List of Alberta municipal districts
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Counties and municipal districts of Alberta are administrative subdivisions of the province. They include counties, municipal districts, specialised municipalities, special areas, regional municipalities, improvement districts, census metropolitan areas and census agglomerations.[1]
Municipal districts (in some cases called counties) are governing organizations for rural areas including farmlands and unincorporated places such as hamlets. As of 2006, there were 64 municipal districts in Alberta[2], administered by Alberta Municipal Affairs and Housing, a department of the Government of Alberta. Municipal districts are managed by elected councils, lead by a Chief elected official (CEO), in most cases called a reeve. Special areas are managed by boards appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor of the province. Other forms of government within the municipal district frame include specialized municipalities, regional municipalities and improvement districts. Metis settlements and Indian reserves are administered by local governments and coordinated on a federal level.[1]
The improvement districts are governed directly by Alberta Municipal Affairs. If the need arises, Improvement districts are incorporated as either municipal districts (with an elected council) or special areas (with an appointed council). Once they are firmly established, municipal districts are declared either counties or special municipalities, or, in the case of large scarcely populated areas, they become regional municipalities.
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[edit] List of municipal districts
The following is an alphabetical list of these subdivisions.[3]
| Contents |
|---|
| Name | No. | Type | Census Division No. |
Seat | Population (2005) | Population (2006) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acadia | 34 | Municipal District | 4 | Acadia Valley | 512 | 545 |
| Athabasca | 12 | County | 13 | Athabasca | 7,521 | 7,587 |
| Barrhead | 11 | County | 13 | Barrhead | 5,768 | 5,845 |
| Beaver | 9* | County | 10 | Ryley | 5,644 | 5,676 |
| Big Lakes | 125* | Municipal District | 17 | High Prairie | 4,181 | 5,805 |
| Bighorn | 8 | Municipal District | 15 | Exshaw | 1,644 | 1,264 |
| Birch Hills | 19* | County | 19 | Wanham | 1,644 | 1,470 |
| Bonnyville | 87 | Municipal District | 12 | Bonnyville | 8,399 | 10,194 |
| Brazeau | 77* | County | 11 | Drayton Valley | 6,895 | 7,040 |
| Camrose | 22* | County | 10 | Camrose | 7,294 | 7,160 |
| Cardston | 6* | County | 3 | Cardston | 4,325 | 4,037 |
| Clear Hills | 21* | Municipal District | 17 | Worsley | 2,772 | 2,714 |
| Clearwater | 99* | County | 9 | Rocky Mountain House | 11,505 | 11,826 |
| Cypress | 1* | County | 1 | Dunmore | 6,114 | 6,729 |
| Fairview | 136 | Municipal District | 19 | Fairview | 1,806 | 1,432 |
| Flagstaff | 29* | County | 7 | Sedgewick | 3,697 | 3,506 |
| Foothills | 31 | Municipal District | 6 | High River | 17,682 | 19,736 |
| Forty Mile | 8 | County | 2 | Foremost | 3,432 | 3,414 |
| Grande Prairie | 1 | County | 19 | Clairmont | 17,989 | 17,970 |
| Greenview | 16 | Municipal District | 18 | Valleyview | 5,439 | 5,464 |
| Kneehill | 48* | County | 5 | Three Hills | 5,319 | 5,218 |
| Lac Ste. Anne | 28* | County | 13 | Sangudo | 8,948 | 9,516 |
| Lac La Biche | —* | County | 12 | Lac La Biche | 5,301 | 6,365 |
| Lacombe | 14* | County | 8 | Lacombe | 10,651 | 10,742 |
