List of summer villages in Alberta

A summer village is a type of urban municipality in the Canadian province of Alberta that has a permanent population generally less than 300 permanent inhabitants, as well as seasonal (non-permanent) inhabitants.

Alberta has a total of 51 summer villages that had a cumulative population of 5,176 and an average population of 101 in Canada's 2016 Census of Population.^[1] Alberta's largest summer village is Sandy Beach with a population of 278, while Castle Island, Kapasiwin, and Point Alison are the smallest each with a population of 10.^[1]

History

A summer village is a type of municipal status used in Alberta, Canada founded in 1913. It was used in resort areas that were mainly active in the summer and where most residents were seasonal. Cottage owners did not want to pay for municipal services that they didn't need but wished to have a voice in local government of the resort area.^[2]

Changes were made to the provincial laws to allow elections to be held in July and to allow seasonal residents to run for office and vote in the summer village without losing these same rights in their place of permanent residence.

In 1995, provincial legislation was changed to prevent the formation of new summer villages.^[2] The 54 summer villages that existed at the time^[3] were permitted to continue to operate as before.^[2]

List

Name	Rural municipality^[4]	Incorporation date (summer village)^[5]	Population (2016)^[1]	Population (2011)^[1]	Change (%)^[1]	Land area (km²)^[1]	Population density (per km²)^[1]
Argentia Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1967	27	15	+80.0%	0.73	37.0/km²
Betula Beach	Parkland County	January 1, 1960	16	10	+60.0%	0.25	64.0/km²
Birch Cove	Lac Ste. Anne County	December 31, 1988	45	45	0.0%	0.3	150.0/km²
Birchcliff	Lacombe County	January 1, 1972	117	112	+4.5%	1.03	113.6/km²
Bondiss	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	110	106	+3.8%	1.23	89.4/km²
Bonnyville Beach	Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of	January 1, 1958	84	95	−11.6%	0.17	494.1/km²
Burnstick Lake	Clearwater County	December 31, 1991	15^[6]	16	−6.2%	0.18	83.3/km²
Castle Island	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1955	10	19	−47.4%	0.05	200.0/km²
Crystal Springs	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1957	51	90	−43.3%	0.57	89.5/km²
Ghost Lake	Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of	December 31, 1953	82	81	+1.2%	0.67	122.4/km²
Golden Days	Leduc County	January 1, 1965	160	141	+13.5%	2.28	70.2/km²
Grandview	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1967	114	108	+5.6%	0.79	144.3/km²
Gull Lake	Lacombe County	September 1, 1993	176	122	+44.3%	0.7	251.4/km²
Half Moon Bay	Lacombe County	January 1, 1978	42	38	+10.5%	0.11	381.8/km²
Horseshoe Bay	St. Paul No. 19, County of	January 1, 1985	49^[a]	37	+32.4%	1.14	43.0/km²
Island Lake	Athabasca County	January 1, 1958	228	243	−6.2%	1.85	123.2/km²
Island Lake South	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	61	72	−15.3%	0.67	91.0/km²
Itaska Beach	Leduc County	June 30, 1953	23	20	+15.0%	0.29	79.3/km²
Jarvis Bay	Red Deer County	January 1, 1986	213	203	+4.9%	0.53	401.9/km²
Kapasiwin	Parkland County	September 1, 1993	10	10	0.0%	0.3	33.3/km²
Lakeview	Parkland County	October 25, 1913	30	26	+15.4%	0.35	85.7/km²
Larkspur	Westlock County	January 1, 1985	44	38	+15.8%	0.26	169.2/km²
Ma-Me-O Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1948	110	113	−2.7%	0.52	211.5/km²
Mewatha Beach	Athabasca County	January 1, 1978	90	79	+13.9%	0.8	112.5/km²
Nakamun Park	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1966	96	36	+166.7%	0.45	213.3/km²
Norglenwold	Red Deer County	January 1, 1965	273	232	+17.7%	0.62	440.3/km²
Norris Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1988	38	46	−17.4%	0.2	190.0/km²
Parkland Beach	Ponoka County	January 1, 1984	153	124	+23.4%	0.95	161.1/km²
Pelican Narrows	Bonnyville No. 87, M.D. of	July 1, 1979	151	162	−6.8%	0.72	209.7/km²
Point Alison	Parkland County	December 31, 1950	10	15	−33.3%	0.16	62.5/km²
Poplar Bay	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	January 1, 1967	103	80	+28.8%	0.67	153.7/km²
Rochon Sands	Stettler No. 6, County of	May 17, 1929	86	65	+32.3%	2.16	39.8/km²
Ross Haven	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1962	160	137	+16.8%	0.71	225.4/km²
Sandy Beach	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1956	278	223	+24.7%	2.4	115.8/km²
Seba Beach	Parkland County	August 20, 1920	169	143	+18.2%	0.86	196.5/km²
Silver Beach	Wetaskiwin No. 10, County of	December 31, 1953	65	52	+25.0%	0.64	101.6/km²
Silver Sands	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1969	160	85	+88.2%	2.41	66.4/km²
South Baptiste	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	66	52	+26.9%	0.93	71.0/km²
South View	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1970	67	35	+91.4%	0.41	163.4/km²
Sunbreaker Cove	Lacombe County	December 31, 1990	81	69	+17.4%	0.5	162.0/km²
Sundance Beach	Leduc County	January 1, 1970	73	82	−11.0%	0.44	165.9/km²
Sunrise Beach	Lac Ste. Anne County	December 31, 1988	135	149	−9.4%	1.66	81.3/km²
Sunset Beach	Athabasca County	May 1, 1977	49	44	+11.4%	0.74	66.2/km²
Sunset Point	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1959	169	221	−23.5%	1.15	147.0/km²
Val Quentin	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1966	252	157	+60.5%	0.31	812.9/km²
Waiparous	Bighorn No. 8, M.D. of	January 1, 1986	49	42	+16.7%	0.41	119.5/km²
West Baptiste	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	38	52	−26.9%	0.65	58.5/km²
West Cove	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1963	149	121	+23.1%	1.33	112.0/km²
Whispering Hills	Athabasca County	January 1, 1983	142	108	+31.5%	1.68	84.5/km²
White Sands	Stettler No. 6, County of	January 1, 1980	120	91	+31.9%	1.58	75.9/km²
Yellowstone	Lac Ste. Anne County	January 1, 1965	137	124	+10.5%	0.28	489.3/km²
Total summer villages	—	—	5,176	4,586	+12.9%	40.79	126.9/km²

Former summer villages

Four other communities in Alberta have previously held summer village status – Alberta Beach,^[8] Chestermere Lake (now Chestermere),^[9] Edmonton Beach (now Spring Lake),^[10] and White Gull.^[11]

Community	Incorporation date (summer village)	Status change date	Subsequent status
Alberta Beach	August 23, 1920	January 1, 1999	Village
Chestermere Lake	April 1, 1977	March 1, 1993	Town
Edmonton Beach	January 1, 1959	January 1, 1999	Village
White Gull	January 1, 1983	January 1, 2003	Unincorporated