Wood Buffalo, Alberta

For the park, see Wood Buffalo National Park. For other uses, see Wood buffalo (disambiguation).

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo
—  Specialized municipality  —
Seal
Location of Wood Buffalo in Alberta
Coordinates: 56°43′36″N 111°22′47″W / 56.72667°N 111.37972°W / 56.72667; -111.37972Coordinates: 56°43′36″N 111°22′47″W / 56.72667°N 111.37972°W / 56.72667; -111.37972
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Northern Alberta
Census division	No. 16
Incorporated [1]
- Specialized municipality	April 1, 1995
Name change	August 14, 1996
Municipal seat	Fort McMurray
Government[2]
– Mayor	Melissa Blake
– Governing body	Wood Buffalo Municipal Council Mike Allen David Allen Blair Sonny Flett Sheldon Germain Dave Kirschner Phil Meagher Don Scott Jane Stroud Russel Thomas Allan Glenn Vinni
– CAO	Glen Laubenstein
Area[3]
– Total	63,342.89 km2 (24,456.8 sq mi)
Population (2006)[3][4]
– Total	51,924
	The above is Statistics Canada's revised population from the Canada 2006 Census. See Demographics section for population updates from subsequent municipal censuses.
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)
Website	Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo

The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is a specialized municipality located in northeastern Alberta. Formed as a result of the amalgamation of the City of Fort McMurray and Improvement District No. 143 on April 1, 1995,^[5] it is the second largest municipality in Alberta by area.^[6] Underlying its 63,343 km² (24,457 sq mi)^[3] of wilderness lie vast oil sand deposits, also known as the Athabasca Oil Sands, helping to make the region one of the fastest growing industrial areas in Canada.

Until the Alberta electoral boundary re-distribution of 2004, the municipality was divided between the provincial electoral districts of Fort McMurray (the community itself) and Athabasca-Wabasca (the surrounding area). The re-distribution amalgamated the municipality into a single electoral district covering the entire municipality. As a result, the new Wood Buffalo electoral district became the most populous such district in Alberta.^{[citation needed]}

List of communities

Urban service areas

• Fort McMurray

Hamlets

• Anzac
• Conklin
• Fort Chipewyan
• Fort Mackay
• Gregoire Lake Estates
• Janvier South
• Saprae Creek

Other communities

• Draper
• Fort Fitzgerald
• Mariana Lake

Demographics

Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo population breakdown [7]
Component	Permanent population	Shadow population	Total population
Urban service area (Fort McMurray)	62,589	1,539	64,128
Rural service area	4,159	23,325	27,484
Total R.M. of Wood Buffalo	66,748	24,864	91,612

The population of the Regional Municipality (R.M.) of Wood Buffalo is 91,612,^[7] which includes 66,748 permanent residents counted by the R.M. of Wood Buffalo's 2007 municipal census^[7][8] and the 24,864 non-permanent residents counted by Wood Buffalo's 2010 shadow population update.^[7] Within, the total population of the Fort McMurray urban service area is 64,128 (62,589 permanent and 1,539 non-permanent residents) and the rural service area is 27,484 (4,159 permanent and 23,325 non-permanent residents).^[7][8]

In 2006, the R.M. of Wood Buffalo had a population of 51,496 living in 20,505 dwellings, a 24.3% increase from 2001.^[3] However, this population has since been revised by Statistics Canada to 51,924.^[4] Using the pre-revised Statistics Canada data, Wood Buffalo had a land area of 63,342.89 km² (24,456.83 sq mi) and a population density of 0.8 /km² (2.1 /sq mi) in 2006.^[3]

In 2001, the R.M. of Wood Buffalo had a population of 41,466 in 14,793 dwellings, a 17.8% increase from 1996. On a surface area of 63,400.51 km² it had a density of 0.7 /km² (1.8 /sq mi).^[9]

Population controversy

The determination of the R.M. of Wood Buffalo's population has twice been subject to controversy since 2007. First, Statistics Canada's March 2007 release of the population and dwelling counts from the 2006 census reported an overall population that was 18,000 residents less than the amount of permanent residents the municipality counted in its own census conducted in 2006.^[3][10][11]

Second, the R.M. of Wood Buffalo published a total population of 103,334 as a result of its 2008 municipal census, which included both its permanent and non-permanent (shadow) populations.^[12] Alberta Municipal Affairs rejected the census result as the total population was generated through the use of extrapolation instead of door-to-door census enumeration.^[13][14]

Aboriginal identity

As of the 2006 census more than 12% of residents identified as aboriginal.^[15]

Mother tongue

Nearly 85% of residents identified English, and 3% identified French, as their first language. The next most common languages are Cree, Spanish and Arabic at 1.2% each; Tagalog and Chinese at 0.8% each; Dene/Chipewyan and Urdu at 0.6% each, and German at 0.5%.^[16]

Immigration

Wood Buffalo is home to almost 2,000 recent immigrants (arriving between 2001 and 2006) who now make up more than 3% of the population. About 21% of these immigrants came from India, while about 10% came from each of Pakistan and the Philippines, and about 9% came from Venezuela, and about 8% from South Africa, about 6% from China, and about 3% came from Colombia.^[17]

Religion

More than 80% of residents identified as Christian at the time of the 2001 census while almost 17% indicated they had no religious affiliation. For specific denominations Statistics Canada counted 15,880 Roman Catholics (37.4%), 4,985 Anglicans (11.7%), 4,225 for the United Church of Canada (9.9%), 1,730 Pentecostals (4.1%), 1,195 Baptists (2.8%), 965 for the Salvation Army (2.3%), 900 Lutherans (2.1%), 690 Muslims (1.6%), 350 Latter-day Saints (0.8%), and 320 Presbyterians (0.8%).^[18]

