List of cities in Alberta

Distribution of Alberta's 18 cities, 2 urban service areas and 9 towns that are eligible for city status.

A city is the highest form of all incorporated urban municipality statuses used in the Canadian Province of Alberta. Alberta cities are created when communities with populations of at least 10,000 people, where a majority of their buildings are on parcels of land smaller than 1,850 m², apply to Alberta Municipal Affairs for city status under the authority of the Municipal Government Act.[1] Applications for city status are approved via orders in council made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under recommendation from the Minister of Municipal Affairs.[1]

Alberta has 18 cities that had a cumulative population of 2,474,510 (not including the population in the Saskatchewan portion of Lloydminster) and an average population of 137,472 in the 2011 Census.[2] Alberta's largest and smallest cities are Calgary and Lacombe, with populations of 1,096,833 and 11,707, respectively.[2]

Chestermere became Alberta's 18th city on January 1, 2015.[3]

150 elected city officials (18 mayors and 132 councillors) provide city governance throughout the province.[4]

The highest density of cities in Alberta is found in the Edmonton Capital Region (Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Spruce Grove and St. Albert). The Calgary Region has three cities (Airdrie, Calgary and Chestermere).

Administration

Pursuant to Part 5, Division 1 of the Municipal Government Act (MGA), each municipality created under the authority of the MGA is governed by an elected council. As a requirement of the MGA, a city council consists of an odd number of councillors, one of which is the city's chief elected official (CEO) or mayor. A city council consists of seven councillors by default, but it can consist of a higher or lower odd number if council passes a bylaw altering its size (so long as it does not consist of fewer than three councillors).[1]

City councils are governed by a mayor who is elected at large and an even number of councillors, resulting in a total odd number of councillors to avoid tie votes on council matters. For the councillors, a city council may establish ward systems, with councillors elected from wards that are defined as having roughly the same population (single-member districts or more than one member per district). Voters choose a councillor candidate running in the ward in which they live. If no ward system is in place, councillors are elected at-large like the mayor.[1][5]

All city councillors are elected by popular vote under the provisions of the Local Authorities Election Act (LAEA).[6] Mayoral or councillor candidates are required to be residents of their municipality for a minimum of six consecutive months prior to nomination day. The last municipal election for all cities, with the exception of the border city of Lloydminster, was held October 21, 2013. Lloydminster's elections are aligned with Saskatchewan's municipal election schedule.

Alberta Municipal Affairs, a ministry of the Cabinet of Alberta, is charged with coordination of all levels of local government.

Administrative duties of cities include public safety, local transit, roads, water service, drainage and waste collection, as well as coordination of infrastructure with provincial and regional authorities (including road construction, education, and health).

List

Region Incorporation
date (city)[7] 		Council
size[7] 		Municipal
census
population
(year)[8] 		Population
(2011)[2] 		Population
(2006)[2] 		Change
(%)[2] 		Land
area
(km²)[2] 		Population
density
(per km²)[2]
AirdrieCalgary Region
January 1, 1985
7
61,842

(2016)
42,564
28,927
47.1
33.10
1,286.0
Brooks[AB 1]Southern Albertaalign=center| September 1, 2005714,185
(2015)		align=center| 13,67612,5089.318.19751.9
Calgary[AB 2]Calgary Regionalign=center| January 1, 1894151,235,171
(2016)		align=center| 1,096,833988,81210.9825.291,329.0
CamroseCentral Albertaalign=center| January 1, 1955918,044
(2016)		align=center| 17,28615,63010.642.50406.7
Chestermere[AB 3]Calgary Regionalign=center| January 1, 2015[3]719,715
(2016)		align=center| 14,8249,92349.432.64454.1
Cold LakeCentral Albertaalign=center| October 1, 2000715,736
(2014)		align=center| 13,83911,99115.459.30233.4
Edmonton[AB 4]Edmonton Capital Regionalign=center| October 8, 190413899,447
(2016)		align=center| 812,201730,37211.2684.371,186.8
Fort SaskatchewanEdmonton Capital Regionalign=center| July 1, 1985724,569
(2016)		align=center| 19,05114,95727.448.12395.9
Grande PrairieNorthern Albertaalign=center| January 1, 1958968,556
(2015)		align=center| 55,03247,10716.872.80755.9
Lacombe[AB 5]Central Albertaalign=center| September 5, 2010712,728
(2014)		align=center| 11,70710,7528.920.89560.3
LeducEdmonton Capital Regionalign=center| September 1, 1983730,498
(2016)		align=center| 24,27916,96743.136.97656.7
LethbridgeSouthern Albertaalign=center| May 9, 1906996,828
(2016)		align=center| 83,51774,68511.8122.36682.6
Lloydminster (part)[AB 6]Central Albertaalign=center| January 1, 1958719,740[AB 7]
(2015)		align=center| 18,032[AB 8]15,91013.324.19[AB 9]745.6
Medicine HatSouthern Albertaalign=center| May 9, 1906963,018
(2015)		align=center| 60,00556,9975.3112.01535.7
Red DeerCentral Albertaalign=center| March 25, 1913999,832
(2016)		align=center| 90,56483,1548.9104.29868.4
Spruce GroveEdmonton Capital Regionalign=center| March 1, 1986733,640
(2016)		align=center| 26,17119,54133.932.37808.6
St. AlbertEdmonton Capital Regionalign=center| January 1, 1977764,645
(2016)		align=center| 61,46657,7646.448.271,273.4
WetaskiwinCentral Albertaalign=center| May 9, 1906712,621
(2014)		align=center| 12,52511,6897.218.20688.2
Total cities — — 150 – 2,474,510 2,207,686 12.1 2,335.86 1,059.4

