Vegreville () is a town in central Alberta, Canada. It is on Highway 16A approximately east of Edmonton, Alberta's capital city. It was incorporated as a town in 1906, and that year also saw the founding of the Vegreville Observer, a weekly newspaper for the region. It was named after a Roman Catholic Oblate missionary, Father Valentin Vegreville.

A large percentage of Vegreville's population is of Ukrainian Canadian descent, and it is home to the Vegreville egg, the world's second largest pysanka (Ukrainian Easter egg).Giant PysankaPysanka MuseumKolomyia Sights | Pysanka Museum | Easter Egg Museum

Geography

Climate Vegreville experiences a humid continental climate (Köppen climate classification Dfb).

Demographics In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Town of Vegreville had a population of 5,689 living in 2,463 of its 2,735 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2016 population of 5,708. 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 Vegreville recorded a population of 5,708 living in 2,429 of its 2,734 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 5,717. With a land area of , it had a population density of in 2016.

The Town of Vegreville's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 5,758, a 1.3% decrease over its 2010 municipal census population of 5,834.

Age distribution 0 to 19: 26.3% 20 to 64: 50.3% 65+: 23.3%

Mother tongue English: 4,185 French: 105 Other: 1,015

Economy

The primary economic base of the town is agricultural.

Arts and culture

Due to Vegreville's close relationship with the 41 Combat Engineer Regiment, a Canadian Forces Reserve unit based in Edmonton, the Regiment is the only Canadian Forces unit with Freedom of the Town and parades held on Remembrance Day in the town.

Pysanka Festival The Pysanka Festival, founded in 1973, occurs annually during the first weekend of July.

The 2015 festival featured grandstand shows, cultural variety shows, a pioneer village, Ukrainian music, a Zabava (evening Dance) featuring Kolomeyka music, folk arts creating Pysanka (Ukrainian Easter eggs), and a market place.

The festival has hosted the Cheremosh Ukrainian Dance Company, the Ukrainian Male Chorus of Edmonton, and the Kubasonics.

Attractions

Vegreville's pysanka, the second largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world,Pysanka Easter Egg in Vegreville, Alta. was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 and to celebrate Vegreville's ethnic heritage. On July 6, 2009, the pysanka was one of four attractions featured on the first set of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series of stamps issued by Canada Post.Canada Post Stamp Details, July to September 2009, Volume XVIII, No. 3, p. 10

Attractions

Vegreville's pysanka, the second largest Ukrainian Easter egg in the world,Pysanka Easter Egg in Vegreville, Alta. was created to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police in 1974 and to celebrate Vegreville's ethnic heritage. On July 6, 2009, the pysanka was one of four attractions featured on the first set of the Canadian Roadside Attractions Series of stamps issued by Canada Post.Canada Post Stamp Details, July to September 2009, Volume XVIII, No. 3, p. 10

Media Vegreville is serviced by the Vegreville News Advertiser weekly newspaper, an independently owned newspaper established in 1950. Vegreville is also serviced by local radio station Country 106.5.

Infrastructure The town is bisected by Canadian National Railway's Vegreville Subdivision, a rail line connecting Vegreville to Edmonton in the west and to Lloydminster in the east.

Notable people Kyle Brodziak, NHL player George Bures Miller, artist Cam Cole, journalist Linda Craddock (b. 1952), visual artist Laurence Decore, Ukrainian Canadian lawyer, former mayor of Edmonton, Alberta, and former leader of the Alberta Liberal Party Roderick D. Fraser, 11th President of the University of Alberta (1995–2005) Herschel Hardin, writer, playwright, and politician Simma Holt, journalist, author, former Member of Parliament, and Member of the Order of Canada Dennis Kassian, NHL and WHA player Daymond Langkow, former NHL forward Don Mazankowski, politician and federal Deputy Prime Minister under Brian Mulroney Virgil P. Moshansky, Ukrainian Canadian jurist and former mayor of Vegreville David Motiuk, Catholic bishop of Ukrainian Catholic Eparchy of Edmonton Lillian Sarafinchan, Canadian visual artist, teacher, and production designer Brent Severyn, former NHL defenseman Valerie Sweeting, curler

In popular culture Season 4, episode 14 of Fox Television's The X-Files series entitled "Memento Mori" references Vegreville. FBI Agent Fox Mulder realizes the town name is the password needed to hack into a computer after discovering a Vegreville pysanka souvenir snow globe on the desk next to the computer.

See also List of communities in Alberta List of towns in Alberta

References

Further reading

External links