Fort Vermilion
Hamlet
Aerial view from north
Aerial view from north
Official seal of Fort Vermilion
Seal
Fort Vermilion is located in Alberta
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion
Location of Fort Vermilion in Alberta
Fort Vermilion is located in Canada
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion
Fort Vermilion (Canada)
Coordinates: 58°23′24″N 116°01′00″W / 58.39000°N 116.01667°W / 58.39000; -116.01667
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
RegionNorthern Alberta
Census division17
Specialized municipalityMackenzie County
Established1788 (oldest in Alberta)
Government
[1]
 • TypeUnincorporated
 • ReeveJosh Knelsen
 • Governing body
  • Jacquie Bateman
  • Peter F. Braun
  • Cameron Cardinal
  • David Driedger
  • Eric Jorgensen
  • Joshua Knelsen
  • Anthony Peters
  • Ernest Peters
  • Walter Sarapuk
  • Lisa Wardley
 • MPArnold Viersen (Cons - Peace River—Westlock)
 • MLADan Williams (UCP - Peace River)
Area
 (2021)[2]
 • Land5.36 km2 (2.07 sq mi)
Elevation
[3]
270 m (890 ft)
Population
 (2021)[2]
 • Total753
 • Density140.4/km2 (364/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC−07:00 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Postal code
T0H 1N0
Area code(s)780, 587, 825
HighwaysHighway 88 (Bicentennial Highway)
WaterwaysPeace River

Fort Vermilion is a hamlet on the Peace River in northern Alberta, Canada, within Mackenzie County.[4]

Established in 1788, Fort Vermilion shares the title of oldest European settlement in Alberta with Fort Chipewyan.[5][6] Fort Vermilion contains many modern amenities to serve its inhabitants as well as the surrounding rural community. The municipal office of Mackenzie County, Alberta's largest municipality by land area, is located in Fort Vermilion.

The hamlet is located in Census Division No. 17.

History

The Old Bay House
The Hudson's Bay Company vessel Messenger at Fort Vermilion[7]

The area was inhabited by Dane-zaa (Beaver), Dene and later Cree First Nations long before the arrival of European traders and settlers.

Named for the vermilion coloured clays lining the river banks, Fort Vermilion started as a trading community for the North West Company, upstream of the impassible Vermilion Chutes.[7] The fort was established in 1788, following the expeditions of Alexander MacKenzie. Winter residents would trade furs with the native trappers, then send the furs by river during the summer to exchange points to the east and then to Montreal. The fort was later transferred to the Hudson's Bay Company after the 1821 merger. By 1830, it was a prosperous fur trading post.[8] The first Anglican church was built in 1877.[9]

The main access to the settlements was by means of the river, using river boats and then ferries to haul materials in the summer months, when the water was not frozen. In 1903 the first steam-powered vessel to serve Fort Vermilion was the St. Charles built to navigate the 526 mi (847 km) to the upper reaches of the Peace River, from Hudson's Hope to Fort Vermilion.[7] In 1974 a bridge was built over the Peace River immediately west of Fort Vermilion, effectively ending the winter isolation of the community.

The original Old Bay House, home of the chief factor, still exists and is now part of the Fort Vermilion National Historic Site. It was listed as such in 1968, for its importance as site of North West Company and Hudson's Bay Company posts.[10]

The visitor centre is hosted in a 1923 dovetailed log house. Built on the banks of the Peace River, it was moved to its current location in 1983. Another heritage building is the 1907 Clark House, built for the Hudson's Bay clerk quarters, and moved in 1994 to the present location near the visitor centre. The Trappers Shack, built in 1912, is another dovetailed log house. It was listed as a provincial historic site.[5]

In 2018 the airport was named after Canadian Wop May, former bush pilot and WW1 flying ace. It was to Fort Vermilion that May flew to in 1929 with lifesaving drugs.

