Vegreville

Vegreville /ˈvɛɡrəvɪl/ is a town in central Alberta, Canada located on Highway 16A approximately 103 km (64 mi) east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital city. It was incorporated as a town in 1906,[5] and that year also saw the founding of the Vegreville Observer, a weekly newspaper for the region.[6]

Vegreville
Town
Town of Vegreville
Vegreville
Location of Vegreville in Alberta
Vegreville
Vegreville (Canada)
Coordinates: 53°29′34″N 112°03′08″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionCentral Alberta
Census division10
Municipal districtCounty of Minburn No. 27
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageApril 4, 1906
 • TownAugust 15, 1906
Government
 • MayorTim McPhee
 • Governing bodyVegreville Town Council
 • MPShannon Stubbs (Lakeland-Cons)
 • MLAJackie Armstrong Homeniuk (Fort Saskatchewan-Vegreville-UCP)
Area
 (2016)[3]
 • Land14.08 km2 (5.44 sq mi)
Elevation635 m (2,083 ft)
Population
 (2016)[3]
 • Total5,708
 • Density405.4/km2 (1,050/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Forward sortation area
T9C
Area code(s)+1-780, +1-587
HighwaysHighway 16
Highway 857
WaterwaysVermilion River
WebsiteOfficial website

A large percentage of Vegreville's population is of Ukrainian Canadian descent, and it is home to the world's largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg).[7]

Geography

Climate

Vegreville experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

Climate data for Vegreville
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high humidex 9.1 6.7 19.1 26.2 31.4 36.8 38.7 40.1 32.9 25.3 17.6 11.0 40.1
Record high °C (°F) 10.3
(50.5)		 15.0
(59.0)		 19.1
(66.4)		 29.0
(84.2)		 33.5
(92.3)		 35.7
(96.3)		 35.4
(95.7)		 34.7
(94.5)		 35.5
(95.9)		 28.5
(83.3)		 19.0
(66.2)		 11.3
(52.3)		 35.7
(96.3)
Average high °C (°F) −7.9
(17.8)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 0.1
(32.2)		 10.7
(51.3)		 17.4
(63.3)		 21.2
(70.2)		 23.1
(73.6)		 22.8
(73.0)		 17.0
(62.6)		 9.7
(49.5)		 −1.3
(29.7)		 −6.4
(20.5)		 8.4
(47.1)
Daily mean °C (°F) −13.3
(8.1)		 −10.8
(12.6)		 −5.1
(22.8)		 4.3
(39.7)		 10.3
(50.5)		 14.4
(57.9)		 16.6
(61.9)		 15.6
(60.1)		 10.1
(50.2)		 3.5
(38.3)		 −6.3
(20.7)		 −11.8
(10.8)		 2.3
(36.1)
Average low °C (°F) −18.6
(−1.5)		 −16.5
(2.3)		 −10.3
(13.5)		 −2.2
(28.0)		 3.2
(37.8)		 7.7
(45.9)		 10.1
(50.2)		 8.3
(46.9)		 3.2
(37.8)		 −2.8
(27.0)		 −11.1
(12.0)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −3.8
(25.2)
Record low °C (°F) −44.9
(−48.8)		 −46.5
(−51.7)		 −42
(−44)		 −32
(−26)		 −10.7
(12.7)		 −3
(27)		 2.0
(35.6)		 −3.5
(25.7)		 −10.8
(12.6)		 −23
(−9)		 −36
(−33)		 −42.5
(−44.5)		 −46.9
(−52.4)
Record low wind chill −57 −58 −51 −30 −15 −5 0 −3 −13 −25 −44 −52 −58
Average precipitation mm (inches) 15.1
(0.59)		 11.0
(0.43)		 15.9
(0.63)		 21.3
(0.84)		 37.1
(1.46)		 60.6
(2.39)		 76.3
(3.00)		 51.8
(2.04)		 40.5
(1.59)		 12.8
(0.50)		 12.9
(0.51)		 12.3
(0.48)		 367.5
(14.47)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.6
(0.02)		 0.3
(0.01)		 0.9
(0.04)		 15.6
(0.61)		 34.4
(1.35)		 60.6
(2.39)		 76.3
(3.00)		 51.8
(2.04)		 40.4
(1.59)		 7.6
(0.30)		 1.4
(0.06)		 0.2
(0.01)		 289.9
(11.41)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 14.8
(5.8)		 10.7
(4.2)		 14.6
(5.7)		 5.7
(2.2)		 2.7
(1.1)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0
(0)		 0.1
(0.0)		 5.2
(2.0)		 11.5
(4.5)		 12.2
(4.8)		 77.5
(30.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm) 6.8 5.0 5.5 6.5 8.8 12.4 14.2 10.4 9.9 6.7 6.4 5.7 98.0
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm) 0.44 0.2 1.0 4.8 8.4 12.4 14.2 10.4 9.9 5.3 1.5 0.36 68.7
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm) 6.4 4.9 4.9 2.2 0.62 0 0 0.04 0.04 1.8 5.2 5.4 31.5
Source: Environment Canada[8]

Demographics
Vermilion River in Vegreville

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Vegreville recorded a population of 5,708 living in 2,429 of its 2,734 total private dwellings, a -0.2% change from its 2011 population of 5,717. With a land area of 14.08 km2 (5.44 sq mi), it had a population density of 405.4/km2 (1,050.0/sq mi) in 2016.[3]

The Town of Vegreville's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 5,758,[9] a 1.3% decrease over its 2010 municipal census population of 5,834.[10]

In the 2011 Census, the Town of Vegreville had a population of 5,717 living in 2,429 of its 2,680 total dwellings, a 3.6% change from its 2006 population of 5,519. With a land area of 13.92 km2 (5.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 410.7/km2 (1,063.7/sq mi) in 2011.[11]

Economy

The primary economic base of the town is agricultural.

