Sylvan Lake, AB - Population 13,015 - Population Signs on Waymarking.com

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Sylvan Lake, AB - Population 13,015

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Posted by:  T0SHEA

11U E 696219 N 5800422

Sylvan Lake, the town, is one of the major resort towns in central Alberta, lying at the southern tip of Sylvan Lake, the lake. Both are about 25 km. west of Red Deer on Highway 11.

There are at least two welcome signs at entrances to Sylvan Lake, this one being at the western entrance on Township Road 390, a minor road which joins Highway 11 about 2½ miles west.

History

Early settlement in the Sylvan Lake area was discouraging to most due to the heavy timber that surrounded the lake. It was not until 1899 that Alexandre Loiselle and his son Louis came from Michigan to settle at what was then called Snake Lake. Native Americans had given the lake this name due to the many garter snakes that populated the sand banks. Sylvan Lake’s present name, meaning ‘wooded lake’, was adopted in the early 20th century as the result of a petition.

By 1902, several Red Deer families were camping near the lake shore. The first summer cottages were built in 1904. In this year, W.P.M. Jarvis bought property on the shore where Jarvis Bay campground is currently located. Alexandre Loiselle built the first hotel around 1902, later adding a store and post office.

The first Canadian Northern Western Railway (later CNR) passenger train passed through Sylvan Lake in February 1912 allowing mail to arrive more regularly. The rail line was completed from Red Deer to Rocky Mountain house in December of that year. In 1914 the Alberta Central Railroad (later CPR) completed a rail line through Sylvan Lake further helping to develop the area. The CPR rail line was abandoned in 1983 and the tracks were torn up. The Town of Sylvan Lake has since converted the long narrow strip of land into a hike and bike trail that is enjoyed by residents today.

Right from the beginning, Sylvan Lake summers were a time of celebration. The first Regatta was held at Sylvan Lake in July, 1913. The Regatta was a two day festival that featured water sports, a tennis tournament, a banquet, a dance and a tea. A Boat House was in operation the summer of 1913, where Joe McLuskey rented boats for fishing and pleasure just east of where the Pier is located now. The Boat House also offered paying customers motor boat tours around the lake. The Boat House was later replaced by a larger facility by J.P. Simpson in 1925. Outboard motor boats and canoes were rented out for 50 cents an hour or two dollars a day.

In July 1928, the Hon. R.B. Bennett, future prime minister of Canada, officiated the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new W. I. (Women’s Institute) Pier, a 500- foot wooden dock that extended out from the shoreline. In 1938, a second wooden pier was built parallel to the first. The two were connected by a cross piece at the far end and were used by thousands of sightseers, swimmers, sunbathers, fishermen and boaters each year. Eventually, however, the freezing and thawing took its toll and the wooden piers were dismantled and replaced by the current land pier.

The village grew steadily in the 1920s seeing the introduction of several new businesses such as a beauty parlor, butcher shop, furniture store, garage and creamery, among others. 1920 was also the year that the Alberta Government Telephones central exchange was set up in the Antler Lodge on Main Street. The 1920s also brought electric lights to Sylvan Lake. A Delco lighting plant, located in a shed behind the Dave and Harvey Jamieson hardware store, provided a few homes with power. The Jamiesons continued to provide this private lighting service for more than ten years. The Calgary Power Company Ltd. signed a franchise agreement with the village in 1932. Town growth in this era is further marked by the opening of a two-room school house to replace the old one-room school, the hiring of the first village constables, and the construction of the Alberta Pacific Elevator on the CPR line.

Sylvan Lake was incorporated as a Town on May 20, 1946. The population at the time was approximately 900. Town growth was slow over the next thirty years. Between 1946 and 1976 only about 900 new residents were added to the Town. The years following, however, marked the start of a population boom. Between 1976 and 1981 – a period of only 5 years – Sylvan Lake doubled in size, earning it the largest recorded population growth for towns in Central Alberta. Rapid growth patterns continued over the next few years. The Town doubled in size once again between 1996 and 2006 growing from 5, 175 to 10,208. In light of this growth, Sylvan Lake has been dubbed one of the fastest growing rural communities in the nation by Statistics Canada.

Tourism continued to be an important part of the Sylvan Lake experience. Thousands of visitors flocked to the lake each year to enjoy its many summer and winter delights. In 1980, the Alberta Government recognized the importance of Sylvan Lake as a recreation destination by establishing the Sylvan Lake Provincial Park.
From Sylvan Lake