Demographics

Population history
of Fort Vermilion
YearPop.±%
1941292—    
19511,413+383.9%
1956631−55.3%
1961768+21.7%
1966971+26.4%
1971740−23.8%
1976729−1.5%
1981752+3.2%
1986823+9.4%
1991782−5.0%
1996775−0.9%
2001818+5.5%
2006714−12.7%
2011727+1.8%
2016639−12.1%
2021753+17.8%
Source: Statistics Canada
[11][12][13][14][15][16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23][24][2]

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Vermilion had a population of 753 living in 257 of its 292 total private dwellings, a change of 17.8% from its 2016 population of 639. With a land area of 5.36 km2 (2.07 sq mi), it had a population density of 140.5/km2 (363.9/sq mi) in 2021.[2]

The population of Fort Vermilion according to the 2018 municipal census conducted by Mackenzie County is 763.[25]

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Fort Vermilion had a population of 639 living in 224 of its 294 total private dwellings, a change of -12.1% from its 2011 population of 727. With a land area of 5.8 km2 (2.2 sq mi), it had a population density of 110.2/km2 (285.3/sq mi) in 2016.[24]

Education

Two schools are located in Fort Vermilion, both administered by the Fort Vermilion School Division No. 52.[26]

Fort Vermilion Public is part of the public school system and offers education from grade 6 to grade 12. Approximately 150 students attend this school. St. Mary's Elementary functions in the Catholic school system and is a kindergarten to grade 6 school. It has approximately 145 students.

The Northern Lakes College, established in 1999, has one of its 26 campuses in Fort Vermilion. It was previously known as Alberta Vocational Centre Grouard, and offered education to First Nations students.[27]

Geography

Fort Vermilion is located approximately 85 km (53 mi) southeast of High Level and 661 km (411 mi) northwest of Edmonton on the Highway 88 (Bicentennial Highway). The hamlet of La Crete is located approximately 47 km (29 mi) southwest of Fort Vermilion on Highway 697.

The hamlet is one of the northernmost communities in the Peace River Country. Peace Country, in the aspen parkland biome, is Canada's northernmost land suitable for agriculture. The landscape is dominated by aspen, poplars and spruce, occasionally interspersed with areas of grasslands. Wildlife is abundant in the area, and includes bears, moose, deer, beavers, foxes, coyotes and Canada geese and Sandhill cranes[8]

The hamlet is situated on the southern banks of the Peace River, with an elevation ranging from 255 to 282 m (837 to 925 ft) and the Indian reserve of Fort Vermilion 173B is about a kilometre east. The North Vermilion Settlement lies on the opposite (northern) shore of the river, while Fort Vermilion (Wop May Memorial) Aerodrome is located directly beside the hamlet on the north east side.

Climate

Despite being so high in latitude, Fort Vermilion experiences a humid continental climate (Dfb), though bordering closely on subarctic, with long, very cold winters and brief but fairly warm summers. Temperatures during the winter can drop to −40 °C (−40.0 °F) to −50 °C (−58.0 °F). Summer days benefit from long hours of daylight due to its northern location.[8]

Fort Vermilion holds the record for the coldest temperature in Canada recorded outside Yukon, when on 11 January 1911, the temperature dropped down to −61.2 °C (−78.2 °F).[28][29] The highest temperature ever recorded was 39.4 °C (102.9 °F) on 15 May 1912.[29] This gives a temperature range of 100.6 °C (181.1 °F), one of only a handful locations in the world.

