Plamondon, Alberta

Plamondon
Hamlet
Location of Plamondon in Alberta
Coordinates: 54°50′59″N 112°20′31″W / 54.8497°N 112.3419°WCoordinates: 54°50′59″N 112°20′31″W / 54.8497°N 112.3419°W
Country	Canada
Province	Alberta
Census division	No. 12
Municipal district	Lac La Biche County
Settled	1905
Government
• Type	Unincorporated
• Mayor	Omer Moghrabi
• Governing body	Lac La Biche County Council Wanda Austin Hajar Haymour John Nowack Richard Olson David Phillips Robert Richard Mary Jane Siebold Tim Thompson
Area[1]
• Total	1.94 km^2 (0.75 sq mi)
Elevation	555 m (1,821 ft)
Population (2011)[1]
• Total	345
• Density	180/km^2 (460/sq mi)
• Dwellings	147
Time zone	MST (UTC-7)

Plamondon is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within Lac La Biche County.^[2] It is located on Highway 858, approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) north of Highway 55, and has an elevation of 555 metres (1,821 ft).

The hamlet is located in census division No. 12 and in the federal riding of Fort McMurray-Athabasca.

History

The community was founded by Joseph Plamondon in 1908 and settled by primarily French Canadians. Most of the families that eventually settled there came from Provemont, Michigan (now Leelanau County, Michigan) and from French areas of Ontario.

On the outskirts of Plamondon is a community of Old Believers (Old Ritualists), a Traditionalist Russian Orthodox sect whose ancestors broke from the Church after Patriarch Nikon's reforms in 1666. The schism, or Raskol, resulted over reforms in church ritual and translation intended to better align the Russian church with Greek Orthodox practices. The Old Believers that live outside Plamondon are bezpopovtsy, or priestless Old Believers, who believe that apostolic succession ended with Nikon's apostasy and therefore have no clergy and refuse the Eucharist. Most of these families moved to the area in the mid 1970s from Woodburn, Oregon, also home to a large Old Believer community. Many also came from Xinjiang, China, by way of New Zealand, where they fled after the Communist revolutions in Russia and China.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Plamondon had a population of 345 living in 135 of its 147 total dwellings, a 3% change from its 2006 population of 335. With a land area of 1.94 km² (0.75 sq mi), it had a population density of 177.8/km² (460.6/sq mi) in 2011.^[1]

As of 2006, Plamondon had a total population of 335 living in 128 dwellings. With a land area of 1.94 km² (0.75 sq mi), it has a population density of 172.8/km² (448/sq mi).^[3]

Economy

The main industries in the region are logging and farming.

Amenities

The community has two schools, Ecole Beausejour and Ecole Plamondon School, which draw students from the entire region. École Plamondon School, offers English, French immersion, and Russian classes. École Beausejour is a francophone school, with instruction surrounding with the francophone culture.

There are two hotels, two banks, post office, indoor hockey arena with artificial ice, a museum, and a rather large church.

The hamlet also holds an annual French hockey tournament called Hockey en Fête. Frontenacs of University of Alberta have won twice. A Canadian Mud Racing Organization (CMRO) event is also held annually at the Plamondon Mud Bog.

See also

• List of communities in Alberta
• List of designated places in Alberta
• List of hamlets in Alberta

References

1. "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2011 and 2006 censuses (Alberta)". Statistics Canada. 2012-02-08. Retrieved 2012-04-07.
2. Alberta Municipal Affairs (2010-04-01). "Specialized and Rural Municipalities and Their Communities" (PDF). Retrieved 2010-06-28.
3. Statistics Canada (2007). "Population and dwelling counts, for Canada, provinces and territories, and designated places, 2006 and 2001 censuses". Retrieved 2010-01-31.