List of hamlets in Alberta

"Hamlet (Alberta)" redirects here. For the locality, see Hamlet, Alberta.

Hamlets in the Canadian province of Alberta are unincorporated communities administered by, and within the boundaries of, specialized municipalities or rural municipalities (municipal districts, improvement districts and special areas). They consist of five or more dwellings (a majority of which are on parcels of land that are smaller than 1,850 m²), have a generally accepted boundary and name, and contain parcels of land used for non-residential purposes.^[1][2]

Distribution of Alberta's 403 hamlets as of 2023 by latest population available

Section 59 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA) enables specialized municipalities and municipal districts to designate a hamlet, while Section 590 of the MGA enables the Minister of Alberta Municipal Affairs to designate a hamlet within an improvement district.^[1] The Minister may also designate a hamlet within a special area pursuant to Section 10 of the Special Areas Act.^[3]

A hamlet can be incorporated as a village when its population reaches 300. However, Alberta has not had a hamlet incorporate as a village since January 1, 1980, when both Barnwell and Wabamun incorporated as villages.^[4][5] Since then, it has been more common for urban municipalities to dissolve from their current municipal status to that of a hamlet under the jurisdiction of its surrounding specialized or rural municipality. As such, the number of hamlets in Alberta has steadily grown over the years.

As of 2024, Alberta has 433 hamlets recognized by Alberta Municipal Affairs,^[6] which is up from 403 in 2023.^[7] A 434th hamlet, Harmony in Rocky View County, was designated in June 2024^[8] though is not yet recognized by Alberta Municipal Affairs.^[6]

Alberta's two largest hamlets – Sherwood Park within Strathcona County and Fort McMurray (formerly a city) within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo – have been further designated as urban service areas by Municipal Affairs. If they were to incorporate as cities, Sherwood Park and Fort McMurray would rank sixth and seventh respectively among Alberta's largest cities by population. Lac La Biche (formerly a town) within Lac La Biche County is a third hamlet also designated as an urban service area.^[6]

List of hamlets

Entwistle

Exshaw townsite with plant

Fort Chipewyan

Fort Vermilion

Neerlandia

New Dayton

Orion

Rosebud

Skiff

Valhalla Centre

• A
• B
• C
• D
• E
• F
• G
• H
• I
• J
• K
• L
• M
• N
• O
• P
• Q
• R
• S
• T
• V
• W
• Z

Notes:

1. Bellis dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
2. Blackie dissolved from village status on August 31, 1997.
3. Burdett dissolved from village status on January 1, 2003.
4. Cadogan dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
5. Cayley dissolved from village status on June 1, 1996.
6. Chinook dissolved from village status on April 1, 1977.
7. Clairmont dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
8. Cluny dissolved from village status on September 15, 1995.
9. Compeer dissolved from village status on December 31, 1936.
10. Craigmyle dissolved from village status on January 1, 1972.
11. Cynthia dissolved from town status on May 1, 1959.
12. Derwent dissolved from village status on September 1, 2010.^[27]
13. Diamond City dissolved from village status on June 30, 1937.
14. Dunmore dissolved from village status on February 4, 1919.
15. Eaglesham dissolved from village status on December 31, 1996.
16. Enchant dissolved from village status on January 30, 1945.
17. Entwistle dissolved from village status on December 31, 2000.
18. Erskine dissolved from village status on May 20, 1946.
19. Evansburg dissolved from village status on June 30, 1998.
20. Ferintosh dissolved from village status on January 1, 2020.
21. For Assiniboine dissolved from village status on December 31, 1991.
22. Fort McKay's population does not include portion of community on Indian reserve.
23. Fort McMurray is one of two hamlets designated an urban service area.
24. Fort McMurray's population is that of its population centre as delineated by Statistics Canada.^[31]
25. Galahad dissolved from village status on January 1, 2016.^[32]
26. Gleichen dissolved from town status on March 31, 1998.
27. Goose Lake is also known as Lone Pine.
28. Grande Cache dissolved from town status on January 1, 2019.^[35]
29. Grassy Lake dissolved from village status on July 1, 1996.
30. Grouard, also known as Grouard Mission, dissolved from village status on January 18, 1944.
31. Hairy Hill dissolved from village status on December 31, 1996.
32. Hairy Hill's population is from the 2001 federal census (Statistics Canada did not publish its population in the 2006, 2011 or 2016 federal censuses).
33. Half Moon Lake is also known as Half Moon Estates.
34. Heritage Pointe's population is that of its population centre as delineated by Statistics Canada.^[31]
35. Irvine dissolved from town status on December 31, 1996.
36. Islay dissolved from village status on March 2, 1944.
37. Janvier South is also known as Janvier and Chard.
38. Jenner dissolved from village status on June 22, 1943.
39. Kinuso dissolved from village status on September 1, 2009.
40. Lac La Biche dissolved from town status on August 1, 2007, as a result of its amalgamation with Lakeland County to form Lac La Biche County.^[41]
41. Langdon dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
42. Lavoy dissolved from village status on April 30, 1999.
43. Lodgepole dissolved from new town status on March 1, 1970.
44. Referred to as Lottie Lake Development by Statistics Canada in the 1991 census.^[13]
45. Statistics Canada cautioned that Metiskow's population from the 1991 census may be an estimate.^[13]
46. Minburn dissolved from village status on July 1, 2015.^[47]
47. Mirror dissolved from village status on January 1, 2004.
48. Monarch dissolved from village status on December 31, 1938.
49. Monitor dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
50. Mountain View dissolved from village status on September 9, 1915.
51. Mulhurst Bay is also known as Mulhurst.
52. New Norway dissolved from village status on November 1, 2012.^[49]
53. New Sarepta dissolved from village status on September 1, 2010.^[50]
54. Ohaton dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
55. Plamondon dissolved from village status on May 1, 2002.
56. Radway dissolved from village status on December 31, 1996.
57. Ranfurly dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
58. Richdale dissolved from village status on June 2, 1931.
59. Rosebud dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
60. Rumsey dissolved from village status on January 1, 1995.
61. Sandy Lake is also known as Pelican Mountain.
62. Sangudo dissolved from village status on September 16, 2007.
63. Sherwood Park is one of two hamlets designated an urban service area.
64. Strome dissolved from village status on January 1, 2016.^[54]
65. Suffield dissolved from village status on January 1, 1930.
66. Swalwell dissolved from village status on December 31, 1945.
67. Thorhild dissolved from village status on March 18, 2009.
68. Tilley dissolved from village status on August 31, 2013.^[55]
69. Torrington dissolved from village status on January 1, 1998.
70. Wabasca was formerly named Wabasca-Desmarais.
71. Statistics Canada cautioned that Wagner's population from the 1991 census may be an estimate.^[13]
72. Walsh dissolved from village status on April 30, 1925.
73. Wanham dissolved from village status on December 31, 1999.
74. Warspite dissolved from village status on June 1, 2000.
75. Wildwood dissolved from village status on December 31, 1990.

