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.
Alberta had 357 municipalities between April 1 and June 30, 2015, which marked the closure of the 2015 legislated municipal census period. This was reduced to 356 on July 1, 2015 when the former Village of Minburn dissolved to become a hamlet under the jurisdiction of the County of Minburn No. 27. At least 52 of these municipalities () conducted a municipal census in 2015. Alberta Municipal Affairs recognized those conducted by 50 of these municipalities. By municipal status, it recognized those conducted by 12 of Alberta's 18 cities, 20 of 108 towns, 5 of 92 villages, 3 of 5 specialized municipalities, 2 of 64 municipal districts, and all 8 Metis settlements. In addition to those recognized by Municipal Affairs, censuses were conducted by the villages of Kitscoty and Warburg.
Some municipalities achieved population milestones as a result of their 2015 censuses. Red Deer became the third city in Alberta to exceed 100,000 residents, while Grande Prairie not only surpassed 60,000 people, but also overtook both St. Albert and Medicine Hat to become Alberta's fifth-largest city. Spruce Grove grew beyond the 30,000 mark, while both the Town of Blackfalds and the County of Vermilion River eclipsed 8,000. The Town of Westlock's population resurfaced above 5,000 after first doing so in 2006 but dropping back below in 2008. The Village of Thorsby surpassed 1,000, making it eligible to apply for town status.
Municipal census results The following summarizes the results of the numerous municipal censuses conducted in 2015. 2015 municipal census summary 2011 federal census comparison Previous municipal census comparisonMunicipalityStatusCensusdate2015pop.2011pop.AbsolutegrowthAbsolutechangeAnnualgrowthratePrev.pop.Prev.censusyearAbsolutegrowthAnnualgrowthrate Airdrie City 2014 Barnwell Village 2011 Beaumont Town 2014 Big Valley Village 1991 Blackfalds Town 2014 Brooks City 2007 Buffalo Lake Metis settlement 2012 Calgary City 2014 Chestermere City 2014 Coalhurst Town 2013 Cochrane Town 2014 East Prairie Metis settlement 2012 Elizabeth Metis settlement 2012 Elk Point Town 2012 Fishing Lake Metis settlement 2012 Fort Saskatchewan City 2014 Gift Lake Metis settlement 2012 Grande Prairie City 2007 Hay Lakes Village 2008 High Level Town 2004 Innisfail Town 2012 Kikino Metis settlement 2012 Kitscoty Village 2013 Leduc City 2014 Lethbridge City 2014 Lloydminster City 2013 Mackenzie County Specialized municipality 2003 Magrath Town 2013 Medicine Hat City 2012 Milk River Town 2007 Okotoks Town 2014 Opportunity No. 17MD of Opportunity No. 17 Municipal district 2013 Oyen Town 2012 Paddle Prairie Metis settlement 2012 Peavine Metis settlement 2012 Rainbow Lake Town 2007 Raymond Town 2014 Red Deer City 2014 Rocky Mountain House Town 2012 Spruce Grove City 2014 Stirling Village 2013 Stony Plain Town 2010 Strathcona County Specialized municipality 2012 Strathmore Town 2012 Sylvan Lake Town 2013 Taber Town 2011 Thorsby Village 2012 Turner Valley Town 2008 Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River Municipal district 2008 Warburg Village 2009 Westlock Town 2008 Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo Specialized municipality 2012
Breakdowns Lloydminster The following is a breakdown of the results of the City of Lloydminster's 2015 municipal census by provincial component. 2015 municipal census summary 2011 federal census comparison 2013 municipal census comparisonProvincial component2015pop.Prov.percent2011pop.Prov.percentAbsolutegrowthAbsolutechangeAnnualgrowthrate2013pop.Prov.percentAbsolutegrowthAbsolutechangeAnnualgrowthrate Alberta portion Saskatchewan portion Total Lloydminster
Urban and rural service areas
Strathcona County 2015 municipal census summary 2012 municipal census comparisonArea2015populationPreviouspopulationAbsolutegrowthAnnualgrowth rate Sherwood Park urban service area Rural service area Total Strathcona County
Wood Buffalo 2015 municipal census summary 2012 municipal census comparisonArea2015populationPreviouspopulationAbsolutegrowthAnnualgrowth rate Fort McMurray urban service area Rural service area Total RM of Wood Buffalo
Hamlets The following is a list of hamlet populations determined by 2015 municipal censuses conducted by the County of Vermilion River, Strathcona County and the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo excluding the urban service areas of Fort McMurray and Sherwood Park that are presented above.
2015 municipal census summary Previous census comparisonHamletMunicipality2015populationPreviouspopulationPreviouscensus yearAbsolutegrowthAnnualgrowth rate Antler Lake Strathcona County 2012 Anzac Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Ardrossan Strathcona County 2012 Blackfoot Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River 2011 Clandonald Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River 2011 Collingwood Cove Strathcona County 2012 Conklin Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Fort Chipewyan Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Fort MacKay Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Gregoire Lake Estates Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Half Moon Lake Strathcona County 2012 Hastings Lake Strathcona County 2012 Islay Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River 2011 Janvier Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 Josephburg Strathcona County 2012 McLaughlin Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River North Cooking Lake Strathcona County 2012 Rivercourse Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River Saprae Creek Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo 2012 South Cooking Lake Strathcona County 2012 Streamstown Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River Tulliby Lake Vermilion RiverCounty of Vermilion River
Shadow population counts Alberta Municipal Affairs defines shadow population as "temporary residents of a municipality who are employed by an industrial or commercial establishment in the municipality for a minimum of 30 days within a municipal census year." The RM of Wood Buffalo conducted a shadow population count in 2015. The following presents the results of this count for comparison with its concurrent municipal census results.
MunicipalityStatusMunicipalcensuspopulationShadowpopulationCombinedpopulation Wood BuffaloRM of Wood Buffalo Specialized municipality
Notes
See also 2013 Alberta municipal elections Canada 2016 Census List of communities in Alberta
References
External links Alberta Municipal Affairs: Municipal Census & Population Lists Statistics Canada: Census Profile (2011 Census)