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• Specialized municipalities of Alberta

References

1. ^ Alberta Municipal Affairs (2010-09-17). "Municipal Profile – Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo". http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cfml/MunicipalProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=BasicReport&MunicipalityType=SMUN&stakeholder=508&profileType=HIST&profileType=CONT&profileType=STAT&profileType=FINA&profileType=GRAN&profileType=TAXR&profileType=ASSE. Retrieved 2010-10-02. 
2. ^ "Municipal Officials Search". Alberta Municipal Affairs. November 11, 2011. http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/mc_municipal_officials_search.cfm. Retrieved November 11, 2011. 
3. ^ ^{a b c d e f} "Wood Buffalo Alberta (Regional municipality)". Statistics Canada. http://www12.statcan.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/prof/92-591/details/page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4816037&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=wood%20buffalo&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All. Retrieved 2009-11-09. 
4. ^ ^{a b} Statistics Canada (2009-02-09). "2006 Census corrections and updates". http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/corrections/updatepages/cgen001.cfm?lvl=H. Retrieved 2010-11-28. 
5. ^ Province of Alberta (1994-12-21). "Order in Council (O.C.) 817/94". http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/cfml/pdf_search/pdf/SMUN/0508/Regional_Municipality_of_Wood_Buffalo_OC_817_94_1995_No7.pdf. Retrieved 2010-08-01. 
6. ^ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2006 and 2001 censuses - 100% data". Statistics Canada. 2010-01-06. http://www12.statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2006/dp-pd/hlt/97-550/Index.cfm?TPL=P1C&Page=RETR&LANG=Eng&T=301&SR=1&S=9&O=D. Retrieved 2011-10-03. 
7. ^ ^{a b c d e} "Alberta 2010 Official Population List". Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2010-09-15. http://www.municipalaffairs.alberta.ca/documents/msb/2010pop.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
8. ^ ^{a b} "2007 Municipal Census Report". R.M. of Wood Buffalo. 2007. http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/Assets/Corporate/Census+Reports/2007+Municipal+Census.pdf. Retrieved 2011-08-10. 
9. ^ Statistics Canada (2007-02-01). buffalo&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom= "2001 Community Profiles – Wood Buffalo, Alberta (Regional Municipality)". http://www12.statcan.ca/english/profil01/CP01/Details/Page.cfm?Lang=E&Geo1=CSD&Code1=4816037&Geo2=PR&Code2=48&Data=Count&SearchText=wood buffalo&SearchType=Begins&SearchPR=01&B1=All&Custom=. Retrieved 2010-09-29. 
10. ^ R.M. of Wood Buffalo (2006). "Municipal Census 2006". http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/business/demographics/pdf/2006_census.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
11. ^ "Wood Buffalo to challenge federal census". Fort McMurray Today. 2010-03-21. http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1828332. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
12. ^ R.M. of Wood Buffalo (2009-06-01). "Municipal Census 2008". http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/business/demographics/pdf/2008_municipal_census.pdf. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
13. ^ "Wood Buffalo hits 100,000, but province not paying up". Fort McMurray Today. 2009-07-16. http://www.fortmcmurraytoday.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?archive=true&e=1659629. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
14. ^ R.M. of Wood Buffalo (2009-07-15). "Wood Buffalo’s population passes 100,000, reports 2008 Municipal Census". http://www.woodbuffalo.ab.ca/municipal_government/media_releases/2009/july15.census.asp?subnav=161. Retrieved 2010-12-01. 
15. ^ "Wood Buffalo". Aboriginal Identity (8), Sex (3) and Age Groups (12) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2008-01-15. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89122&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&Theme=73&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838060. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
16. ^ "Wood Buffalo". Detailed Mother Tongue (186), Knowledge of Official Languages (5), Age Groups (17A) and Sex (3) for the Population of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2001 and 2006 Censuses - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-11-20. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89201&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=701&Temporal=2006&Theme=70&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838060. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
17. ^ "Wood Buffalo". Immigrant Status and Period of Immigration (8) and Place of Birth (261) for the Immigrants and Non-permanent Residents of Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 2006 Census - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-12-04. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census06/data/topics/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?ALEVEL=3&APATH=3&CATNO=&DETAIL=0&DIM=&DS=99&FL=0&FREE=0&GAL=0&GC=99&GK=NA&GRP=1&IPS=&METH=0&ORDER=1&PID=89424&PTYPE=88971&RL=0&S=1&ShowAll=No&StartRow=1&SUB=0&Temporal=2006&Theme=72&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&GID=838060. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 
18. ^ "Wood Buffalo". Religion (95A), Age Groups (7A) and Sex (3) for Population, for Canada, Provinces, Territories, Census Metropolitan Areas and Census Agglomerations, 1991 and 2001 Censuses - 20% Sample Data. Statistics Canada. 2007-03-01. http://www12.statcan.ca/english/census01/products/standard/themes/RetrieveProductTable.cfm?Temporal=2001&PID=55822&APATH=3&METH=1&PTYPE=55440&THEME=56&FOCUS=0&AID=0&PLACENAME=0&PROVINCE=0&SEARCH=0&GC=99&GK=NA&VID=0&VNAMEE=&VNAMEF=&FL=0&RL=0&FREE=0&GID=431646. Retrieved 2008-02-06. 

External links

• Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo