Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Sylvan Lake | |
|---|---|
Town | |
| Town of Sylvan Lake | |
 | |
| Country |  Canada |
| Province |  Alberta |
| Region | Central Alberta |
| Census division | 8 |
| Municipal district | Red Deer County |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Incorporated | 1913 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Sean McIntyre |
| • Governing body | Sylvan Lake Town Council
|
| • CAO | Betty Osmond |
| • MP | Earl Dreeshen |
| • MLA | Kerry Towle |
| Area (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 15.62 km2 (6.03 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 945 m (3,100 ft) |
| Population (2011)[2] | |
| • Total | 12,327 |
| • Density | 789.4/km2 (2,045/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
| Postal code span | |
| Area code | +1-403 |
| Waterways | Sylvan Lake |
| Highways | Highway 11 Highway 11A Highway 20 |
| Website | Official website |
Sylvan Lake is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is located 25 kilometres (16 mi) west of the City of Red Deer along Highway 11 or Highway 11A. It is situated on the southeast edge of Sylvan Lake, a 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) long freshwater lake, in Red Deer County.
The lake is a popular destination for tourists from around Alberta, with over 1.5 million visitors each year. Popular tourist activities include sunbathing, swimming, water-skiing, and visiting the local Wild Rapids Waterslides. Camp Woods in Sylvan Lake played to the 12th Canadian Scout Jamboree in July 2013.[4]
History
Sylvan Lake was originally settled by French speaking immigrants from Quebec and the United States. Arriving in 1898 from Michigan, Alexandre Loiselle and his family originally homesteaded the quarter section that later became the west side of today's Main (50th) Street and the businesses and homes immediately to the west.
The early twentieth century saw groups of Estonian[5] and then Finnish settlers moving to homesteads to the south and west of the fledgling settlement at Sylvan Lake. With their arrival came the early business community, a general store, a blacksmith, a hardware store, post office, barber, restaurants and more. The completion of the Canadian Northern line to Rocky Mountain House and Nordegg in 1912 and the parallel Canadian Pacific in 1914 opened the west country to settlement and resulted in the incorporation of Sylvan Lake in 1913 under Mayor E. S. Grimson, a local hardware store owner. The anniversary of the founding of the town is celebrated every year in Sylvan Lake as "1913 Days."
Farming quickly became a mainstay in the area and in 1923 an Alberta Pacific grain elevator was built on the CPR line immediately north of what is now Cottonwood Estates. The elevator was torn down in the 1970s and the CPR line was abandoned in 1980 and subsequently removed. Since then, the right of way has survived as a natural area and walking path through Sylvan Lake.
Elevators were also constructed along the CN line and were used by local farmers in the mid-century decades. They were torn down in the late 1990s.
Even prior to the building of the railways, Sylvan Lake was quickly becoming a summer resort for families in Red Deer. With the coming of the trains, "the Lake" quickly became a favorite of families from both Edmonton and Calgary. Initially the summer visitors camped in tents, but soon the "Cottage Area" east of 46 Street and in "Lower Camp" on the southeast shore began to fill with summer cottages. In the 1930s and 1940s people also began arriving by car and the areas around Norglenwold, Sylvan Lake Provincial Park and Jarvis Bay Provincial Park began to fill up with summer visitors.
The influx of summer residents and visitors also brought businesses and services that catered to the ever increasing number of tourists. 1913 saw the first motor launch to take paying passengers on tours around the lake. A large boathouse was constructed in 1926, allowing visitors to rent a boat, canoe, swimsuit, or buy ice cream and pop as well as many other items necessary to a summer day at the lake. Regatta's were also held on the lake for a number of years beginning in 1923.
In 1928, the Dominion Government, assisted by the Sylvan Lake Women's Institute, built the long pier that jutted out into the lake from the bottom of Main Street. This pier was connected to the earlier WI Pier and formed a square area used for swimming and mooring boats. The first "waterslide" at Sylvan Lake was also part of this facility. The piers were prone to ice damage over the winter and were finally replaced by the existing "landfill" that now hosts beach volleyball tournaments and dragon boat racing as well as the entertaining lake tour on the "Zoo Cruise."
In 1983, Sylvan Lake found a replacement for its original waterslide in the construction of Wild Rapids Waterslide, which has become the largest facility of its kind in western Canada.
