Mayerthorpe

Mayerthorpe /ˈmɛərθɔːrp/ is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is approximately 120 km (75 mi) northwest of Edmonton at the intersection of Highway 43 and Highway 22 (Cowboy Trail). The town is surrounded by Lac Ste. Anne County and is in Alberta's Census Division No. 13.

For the made-for-TV movie, see Mayerthorpe tragedy § In popular culture.
Mayerthorpe
Town
Town of Mayerthorpe
Location in Lac Ste. Anne County
Location in Lac Ste. Anne County
Mayerthorpe is located in Alberta
Mayerthorpe
Mayerthorpe
Location of Mayerthorpe in Alberta
Coordinates: 53°57′01″N 115°08′01″W
CountryCanada
ProvinceAlberta
Planning regionUpper Athabasca
Municipal districtLac Ste. Anne County
Incorporated[1] 
 • VillageMarch 5, 1927
 • TownMarch 20, 1961
Government
[2]
 • MayorJanet Jabush
 • Governing bodyMayerthorpe Town Council
Area
 (2021)[3]
 • Land4.39 km2 (1.69 sq mi)
Elevation
[4]
712 m (2,336 ft)
Population
 (2021)[3][5]
 • Total1,259
 • Density286.6/km2 (742/sq mi)
DemonymMayerthorpian
Time zoneUTC−7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−6 (MDT)
Area code-1+780
HighwaysHighway 22
Highway 43
WaterwayPaddle River
Websitewww.mayerthorpe.ca

History

The name of the post office, established in 1915, honours R. I. Mayer, the first postmaster. "Thorpe" is from the Old English for hamlet or village.[6]

Mayerthorpe incorporated as a village on March 5, 1927.[1] It then incorporated as a town just over 34 years later on March 20, 1961.[1]

On March 3, 2005, four officers serving with the Mayerthorpe and Whitecourt detachments of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) were killed in the Mayerthorpe tragedy.

On July 29, 2008, the Mayerthorpe Arena was destroyed by a fire. In 2011, after three years of planning and fundraising, the new arena, now called the Mayerthorpe Exhibition Centre, was officially opened.[7]

In 2016, a string of suspicious fires in the area resulted in the destruction of a CN trestle bridge.[8] The bridge was rebuilt shortly thereafter, in about twenty days.[9]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Mayerthorpe had a population of 1,259 living in 511 of its 572 total private dwellings, a change of -4.6% from its 2016 population of 1,320. With a land area of 4.39 km2 (1.69 sq mi), it had a population density of 286.8/km2 (742.8/sq mi) in 2021.[3]

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Mayerthorpe recorded a population of 1,320 living in 540 of its 600 total private dwellings, a -5.6% change from its 2011 population of 1,398. With a land area of 4.37 km2 (1.69 sq mi), it had a population density of 302.1/km2 (782.3/sq mi) in 2016.[10]

Media

The local weekly newspaper serving Mayerthorpe and area is the Mayerthorpe Freelancer.[11]

Sports

The Whitecourt Wild Senior "AA" ice hockey team was added to the North Central Hockey League in 2013. The team plays in the Mayerthorpe Exhibition Centre.[12]

See also

References
  1. "Location and History Profile: Town of Mayerthorpe" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. October 7, 2016. p. 386. Retrieved October 13, 2016.
  2. "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. May 9, 2019. Retrieved October 1, 2021.
  3. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities)". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2022.
  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 8, 2013.
  5. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and population centres". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 13, 2022.
  6. Hamilton, William (1978). The Macmillan Book of Canadian Place Names. Toronto: Macmillan. p. 29. ISBN 0-7715-9754-1.
  7. "Mayerthorpe arena destroyed in fire". 29 July 2008.
  8. Andrea Ross, "Former Mayerthorpe mayor defends son accused of arson in CN fire," CBC News May 1, 2016, URL accessed May 1, 2016.
  9. "Mayerthorpe's CN trestle bridge rebuilt after major fire". CBC News. May 17, 2016. Retrieved July 2, 2016.
  10. "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.
  11. "Mayerthorpe Freelancer". Sun Media Corporation. Retrieved 2012-07-15.
  12. Harvey, Ann (September 10, 2013). "North Central Hockey League comes to Whitecourt". Whitecourt Star.

Further reading
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Mayerthorpe.
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