Climate data for Fort Vermilion (Fort Vermilion CDA)
WMO ID / Climate ID: n/a; coordinates 58°23′N 116°02′W / 58.383°N 116.033°W / 58.383; -116.033 (Fort Vermilion CDA); elevation: 279 m (915 ft); 1961-1990 normals
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 11.1
(52.0)		 21.1
(70.0)		 16.7
(62.1)		 28.3
(82.9)		 39.4
(102.9)		 36.7
(98.1)		 37.8
(100.0)		 36.7
(98.1)		 31.1
(88.0)		 26.7
(80.1)		 16.5
(61.7)		 18.3
(64.9)		 39.4
(102.9)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) −18.2
(−0.8)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −3.7
(25.3)		 7.8
(46.0)		 16.7
(62.1)		 21.6
(70.9)		 23.1
(73.6)		 21.3
(70.3)		 14.6
(58.3)		 6.7
(44.1)		 −6.8
(19.8)		 −15.7
(3.7)		 4.6
(40.3)
Daily mean °C (°F) −22.7
(−8.9)		 −17.3
(0.9)		 −10.0
(14.0)		 1.8
(35.2)		 10.2
(50.4)		 15.0
(59.0)		 16.9
(62.4)		 15.0
(59.0)		 8.9
(48.0)		 2.2
(36.0)		 −10.5
(13.1)		 −19.8
(−3.6)		 −0.9
(30.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −27.3
(−17.1)		 −22.8
(−9.0)		 −16.2
(2.8)		 −4.2
(24.4)		 3.7
(38.7)		 8.4
(47.1)		 10.6
(51.1)		 8.7
(47.7)		 3.2
(37.8)		 −2.4
(27.7)		 −14.4
(6.1)		 −24.2
(−11.6)		 −6.4
(20.5)
Record low °C (°F) −61.2
(−78.2)		 −57.2
(−71.0)		 −47.2
(−53.0)		 −38.9
(−38.0)		 −14.4
(6.1)		 −8.9
(16.0)		 −6.7
(19.9)		 −5.6
(21.9)		 −15.0
(5.0)		 −32.0
(−25.6)		 −43.9
(−47.0)		 −57.8
(−72.0)		 −61.2
(−78.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 20.2
(0.80)		 17.5
(0.69)		 19.8
(0.78)		 18.8
(0.74)		 35.3
(1.39)		 47.1
(1.85)		 64.4
(2.54)		 54.7
(2.15)		 35.4
(1.39)		 28.1
(1.11)		 20.8
(0.82)		 19.7
(0.78)		 381.7
(15.03)
Average rainfall mm (inches) 0.9
(0.04)		 0.7
(0.03)		 0.8
(0.03)		 7.6
(0.30)		 32.9
(1.30)		 47.1
(1.85)		 64.4
(2.54)		 54.7
(2.15)		 34.5
(1.36)		 16.1
(0.63)		 1.3
(0.05)		 0.9
(0.04)		 261.9
(10.31)
Average snowfall cm (inches) 21.0
(8.3)		 17.5
(6.9)		 20.7
(8.1)		 11.7
(4.6)		 2.2
(0.9)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.0
(0.0)		 0.8
(0.3)		 10.8
(4.3)		 20.9
(8.2)		 20.2
(8.0)		 125.8
(49.5)
Average precipitation days (≥ 0.2 mm[lower-alpha 1]) 7 6 6 5 8 10 11 11 9 7 8 8 96
Average rainy days (≥ 0.2 mm[lower-alpha 1]) — — — 2 8 10 11 — — 5 — — 55
Average snowy days (≥ 0.2 cm[lower-alpha 1]) 7 6 6 2 — 0 0 0 — 3 7 8 39.00
Source: Environment and Climate Change Canada[29]
  1. 1 2 3 Entries with — indicate less than 1 mm.

Infrastructure

A side view of the Fort Vermilion Bridge crossing the Peace River

The Fort Vermilion Community and Cultural Complex includes a hockey rink and concession, community hall/dance hall/stage with commercial kitchen and a curling rink. The Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre manages 25 sites (listed as both provincial and national historic sites), including the old log houses, the Dominion Experimental Farm, First Nations and natural history exhibits.[30] Also located at the community complex is a RV waste dumping site and potable water refill location. The community complex also boasts workout facilities, a splash park, ball diamonds and playground - making it a great stop to relax and cool off on hot summer days.

St. Theresa General Hospital is a building built in 1983, offering 26 acute-care beds and 8 long-term-care beds, as well as an emergency department. It employs approximately 76 health workers, and is administered by Alberta Health Services.[31] The Provincial Court of Alberta maintains a circuit court in Fort Vermilion,[32] with the base point located in High Level. The court used to reside in the old hospital building but now has a modern facility beside west of St. Henry's Roman Catholic Church. The old hospital building (aka old court house) has now been re-purposed and relocated as an office place for MARA (Mackenzie Applied Research Association) at the Fort Vermilion Experimental Farm.

