Wabasca, Alberta

Wabasca, also known as Wabasca-Desmarais, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada, within the Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17.[3] It is located between and along the South and North Wabasca Lakes, at the intersection of highways 813 and 754. It is approximately 123 km (76 mi) northeast of Slave Lake.

For other uses, see Wabasca (disambiguation).
Wabasca
Hamlet
Wabasca
Wabasca
Coordinates: 55°58′N 113°51′W
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionNorthern Alberta
Municipal districtOpportunity No. 17
Elevation
550 m (1,800 ft)
Population
 (2011)[1][2]
 • Total1,569
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Area code(s)+1-780
HighwaysHighway 813
Highway 754
WaterwaysWabasca Lakes
WebsiteM.D. of Opportunity No. 17

Wabasca, which is the location of the M.D of Opportunity No. 17's municipal office, consists of two communities – Wabasca and Desmarais. The hamlet has a population of 1,569,[1][2] which is largely indigenous. Another 2,207 additional residents live on five Indian reserves in the immediate surrounding area. These First Nations reserves include Wabasca 166, 166A, 166B, 166C and 166D of the Bigstone Cree Nation, a Woodland Cree people.[4]

The name Wabasca originates from the Cree word wâpaskâw, meaning "white grass" the name for the Wabasca River. Desmarais was named after Father Alphonse Desmarais, the first missionary in this area.[5]

A mandatory evacuation order was issued for Wabasca on May 29, 2019, due to multiple wildfires in the region.[6]

Geography

Wabasca's hamlet boundary includes three Statistics Canada census geographic units – the Wabasca and Desmarais designated places and the Desmarais Indian settlement – as well as additional lands.[7][8]

Demographics
Name Census
geographic
unit		 Population
(2011)		 Population
(2006)		 Per cent
change		 Occupied
dwellings		 Private
dwellings		 Land
area
(km²)		 Population
density
Desmarais[9]Designated place74138-46.4%30415.6113.2
Desmarais[10]Indian settlement105129-18.6%51911.4572.4
Wabasca[9]Designated place1,4061,3028%44654521.3865.8
Total Hamlet of Wabasca1,5851,5691.0%52767728.4455.7
Wabasca 166[10]Indian reserve1601525.3%424984.961.9
Wabasca 166A[10]Indian reserve658738-10.8%1832136.33103.9
Wabasca 166B[10]Indian reserve190250-24%435225.527.4
Wabasca 166C[10]Indian reserve1881823.3%475835.245.3
Wabasca 166D[10]Indian reserve9618858.6%24827358.816.3
Total Indian reserves2,1572,207-2.3%563645210.8510.2
Total Wabasca community3,7423,776-0.9%1,0901,322239.2915.6

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, by combining the Wabasca and Desmarais designated places and the Desmarais Indian settlement, the Hamlet of Wabasca recorded a population of 1,585 living in 527 of its 677 total private dwellings, a change of 1% from its 2011 population of 1,569. With a land area of 28.44 km2 (10.98 sq mi), it had a population density of 55.7/km2 (144.3/sq mi) in 2016.[9][10]

In the 2011 Census, by combining the Wabasca and Desmarais designated places and the Desmarais Indian settlement, the Hamlet of Wabasca had a population of 1,569 living in 527 of its 600 total dwellings, a 19.2% change from its 2006 population of 1,316. With a land area of 28.6 km2 (11.0 sq mi), it had a population density of 54.86/km2 (142.09/sq mi) in 2011.[1][2] By including the five nearby First Nation reserves, the Wabasca community had a population of 3,776 living in 1,077 of its 1,239 total dwellings, a 14.6% change from its 2006 population of 3,294.[1][2]

The population of the Hamlet of Wabasca was 1,410 according to a municipal census conducted in 2007 by the M.D. of Opportunity No. 17.[11]

Climate

Wabasca has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc).

