Fort MacKay

Fort MacKay
Fort McKay
Hamlet

Aerial view of Fort McKay

Location of Fort MacKay in Alberta

Coordinates: 57°11′12″N 111°38′12″W / 57.18676°N 111.63676°W / 57.18676; -111.63676Coordinates: 57°11′12″N 111°38′12″W / 57.18676°N 111.63676°W / 57.18676; -111.63676
Country  Canada
Province  Alberta
Census division No. 16
Specialized municipality R.M. of Wood Buffalo
Government
 • Type Unincorporated
 • Mayor Melissa Blake
 • Governing body
Elevation 260 m (850 ft)
Time zone MST (UTC-7)

Fort MacKay, or Fort McKay, is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Regional Municipality (R.M.) of Wood Buffalo.[1][2][3]

It is located on the western shore of the Athabasca River. It is 6 km (3.7 mi) from Highway 63, approximately 54 km (34 mi) north of Fort McMurray, and has an elevation of 260 m (850 ft).

The hamlet is located in census division No. 16 and in the federal riding of Fort McMurray-Athabasca.

Name

The hamlet was named in 1912 after Dr. William Morrison MacKay, the first president of the Northern Alberta Medical Association.[3][2] Despite this, the official spelling of the hamlet's name is Fort McKay according to the R.M. of Wood Buffalo and Alberta Municipal Affairs.[2][1] The community's name is spelled Fort McKay by the Fort McKay First Nation.[3] In August 2012, the Fort McKay Métis Community requested the R.M. of Wood Buffalo to change the name of the hamlet to Fort McKay.[4]

Economy

The economy is centered around the development of the Athabasca oil sands to the immediate south and north of Fort MacKay. Motorists traveling north on Highway 63 pass through oil sands developments en route to the hamlet.

Demographics

Fort McKay First Nation's welcome sign for the community

The population of the portion of Fort MacKay within the R.M. of Wood Buffalo was 59 in 2012 according to a municipal census conducted by the R.M of Wood Buffalo.[5]

In the 2011 Census, the Fort McKay Indian settlement had a population of 562 living in 201 of its 235 total dwellings, a 7.9% change from its 2006 population of 521. With a land area of 8.17 km2 (3.15 sq mi), it had a population density of 68.79/km2 (178.16/sq mi) in 2011.[6]

Transportation

Fort MacKay is served by the Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport (IATA: N/A, ICAO: CYNR). Only taxi and personal vehicles are available within the community.[7]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. 2010-04-01. Retrieved 2010-07-10.
  2. 1 2 3 "Fort MacKay". Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  3. 1 2 3 "About Fort McKay". Fort McKay First Nation. Retrieved 2011-05-13.
  4. ↑ "Council Meeting Presentation Request" (PDF). Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. Retrieved 2012-08-27.
  5. ↑ "Municipal Census 2012: Count Yourself In!" (PDF). Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. p. 24. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  6. ↑ "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and census subdivisions (municipalities), 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. December 18, 2012. Retrieved January 26, 2013.
  7. ↑ "Airport and Transportation". Fort McKay First Nations.
 Wood Buffalo National Park Fort Chipewyan
Saskatchewan
   Fort MacKay  
Wabasca Fort McMurray La Loche
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