Vilna is a historic village in central Alberta, Canada.
Vilna | |
---|---|
Village | |
Village of Vilna | |
![]() Pool hall and barbershop | |
![]() ![]() Vilna Location of Vilna | |
Coordinates: 54°06′56″N 111°55′16″W | |
Country | Canada |
Province | Alberta |
Region | Central Alberta |
Census Division | No. 12 |
Municipal district | Smoky Lake County |
Founded | 1907 |
Incorporated[1] | |
• Village | June 23, 1923 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Leo Chapdelaine |
• Governing body | Vilna Village Council |
• Village Council Members | Donald Romanko, Roy Dyck and Leo Chapdelaine |
Area (2021)[2] | |
• Land | 0.96 km2 (0.37 sq mi) |
Elevation | 640 m (2,100 ft) |
Population (2021)[2] | |
• Total | 268 |
• Density | 278/km2 (720/sq mi) |
Time zone | UTC−7 (MST) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC−6 (MDT) |
Highways | ![]() ![]() |
Waterways | Bonnie Lake, Stony Creek |
Website | Official website |
Vilna is located in Smoky Lake County, on Highway 28, 150 km (93.2 mi) northeast of the city of Edmonton. Bonnie Lake Provincial Recreation Area is located 6 km (3.7 mi) north of the community, on the shores of Bonnie Lake.
Vilna was founded in 1907, mostly by central European settlers, and started to develop in 1919, when the railroad reached this area. It was named in 1920 after the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius, similarly to the community of Wilno in Ontario, Canada. Before 1920, the local post office was named "Villette".[3] Vilna was incorporated as a village on June 13, 1923.
On February 5, 1967, Vilna experienced a meteor air burst with a yield estimated at about 600 tonnes of TNT (2.5 TJ).[citation needed] Subsequently, two very small meteorite fragments were found – 48 milligrams (0.74 grains) and 94 milligrams (1.45 gr) which are now stored at University of Alberta, in Edmonton.[4]
In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Vilna had a population of 268 living in 108 of its 119 total private dwellings, a change of -7.6% from its 2016 population of 290. With a land area of 0.96 km2 (0.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 279.2/km2 (723.0/sq mi) in 2021.[2]
In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Vilna recorded a population of 290 living in 114 of its 143 total private dwellings, a 16.5% change from its 2011 population of 249. With a land area of 0.96 km2 (0.37 sq mi), it had a population density of 302.1/km2 (782.4/sq mi) in 2016.[5]
The Village of Vilna's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 290.[6]
The town claims to be home to the world's largest metal sculpture mushroom.[7]
Subdivisions of Alberta | |
---|---|
Subdivisions |
|
Communities |
|
Cities and urban service areas |
|
Villages |
|
|