Another byproduct of losing the piers and later the government boat launch, was the construction of the Sylvan Lake Marina, home of many of the permanent boats on the lake, boating facilities, and the Sylvan Lake lighthouse.
Geography
Climate
| Climate data for Sylvan Lake, Alberta | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °C (°F) | 13.3 (55.9) |
14.8 (58.6) |
15.4 (59.7) |
28.6 (83.5) |
32.5 (90.5) |
33.3 (91.9) |
32.2 (90.0) |
31.8 (89.2) |
29.6 (85.3) |
28.1 (82.6) |
19.1 (66.4) |
12.7 (54.9) |
33.3 (91.9) |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | −9.5 (14.9) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
0.7 (33.3) |
9.3 (48.7) |
15.9 (60.6) |
19.5 (67.1) |
21.3 (70.3) |
20.1 (68.2) |
14.8 (58.6) |
9.2 (48.6) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−8.7 (16.3) |
7 (45) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −14.6 (5.7) |
−11.8 (10.8) |
−5.1 (22.8) |
3.1 (37.6) |
9.5 (49.1) |
13.7 (56.7) |
15.7 (60.3) |
14.4 (57.9) |
9.2 (48.6) |
3.9 (39.0) |
−6.4 (20.5) |
−13.4 (7.9) |
1.5 (34.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −19.8 (−3.6) |
−17.6 (0.3) |
−11 (12) |
−3.1 (26.4) |
3.1 (37.6) |
7.8 (46.0) |
10 (50) |
8.6 (47.5) |
3.6 (38.5) |
−1.4 (29.5) |
−10.9 (12.4) |
−18.2 (−0.8) |
−4.1 (24.6) |
| Record low °C (°F) | −42.8 (−45.0) |
−40 (−40) |
−38.3 (−36.9) |
−26.1 (−15.0) |
−7.2 (19.0) |
−2.7 (27.1) |
3.1 (37.6) |
−2.1 (28.2) |
−7.8 (18.0) |
−21.8 (−7.2) |
−36.1 (−33.0) |
−41.7 (−43.1) |
−42.8 (−45.0) |
| Average precipitation mm (inches) | 25.8 (1.02) |
20.7 (0.81) |
25.5 (1.00) |
29 (1.1) |
67 (2.6) |
91.6 (3.61) |
97.2 (3.83) |
73.7 (2.90) |
55.9 (2.20) |
24.2 (0.95) |
21.3 (0.84) |
24.5 (0.96) |
556 (21.9) |
| Source 1: 1961-1990 Environment Canada[6] | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: 1971-2000 Environment Canada Precipitation Only[7] | |||||||||||||
Seasonal mean temperatures:[6]
- Winter −14.6 °C (5.72 °F)
- Spring 9.5 °C (49.10 °F)
- Summer 15.7 °C (60.26 °F)
- Fall −6.4 °C (20.48 °F)
Annual precipitation:[7]
- Rain: 398.3 millimetres (15.68 in)
- Snow: 158.2 centimetres (62.28 in)
- Total: 556.4 millimetres (21.91 in)
Average hours of sunshine: 2,125 hours
Demographics
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1916 | 115 | — |
| 1921 | 180 | +56.5% |
| 1926 | 295 | +63.9% |
| 1931 | 416 | +41.0% |
| 1936 | 652 | +56.7% |
| 1941 | 805 | +23.5% |
| 1946 | 971 | +20.6% |
| 1951 | 985 | +1.4% |
| 1956 | 1,114 | +13.1% |
| 1961 | 1,381 | +24.0% |
| 1966 | 1,332 | −3.5% |
| 1971 | 1,597 | +19.9% |
| 1976 | 1,837 | +15.0% |
| 1981 | 3,779 | +105.7% |
| 1986 | 3,937 | +4.2% |
| 1991 | 4,197 | +6.6% |
| 1996 | 5,178 | +23.4% |
| 2001 | 7,493 | +44.7% |
| 2006 | 10,208 | +36.2% |
| 2011 | 12,327 | +20.8% |
| Source: Statistics Canada [8][9][10][11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18] [19][20][21][22][23][24][25][26][2] | ||
The population of the Town of Sylvan Lake according to its 2013 municipal census is 13,015,[27] a 17.1% increase over its 2008 municipal census population of 11,115.[28] At its current population, Sylvan Lake is one of the largest towns in the province and is eligible for city status. According to Alberta's Municipal Government Act, a town is eligible for city status when it reaches 10,000 residents.[29]
In the 2011 Census, the Town of Sylvan Lake had a population of 12,327 living in 4,602 of its 5,595 total dwellings, a 20.3% change from its 2006 adjusted population of 10,250. With a land area of 15.62 km2 (6.03 sq mi), it had a population density of 789.2/km2 (2,044.0/sq mi) in 2011.[2]
