Valleyview is a town in northwest Alberta,

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

. It is surrounded by the

Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district (MD) in northwest Alberta, Canada. It covers the full extent of Census Division 18, and with an area of , it is the largest municipal district in Alberta. Its administrative& ...

and in Census Division No. 18. It is at the junction of Highway 43 and Highway 49, between the

Little Smoky River The Little Smoky River is a tributary of the Smoky River in west-central Alberta, Canada. Course The river originates in the foothills of the Canadian Rockies, west of Grande Cache and flows in a north-east direction throughout the foothill ...

and Sturgeon Lake. Its position, in the junction of the two highways into the Peace Region, has led to the town motto, "Portal to the Peace".

History

The area around Valleyview has been inhabited by native peoples for thousands of years due to the area's rich hunting and fishing grounds. The local

Cree The Cree ( cr, néhinaw, script=Latn, , etc.; french: link=no, Cri) are a North American Indigenous people. They live primarily in Canada, where they form one of the country's largest First Nations. In Canada, over 350,000 people are Cree o ...

population has lived in the region since at least the 18th century. In the early 1800s the first visitors to the area arrived, seeking natives to exchange goods for furs. The trading was good and a

Hudson's Bay Company The Hudson's Bay Company (HBC; french: Compagnie de la Baie d'Hudson) is a Canadian retail business group. A fur trading business for much of its existence, HBC now owns and operates retail stores in Canada. The company's namesake business di ...

post was established on Sturgeon Lake in 1877. Peace River Jim’ Cornwall established the Bredin and Cornwall Trading Post nearby. The area was surveyed in 1900 for a possible settlement, but little developed of it. The following year the area was surveyed again by Fred Young who was particularly impressed with a piece of land on the northwest shore of Sturgeon Lake. By 1916 the first pioneers settled in the area nearby as its soil was rich for farming. The community that formed to serve the growing population was initially named Red Willow Creek. Only when the first post office was opened in 1929 did the community change its name to Valleyview. In late 1950 oil was discovered near the hamlet. The Whitecourt Cutoff project was completed in 1955, significantly reducing the travel time between the Peace Country and

Edmonton Edmonton ( ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Alberta. Edmonton is situated on the North Saskatchewan River and is the centre of the Edmonton Metropolitan Region, which is surrounded by Alberta's central region. The city an ...

. In 2020 the Town of Valleyview and

Chamber of Commerce A chamber of commerce, or board of trade, is a form of business network. For example, a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to ...

renamed a stretch of the highway to recognize the 65th anniversary of the cutoff's completion. By the late fifties Valleyview had firmly achieved

boomtown A boomtown is a community that undergoes sudden and rapid population and economic growth, or that is started from scratch. The growth is normally attributed to the nearby discovery of a precious resource such as gold, silver, or oil, althou ...

status having been incorporated as a village in 1954 and then a town only three years later in 1957.

Geography

The town is located in the southern Peace Region between the Little Smoky River and Sturgeon Lake. As noted by its name, the town is elevated and overlooks the surrounding valleys. Sturgeon Lake is located approximately 15 km west of the town and is home to Young's Point Provincial Park, a popular provincial park in the area. Residing next to the Sturgeon Lake Cree Nation reservation #154, within the land of treaty 8. Valleyview lies on the

Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin The Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin (WCSB) underlies of Western Canada including southwestern Manitoba, southern Saskatchewan, Alberta, northeastern British Columbia and the southwest corner of the Northwest Territories. This vast sedimentary ...

known for some of the largest coal and oil deposits in the world and the

Duvernay Formation The Duvernay Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Frasnian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin. It was first described in well Anglo Canadian Beaverhill Lake No. 2 in LSD 11-11-50-17W4M by Imperial Oil staff in 1950. The formation w ...

a rich source of natural gas and oil. The town is also located in an active geothermal area.

Climate

Valleyview experiences a

humid continental climate A humid continental climate is a climatic region defined by Russo-German climatologist Wladimir Köppen in 1900, typified by four distinct seasons and large seasonal temperature differences, with warm to hot (and often humid) summers and freez ...

(

Köppen climate classification The Köppen climate classification is one of the most widely used climate classification systems. It was first published by German-Russian climatologist Wladimir Köppen (1846–1940) in 1884, with several later modifications by Köppen, nota ...

''Dfb''). Summers are warm with cool nights. Winters are long and severely cold.

