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Fort McKay

Fort MacKay
Aerial view of Fort McKay
Aerial view of Fort McKay
Fort McKay is located in Alberta
Fort McKay
Fort McKay
Location in Alberta
Country Canada
Province Alberta
Census division No. 16
Specialized municipality RM of Wood Buffalo
Established 1820
Named 1912
Area
 • Total 9.53 km2 (3.68 sq mi)
Elevation
260 m (850 ft)
Population
 (2016)
 • Total 742
 • Density 77.9/km2 (202/sq mi)
Time zone UTC-7 (MST)
 • Summer (DST) UTC-6 (MDT)
Postal code span
T0P
Area code(s) 780, 587, 825
Highways Highway 63
Waterways Athabasca River
Website RM of Wood Buffalo

Fort McKay (/məˈk/ -ky) or Fort MacKay is a community in northeast Alberta, Canada, located at the confluence of the Athabasca and MacKay rivers. It is approximately 54 km (34 mi) north of Fort McMurray via Highway 63 and Fort McKay Road. The community has an elevation of 260 m (850 ft).

The majority of the community is an Indian settlement of the Fort McKay First Nation (FMFN). The smaller portion of the community, known as Fort MacKay before 2018, is located adjacent to the FMFN lands to the south within the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo. The portion of the community within the RM of Wood Buffalo is designated as a hamlet.

History

Fort McKay sign
Fort McKay First Nation's welcome sign for the community

The community was named in 1912 after Dr. Williams Morrison MacKay, the first president of the Northern Alberta Medical Association. The community's name is spelled Fort McKay by the Fort McKay First Nation. In August 2012, the Fort McKay Métis Community requested the RM of Wood Buffalo to change the name of the hamlet to Fort McKay. The change was recognized by the RM on January 22, 2018.

2016 wildfire

Fort McKay hosted 5000 evacuees from the 2016 Fort McMurray Wildfire but itself was put under an evacuation notice due to the northward advance of the flames toward the community.

Geography

Climate

Fort McKay has a subarctic climate (Köppen climate classification Dfc). and falls into the NRC Plant Hardiness Zone 3a. Summers are mild and short, and winters can be long and cold.

Demographics

Population history
of Fort MacKay
Indian settlement
Year Pop. ±%
1991 256 —    
1996 347 +35.5%
2001 437 +25.9%
2006 521 +19.2%
2011 562 +7.9%
2016 742 +32.0%
Sources: Statistics Canada, 1991–2016 censuses
Settlement

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Fort McKay settlement recorded a population of 742 living in 250 of its 303 total private dwellings, a 32% change from its 2011 population of 562. With a land area of 9.53 km2 (3.68 sq mi), it had a population density of 77.9/km2 (202/sq mi) in 2016.

In the 2011 Census, the Fort McKay 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 (178.2/sq mi) in 2011.

Hamlet

The population of the hamlet portion of Fort McKay according to the 2018 municipal census conducted by the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is 59, an increase from its 2015 municipal census population count of 51.

Economy

The economy is centred on the development of the Athabasca oil sands to the immediate south and north. Motorists travelling north on Highway 63 pass through oil sands developments en route to the community.

Infrastructure

The community is located 6 km (3.7 mi) north of Highway 63 via Fort McKay Road, and is served by air at the Fort MacKay/Horizon Airport.

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