Westlock County

Westlock County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada that is north of Edmonton. The county was formerly known as the Municipal District of Westlock No. 92, and was created in 1943 from the merger of five smaller municipal districts.

Westlock County
Municipal district
Official seal of Westlock County
Logo
Major communities
Location within Alberta
Location within Alberta
Coordinates: 54°09′8″N 113°51′4″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionCentral Alberta
Planning regionNorth Saskatchewan
Established1943
Incorporated1998
Government
[1]
 • ReeveDon Savage (acting)
 • Governing bodyWestlock County Council
 • Administrative officeWestlock
Area
 (2021)[2]
 • Land3,169.66 km2 (1,223.81 sq mi)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total7,186
 • Density2.3/km2 (6/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Websitewestlockcounty.com

Geography

Physiography

The county lies on the boundary of two of Canada's largest drainage basins. The northern and western sectors of the county are drained by the Pembina River which flows north to meet the Athabasca River, which drains into the Arctic Ocean via the Mackenzie River. The southern and eastern sections drain into the Sturgeon River which joins the North Saskatchewan and eventually empties via the Nelson River into Hudson Bay.

A 1986 federal map shows the area as being the north-western edge of the Eastern Alberta Plains. Specifically, the county includes parts of the Edmonton Plain (and its subdivision Westlock Plain), as well as the Tawatinaw Plain, and is bounded on the northwest by the Athabasca Valley.[3] The county also lies within the apen parkland: a transitional biome between the boreal forest of Canada to the north and the prairie to the south.

Communities and localities

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Westlock County had a population of 7,186 living in 2,680 of its 3,134 total private dwellings, a change of -0.5% from its 2016 population of 7,220. With a land area of 3,169.66 km2 (1,223.81 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.3/km2 (5.9/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Westlock County had a population of 7,220 living in 2,670 of its 3,009 total private dwellings, a -5.5% change from its 2011 population of 7,644. With a land area of 3,171.83 km2 (1,224.65 sq mi), it had a population density of 2.3/km2 (5.9/sq mi) in 2016.[6]

Government

The municipal government consists of a reeve and six other elected councillors who work with a permanent staff of 32.

Education

The county is within the Pembina Hills Public Schools, which formed in 1995 as a merger of three school districts.[7]

See also

References
  1. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  2. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  3. Physiographic subdivisions of Alberta (PDF) (Map). 1:1,500,000. Agriculture Canada. 1986.
  4. "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. January 12, 2022. Retrieved January 21, 2022.
  5. "Standard Geographical Classification (SGC) 2006, Economic Regions: 4813028 - Westlock County, geographical codes and localities, 2006". Statistics Canada. March 5, 2010. Retrieved August 12, 2012.
  6. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 8, 2017.
  7. "Our Division". Pembina Hills Public Schools. Retrieved August 25, 2019. 5310 - 49th Street Barrhead, Alberta T7N 1P3
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