Former hamlets

Numerous communities in Alberta have been previously recognized as hamlets by the Province of Alberta. The majority were absorbed by urban municipalities through annexation or amalgamation. The following are those hamlets that have had their hamlet designation removed.

Name	Former municipality	Subsequent municipality	Remarks
Bankview	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Annexed in 1964[59]
Cambria	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
College Heights	Lacombe County	Lacombe	Annexed January 1, 2000[61][62]
East Coulee	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
Glenwood	Yellowhead County	Edson	Annexed January 1, 1984[63][64]
Grande Prairie Trail	Yellowhead County	Edson	Annexed January 1, 1984[63][64]
Grantville	Kneehill County	Three Hills	Annexed January 1, 1983[65][66]
Hardieville	LethbridgeLethbridge County	Lethbridge	Annexed January 1, 1978[67]
Hillcrest[68][69]	Improvement District No. 5	CrowsnestMunicipality of Crowsnest Pass	Absorbed via amalgamation January 1, 1979[70]
Lehigh	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
MacKay	YellowheadYellowhead County	Yellowhead County	Hamlet status was repealed by Yellowhead County in 2019 after being designated one in 1979
Midlandvale	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Annexed in 1972[59]
Midnapore	FoothillsMD of Foothills No. 31	Calgary	Annexed in 1961[71]
Nacmine	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
Newcastle	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Annexed in 1967[59]
North Drumheller	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Annexed in 1967[59]
Pinedale	YellwoheadYellowhead County	Yellowhead County	Hamlet status was repealed by Yellowhead County in 2019 after being designated one in 1987
Ribstone	WainwrightMD of Wainwright No. 61	MD of Wainwright No. 61	Hamlet status was repealed on January 21, 2024
Rosedale	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
Ruarkville	Kneehill County	Three Hills	Annexed December 31, 1984[72][73]
Shepard	Rocky View County	Calgary	Annexed July 31, 2007[74][75]
Wayne	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7	Drumheller	Absorbed as a result of amalgamation January 1, 1998[59][60]
Western Monarch (Atlas)[76]	Wheatland County	BadlandsMD of Badlands No. 7[76][77]	Now within the Town of Drumheller following the amalgamation of the City of Drumheller and the MD of Badlands No. 7 on January 1, 1998[78]

See also

• List of census divisions of Alberta
• List of cities in Alberta
• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of former urban municipalities in Alberta
• List of ghost towns in Alberta
• List of Indian reserves in Alberta
• List of localities in Alberta
• List of municipal districts in Alberta
• List of municipalities in Alberta
• List of population centres in Alberta
• List of settlements in Alberta
• List of specialized municipalities in Alberta
• List of summer villages in Alberta
• List of towns in Alberta
• List of villages in Alberta

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