country Estates *Fulham Park *Galloway Park Subdivision *Garden Estates *Garden Heights *Glenwood Park Estates *Good Hope *Graham Heights *Gray Drive Estates *Greenbrae *Greenhaven *Greenhaven Estates *Greenwood Estates *Griesbach *Gunnmanor *Half Moon Estates *Hanson Estates *Hercules *Heritage Hills *High Ridge Place *Highroad Estates *Hillsdale *Hillside Park *Holland Subdivision *Horton Place *Hulbert Crescent *Hunter Heights *Hunter Hill Estates *Hyland Hills *Ireland Subdivision *Ithacan Drive *Jidaro Valley Subdivision *Keding Estates *Lakeland Village *Lakeland Village Trailer Park *Lakeview *Lakeview Estates *Lakewood Acres *Lark Hill Farms *Las Villas *Laurina Estates *Levder's Ridge Subdivision *Lina Country Estates *Lincoln Green *Lindale *Lindale Park *Lindberg *Lueder Ridge *Lynley Ridge *Mark Iv Estates *Marler Subdivision *Marvin Gardens *McConnell Estates *Meadow Court *Meadow Land Estates *Meadowbrook Heights *Meyers Lakeshore Estates *Midway Estates *Military Point *Miniskic Estates *Newton Estates *North Queensdale Place *Ordze Park and Wye Road Garden *Parker Ridge *Parklane Estates *Parkside Estates *Parkview Ridge *Parkwood Place *Partridge Hill *Paso Valley Subdivision *Patricia Estates *Pebble Court *Penridge Estates *Pine Grove Acres *Pleasant View *Pleasantview Acreages *Pointe Aux Pins Estates *Poplar Lake Estates *Portas Gardens *Queensdale Place *Quesnel Country Estates *Regency Park Estates *Reno-Ville *Richlyn Estates *Rolling Forest Estates *Roman Estates *Rose Burn Estate *Rossbrooke Estates *Royal Estates *Royal Gardens *Ryedale Estates *Sconadale *Sconaglen Estates *Scot Haven *Scotford *Shady Lanes *Sherwood Place *Sierra Grand Estates *Silver Birch Hills *Simmons *Simpson Grange *Smithson Acres *South Bailey *South Queensdale Place *Springhill Estate *Spruce Bend Estate *Summerwood *Sun Hill Estates *Tanglewood Estates *Tidan Heights *Trans Oak Estates *Trevithick *Trevithick Subdivision * Twin Island Air Park *Uncas *Valley Point *Verden Place *Voyageur Estates *Wellington Estates *West Whitecroft *Westpark Estates *Whitecroft *Wildwood Village *Williams Park *Willow Lake Estates *Willowdale Estates *Winfield Heights *Woodland Downs *Woodland Park *Woodville Estates *Wye Haven *Wye Knott Village *Wyeclif *Wyeknot Village

Demographics

The population of Strathcona County according to its 2024 municipal census is 103,829, a change of from its 2022 municipal census population of 100,362. Its 2024 population includes 75,575 or living in the Sherwood Park urban service area and 28,253 or in the rural service area. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; ), 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 culture. It is headquartered in ...

, Strathcona County had a population of 99,225 living in 37,128 of its 38,203 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 98,024. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Strathcona County had a population of 98,044 living in 35,567 of its 36,354 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 92,490. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

Ethnicity

Economy

;Industrial Strathcona County has over $12.0 billion worth of industrial projects completed, announced, or under construction. This is aided in part by the concentration of oil refineries on the west side of Sherwood Park. This district, known as Refinery Row, includes some of the largest industrial facilities in Western Canada, such as Imperial's Strathcona Refinery. Originally built in the 1940s, a new refinery was constructed in 1976 and is one of the largest refining facilities in Canada. As well, the

Suncor Suncor Energy Inc. () is a Canadian integrated energy company based in Calgary, Alberta. It specializes in production of synthetic crude from oil sands. In the 2020 Forbes Global 2000, Suncor Energy was ranked as the 48th-largest public compan ...

's Edmonton Refinery produces of gasoline, diesel, jet fuel, and aviation gasoline. This refinery sits on 247 hectares of land and has been operating for over 65 years. A founding member of Alberta's Industrial Heartland, Strathcona County is home to Canada's largest hydrocarbon refining cluster. In 2002, when reporting on the industrial growth of Strathcona County, Alberta, the

National Post The ''National Post'' is a Canadian English-language broadsheet newspaper and the flagship publication of the American-owned Postmedia Network. It is published Mondays through Saturdays, with Monday released as a digital e-edition only.

focused specifically on the companies Lockerbie & Hole Contracting and Jireh Industries. Regarding Jireh Industries, the National Post stated that the company "does aerospace quality machining and makes robots that inspect on-surface and underwater pipelines for cracks and corrosion." As of 2020, the leading industries in Strathcona County are extraction, manufacturing, scientific, construction, trucking and engineering. ;Commercial Strathcona County is home to more than 11,000 businesses, with 3,500 of those businesses comprising employees. A market area population of 1.4 million has resulted in household spending power of $5.6 billion. Strathcona County has over 15,800 highly-skilled graduates available with 94% of residents holding a diploma, certificate, or degree. Within the active business community, there are several resources available to local entrepreneurs to help support their businesses: * Small Business Week and Conference * Business Visitation Program * Business Startup Seminars and Support * Business Planning and Site Selection Resources

Arts and culture

Strathcona County Library is a publicly funded library with its main branch in Sherwood Park. Its

bookmobile A bookmobile, or mobile library, is a vehicle designed for use as a library. They have been known by many names throughout history, including traveling library, library wagon, book wagon, book truck, library-on-wheels, and book auto service. Boo ...

provides service to rural residents through 14 regular weekly stops.

Attractions

Elk Island National Park is adjacent to Strathcona County to the east.

Government

Unlike most Albertan municipal districts, where council appoints a reeve, Strathcona County elects a mayor. Rod Frank was elected in 2017, replacing Roxanne Carr who was elected in

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

Infrastructure

;Airports Strathcona County is home to two public airports. Cooking Lake Airport, which operates as a condo board, accommodates 87 per cent of Strathcona County's public aeronautical transportation needs. It is also the oldest operating public airport in Canada and approved for international flights under the Canada Border Services Agency CANPASS program. The Warren Thomas Aerodrome, better known as the Josephburg Airport, serves the remaining 13 per cent of Strathcona County's public aeronautical transportation needs. ;Roads The following provincial highways service Strathcona County. * (Poundmaker Highway) * * (

Yellowhead Highway The Yellowhead Highway () is a major interprovincial highway in Western Canada that runs from Winnipeg west to Graham Island off the coast of British Columbia via Saskatoon and Edmonton. It stretches across the four western provinces of Britis ...

route of

Trans-Canada Highway The Trans-Canada Highway (Canadian French, French: ; abbreviated as the TCH or T-Can) is a transcontinental federal–provincial highway system that travels through all ten provinces of Canada, from the Pacific Ocean on the west coast to the A ...

) * * * (Sherwood Park Freeway) * (Anthony Henday Drive) * * * (Wye Road) * * ;Transit ;Sports Strathcona Druids RFC

Notes

References

External links

* {{Authority control 1943 establishments in Alberta Edmonton Metropolitan Region Specialized municipalities in Alberta