The Fantasy North Golf & Country Club is a 9-hole golf course with a 150-year history. Additional facilities include a mini golf park, driving range and clubhouse. The course closed in spring 2020 following the flooding of the Peace River and remains inoperational due to extensive flood damage to clubhouse and course watering system.

The hamlet also has a public library[33] and four churches: St. Theresa Catholic Church, Church of God in Christ Mennonite, Faith Gospel Fellowship and St. Luke's Anglican Church. The St. Luke's Anglican Church Cemetery dates back to 1877.

Located east of the settlement is the Fort Vermilion (Wop May Memorial) Aerodrome (TC LID: CEZ4), administered by Mackenzie County. It is an airport that serves the area with Provincial Air Ambulance services, as well as aerial firefighting. CanWest Air operates a base here with a charter and medevac aircraft. There is also a small heliport, Fort Vermilion/Country Gardens B&B Heliport.

The Rodeo Grounds are located 5 km (3.1 mi) southwest of the community, and hosts a rodeo every year in July (check for dates). The event features cattle roping and bucking broncos along with other competition.

Other events and festivals held in Fort Vermilion include Canada Day celebrations, Town and Country Fair, River Daze and Arts and Crafts Show. A Farmer's Market is organized periodically based on interest. The yearly Get to Know You Night is held in mid September to promote services and organizations is popular with northern residents.

DA Thomas Park is a grassed day use area in Fort Vermilion that provides picnic tables with campfire spots overlooking the river with a boat launch and dock to access the river.

There are a number of beaches along the Peace River that are accessible only by boat (upstream and downstream). In North Vermilion (Buttertown) there is a beach accessible by road.

Government

Fort Vermilion is in the federal riding of Peace River—Westlock, represented by MP Arnold Viersen. Prior to the 2012 redistribution of federal electoral riding boundaries, the land was part of the Peace River electoral district.

Notable residents

Fred Brick, husband to Sarah Lendrum (formerly of the Strathcona area), was an early businessman, farmer and trader at Fort Vermilion. Sarah came to join Fred at Fort Vermilion in 1896.[34][35]

Fort Vermilion was home to cowboy Kenton Randle, known as "Rugged". Born 1960 and deceased 23 November 2003. Kenton was the bareback bronc rider who represented Canada at the 2002 Olympics in Salt Lake City. In November 2015 he was inducted into the Canadian Pro Rodeo Hall of Fame as a Legend of Rodeo.

Fort Vermilion was the childhood home of writers and brothers Will Ferguson and Ian Ferguson. Will vividly describes his childhood there in his memoirs Beauty Tips from Moose Jaw. He mentions that the town was included in the 1976 version of Ghost Towns of Alberta, much to the chagrin of its residents at that time.

Dave Hancock, named 15th premier of Alberta on 23 March 2014 following the resignation of Alison Redford, grew up in Fort Vermilion.[36]