Notes:

  1. ↑ Brooks is Alberta's smallest city by area.
  2. ↑ Calgary is Canada's third-largest city, Alberta's largest city by both population and area, and was Alberta's first city, incorporated on January 1, 1894. The Calgary census metropolitan area (CMA) includes the cities of Airdrie, Calgary and Chestermere.
  3. ↑ Chestermere, known as Chestermere Lake prior to March 1, 1993, is Alberta's newest city, incorporated on January 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ Edmonton is Canada's fifth-largest city and Alberta's capital. The Edmonton CMA includes the cities of Edmonton, Fort Saskatchewan, Leduc, Spruce Grove and St. Albert.
  5. ↑ Lacombe is Alberta's smallest city by population.
  6. ↑ The balance of Lloydminster is located within Saskatchewan.
  7. ↑ This population does not include 11,637 in the Saskatchewan portion of Lloydminster. The city's total population in 2015 was 31,377.
  8. ↑ This population does not include 11,637 in the Saskatchewan portion of Lloydminster. The city's total population in 2011 was 27,804.
  9. ↑ This area does not include 17.34 km2 (6.70 sq mi) in the Saskatchewan portion of Lloydminster. The city's total area in 2011 was 41.53 km2 (16.03 sq mi)

Former cities

Alberta has recognized three other cities in its history. The Town of Strathcona incorporated as a city on March 15, 1907, and subsequently amalgamated with Edmonton on February 1, 1912. Fort McMurray was incorporated as a city on September 1, 1980, but reverted to its current urban service area form as a result of its amalgamation with Improvement District (I.D.) No. 143 on April 1, 1995.[9] The Town of Drumheller was incorporated as a city on April 3, 1930 (well before the current requirement to have a population in excess of 10,000 people), and reverted to town status on January 1, 1998, when it amalgamated with the surrounding Municipal District of Badlands No. 7.[10]

Former city Incorporation
date (city)		 Previous
status		 Date of
status change		 Subsequent
status
Drumheller April 3, 1930 Town January 1, 1998 Town
Fort McMurray September 1, 1980 New town April 1, 1995 Urban service area
Strathcona March 15, 1907 Town February 1, 1912 City amalgamation

City status eligibility

There are currently nine towns – Beaumont, Canmore, Cochrane, High River, Okotoks, Stony Plain, Strathmore, Sylvan Lake and Whitecourt – that are eligible for city status having populations in excess of 10,000.[8] Of these, Okotoks is undertaking a community visioning exercise in which city status is expected to be addressed,[11] while Beaumont is currently investigating city status with community engagement in 2016.[12] In 2009, the Town of Hinton expressed interest in incorporating as a city once it surpasses 10,000 people.[13] Its population in 2011 was 9,640.[2] In 2016, the Town of Morinville is conducting a municipal census in which it is anticipated the town will surpass 10,000; thus the town is investigating city status as well as a specialized municipality model with Sturgeon County.[12]

Alberta's two urban service areas – Fort McMurray and Sherwood Park – are also eligible for city status. As noted above, Fort McMurray was previously incorporated as a city until it amalgamated with I.D. No. 143 on April 1, 1995.[9] Meanwhile, Sherwood Park has remained a hamlet since its first residents arrived in 1955[14] and, in 1987, 89% of Strathcona County residents voted in favour of maintaining a single municipal government for Sherwood Park and the rural portion of the county.[15] If they were to incorporate as cities, Fort McMurray and Sherwood Park would rank fifth and sixth respectively among Alberta's largest cities by population.[8]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Municipal Government Act". Alberta Queen's Printer. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. August 9, 2016. Retrieved November 5, 2016.
  3. 1 2 "O.C. 499/2014". Government of Alberta. December 19, 2014. Retrieved January 1, 2015.
  4. ↑ "Municipal Profiles (Cities)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 27, 2013. Retrieved December 30, 2013.
  5. ↑ "Types of Municipalities". Alberta Municipal Affairs. Retrieved March 15, 2010.
  6. ↑ "Local Authorities Election Act". Alberta Queen's Printer. Retrieved March 21, 2010.
  7. 1 2 "Municipal Profiles: Summary Reports (Cities)" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 17, 2013. Retrieved May 22, 2013.
  8. 1 2 3 "2016 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. ISBN 978-1-4601-3127-5. Retrieved February 7, 2017.
  9. 1 2 "Location and History Profile – Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo". Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 25, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  10. ↑ "Location and History Profile – Town of Drumheller". Alberta Municipal Affairs. December 25, 2009. Retrieved January 1, 2010.
  11. ↑ Roxanne Blackwell (July 23, 2014). "City status up to residents". Okotoks Western Wheel. Great West Newspapers LP. Retrieved August 22, 2014.
  12. 1 2 Tristan Turner (February 12, 2016). "Morinville Council Briefs". Morinville News. Pawn Marketing & Publishing Inc. Retrieved February 19, 2016.
  13. ↑ "Town of Hinton Regular Meeting of Council Agenda (see page 113 of 157)". Town of Hinton. April 21, 2009. Retrieved December 9, 2009.
  14. ↑ "Sherwood Park's history". Strathcona County. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
  15. ↑ "Sherwood Park history – Local government". Strathcona County. Retrieved June 17, 2010.
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