In 2006, Sylvan Lake had a population of 10,208 living in 4,277 dwellings, a 36.1% increase from 2001. The town has a land area of 10.83 km2 (4.18 sq mi) and a population density of 942.3/km2 (2,441/sq mi).[30] The 2006 census also indicated that Sylvan Lake was ranked as the municipality with the sixth-highest population growth among municipalities in Canada with a population of 5,000 and over between 2001 and 2006.[31]
According to the Canada 2001 Census, the town's population was 7,493, of whom 50.96% were male and 49.03% were female. In the five years between 1996 and 2001, the population of Sylvan Lake grew by 44.5%, compared with the average provincial increase of 10.3% for Alberta.[32]
The town had a very young population when compared to Alberta in 2001. The town’s population of those 19 and under was 33.2% compared with the provincial average at 28.3%. Meanwhile, 6.7% of the population were of retirement age (65 and over for males and females) compared with national average of 13.2%. The average age of the town's residents in 2001 was 31.6 years of age compared to the national average of 37.6 years.[32]
|
|
Government
- Federal
Sylvan Lake is within the Red Deer federal electoral district. It is currently represented by Earl Dreeshen of the Conservative Party.
- Provincial
Sylvan Lake is within the Innisfail-Sylvan Lake provincial electoral district. It is currently represented by Kerry Towle of the Wildrose Party.
- Municipal
Sylvan Lake Town Council consists of one mayor and six councillors that are elected every four years. The current mayor is Sean McIntyre, who was first elected as mayor in the 2013 municipal election. Councillors elected in the 2013 municipal election were Megan Chernoff, Jas Payne, Dale Plante, Chris Lust, Graham Parsons, and Matt Prete. Plante and Parsons were the only re-elected incumbent councillors.
Education
 |
The town has four public schools in the Chinook's Edge School District.
- Steffie Woima Elementary School
- C. P. Blakely Elementary School
- Fox Run Middle School
- H. J. Cody High School
Two Catholic Schools in the Red Deer Catholic School Division.
- École Mother Theresa Catholic School
- Our Lady of the Rosary
The Fox Run Middle School's building is shared with the Mother Teresa Catholic School.
Also, Lighthouse Christian Academy and Sylvan Meadows Adventist School are two private schools that operate in Sylvan Lake.
Media
Sylvan Lake is serviced by one local newspaper, called The Sylvan Lake News.[33] It also receives newspapers from Red Deer. They include:
- Red Deer Advocate
- Red Deer Express
- Red Deer Life
Sylvan Lake has no broadcast television stations in the vicinity of the town. It does however have access to three main stations by antenna:
- Channel 4: CityTV Edmonton
- Channel 8: CTV Edmonton (CTV)
- Channel 10: Global Edmonton (Global)
The cable and satellite television providers in Sylvan Lake are Shaw Cable, Bell ExpressVu, Shaw Direct and Telus Communications.
No radio stations are based in Sylvan Lake. However, it does get numerous radio stations from Red Deer including Kraze 101.3 (CKIK), KG Country (CKGY), Zed 99, Big 105, The River 100.7 and The Drive.[34]
See also
References
- ^ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
- ^ "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Retrieved October 9, 2013.
- ^ "Canadian Scout Jamboree 2013". Scouts Canada. Retrieved February 8, 2014.