| Lamont | 30* | County | 10 | Lamont | 4,167 | 1,664 |
| Leduc | 25* | County | 11 | Nisku | 12,536 | 12,730 |
| Lesser Slave River | 124 | Municipal District | 17 | Slave Lake | 2,840 | 2,820 |
| Lethbridge | 26* | County | 2 | Lethbridge | 9,930 | 10,302 |
| Mackenzie | 23 | County-Specialized Municipality | 17 | Fort Vermilion | 9,687 | 10,002 |
| Minburn | 27 | County | 10 | Vegreville | 3,436 | 3,319 |
| Mountain View | 17* | County | 6 | Didsbury | 12,134 | 12,391 |
| Newell | 4 | County | 2 | Brooks | 7,137 | 6,862 |
| Northern Lights | 22 | Municipal District | 17 | Manning | 3,636 | 3,772 |
| Northern Sunrise | 131* | County | 17 | Peace River | 2,324 | 1,747 |
| Opportunity | 17 | Municipal District | 17 | Wabasca | 3,570 | 2,847 |
| Paintearth | 18 | County | 7 | Castor | 2,192 | 2,126 |
| Parkland | 31* | County | 11 | Stony Palin | 29,679 | 29,265 |
| Peace | 135 | Municipal District | 19 | Berwyn | 1,496 | 1,487 |
| Pincher Creek | 9 | Municipal District | 3 | Pincher Creek | 3,197 | 3,309 |
| Ponoka | 3* | County | 8 | Ponoka | 8,810 | 8,640 |
| Provost | 52 | Municipal District | 7 | Provost | 2,635 | 2,072 |
| Ranchland | 66 | Municipal District | 15 | Nanton | 96 | 86 |
| Red Deer | 23* | County | 8 | Red Deer | 18,639 | 19,108 |
| Rocky View | 44 | Municipal District | 6 | Calgary | 34,597 | 34,171 |
| Saddle Hills | 20* | County | 19 | Spirit River | 2,566 | 2,458 |
| Smoky Lake | 13* | County | 12 | Smoky Lake | 2,773 | 3,357 |
| Smoky River | 130 | Municipal District | 19 | Falher | 2,379 | 2,442 |
| Special Areas | 2,3,4 | Board/Special Area | 4 | Hanna | 5,314 | 4,729 |
| Spirit River | 133 | Municipal District | 19 | Spirit River | 824 | 662 |
| St. Paul | 19 | County | 12 | St. Paul | 6,145 | 5,925 |
| Starland | 47* | County | 5 | Morrin | 2,210 | 2,371 |
| Stettler | 6 | County | 7 | Stettler | 5,357 | 5,216 |
| Strathcona | 20* | County/Specialized Municipality | 11 | Sherwood Park | 80,232 | 82,511 |
| Sturgeon | 90* | County | 11 | Morinville | 18,864 | 18,621 |
| Taber | 14* | Municipal District | 2 | Taber | 6,012 | 7,591 |
| Thorhild | 7 | County | 13 | Thorhild | 3,120 | 505 |
| Two Hills | 21 | County | 10 | Two Hills | 2,614 | 2,801 |
| Vermilion River | 24 | County | 10 | Kitscoty | 7,524 | 7,467 |
| Vulcan | 2* | County | 5 | Vulcan | 3,778 | 3,718 |
| Wainwright | 61 | Municipal District | 7 | Wainwright | 4,231 | 3,558 |
| Warner | 5 | County | 2 | Warner | 3,798 | 3,674 |
| Westlock | 92* | County | 13 | Westlock | 6,859 | 6,910 |
| Wetaskiwin | 10 | County | 11 | Wetaskiwin | 10,695 | 10,535 |
| Wheatland | 16* | County | 5 | Strathmore | 7,889 | 8,164 |
| Willow Creek | 26 | Municipal District | 3 | Claresholm | 5,412 | 5,337 |
| Wood Buffalo | 143* | Regional MD/Specialized Municipality | 16 | Fort McMurray | 78,792 | 51,496 |
| Woodlands | 15* | County | 13 | Whitecourt | 3,818 | 4,158 |
| Yellowhead | 94* | County | 14 | Edson | 9,881 | 10,045 |
- 2005 population from Alberta Municipal Affairs[4], does not include population of towns located inside counties or municipal districts
- 2006 population from Canada 2006 Census[5]
- * Denotes numbers dropped from official name
[edit] Other types of municipalities
Other than municipal districts, Alberta's area contains two census metropolitan areas (Calgary and Edmonton) and seven improvement districts (the five national parks, which are administered by Parks Canada and two provincial parks). Five administrative units are designated as specialized municipalities.
