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51-592: Lac La Biche County was originally established as a municipal district on August 1, 2007 through the amalgamation of Lakeland County with the Town of Lac La Biche. Its predecessor municipal district, Lakeland County, was originally incorporated on July 1, 1998, formed from the northwestern part of the Municipal District of Bonnyville No. 87 . Lac La Biche County converted from municipal district status to specialized municipality status on January 1, 2018. Lac La Biche County

102-469: A Canadian corporation. Following the successful IPO, CN has recorded impressive gains in its stock price, largely through an aggressive network rationalization and purchase of newer more fuel-efficient locomotives. Numerous branch lines were shed in the late 1990s across Canada, resulting in dozens of independent short line railway companies being established to operate former CN track that had been considered marginal. This network rationalization resulted in

153-668: A blue-plate tourist service, the Rocky Mountaineer , with fares well over double what the BCR coach fares had been. CN also announced in October 2003 an agreement to purchase Great Lakes Transportation (GLT), a holding company owned by Blackstone Group for US$ 380 million. GLT was the owner of Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad , Duluth, Missabe and Iron Range Railway (DM&I), and the Pittsburgh & Conneaut Dock Company. The key instigator for

204-463: A core east–west freight railway stretching from Halifax to Chicago and Toronto to Vancouver and Prince Rupert . The railway also operated trains from Winnipeg to Chicago using trackage rights for part of the route south of Duluth. In addition to the rationalization in Canada, the company also expanded in a strategic north–south direction in the central United States . In 1998, in an era of mergers in

255-482: A county (e.g. Yellowhead County , County of Newell , etc.), are predominantly rural areas that may include either farmland, Crown land or a combination of both depending on their geographic location. They may also include country residential subdivisions and unincorporated communities , some of which are recognized as hamlets by Alberta Municipal Affairs . Municipal districts are created when predominantly rural areas with populations of at least 1,000 people, where

306-620: A great deal of public and political attention. Canada was one of many nations to engage in railway nationalization in order to safeguard critical transportation infrastructure during the First World War . In the early 20th century, many governments were taking a more interventionist role in the economy, foreshadowing the influence of economists like John Maynard Keynes . This political trend, combined with broader geo-political events, made nationalization an appealing choice for Canada. The Winnipeg General Strike of 1919 and allied involvement in

357-556: A hamlet, which is part of the district's jurisdiction. They are Acadia ( Acadia Valley ), Bighorn ( Exshaw ), Birch Hills ( Wanham ), Clear Hills ( Worsley ), Cypress ( Dunmore ), Grande Prairie ( Clairmont ), Lac Ste. Anne ( Sangudo ), Opportunity ( Wabasca ), and Thorhild ( Thorhild ). One municipal district, Ranchland , has its offices in a provincial park, Chain Lakes Provincial Park . Thirteen municipal districts have their offices in their jurisdiction, outside

408-628: A majority of their residential buildings are on parcels of land greater than 1,850 m , apply to Alberta Municipal Affairs for municipal district status under the authority of the Municipal Government Act . Applications for municipal district status are approved via orders in council made by the Lieutenant Governor in Council under recommendation from the Minister of Municipal Affairs. As of

459-594: A north–south NAFTA railway (in reference to the North American Free Trade Agreement ). CN was then feeding Canadian raw material exports into the U.S. heartland and beyond to Mexico through a strategic alliance with Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS). In 1999, CN and BNSF Railway , the second largest rail system in the U.S., announced their intent to merge, forming a new corporate entity North American Railways , headquartered in Montreal to conform to

510-457: A population density of 0.6/km (1.7/sq mi) in 2021. The population of Lac La Biche County according to its 2019 municipal census is 8,654, a 1.3% change from its 2016 municipal census population of 8,544. The 2019 and 2016 municipal censuses also counted temporary residents. In 2019, 982 temporary residents were counted in comparison to 987 in 2016. In the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Lac La Biche County had

561-584: A population of 8,330 living in 3,076 of its 3,998 total private dwellings, a -0.9% change from its 2011 population of 8,402. With a land area of 12,572.29 km (4,854.19 sq mi), it had a population density of 0.7/km (1.7/sq mi) in 2016. Lac La Biche County's economy is based on the oil and gas industry, agriculture , and tourism . Some sawmills are also present. The following provincial protected areas are within Lac La Biche County. Other attractions include Lac La Biche Mission ,

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612-522: A possible merger of the two companies. This was later rejected by the Government of Canada, whereupon CPR offered to purchase outright all of CN's lines from Ontario to Nova Scotia, while an unidentified U.S. railroad (rumoured to have been Burlington Northern Railroad ) would purchase CN's lines in western Canada. This too was rejected. In 1995, the entire company including its U.S. subsidiaries reverted to using CN exclusively. The CN Commercialization Act

