Wildwood, Alberta

For the neighborhood of Calgary, see Wildwood, Calgary.

Wildwood is a hamlet in west-central Alberta, Canada within Yellowhead County.^[2] It is on the Yellowhead Highway (Highway 16), approximately 112 kilometres (70 mi) west of Edmonton and 82 kilometres (51 mi) east of Edson. The Yellowhead Highway's intersection with Cowboy Trail (Highway 22) is 9 kilometres (5.6 mi) east of the hamlet. The Lobstick River, which flows from Chip Lake to the west, runs through the hamlet.

Wildwood
Hamlet
Main Street
Nickname:  A Place For All Seasons
Location of Wildwood in Alberta
Coordinates: 53°36′34″N 115°14′15″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Central Alberta
Census Division	No. 14
Municipal district	Yellowhead County
Government
• Mayor	Jim Eglinski
• Governing body	Yellowhead County Council Shawn Brian Berry Sandra Cherniawsky Anthony Giezen Dawn Mitchell Fred Priestley-Wright David Russell William Velichko Jack Williams
Area  (2021)[1]
• Land	0.54 km2 (0.21 sq mi)
Elevation	778 m (2,552 ft)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	257
• Density	476.1/km2 (1,233/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−7 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−6 (MDT)
Postal code span	T0E 2M0
Highways	Yellowhead Highway Cowboy Trail
Waterways	Lobstick River
Website	Yellowhead County

Statistics Canada recognizes Wildwood as a designated place.^[3]

Farming and ranching are an important part of Wildwood's economy. The Wildwood and District Agricultural Society was organized in 1939 and holds an Agricultural Fair every August.

History

Originally named Junkins, Wildwood was established in 1908 by a group of 20 African-American immigrants as a block settlement.^[4] The new Black Canadian homesteaders arrived from Oklahoma and Texas, just three years after Alberta became a province in 1905.^[5] The Grand Trunk Pacific Railway arrived in Junkins in 1908. People arriving at "end of steel" transferred their goods to wagons and travelled to their homesteads.^[6]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wildwood had a population of 257 living in 118 of its 136 total private dwellings, a change of -5.9% from its 2016 population of 273. With a land area of 0.54 km² (0.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 475.9/km² (1,232.6/sq mi) in 2021.^[1]

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Wildwood had a population of 273 living in 139 of its 157 total private dwellings, a change of -7.1% from its 2011 population of 294. With a land area of 0.54 km² (0.21 sq mi), it had a population density of 505.6/km² (1,309.4/sq mi) in 2016.^[3]

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of former urban municipalities in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta
• Similar 1908 to 1910 Alberta homesteader settlements of Black Canadians:
  • Amber Valley, Alberta
  • Campsie, Alberta
  • Keystone (now Breton), Alberta

References

1. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
2. "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
3. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.
4. Heritage Community Foundation and Black Pioneers Descendants' Society (2007). "Alberta's Black Pioneer Heritage - Junkins". Heritage Community Foundation and Black Pioneers Descendants' Society. Retrieved July 9, 2008.
5. Rowe, Allan (February 12, 2015). "African American Immigration to Alberta". Historic Resources Management Branch. Alberta Ministry of Culture and Tourism. Retrieved February 6, 2017.
6. Lac Ste. Anne Historical Society. Archives Committee. (1959). West of the Fifth: a history of Lac Ste Anne Municipality. Edmonton, CA: The Institute of Applied Art Ltd. p. 35.

53°36′34″N 115°14′15″W