Vilna, Alberta

Vilna
Village
Village of Vilna
Vilna

Location of Vilna

Coordinates: 54°06′56″N 111°55′16″W / 54.11556°N 111.92111°W / 54.11556; -111.92111Coordinates: 54°06′56″N 111°55′16″W / 54.11556°N 111.92111°W / 54.11556; -111.92111
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 Donald Romanko
  Governing body Vilna Village Council
Area (2011)[2]
  Total 0.90 km2 (0.35 sq mi)
Elevation 640 m (2,100 ft)
Population (2011)[2]
  Total 249
  Density 277.5/km2 (719/sq mi)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)
Highways 28
859
Waterways Bonnie Lake, Stony Creek
Website Official website

Vilna is a historic village in central Alberta, Canada.

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.

History

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. Prior to 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). 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]

Demographics

The Village of Vilna's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 290.[5]

In the 2011 Census, the Village of Vilna had a population of 249 living in 111 of its 135 total dwellings, a -9.1% change from its 2006 population of 274. With a land area of 0.9 km2 (0.35 sq mi), it had a population density of 276.7/km2 (716.6/sq mi) in 2011.[2]

In 2006, Vilna had a population of 274 living in 145 dwellings, a 1.9% increase from 2001. The village has a land area of 0.90 km2 (0.35 sq mi) and a population density of 305.3/km2 (791/sq mi).[6]

Attractions

The town claims to be home to the world's largest metal sculpture mushroom.[7]

See also

References

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/24/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.