30-668: Smoky Lake County is a municipal district in north-eastern Alberta , Canada. Located in Census Division No. 12 , its municipal office is located in the Town of Smoky Lake . The following urban municipalities are surrounded by Smoky Lake County. The following hamlets are located within Smoky Lake County. The following Métis settlements are located within Smoky Lake County. The following localities are located within Smoky Lake County. As
60-402: A census subdivision in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Smoky Lake County had a population of 3,874 living in 1,500 of its 1,913 total private dwellings, a change of -5.7% from its 2016 population of 4,107. With a land area of 3,396.29 km (1,311.31 sq mi), it had a population density of 1.1/km (3.0/sq mi) in 2021. As a census subdivision in
90-465: A regional municipality . The use of the regional municipality term in the official name of the one specialized municipality has led to a common belief that a regional municipality is its own separate municipal status type in Alberta, which is not the case. Meanwhile, the use of the county term in the official names of three specialized municipalities and 46 municipal districts has partially led to
120-531: A common belief that a county also is a separate municipal status type, which also is not the case. The other major contributor to this common belief is that a county was a former municipal status type in Alberta before the County Act being repealed in 1995. An update to the MGA in 1994 legislated the ability to incorporate a specialized municipality "when no other classification of municipal government can meet
150-565: A hamlet, which is part of the district's jurisdiction. They are Acadia ( Acadia Valley ), Bighorn ( Exshaw ), Birch Hills ( Wanham ), Clear Hills ( Worsley ), Cypress ( Dunmore ), Grande Prairie ( Clairmont ), Lac Ste. Anne ( Sangudo ), Opportunity ( Wabasca ), and Thorhild ( Thorhild ). One municipal district, Ranchland , has its offices in a provincial park, Chain Lakes Provincial Park . Thirteen municipal districts have their offices in their jurisdiction, outside
180-433: A land area of 3,412.92 km (1,317.74 sq mi), the census subdivision had a population density of 1.2/km (3.1/sq mi) in 2016. Excluding the two Métis settlements, Smoky Lake County had a population of 2,461 in 2016, a change of 0.1% from its 2011 population of 2,459. List of municipal districts in Alberta A municipal district (MD) is the most common form of all rural municipality statuses used in
210-657: A majority of their residential buildings are on parcels of land greater than 1,850 m , apply to Alberta Municipal Affairs for municipal district status under the authority of the Municipal Government Act . Applications for municipal district status are approved via orders in council made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under recommendation from the Minister of Municipal Affairs. As of
240-411: A municipality that includes both a large urban centre and a significant rural territory and population." The status change designated Strathcona County's large urban centre, Sherwood Park , as Alberta's second city-equivalent urban service area, while its rural territory was designated a rural service area deemed equivalent to a municipal district. The Municipal District (MD) of Mackenzie No. 23 became
270-600: A rural service area and a two-part urban service area. While one part includes the Hamlet of Lac La Biche and the other includes the Hamlet of Plamondon, the two-part urban service area is simply named Lac La Biche. Other municipalities that have investigated specialized municipality status include Spruce Grove , Morinville and Grande Prairie . Proponents of the Cooking Lake Airport have also expressed interest in breaking away from Strathcona County to form
300-428: A specialized municipality included a clause to automatically change it back to a municipal district on November 1, 2001. This order in council was amended on January 30, 2001, at which point the clause to automatically revert its status was removed. The MD of Mackenzie No. 23 was renamed Mackenzie County on March 8, 2007. The Jasper Improvement District was established as Alberta's fourth specialized municipality under
330-402: Is a list of only those rural municipalities in Alberta that are incorporated as municipal districts . Despite their names, Lac La Biche County , Mackenzie County , and Strathcona County are not listed because they are in fact incorporated as specialized municipalities , not municipal districts . The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is likewise a specialized municipality and
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#1732791971802360-485: Is a unique type of municipal status in the Canadian province of Alberta . These unique local governments are formed without the creation of special legislation, and typically allow for the coexistence of urban and rural areas within the jurisdiction of a single municipal government. Specialized municipalities may be formed under the authority of Section 83 of the Municipal Government Act ( MGA ) under one of three of
390-496: Is thus not listed here. For more information on specialized municipalities , see List of specialized municipalities in Alberta . Alberta's eight improvement districts and three special areas are also not listed because they are their own separate type of rural municipality and not subset types of the municipal district status. For more information on special areas , see Special Areas Board . Specialized municipalities of Alberta A specialized municipality
420-572: The 2011 Census , Alberta's then 64 municipal districts ( Lac La Biche County has since then converted to a specialized municipality ) had a cumulative population of 451,979 and an average population of 7,062. Alberta's most populous and least populated municipal districts are Rocky View County and the MD of Ranchland No. 66 with populations of 36,461 and 79 respectively. 437 elected officials (eight mayors , 56 reeves and 373 councillors ) provide municipal district governance throughout
450-408: The 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Smoky Lake County had a population of 4,107 living in 1,556 of its 2,248 total private dwellings, a 5% change from its 2011 population of 3,910. This includes the population of two Métis settlements, Buffalo Lake (712) and Kikino (934), located within the census subdivision that are municipalities independent of Smoky Lake County. With