[edit] Improvement districts
The improvement districts are governed by Alberta's Minister of Municipal Affairs, directly or through elected or appointed advisory councils.
| Alberta Improvement Districts | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdivision | Census Division | ||||
| Name | No. | Type | No. | ||
| Banff | 9 | Improvement District (National park) | 15 | ||
| Elk Island | 13 | Improvement District (National park) | 13 | ||
| Jasper | 12 | Improvement District (National park) | 15 | ||
| Kananaskis | 5 | Improvement District (Provincial Park) | 15 | ||
| Waterton Lakes | 4 | Improvement District (National Park) | 3 | ||
| Willmore Wilderness | 9 | Improvement District (Provincial Park) | 15 | ||
| Wood Buffalo | 24 | Improvement District (National park) | 16 | ||
[edit] Specialized municipalities
Specialized municipalities are areas with special needs and circumstances that require specific administration methods.
| Alberta Specialized Municipalities | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdivision | Census Division | Special | ||
| Name | No. | Type | No. | Reason |
| Jasper | — | Specialized municipality | 15 | Development Area inside the Jasper National Park |
| Crowsnest Pass | — | Specialized Municipality | 3 | Amalgamation of several dissolved towns |
| Mackenzie | 23 | County/Specialized Municipality | 17 | Large scarcely populated area |
| Strathcona | 20 | County/Specialized Municipality | 11 | Populous sub-urban area |
| Wood Buffalo | 143 | Regional MD/Specialized Municipality | 16 | Large area with a strong unincorporated economic centre (Fort McMurray) |
[edit] Census metropolitan areas
Census metropolitan areas are urban agglomerations, with population in excess of 100,000, centered on large cities and include the adjacent areas.
| Alberta Census Metropolitan Areas | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Subdivision | Census Division | ||||
| Name | No. | Type | No. | ||
| Calgary | Census Metropolitan Area | 6 | |||
| Edmonton | Census Metropolitan Area | 11 | |||
Census Agglomerations are formed around Brooks, Cold Lake, Camrose, Grande Prairie, Lethbridge, Lloydminster, Medicine Hat, Red Deer, Wetaskiwin and Fort McMurray (Wood Buffalo).[6]
[edit] Demographics
As of 2006, the cumulative population of all rural municipalities of Alberta (including towns on their area) was 615,163.[4]
| Alberta Population | |
|---|---|
| Municipality Type | Cumulative population |
| Rural | |
| Municipal Districts and Counties | 433,936 |
| Specialized Municipalities | 173,354 |
| Improvement Districts | 2,559 |
| Special Areas | 5,314 |
| Urban | |
| Cities | 2,166,268 |
| Towns | 411,362 |
| Villages | 38,971 |
| Summer Villages | 4,107 |
| First Nations | |
| First Nations | 60,938 |
| Metis | 9,119 |
| Total | |
| Alberta total | 3,244,990 |
[edit] See also
- List of Alberta census divisions
- List of communities in Alberta
- List of Alberta Indian Reserves
- Subdivisions of Canada
[edit] References
- ^ a b Government of Alberta (May 2006). Types of Municipalities. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs (2006). Interactive municipalities map. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Alberta First (2006). Municipalities listing. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ a b Alberta Municipal Affairs (February 2007). 2006 Municipal Census. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
- ^ Statistics Canada (2007). 2006 Cenus Profiles. Retrieved on 2007-06-11.
- ^ Statistics Canada (2002). Alberta Community Profiles, 2001 Census. Retrieved on 2007-02-15.
[edit] External links
- Alberta Association of Municipal Districts & Counties
- AAMDC - Municipal Districts and Counties listing
- Alberta Municipal Affairs
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