663-739: Is a Canadian Class I freight railway headquartered in Montreal, Quebec , which serves Canada and the Midwestern and Southern United States . CN is Canada's largest railway, in terms of both revenue and the physical size of its rail network, spanning Canada from the Atlantic coast in Nova Scotia to the Pacific coast in British Columbia across approximately 20,000 route miles (32,000 km) of track. In

714-452: Is a list of only those rural municipalities in Alberta that are incorporated as municipal districts . Despite their names, Lac La Biche County , Mackenzie County , and Strathcona County are not listed because they are in fact incorporated as specialized municipalities , not municipal districts . The Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo is likewise a specialized municipality and

765-416: Is also within Lac La Biche County. First Nations have the following Indian reserves within Lac La Biche County. In the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada , Lac La Biche County had a population of 8,117 living in 3,120 of its 3,996 total private dwellings, a change of -2.6% from its 2016 population of 8,330. With a land area of 12,528.25 km (4,837.18 sq mi), it had

816-846: Is in northeast Alberta. It borders the Regional Municipality (RM) of Wood Buffalo to the north; the Municipal District (MD) of Bonnyville No. 87 to the east (including the Cold Lake Air Weapons Range ); the County of St. Paul No. 19 and Smoky Lake County to the south; the Kikino Metis Settlement and the Buffalo Lake Metis Settlement to the southwest; and Athabasca County and the MD of Opportunity No. 17 to

867-538: Is served by the weekly Lac La Biche Post and the Town and Country . Two FM radio stations broadcast out of Lac La Biche – BOOM ( CILB FM 103.5 ) and Aboriginal Radio ( CFWE FM 89.9 ). List of municipal districts in Alberta A municipal district (MD) is the most common form of all rural municipality statuses used in the Canadian province of Alberta . Alberta's municipal districts, most of which are branded as

918-582: Is thus not listed here. For more information on specialized municipalities , see List of specialized municipalities in Alberta . Alberta's eight improvement districts and three special areas are also not listed because they are their own separate type of rural municipality and not subset types of the municipal district status. For more information on special areas , see Special Areas Board . Canadian National The Canadian National Railway Company ( French : Compagnie des chemins de fer nationaux du Canada ) ( reporting mark CN )

969-525: The 2011 Census , Alberta's then 64 municipal districts ( Lac La Biche County has since then converted to a specialized municipality ) had a cumulative population of 451,979 and an average population of 7,062. Alberta's most populous and least populated municipal districts are Rocky View County and the MD of Ranchland No. 66 with populations of 36,461 and 79 respectively. 437 elected officials (eight mayors , 56 reeves and 373 councillors ) provide municipal district governance throughout

1020-595: The CN Commercialization Act of 1995. The merger announcement by CN's Paul Tellier and BNSF's Robert Krebs was greeted with skepticism by the U.S. government's Surface Transportation Board (STB), and protested by other major North American rail companies, namely CPR and Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Rail customers also denounced the proposed merger, following the confusion and poor service sustained in southeastern Texas in 1998 following UP's purchase of Southern Pacific Railroad two years earlier. In response to

1071-570: The Connecticut River valley from Quebec to Long Island Sound ; and the Berlin subdivision to Portland, Maine , known informally as the Grand Trunk Eastern , sold to a short-line operator in 1989. In 1992, a new management team led by ex-federal government bureaucrats, Paul Tellier and Michael Sabia , started preparing CN for privatization by emphasizing increased productivity. This

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1122-472: The Municipal Government Act (MGA) as municipal districts and were permitted to retain the term county in their official names. More than half of the 63 municipal districts have their main administration offices, including council chambers, in a separate municipality such as a city, town, or village. This municipality (like all other cities, towns, and villages) is not part of the municipal district's jurisdiction. Nine municipal districts have their offices in

1173-573: The Russian Revolution seemed to validate the continuing process. The need for a viable rail system was paramount in a time of civil unrest and foreign military action. Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad The B&LE was acquired with the purchase of Great Lakes Transportation and the DM&;IR. British Columbia Railway In 2003, BCOL sold to Canadian National and leased the railroad to CN for 60 years. Central Vermont Railway Central Vermont

1224-548: The county term in the official names of 47 municipal districts (and three specialized municipalities ) has partially led to a common belief that a county is its own separate municipal status type, which is not the case. The other major contributor to this common belief is that a county was once a former municipal status type in Alberta prior to the County Act being repealed in the mid-1990s. Those municipalities that were once officially incorporated as counties were continued under