Arts and culture

Due to Vegreville's close relationship with the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Canadian Forces Reserve unit based in Edmonton, the Regiment is the only Canadian Forces unit with Freedom of the Town and parades held on Remembrance Day in the town.

Pysanka Festival
The July Pysanka Festival showcases Ukrainian culture in Alberta.

The annual Pysanka Festival Occurs during the first weekend of July, being founded in 1973.

The 2015 Festival featured:

  • 5 grandstand shows
  • Cultural Variety Showcase (dance groups, instrumentalists, bands, vocalists)
  • Pioneer Village with highlights of how rope-making and blacksmithing
  • Ukrainian music
  • A Zabava (evening Dance) featuring Kolomeyka music
  • display of folk arts with instruction on creating Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter eggs)
  • Yarmarok (a fair or market place)[12]

The Vegreville Cultural Association organizes the festival, with the help of many community volunteers. The current Community objectives of the Association in relation to the festival are:

  1. To foster understanding among all people and to enrich the Canadian Mosaic by promoting the arts and culture of the Ukrainian people, and of people of other national, racial, or ethnic origins, and of people of other cultures, who settled in Canada.
  2. To promote and afford opportunity for cultural and social activities.
  3. To encourage and foster and developed among all people and recognition of the importance of culture to people.
  4. To enrich the culture of various peoples in Alberta.
  5. To foster understanding among all people of the culture of people in Alberta of various national, racial, or ethnic origin.
  6. To provide a meeting place for the consideration and discussion of questions affecting the cultural interests of the community.[12]

The festival has hosted many different types of performances, including Cheremosh, the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton, and the Kubasonics.

Attractions
See also: Vegreville egg

Vegreville's pysanka, the largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world,[7] was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 and to celebrate Vegreville's ethnic heritage. On July 6, 2009, the pysanka was one of four attractions featured on the first set of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series of stamps issued by Canada Post.[13]

Media

Vegreville is serviced by the Vegreville News Advertiser weekly newspaper. The News Advertiser is an independently owned newspaper which was established in 1950. The Beaudette family purchased it in 1970 and have been publishing it since. It has a free distribution circulation of over 10,000 which is about a 40 mile radius of Vegreville. It covers news, views and advertising in its circulation area which includes Vegreville, Lavoy, Innisfree, Minburn, Mannville, Viking, Holden, Bruce, Ryley, Tofield, Mundare, Hilliard, Chipman, Lamont, Andrew, Willingdon, Hairy Hill, Two Hills, Smoky Lake, Saddle Lake, Bellis, Brosseau, Wostok, Beauvallon, St. Michael, Myrnam, and Derwent. It is distributed by carriers or Canada Post in all these areas.

Infrastructure
CNR Caboose plaque in Vegreville

The town is bisected by Canadian National Railway's Vegreville Subdivision, a rail line connecting Vegreville to Edmonton in the west and to Lloydminster in the east.

Notable people

See also

References
  1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Vegreville" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 7, 2016. p. 695. Retrieved October 11, 2016.
  2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. September 22, 2017. Retrieved September 25, 2017.
  3. "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.
  4. "Alberta Private Sewage Systems 2009 Standard of Practice Handbook: Appendix A.3 Alberta Design Data (A.3.A. Alberta Climate Design Data by Town)" (PDF) (PDF). Safety Codes Council. January 2012. pp. 212–215 (PDF pages 226–229). Retrieved October 9, 2013.
  5. Vegreville Board of Trade. For you: a few facts about the Vegreville District in Central Alberta.
  6. Choriawy, Cathy (1989). Commerce in the country : a land use and structural history of the Luzan grocery store. Edmonton: Alberta Culture, Historical Resources Division. p. 20.
  7. Giant Pysanka
  8. Environment Canada—Canadian Climate Normals 1981–2010, accessed December 12, 2015
  9. "2012 Municipal Affairs Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2012-11-22. Retrieved 2012-12-14.
  10. "2010 Official Population List" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2010-09-15. Retrieved 2011-01-19.
  11. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-02-08.
  12. "Vegreville's 42nd Annual Ukrainian Pysanka Festival". Retrieved 5 June 2015.
  13. Canada Post Stamp Details, July to September 2009, Volume XVIII, No. 3, p. 10
  14. Morris, Jim (December 3, 2013). "Sweeting, Martin among the unbeaten" (PDF). Morning Roar (3). Retrieved December 18, 2015.
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