Demographics

In the

2021 Census of Population The 2021 Canadian census was a detailed enumeration of the Canadian population with a reference date of May 11, 2021. It follows the 2016 Canadian census, which recorded a population of 35,151,728. The overall response rate was 98%, which is sli ...

conducted by

Statistics Canada Statistics Canada (StatCan; french: Statistique Canada), formed in 1971, is the agency of the Government of Canada commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and cultu ...

, the Town of Valleyview had a population of 1,673 living in 661 of its 782 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 1,863. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2021. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Valleyview recorded a population of 1,863 living in 747 of its 833 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 1,761. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016. The Town of Valleyview's 2013 municipal census counted a population of 1,972, a change from its 2007 municipal census population of 1,884.

Government

Municipal politics

Valleyview Town Council consists of a mayor and six councillors. The entire council was acclaimed in the last municipal election. Vern Lymburner, the current mayor, has served the town for over a decade including terms as councillor. The town's Chief Administrative Officer is Ben Berlinguette.

Provincial politics

Valleyview is part of the

Central Peace-Notley Central Peace-Notley is a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada. The district was one of 87 districts mandated to return a single member (MLA) to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using the first past the post method of voting. It ...

provincial electoral district. The riding was first contested in 2019; previously, Valleyview was in the

Grande Prairie-Smoky Grande Prairie-Smoky was a provincial electoral district in Alberta, Canada, mandated to return a single member to the Legislative Assembly of Alberta using first-past-the-post balloting from 1993 to 2019. The riding was created in 1993 when ...

riding. Central Peace-Notley is represented by MLA

Todd Loewen Douglas Todd Loewen (born September 16, 1966) is a Canadian politician and the Member of the Legislative Assembly of Alberta for Central Peace-Notley. Loewen was first elected in 2015 as a member of the Wildrose Party for the electoral district o ...

, who was elected as a member of the

United Conservative Party The United Conservative Party of Alberta (UCP) is a conservative political party in the province of Alberta, Canada. It was established in July 2017 as a merger between the Progressive Conservative Association of Alberta and the Wildrose Party ...

in 2019. Loewen now sits as an independent MLA.

Federal politics

Valleyview is part of the

Peace River The Peace River (french: links=no, rivière de la Paix) is a river in Canada that originates in the Rocky Mountains of northern British Columbia and flows to the northeast through northern Alberta. The Peace River joins the Athabasca River in ...

federal electoral district, and is represented by MP

Chris Warkentin Chris Warkentin (born November 20, 1978) is a businessman and Conservative politician from Alberta, Canada. Personal life Warkentin was born in Grande Prairie and raised on the family farm east of Grande Prairie, near the Hamlet of DeBolt i ...

. In the next federal election, Valleyview will become part of the newly created riding of

Peace River—Westlock Peace River—Westlock is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the House of Commons of Canada since 2015. Peace River—Westlock was created by the 2012 federal electoral boundaries redistribution and w ...

Economy

Valleyview's economy is primarily resource driven with oil and gas being the predominant industry. Multiple oil and gas companies operate in the area with several pipelines in the vicinity.

Tervita Tervita was a public company based out of Alberta, Canada that specialized in energy and environmental waste services. It was co-founded by David P. Werklund as Concord Well Servicing in 1979. It became Canadian Crude Separators Corporation (CCS ...

began in Valleyview as Concord Well Servicing in 1979, founded by David Werklund and Gordon Vivian, and still has operations in the area. Pembina Pipeline has an office in Valleyview and operates a terminal facility south of town along with managing other assets in the area. The industry also supports a variety of well service companies and related businesses. The travel industry is also a major component in Valleyview. Situated along the

CANAMEX Corridor The CANAMEX corridor is a series of improvements to freeways and other transportation infrastructure linking Canada to Mexico through the United States. The corridor was established under the North American Free Trade Agreement. Currently the corr ...

and at the junction of two major highways, a service corridor has developed to cater to the needs of travelers. Hotels/

motel A motel, also known as a motor hotel, motor inn or motor lodge, is a hotel designed for motorists, usually having each room entered directly from the parking area for motor vehicles rather than through a central lobby. Entering dictionarie ...

s, gas/service stations and

fast food Fast food is a type of mass-produced food designed for commercial resale, with a strong priority placed on speed of service. It is a commercial term, limited to food sold in a restaurant or store with frozen, preheated or precooked ingredie ...

establishments have been built adjacent to the portions of Highway 43 and Highway 49 that pass through town. This section is called Crocus Hill Gasoline Alley. Another notable employer in Valleyview is the Municipal District of Greenview, which has its main administrative office and several departments situated within town limits. The town is also a regional hub for medical services.