- ^ Estonian history
- ^ a b Environment Canada—1961–1990. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ a b Environment Canada—1971–2000. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ "Table I: Population of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta by Districts, Townships, Cities, Towns, and Incorporated Villages in 1916, 1911, 1906, and 1901". Census of Prairie Provinces, 1916. Vol. Population and Agriculture. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1918. p. 77-140.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 8: Population by districts and sub-districts according to the Redistribution Act of 1914 and the amending act of 1915, compared for the census years 1921, 1911 and 1901". Census of Canada, 1921. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1922. p. 169-215.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 7: Population of cities, towns and villages for the province of Alberta in census years 1901-26, as classed in 1926". Census of Prairie Provinces, 1926. Vol. Census of Alberta, 1926. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1927. p. 565-567.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 12: Population of Canada by provinces, counties or census divisions and subdivisions, 1871-1931". Census of Canada, 1931. Ottawa: Government of Canada. 1932. p. 98-102.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 4: Population in incorporated cities, towns and villages, 1901-1936". Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1936. Vol. Volume I: Population and Agriculture. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1938. p. 833-836.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 10: Population by census subdivisions, 1871–1941". Eighth Census of Canada, 1941. Vol. Volume II: Population by Local Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1944. p. 134-141.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1926-1946". Census of the Prairie Provinces, 1946. Vol. Volume I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1949. p. 401-414.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1871–1951". Ninth Census of Canada, 1951. Vol. Volume I: Population, General Characteristics. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1953. p. 6.73-6.83.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by sex, for census subdivisions, 1956 and 1951". Census of Canada, 1956. Vol. Population, Counties and Subdivisions. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1957. p. 6.50-6.53.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 6: Population by census subdivisions, 1901–1961". 1961 Census of Canada. Series 1.1: Historical, 1901–1961. Vol. Volume I: Population. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1963. p. 6.77-6.83.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Population by specified age groups and sex, for census subdivisions, 1966". Census of Canada, 1966. Vol. Population, Specified Age Groups and Sex for Counties and Census Subdivisions, 1966. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 1968. p. 6.50-6.53.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 2: Population of Census Subdivisions, 1921–1971". 1971 Census of Canada. Vol. Volume I: Population, Census Subdivisions (Historical). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1973. p. 2.102-2.111.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 3: Population for census divisions and subdivisions, 1971 and 1976". 1976 Census of Canada. Census Divisions and Subdivisions, Western Provinces and the Territories. Vol. Volume I: Population, Geographic Distributions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1977. p. 3.40-3.43.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 4: Population and Total Occupied Dwellings, for Census Divisions and Subdivisions, 1976 and 1981". 1981 Census of Canada. Vol. Volume II: Provincial series, Population, Geographic distributions (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1982. p. 4.1-4.10. ISBN 0-660-51095-2.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help);|volume=has extra text (help) - ^ "Table 2: Census Divisions and Subdivisions – Population and Occupied Private Dwellings, 1981 and 1986". Census Canada 1986. Vol. Population and Dwelling Counts – Provinces and Territories (Alberta). Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1987. p. 2.1-2.10. ISBN 0-660-53463-0.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 2: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions, 1986 and 1991 – 100% Data". 91 Census. Vol. Population and Dwelling Counts – Census Divisions and Census Subdivisions. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1992. p. 100-108. ISBN 0-660-57115-3.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Table 10: Population and Dwelling Counts, for Census Divisions, Census Subdivisions (Municipalities) and Designated Places, 1991 and 1996 Censuses – 100% Data". 96 Census. Vol. A National Overview – Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. 1997. p. 136-146. ISBN 0-660-59283-5.
{{cite book}}:|access-date=requires|url=(help) - ^ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2012-04-02.
- ^ "Sylvan Lake Regular Council Agenda, June 22, 2013 5:30 P.M.: 2013 Municipal Census & Population Affadavit". Town of Sylvan Lake. pp. 85–86. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- ^ "2011 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 5, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2013.
- ^ "Municipal Government Act". Alberta Queen's Printer. Retrieved September 5, 2012.
- ^ Statistics Canada (Census 2006). "Sylvan Lake - Community Profile". Retrieved 2007-06-13.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|year=(help) - ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities) with 5,000-plus population, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada. 2010-01-06. Retrieved 2012-09-05.
- ^ a b c d lake&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= "2001 Community Profiles – Community Highlights for Sylvan Lake". Statistics Canada. 2007-02-01. Retrieved 2011-04-11.
{{cite web}}: Check|url=value (help) - ^ Sylvan Lake News
- ^ Radio stations in Sylvan Lake:KRAZE 101.3 (CKIK) CKGY (KG Country)Zed 98.9Big 105.5The Drive
External links
Places adjacent to Sylvan Lake, Alberta | |
|---|---|
