Lac La Biche County | |
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Motto: Welcoming By Nature | |
Coordinates: 54°46′7″N111°58′50″W / 54.76861°N 111.98056°W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Alberta |
Region | Northern Alberta |
Planning region | Lower Athabasca |
Incorporated [1] | |
• Municipal district | August 1, 2007 |
• Specialized municipality | January 1, 2018 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Paul Reutov |
• Governing body | Lac La Biche County Council
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• CAO | Dan Small |
• Administrative office | Lac La Biche |
Area (2021) [3] | |
• Land | 12,528.25 km2 (4,837.18 sq mi) |
Elevation | 574 m (1,882 ft) |
Population (2021) [4] | |
• Total | 8,117 |
• Municipal census (2016) | 8,544 [5] |
Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
Area code | 780 |
Website | laclabichecounty.com |
Lac La Biche County is a specialized municipality within Division No. 12 in northern Alberta, Canada. It was established through the amalgamation of the Town of Lac La Biche and Lakeland County in 2007.
Lac La Biche County was originally established as a municipal district on August 1, 2007 through the amalgamation of Lakeland County with the Town of Lac La Biche. Its predecessor municipal district, Lakeland County, was originally incorporated on July 1, 1998, formed from the northwestern part of the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87. [6] Lac La Biche County converted from municipal district status to specialized municipality status on January 1, 2018. [7]
Lac La Biche County is in northeast Alberta. [8] It borders the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo to the north; the Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville No. 87 to the east (including the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range); the County of St. Paul No. 19 and Smoky Lake County to the south; the Kikino Metis Settlement and the Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement to the southwest; and Athabasca County and the MD of Opportunity No. 17 to the west. [8] The eponymous lake, Lac la Biche, is in the southwest portion of Lac La Biche County while the Athabasca River forms the municipal boundary between it and the MD of Opportunity No. 17. [8] Other water bodies include Beaver Lake, Pinehurst Lake, Seibert Lake, Touchwood Lake, and Winefred Lake (also partially within the RM of Wood Buffalo and the MD of Bonnyville No. 87). [8]
The following urban municipalities are surrounded by Lac La Biche County. [9]
| The following hamlets are located within Lac La Biche County. [9]
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The following localities are located within Lac La Biche County. [10]
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The Lac La Biche Settlement is also within Lac La Biche County. [8]
First Nations have the following Indian reserves within Lac La Biche County. [8]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lac La Biche County had a population of 8,117 living in 3,120 of its 3,996 total private dwellings, a change of -2.6% from its 2016 population of 8,330. With a land area of 12,528.25 km2 (4,837.18 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.6/km2 (1.7/sq mi) in 2021. [4] [3]
The population of Lac La Biche County according to its 2019 municipal census is 8,654, [13] a 1.3% change from its 2016 municipal census population of 8,544. [5] The 2019 and 2016 municipal censuses also counted temporary residents. In 2019, 982 temporary residents were counted in comparison to 987 in 2016. [13] [5]
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lac La Biche County had a population of 8,330 living in 3,076 of its 3,998 total private dwellings, a -0.9% change from its 2011 population of 8,402. With a land area of 12,572.29 km2 (4,854.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.7/km2 (1.7/sq mi) in 2016. [12]
Lac La Biche County's economy is based on the oil and gas industry, agriculture, and tourism. Some sawmills are also present.
The following provincial protected areas are within Lac La Biche County. [8]
Other attractions include Lac La Biche Mission, the Lac La Biche Golf and Country Club, and the following campgrounds.[ citation needed ]
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Community halls in Lac La Biche County include Craigend, Hylo, Owl River, Plamondon, and Rich Lake.[ citation needed ]
The full air-service Lac La Biche Airport is located west of the Hamlet of Lac La Biche, 0.7 km (0.43 mi) north of Highway 55. The airstrip is 5,700 ft (1,700 m) in length and 100 ft (30 m) wide and can accommodate 737 jets. Numerous carriers offer scheduled charter flights out of the airport. Alberta Air Spray Wildfire protection also uses the airstrip as a base accommodating large water tankers.
A rail line bisects Lac La Biche County, running through the hamlets of Hylo, Venice, and Lac La Biche. [8] The rail line is operated by Canadian National.
The following provincial highways service Lac La Biche County. [8]
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Northern Lights School Division No. 69
Lakeland Catholic Schools
Conseil Centre-Est
Lac La Biche County is served by the weekly Lac La Biche Post and the Town and Country.
Two FM radio stations broadcast out of Lac La Biche – BOOM (CILB FM 103.5) and Aboriginal Radio (CFWE FM 89.9).
The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is a specialized municipality in northeast Alberta, Canada. It is the largest regional municipality in Canada by area and is home to oil sand deposits known as the Athabasca oil sands.
Bonnyville is a town situated in East Northern Alberta, Canada between Cold Lake and St. Paul. The Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville No. 87 surrounds the community.
Lac La Biche is a hamlet in Lac La Biche County within northeast Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 220 km (140 mi) northeast of the provincial capital of Edmonton. Previously incorporated as a town, Lac La Biche amalgamated with Lakeland County to form Lac La Biche County on August 1, 2007.
The Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 is a municipal district (MD) in northeastern Alberta, Canada in Division No. 12. On the east, it is adjacent to the province of Saskatchewan.
Plamondon is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located on Highway 858, approximately 3.0 km (1.9 mi) north of Highway 55, and has an elevation of 555 m (1,821 ft).
Division No. 12 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. Including the City of Cold Lake, the majority of the division is located in the northeast corner of Northern Alberta. The northern portion of the division is located within northern Alberta.
The County of Barrhead No. 11 is a municipal district in north central Alberta, Canada. It is located northwest of Edmonton and is in Census Division No. 13.
Lac Ste. Anne County is a municipal district in central Alberta, Canada.
Atmore is a hamlet in Alberta, Canada within Athabasca County. It is located 1 km (0.62 mi) east of the junction of Highway 55 and Highway 63, 43 km (27 mi) west of Lac La Biche, 54 km (34 mi) east of Athabasca and 250 km (160 mi) south of Fort McMurray.
Lakeland County was a municipal district in northern Alberta, Canada. It existed for just over nine years from 1998 to 2007.
Beaver Lake is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located on the shore of Beaver Lake, 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) east of Highway 36, approximately 116 kilometres (72 mi) northwest of Cold Lake.
Hylo is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located approximately 16 kilometres (9.9 mi) south of Highway 55 and 133 kilometres (83 mi) west of Cold Lake.
Venice is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County. It is located approximately 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Highway 55 and 130 kilometres (81 mi) northwest of Cold Lake.
Improvement District No. 349 was an improvement district in northeast Alberta, Canada that existed between January 1, 2012 and May 1, 2021. The improvement district was largely coextensive with the Alberta portion of the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range. On May 1, 2021, the improvement district was annexed by the adjacent Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville No. 87.
Bonnyville-Cold Lake-St. Paul is a current provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district is one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. It was contested for the first time in the 2019 Alberta election.
Alberta has provincial legislation allowing its municipalities to conduct municipal censuses between April 1 and June 30 inclusive. Municipalities choose to conduct their own censuses for multiple reasons such as to better inform municipal service planning and provision, to capitalize on per capita based grant funding from higher levels of government, or to simply update their populations since the last federal census.