Attractions

Valleyview hosts the Crocus Hill Stampede, an annual

rodeo Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working vaq ...

and

agricultural show An agricultural show is a public event exhibiting the equipment, animals, sports and recreation associated with agriculture and animal husbandry. The largest comprise a livestock show (a judged event or display in which breeding stock is exhibit ...

at the Valleyview and District Agricultural Society grounds. Each summer a

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Types Variations of fairs incl ...

is held on the town's Main St. (50th Ave).

Sports and recreation

Greenview Regional Multiplex (GRM) Valleyview Alberta

Valleyview is the home of Greenview's regional multiplex titled the Greenview Regional Multiplex. The recreational centre opened February 9, 2018, boasting aquatics, a fieldhouse, a play area, a commercial kitchen, and a fitness centre located on the second floor. Valleyview's main recreational activity is found at the ice rink, named ''Polar Palace''. This is where the Valleyview's hockey team (the ''Valleyview Jets'') plays regular games in the Peace Region league. Also located in the ice rink is a curling rink which has regular bonspiels. Next door to the Polar Palace is the local pool, which is on the same grounds as the lovely Legion picnic area and water park. The nearby Sturgeon Lake provides setting for outdoor activities. Two provincial parks are found on its shores:

Young's Point Provincial Park Young's Point Provincial Park is a provincial park located in northwestern Alberta, Canada. It is located on the north shore of Sturgeon Lake, 23 km west of Valleyview, a short distance from Highway 43. Nature The park was established ...

(beach, boating, fishing, camping) and Williamson Provincial Park (beach, boating, fishing).

Infrastructure

Transportation

Valleyview is situated on the junction of Highway 43 leading to

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

and

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U ...

via

Grande Prairie Grande Prairie is a city in northwest Alberta, Canada within the southern portion of an area known as Peace River Country. It is located at the intersection of Highway 43 (part of the CANAMEX Corridor) and Highway 40 (the Bighorn Highway), a ...

and the north south stretch of Highway 49 towards Donnelly and Alberta Highway 2 towards Peace River. The town is served by Valleyview Airport (TC LID: CEL5), located south of the community. The Valleyview airport primarily provides air ambulance flights and serves as a hub for recreational pilots and charter flights in the area. As of 2022 a capital upgrade initiative is underway to improve infrastructure at the Valleyview Airport. There are no regularly scheduled flights.

Healthcare

The Valleyview Health Centre, administered by

Alberta Health Services Alberta Health Services (AHS) which is headquartered in Edmonton, Alberta is the single health authority for the Canadian province of Alberta and the "largest integrated provincial health care system" in Canada. AHS delivers medical care on be ...

, provides emergency care and other services to the town and immediate area. Alberta Health Services provides immunizations, early-childhood classes, and additional services through Valleyview Community Health Services located in the Provincial Building on 50th Ave. The Valleyview Medical and Dental Clinic provides doctor's offices and dental services.

Education

Valleyview has three public schools, operated by Northern Gateway Public Schools, which combined serve students from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Valleyview also has St. Stephen's, a Catholic school serving students from Kindergarten to Grade Nine operated by the Holy Family Catholic Regional Division.

Northern Lakes College Northern Lakes College is a publicly funded comprehensive community college in northern Alberta, Canada. Administrative offices are located in Slave Lake and Grouard, Alberta, with a staff of more than 275 working in more than 25 community campu ...

provides post-secondary education at their Valleyview Campus.

Notable people

*David Werklund, entrepreneur and

Alberta Order of Excellence The Alberta Order of Excellence (french: Ordre d'excellence de l'Alberta) is a civilian honour for merit in the Canadian province of Alberta. Instituted in 1979 when Lieutenant Governor Frank C. Lynch-Staunton granted royal assent to the Alberta O ...

recipient * Rona Ambrose, politician *

, politician *Wyatt McIntyre, politician

References

External links

* {{Alberta Regions Upper Peace 1955 establishments in Alberta Towns in Alberta