Photo: Bulliver · CC BY-SA 3.0History around Athabasca: 3 designated places within 100 km
The closest top-tier heritage to Athabasca is in Lac la Biche County, 84 km away. For the municipality itself, Wikidata has 1877, which can be an incorporation or a merger rather than a founding.
One place of national importance within 100 km of Athabasca
The first one out is Newbrook Observatory, 48 km away in Thorhild County. Count to 100 km and there are 3. Thorhild County, Lac la Biche County and Smoky Lake County hold most of them, among 3 towns.
The 3 nearest, within 100 km
| Newbrook ObservatoryProvincial historic resource · 1951 · 48 km away, in Thorhild County |
| Lac La Biche MissionNational historic site of Canada · 77 km away, in Lac la Biche County |
| Victoria DistrictNational Historic Site · 1863–2001 · 97 km away, in Smoky Lake County |
Athabasca added few homes from 2016 to 2021: 1.7%, where most towns have 4.1%
Before 1961: 16% of Athabasca’s homes, near the usual 18%. 27% of Athabasca’s homes were built from 2001 to 2015, more than the typical town’s 15%. More of Athabasca’s homes were built from 1981 to 2000 than in any other period: 32%.
2021 Census, private dwellings by period of construction (Statistics Canada); the typical town is the middle Canadian town of 2,500 or more.
How Athabasca compares with 16 towns its size
Towns of 2,900 to 2,900 residents, by places on the registers.
Only Saint-Paul-d'Abbotsford has more. Their median is 0. For 15, the registers list nothing.
Athabasca and its neighbours
| Town | People | Places | Highest | Oldest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Athabasca | 2,887 | 0 | 0 | — |
| Athabasca County | 7,280 | 0 | 0 | — |
Athabasca in brief
Few of its homes are old, 16% before 1961, against 18% in the typical town. Most towns its size have more historic places: the typical one has 0. Beyond that, one person of its past, Dave Hunter (1913).
What this data can and can’t tell you
- The federal register. Federal places come from Parks Canada’s directory, which counts National Historic Sites, federal heritage buildings, stations and lighthouses; their statements are the register’s own.
- Protection. National historic designation honours a place but binds only federal owners; a private building’s protection depends on its province or municipality.
- People and events. Persons of national historic significance come with no location; a town gets one only by birthplace (name and both life years agreeing) or by one of its own places that bears the name and whose record tells the story. Events, which can’t be tied, are left out.
- The grade. There is no history grade: the page sets out the record and compares it with other towns.
- The tiers. Tiers follow the designation: national recognition and classement first, other federal designations next, provincial and local listings last.
- Provincial and municipal lists. The local and provincial lists outside Québec aren’t published openly, so this page counts what Wikidata records and pages only the places an encyclopedia describes.
Questions about Athabasca’s history
How many historic places does Athabasca have on the registers?
Athabasca has none of its own yet. Newbrook Observatory, in Thorhild County, is the nearest, 48 km away.
When did Athabasca become a municipality?
Wikidata gives 1877 for Athabasca, which may mark incorporation or an amalgamation rather than a founding.
How old are the homes in Athabasca?
The 2021 Census dates 16% of its homes before 1961 (18% in the typical town).
Why might a heritage building in Athabasca be missing here?
Its province’s and council’s own lists can’t be reused here; 2 further listings in Athabasca show up only as Wikidata numbers.
Contains information licensed under the Open Government Licence – Canada (Parks Canada).
Sources: Parks Canada, Directory of Federal Heritage Designations · Canadian Register of Historic Places (federal extract) · Wikidata (CC0) for map points, other names and articles · Statistics Canada, 2021 Census (homes by period of construction). Under the Statistics Canada Open Licence.
Adapted from Statistics Canada (Census of Population 2021, population estimates 2025, 2021 census boundaries) under the Statistics Canada Open Licence; this does not constitute an endorsement by Statistics Canada. Neighbourhood names in some cities © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).