1275-605: The Lac La Biche Golf and Country Club, and the following campgrounds. Community halls in Lac La Biche County include Craigend, Hylo, Owl River, Plamondon, and Rich Lake. The full air-service Lac La Biche Airport is located west of the Hamlet of Lac La Biche, 0.7 km (0.43 mi) north of Highway 55. The airstrip is 5,700 ft (1,700 m) in length and 100 ft (30 m) wide and can accommodate 737 jets. Numerous carriers offer scheduled charter flights out of

1326-549: The Montreal commuter trains are now operated by Montreal's EXO . On November 17, 1995, the Government of Canada privatized CN. Over the next decade, the company expanded significantly into the United States, purchasing Illinois Central Railroad and Wisconsin Central Transportation , among others. The excessive construction of railway lines in Canada led to significant financial difficulties striking many of them, in

1377-500: The U.S. rail industry, CN bought the Illinois Central Railroad (IC), which connected the already existing lines from Vancouver , British Columbia, to Halifax , Nova Scotia, with a line running from Chicago, Illinois, to New Orleans , Louisiana. This single purchase of IC transformed CN's entire corporate focus from being an east–west uniting presence within Canada (sometimes to the detriment of logical business models) into

1428-467: The airport. Alberta Air Spray Wildfire protection also uses the airstrip as a base accommodating large water tankers. A rail line bisects Lac La Biche County, running through the hamlets of Hylo, Venice, and Lac La Biche. The rail line is operated by Canadian National . The following provincial highways service Lac La Biche County. Northern Lights School Division No. 69 Lakeland Catholic Schools Conseil Centre-Est Lac La Biche County

1479-503: The boundaries of a city, town, or village. They are Brazeau ( Drayton Valley ), Lacombe (between Gull Lake and Lacombe ), Mountain View ( Didsbury ), Newell ( Brooks ), Northern Sunrise ( Peace River ), Paintearth ( Castor ), Parkland ( Stony Plain ), Peace ( Berwyn ), Red Deer ( Red Deer ), Saddle Hills ( Spirit River ), Wheatland ( Strathmore ), Willow Creek ( Claresholm ), and Woodlands ( Whitecourt ). The below table

1530-638: The deal was the fact that since the Wisconsin Central purchase, CN was required to use DM&I trackage rights for a short 18 km (11 mi) "gap" near Duluth, Minnesota , on the route between Chicago and Winnipeg. To purchase this short section, CN was told by GLT it would have to purchase the entire company. Also included in GLT's portfolio were eight Great Lakes vessels for transporting bulk commodities such as coal and iron ore as well as various port facilities. Following Surface Transportation Board approval for

1581-586: The government. Primarily a freight railway, CN also operated passenger services until 1978, when they were assumed by Via Rail . The only passenger services run by CN after 1978 were several mixed trains (freight and passenger) in Newfoundland , and several commuter trains both on CN's electrified routes and towards the South Shore in the Montreal area (the latter lasted without any public subsidy until 1986). The Newfoundland mixed trains lasted until 1988, while

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1632-442: The largest single shareholder of CN stock, owning a 14.2% interest through Cascade Investment and his own Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation . From 1919 to 1978, the railway was known as "Canadian National Railways" (CNR). The Canadian National Railways (CNR) was incorporated on June 6, 1919, comprising several railways that had become bankrupt and fallen into Government of Canada hands, along with some railways already owned by

1683-460: The late 20th century, CN gained extensive capacity in the United States by taking over such railroads as the Illinois Central . CN is a public company with 22,600 employees and, as of July 2024 , a market cap of approximately US$ 75 billion. CN was government-owned, as a Canadian Crown corporation , from its founding in 1919 until being privatized in 1995. As of 2019 , Bill Gates was

1734-751: The northernmost trackage of the contiguous North American railway network. Since being purchased by CN in 2006, it has been officially known as the Meander River Subdivision. Newfoundland Railway On 31 March 1949, CNR acquired the assets of the Newfoundland Railway , which in 1979 were reorganized into Terra Transport . CN officially abandoned its rail network in Newfoundland on 1 October 1988. Savage Alberta Railway On December 1, 2006, CN announced that it had purchased Savage Alberta Railway for $ 25 million and that it had begun operating

1785-494: The owner of EWS , the principal freight train operator in the United Kingdom. On May 13, 2003, the provincial government of British Columbia announced the provincial Crown corporation , BC Rail (BCR), would be sold with the winning bidder receiving BCR's surface operating assets (locomotives, cars, and service facilities). The provincial government is retaining ownership of the tracks and right-of-way. On November 25, 2003, it