Climate data for Wabasca
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 14.5
(58.1)		 14.0
(57.2)		 17.2
(63.0)		 28.5
(83.3)		 32.0
(89.6)		 33.0
(91.4)		 33.0
(91.4)		 32.5
(90.5)		 31.0
(87.8)		 26.0
(78.8)		 15.0
(59.0)		 10.0
(50.0)		 33.0
(91.4)
Average high °C (°F) −9.5
(14.9)		 −5.0
(23.0)		 1.6
(34.9)		 9.7
(49.5)		 16.2
(61.2)		 20.5
(68.9)		 22.8
(73.0)		 21.8
(71.2)		 15.8
(60.4)		 8.3
(46.9)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 −7.3
(18.9)		 7.7
(45.9)
Daily mean °C (°F) −15.3
(4.5)		 −12.1
(10.2)		 −5.2
(22.6)		 3.3
(37.9)		 9.7
(49.5)		 14.3
(57.7)		 16.9
(62.4)		 15.6
(60.1)		 9.9
(49.8)		 3.3
(37.9)		 −7.7
(18.1)		 −12.5
(9.5)		 1.7
(35.1)
Average low °C (°F) −21.1
(−6.0)		 −19.0
(−2.2)		 −11.8
(10.8)		 −3.0
(26.6)		 3.1
(37.6)		 8.2
(46.8)		 11.0
(51.8)		 9.4
(48.9)		 3.9
(39.0)		 −1.8
(28.8)		 −12.3
(9.9)		 −17.6
(0.3)		 −4.3
(24.3)
Record low °C (°F) −51.0
(−59.8)		 −49.0
(−56.2)		 −42.2
(−44.0)		 −35.0
(−31.0)		 −18.9
(−2.0)		 −1.1
(30.0)		 −1.1
(30.0)		 −4.5
(23.9)		 −13.3
(8.1)		 −26.0
(−14.8)		 −36.5
(−33.7)		 −43.5
(−46.3)		 −51.0
(−59.8)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 22.2
(0.87)		 17.7
(0.70)		 15.8
(0.62)		 22.7
(0.89)		 46.9
(1.85)		 74.0
(2.91)		 96.3
(3.79)		 61.1
(2.41)		 38.8
(1.53)		 25.3
(1.00)		 20.2
(0.80)		 21.1
(0.83)		 462.1
(18.19)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.5
(0.02)		 0.6
(0.02)		 1.7
(0.07)		 12.7
(0.50)		 44.5
(1.75)		 74.0
(2.91)		 96.3
(3.79)		 61.1
(2.41)		 38.7
(1.52)		 16.1
(0.63)		 1.7
(0.07)		 0.5
(0.02)		 348.4
(13.72)
Average snowfall mm (inches) 22.8
(0.90)		 18.0
(0.71)		 14.8
(0.58)		 10.0
(0.39)		 2.5
(0.10)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.1
(0.00)		 8.7
(0.34)		 19.3
(0.76)		 21.2
(0.83)		 117.2
(4.61)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 8.6 6.7 5.6 7.1 10.9 13.0 15.2 12.4 11.2 9.0 8.6 8.1 116.4
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.23 0.18 0.68 5.0 10.7 13.0 15.2 12.4 11.2 7.1 0.57 0.09 76.2
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 8.6 6.4 5.1 2.7 0.58 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.08 2.5 8.1 8.1 42.0
Source: Environment Canada[12]

Economy

Located west of the Wabasca oil field, oil and gas exploration and extraction is Wabasca's primary industry. Forestry also plays a role in the local economy with Alberta Pacific Forest Industries operating an office out of the community.[11] The community is also within vicinity of the Wabasca oil sands, the fourth largest deposit of oil sands in Alberta.[13]

Arts and culture

Wabasca hosts numerous events on an annual basis including the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) Fish Derby, the Wabasca Road Race, and the Lions Club Ski-Doo Rally among others.[11]

Infrastructure

Transportation

The Hamlet of Wabasca is served by Highway 813 and Highway 754. The Wabasca Airport is located within the hamlet.[11]

Health care

The community is home to the Wabasca General Hospital.[11]

Amenities

The community is home to the Wabasca Public Library and a recreation centre that includes a pool.[11] Wabasca also has two exercise centres, an ice arena, outdoor rodeo grounds, baseball diamonds, a skateboard park, and winter outdoor ice rinks.

Wabasca has four churches including St. Charles Catholic Church, St. John's Anglican Church, St. Martins Catholic Church, and the Wabasca Revival Centre.[11]

Education

The Northland School Division operates three schools in the community – St. Theresa School for students in kindergarten through grade 6 and Mistassiniy School for students in grades 7 through 12. As well as an outreach school for Jr and Sr high.[11]

The Bigstone Cree First Nation Education Authority operates the Bigstone Community School (Oski Pasikoniwew Kamik).OPK is from preschool to grade 9 with plans on Building a future Jr and Sr high school [14]

A campus of Northern Lakes College is located in Wabasca.[11] The college provides part-time and full-time programming for adult upgrading, apprenticeships, university studies, workforce development, and other careers.[15]

Activities

Fishing, ice fishing, hunting, trapping, quadding, and snowmobiling are traditional and recreational activities in the area. Other activities includes cross-country skiing, skating, skateboarding, and swimming.

A paved walking trail links Desmarais and Wabasca with an approximate distance of 20 km (12 mi).

Located along the shores of the North and South Wabasca Lakes, the community has a boat launch, a swimming dock, and a fishing bridge between the two lakes.

No Limits Boxing Club also operates out of Wabasca, as does Hart Legacy Wrestling.

See also

References
  1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  2. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  3. Alberta Municipal Affairs (2010-04-01). "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-07-03.
  4. Bigstone Cree Nation webpage Archived January 9, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  5. M.D. of Opportunity No. 17 - History Archived August 31, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  6. "Evacuation ordered for Wabasca, Alta. and Bigstone Cree Nation #166 due to wildfire". CBC News. 2019-05-29. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  7. "Bylaw 2008-10 To establish the hamlet boundaries for Wabasca, Alberta". Municipal District of Opportunity No. 17. 2008-10-08. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  8. "GeoSearch 2011 - Census Subdivisions (CSD)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-07. Retrieved 2012-04-08.
  9. "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.
  10. "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.
  11. "M.D. of Opportunity No. 17 Profile". Prairie Wind Consulting Inc. November 2009. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
  12. "Canadian Climate Normals 1981-2010". Environment Canada. 2018-01-11. Retrieved 2018-04-06.
  13. Bruce Biossat (1973-11-23). "An oil-hungry world eyes Alberta's sand". Rome News-Tribune. Retrieved 2010-06-22. Great as is the Athabasca spread, where real scientific exploration began just 60 years ago, it's not the full story. Alberta hold three other oil sands deposits -- Wabasca just southwest of Athabasca, Cold Lake to the south, Peace River to the west.
  14. "Oski Pasikoniwew Kamik (BCN School)". Bigstone Cree Nation. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
  15. "Programs". Northern Lakes College. Retrieved 2011-04-28.
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