Vilna, Alberta


Vilna is a historic village in central Alberta, Canada.
Vilna is located in Smoky Lake County, on Highway 28, northeast of the city of Edmonton. Bonnie Lake Provincial Recreation Area is located north of the community, on the shores of Bonnie Lake.

History

Vilna was founded in 1907, mostly by central European settlers, and started to develop in 1919, when the railroad reached this area. It was named in 1920 after the Lithuanian capital city of Vilnius, similarly to the community of Wilno in Ontario, Canada. Prior to 1920, the local post office was named "Villette". Vilna was incorporated as a village on June 13, 1923.
On February 5, 1967, Vilna experienced a meteor air burst with a yield estimated at about 600 tonnes of TNT. Subsequently, two very small meteorite fragments were found – and which are now stored at University of Alberta, in Edmonton.

Demographics

In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Village of Vilna recorded a population of 290 living in 114 of its 143 total private dwellings, a change from its 2011 population of 249. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2016.
The Village of Vilna's 2012 municipal census counted a population of 290.
In the 2011 Census, the Village of Vilna had a population of 249 living in 111 of its 135 total dwellings, a -9.1% change from its 2006 population of 274. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2011.

Attractions

The town claims to be home to the world's largest metal sculpture mushroom.