Gloria Chomiak Atamanenko, a social worker, writer, and translator, was born in Fort Vermilion.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. 9 May 2019. Retrieved 1 October 2021.
  2. 1 2 3 4 "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. 9 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  3. ↑ "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). Archived from the original (PDF) on 16 October 2013. Retrieved 8 October 2013.
  4. ↑ "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 12 January 2022. Retrieved 21 January 2022.
  5. 1 2 Discover the Peace Country. "Hamlet of Fort Vermilion". Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  6. ↑ Athabasca Tribal Council - Athabasca Chipewyan First Nation Archived 1 May 2008 at the Wayback Machine
  7. 1 2 3 Edward L. Affleck. "Steamboating on the Peace River" (PDF). British Columbia History. Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 September 2013. Retrieved 6 December 2012. The brothers built a fleet of small primitive steamers, extending by 1903 to the waters of the Peace above the Vermilion Chutes. In that year the pint—sized sternwheeler St. Charles began to work the 526 mile stretch from Fort Vermilion to Hudson's Hope, carrying lumber and supplies for the Mission at Fort St. John in British Columbia, as well as goods for the North-West Mounted Police.
  8. 1 2 3 St. Mary's School. "About Fort Vermilion". Archived from the original on 28 December 2007. Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  9. ↑ Clark, Edith J. Lawrence (1982). Fort Vermilion before Alberta : an early history of the Ft. Vermilion district. Erskine, Alberta: Pioneers of Ft. Vermilion. p. 14. Archived from the original on 13 January 2016.
  10. ↑ Parks Canada. "Fort Vermilion National Historic Site of Canada". Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  11. ↑ Ninth Census of Canada, 1951 (PDF). Vol. SP-7 (Population: Unincorporated villages and hamlets). Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 31 March 1954. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  12. ↑ Census of Canada, 1956 (PDF). Vol. Population of unincorporated villages and settlements. Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 25 October 1957. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  13. ↑ 1961 Census of Canada: Population (PDF). Series SP: Unincorporated Villages. Vol. Bulletin SP—4. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. 18 April 1963. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  14. ↑ Census of Canada 1966: Population (PDF). Special Bulletin: Unincorporated Places. Vol. Bulletin S–3. Ottawa: Dominion Bureau of Statistics. August 1968. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  15. ↑ 1971 Census of Canada: Population (PDF). Special Bulletin: Unincorporated Settlements. Vol. Bulletin SP—1. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. March 1973. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  16. ↑ "Geographical Identification and Population for Unincorporated Places of 25 persons and over, 1971 and 1976". 1976 Census of Canada (PDF). Supplementary Bulletins: Geographic and Demographic (Population of Unincorporated Places—Canada). Vol. Bulletin 8SG.1. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. May 1978. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  17. ↑ 1981 Census of Canada (PDF). Place name reference list. Vol. Western provinces and the Territories. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. May 1983. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  18. ↑ 1986 Census of Canada (PDF). Population. Vol. Unincorporated Places. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. July 1988. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  19. ↑ 91 Census (PDF). Population and Dwelling Counts. Vol. Unincorporated Places. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. June 1993. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  20. ↑ 96 Census (PDF). A National Overivew: Population and Dwelling Counts. Ottawa: Statistics Canada. April 1997. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  21. ↑ "Population and Dwelling Counts, for Canada, Provinces and Territories, and Census Divisions, 2001 and 1996 Censuses - 100% Data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 15 August 2012. Retrieved 5 December 2021.
  22. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 20 July 2021. Retrieved 1 December 2021.
  23. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2012. Retrieved 7 April 2012.
  24. 1 2 "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 8 February 2017. Retrieved 13 February 2017.
  25. ↑ "Mackenzie County Municipal Census 2018" (PDF). Mackenzie County. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 February 2020. Retrieved 25 September 2021.
  26. ↑ "Fort Vermilion School District". Retrieved 13 February 2007.
  27. ↑ "Northern Lakes College". Archived from the original on 21 September 2007. Retrieved 15 February 2008.
  28. ↑ Columbo, John Robert (1995), The 1996 Canadian Global Almanac, Toronto, Ontario: Macmillan Canada, p. 22
  29. 1 2 3 "Canadian Climate Normals 1961-1990 Station Data". Environment and Climate Change Canada. Retrieved 17 August 2019.
  30. ↑ Alberta Online Encyclopedia. "Fort Vermilion Heritage Centre". Retrieved 16 August 2008.
  31. ↑ Northern Lights Health Region. "St. Theresa General Hospital". Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  32. ↑ Provincial Court of Alberta. "Provincial Court Fort Vermilion". Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  33. ↑ "Fort Vermilion Community Library". Retrieved 16 February 2008.
  34. ↑ "Rita Florence Brick 1897-1976 - Ancestry®".
  35. ↑ Monto, Old Strathcona, Edmonton's Southside Roots, p. 163
  36. ↑ "Thomson: New job a consolation prize for veteran cabinet minister who ran for leader in 2006". Archived from the original on 1 May 2014. Retrieved 21 March 2014.
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