On a warm day in February, we loaded up the drone and struck out to the West of Edmonton toward Wabamun, Alberta. Wabamun is located on the North shore of Wabamun Lake where it has been since 1903 when the first post office opened. It was a rail stop for homesteaders who brought goods and animals which were then loaded onto wagons for the trip into the Lac Ste. Anne area.
Wabamun has twice been incorporated as a village and twice dissolved from village status. The first time it became a village was July 18, 1912, and in January 1946, it relinquished village status. The second time Wabamun was incorporated as a village was January 1, 1980, when it remained as a village until January 1, 2021, when it dissolved back into a hamlet under the control of Parkland County.
The main income source in Wabamun is the power plants located in and around the area operated by Trans Alta Utilities. The Wabamun power plant was closed on March 10, 2010, due to pressure from environmental agencies and the fact the plant was aging. With no cooling pond, the discharge water was pumped into the lake enhancing the weed population dramatically. The smoke stacks from the station were demolished on March 18, 2017.
In the summer there is a large cabin-going community on the shores of Wabamun Lake, the community itself is populated year-round. Local sites include Wabamun Lake, Waterfront Park, Wabamun Marina, the 115 meters (380 feet) warf, liquor stores, banks, a bowling alley and World’s largest Dragonfly.
