List of localities in Alberta facts for kids
In the Canadian province of Alberta, a locality is a place where people live, but it's not an official city, town, or village. These places often have small or spread-out populations, and their exact borders might not be clearly defined. Localities can be many different things, like industrial areas (such as Acheson), groups of homes on large plots of land (like McDermott), trailer parks (like Branch Inn Trailer Court in Yellowhead County), or even roadside stops with different businesses (like Beach Corner). Some localities are also old settlements that have turned back into farmland, like Connor Creek.
As of October 2020, Alberta had 864 localities listed in its Geographical Names System (GNS). Another group, Statistics Canada, recognized 2,342 localities in Alberta during its 2006 Census. This number doesn't include cities, towns, or airports. Out of these, 830 are also recognized by Alberta's GNS. When you combine both lists, there are 2,372 localities in Alberta.
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What is a Locality in Alberta?
A locality is basically a place where people live, but it's not a big, organized community like a city or town. Think of it as a small neighborhood, a group of farms, or even a place where a few businesses are gathered. The borders of these places are often not set in stone.
Different Kinds of Localities
Localities in Alberta come in many shapes and sizes:
- Industrial areas: Places where many factories or businesses are located, like Acheson.
- Residential areas: Developments where people live in houses on large pieces of land, like McDermott.
- Trailer parks: Communities made up of mobile homes, such as Branch Inn Trailer Court.
- Roadside stops: Places along highways that offer different services, like Beach Corner.
- Historic neighborhoods: Parts of big cities that have a special history or are planned as unique areas, like Mount Royal in Calgary.
- Old settlements: Places that used to be busy communities but have since become quiet farmlands, like Connor Creek.
How are Localities Counted?
Two main groups keep track of localities in Alberta:
- Alberta's Geographical Names System (GNS): This system had 864 localities listed in October 2020.
- Statistics Canada: This group counts people and places for the Canadian government. In their 2006 Census, they found 2,342 localities in Alberta. This count does not include official cities, towns, or hamlets. Many of these are also on Alberta's GNS list.
When you look at both lists, there are over 2,300 different localities across Alberta!
Images for kids
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Distribution of the 864 localities in Alberta's Geographical Names System