480-580: The Canadian province of Alberta . Alberta's municipal districts, most of which are branded as a county (e.g. Yellowhead County , County of Newell , etc.), are predominantly rural areas that may include either farmland, Crown land or a combination of both depending on their geographic location. They may also include country residential subdivisions and unincorporated communities , some of which are recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs . Municipal districts are created when predominantly rural areas with populations of at least 1,000 people, where
510-472: The Municipal Government Act (MGA) as municipal districts and were permitted to retain the term county in their official names. More than half of the 63 municipal districts have their main administration offices, including council chambers, in a separate municipality such as a city, town, or village. This municipality (like all other cities, towns, and villages) is not part of the municipal district's jurisdiction. Nine municipal districts have their offices in
540-736: The Strathcona County and the Municipality of Jasper with populations of 92,490 and 4,051 respectively. 44 elected officials (five mayors , one reeve and 39 councillors ) provide specialized municipality governance throughout the province. An order in council to incorporate any municipality must give the municipality an official name. Of Alberta's six specialized municipalities, two of them have branded themselves simply as municipalities in their official names, while three others have branded themselves as counties . The remaining specialized municipality has branded itself as
570-495: The county term in the official names of 47 municipal districts (and three specialized municipalities ) has partially led to a common belief that a county is its own separate municipal status type, which is not the case. The other major contributor to this common belief is that a county was once a former municipal status type in Alberta prior to the County Act being repealed in the mid-1990s. Those municipalities that were once officially incorporated as counties were continued under
600-461: The Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Specialized municipality status was chosen for the amalgamated municipality "to provide for the unique needs of a municipality including a large urban centre and a large rural territory with a small population." Upon incorporation, Fort McMurray was designated an urban service area , an equivalent to a city under the MGA , while the balance of the municipality
630-507: The boundaries of a city, town, or village. They are Brazeau ( Drayton Valley ), Lacombe (between Gull Lake and Lacombe ), Mountain View ( Didsbury ), Newell ( Brooks ), Northern Sunrise ( Peace River ), Paintearth ( Castor ), Parkland ( Stony Plain ), Peace ( Berwyn ), Red Deer ( Red Deer ), Saddle Hills ( Spirit River ), Wheatland ( Strathmore ), Willow Creek ( Claresholm ), and Woodlands ( Whitecourt ). The below table
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#1732791971802660-411: The following scenarios: Applications for specialized municipality status are approved via orders in council made by the lieutenant governor in council under recommendation from the Minister of AMA. Alberta has six specialized municipalities that had a cumulative population of 178,598 and an average population of 35,720 in the 2011 Census . Alberta's largest and smallest specialized municipalities are
690-559: The name of the Municipality of Jasper on July 20, 2001. It was established as a specialized municipality "to provide for the unique needs of residents living within the municipality." The order in council that formed the specialized municipality defined the Town of Jasper as those lands within the Jasper townsite as described in Canada's National Parks Act . The Municipality of Crowsnest Pass
720-563: The needs of residents of the proposed municipality." The incorporation of five specialized municipalities followed starting with the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo in 1995, Strathcona County in 1996, Mackenzie County in 1999, the Municipality of Jasper in 2001, and the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass in 2008. The first specialized municipality was created on April 1, 1995, when the former City of Fort McMurray amalgamated with Improvement District (ID) No. 143 to form
750-420: The province. An order in council to incorporate any municipality must give the municipality an official name. Of Alberta's 63 municipal districts, 16 still have municipal district in their official names, while 47 of them have branded themselves as a county in their official names. Twenty-five of Alberta's municipal districts retain a numerical designation (e.g. "No. 8") in their official names. The use of
780-463: The third specialized municipality on June 23, 1999. Previously a municipal district, changed its status "to address concerns about municipal government and management in a municipality that serves several unique communities within a very large territory." Its unique communities include the hamlets of Fort Vermilion , La Crete and Zama City . The order in council that formed the MD of Mackenzie No. 23 as
810-482: Was designated a rural service area, an equivalent to a municipal district under the MGA . The Municipality of Wood Buffalo was renamed as the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo on August 14, 1996. The second specialized municipality was incorporated on January 1, 1996. Strathcona County changed its status from a municipal district to a specialized municipality "to provide for the unique needs of
840-444: Was originally formed as a town on January 1, 1979, through the amalgamation of the towns of Blairmore and Coleman , the villages of Bellevue and Frank , and ID No. 5. After another amalgamation with ID No. 6 on January 1, 1996, the Municipality of Crowsnest Pass eventually had its town status changed to specialized municipality status on January 16, 2008. Unlike those of the four other specialized municipalities, no specific reason
870-481: Was originally formed on August 1, 2007, when the Town of Lac La Biche amalgamated with the surrounding Lakeland County . In 2015, it launched an investigation into the possibility of a change in status. By converting to a specialized municipality, Lac La Biche County was able to preserve the lower tax rates applied to its rural areas and the higher tax rates applied to the population centres of Lac La Biche (the former town) and Plamondon . The status change established
900-502: Was provided in the order in council that changed the status of Crowsnest Pass. However, the motivation to become a specialized municipality was to enable membership in the Alberta Association of Municipal Districts and Counties for increased alignment with its neighbouring rural municipalities. Lac La Biche County changed status from a municipal district to Alberta's sixth specialized municipality on January 1, 2018. It
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