Patricia, Alberta

Patricia
Hamlet
Patricia Location of Patricia Show map of Alberta Patricia Patricia (Canada) Show map of Canada
Coordinates: 50°41′58″N 111°40′37″W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Region	Southern Alberta
Census division	2
Municipal district	County of Newell
Founded by	Canadian Pacific Railway
Named for	Princess Patricia of Connaught
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
• Governing body	County of Newell Council
Area  (2021)[1]
• Land	0.59 km^2 (0.23 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[1]
• Total	78
• Density	131.1/km^2 (340/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC−07:00 (MST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−06:00 (MDT)
Area code(s)	403, 587, 825

Patricia is a hamlet in southern Alberta, Canada within the County of Newell.[2] It is located approximately 20 kilometres (12 mi) north of Highway 1 and 21 kilometres (13 mi) northeast of Brooks.

Patricia is near Dinosaur Provincial Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was named after Princess Patricia of Connaught.[3]

The Hamlet of Patricia was briefly famous in the 1970s when a local rancher Albert Ketchmark gifted then Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau a lot in the community as part of their mother's estate, as a joke. The Prime Minister's ownership of the 50 by 130 foot lot became national news when the County of Newell noted Trudeau owed $3 in property tax and possibly another $3 in back taxes on the property.[4] The Prime Minister's Office when asked about the situation stated they were unaware of the transfer and had not been supplied with a deed transfer or tax bill.[4] The taxes were paid by Jim Nesbitt, the publisher of the local Brooks Bulletin and Liberal Party member, and Trudeau refused to accept ownership of the lot, even just to transfer it to the County. The matter was settled in Supreme Court of Alberta when Trudeau's lawyers argued the transfer amounted to an imperfect gift, and the Justice ruled the property title cancelled.[5]

Demographics

In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Patricia had a population of 78 living in 42 of its 48 total private dwellings, a change of -22.8% from its 2016 population of 101. With a land area of 0.59 km^2 (0.23 sq mi), it had a population density of 132.2/km^2 (342.4/sq mi) in 2021.[1]

The population of Patricia according to the 2020 municipal census conducted by the County of Newell is 88.[6]

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Patricia had a population of 101 living in 46 of its 50 total private dwellings, a change of -6.5% from its 2011 population of 108. With a land area of 0.59 km^2 (0.23 sq mi), it had a population density of 171.2/km^2 (443.4/sq mi) in 2016.[7]

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta
• Royal eponyms in Canada

References

1. "Population and dwelling counts: Canada and designated places". Statistics Canada. February 9, 2022. Retrieved February 10, 2022.
2. "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Alberta Municipal Affairs. June 3, 2024. Retrieved June 14, 2024.
3. Holmgren, Eric J. (1976). Over 2000 Place Names of Alberta. Saskatoon: Western Producer Prairie Books. p. 213. ISBN 0-919306-67-5.
4. Canadian Press (May 4, 1974). "Alberta hamlet says PM owes $3 but Trudeau's office is mystified". The Globe and Mail. Patricia. p. 8.
5. Wilson, Heather (December 5, 1979). "A Western 'White House': Patricia farmers still recall the land Pierre turned down". Calgary Herald. Patricia. p. A14.
6. "Municipal Census Report 2020". County of Newell. p. 3. Retrieved September 25, 2021.
7. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2016 and 2011 censuses – 100% data (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. February 8, 2017. Retrieved February 13, 2017.