1836-420: The province. An order in council to incorporate any municipality must give the municipality an official name. Of Alberta's 63 municipal districts, 16 still have municipal district in their official names, while 47 of them have branded themselves as a county in their official names. Twenty-five of Alberta's municipal districts retain a numerical designation (e.g. "No. 8") in their official names. The use of

1887-763: The rail industry, shippers, and political pressure, the STB placed a 15-month moratorium on all rail-industry mergers, effectively scuttling CN-BNSF plans. Both companies dropped their merger applications and have never refiled. After the STB moratorium expired, CN purchased Wisconsin Central (WC) in 2001, which allowed the company's rail network to encircle Lake Michigan and Lake Superior , permitting more efficient connections from Chicago to western Canada. The deal also included Canadian WC subsidiary Algoma Central Railway (ACR), giving access to Sault Ste. Marie and Michigan's Upper Peninsula . The purchase of Wisconsin Central also made CN

1938-883: The railway the same day. TransX Group of Companies In 2018, CN acquired the Winnipeg-based TransX Group of Companies. Transx continues to operate independently. Wisconsin Central Railroad In January 2001, CN acquired the WC for $ 800 million. CN's railway network in the late 1980s consisted of the company's Canadian trackage, along with the following U.S. subsidiary lines: Grand Trunk Western Railroad (GTW) operating in Michigan , Indiana , and Illinois ; Duluth, Winnipeg and Pacific Railway (DWP) operating in Minnesota ; Central Vermont Railway (CV) operating down

1989-567: The sale of BC Rail. Also contested was the economic stimulus package the government gave cities along the BC Rail route. Some saw it as a buy-off to get the municipalities to cooperate with the lease, though the government asserted the package was intended to promote economic development along the corridor. Passenger service along the route had been ended by BC Rail a few years earlier due to ongoing losses resulting from deteriorating service. The cancelled passenger service has subsequently been replaced by

2040-423: The system was more or less finalized at that point. However, certain related lawsuits were not resolved until as late as 1936. Canadian National Railways was born out of both wartime and domestic urgency. Until the rise of the personal automobile and creation of taxpayer-funded all-weather highways, railways were the only viable long-distance land transportation available in Canada. As such, their operation consumed

2091-414: The transaction shortly thereafter. The EJ&E lines create a bypass around the western side of heavily congested Chicago-area rail hub and its conversion to use for mainline freight traffic is expected to alleviate substantial bottlenecks for both regional and intercontinental rail traffic subject to lengthy delays entering and exiting Chicago freight yards. The purchase of the lightly used EJ&E corridor

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2142-456: The transaction, CN completed the purchase of GLT on May 10, 2004. On December 24, 2008, the STB approved CN's purchase for $ 300 million of the principal lines of the Elgin, Joliet & Eastern Railway Company (EJ&E) ( reporting mark EJE) from the U.S. Steel Corporation , originally announced on September 27, 2007. The STB's decision was to become effective on January 23, 2009, with a closure of

2193-599: The two railroads were formally amalgamated into the CN system. Iowa Northern Railway In 2023, CN acquired the Iowa Northern Railway , but the transaction is awaiting approval by the Surface Transportation Board (STB). Mackenzie Northern Railway In 2006, CN acquired Mackenzie Northern Railway , previously purchased by RailAmerica . This purchase allowed CN to increase their network footprint and hold

2244-799: The west. The eponymous lake, Lac la Biche , is in the southwest portion of Lac La Biche County while the Athabasca River forms the municipal boundary between it and the MD of Opportunity No. 17. Other water bodies include Beaver Lake , Pinehurst Lake , Seibert Lake , Touchwood Lake , and Winefred Lake (also partially within the RM of Wood Buffalo and the MD of Bonnyville No. 87). The following urban municipalities are surrounded by Lac La Biche County. The following hamlets are located within Lac La Biche County. The following localities are located within Lac La Biche County. The Lac La Biche Settlement

2295-549: The years leading up to 1920: The Canadian National Railway Company then evolved through the following steps: GTR management and shareholders opposed to nationalization took legal action, but after several years of arbitration, the GTR was finally absorbed into the CNR on January 30, 1923. Although several smaller independent railways would be added to the CNR in subsequent years as they went bankrupt or it became politically expedient to do so,

2346-435: Was achieved largely through aggressive cuts to the company's management structure, widescale layoffs in its workforce and continued abandonment or sale of its branch lines. In 1993 and 1994, the company experimented with a rebranding that saw the names CN , Grand Trunk Western , and Duluth, Winnipeg, and Pacific replaced under a collective CN North America moniker. In this time, CPR and CN entered into negotiations regarding

2397-488: Was announced CN's bid of CA$ 1   billion would be accepted over those of CPR and several U.S. companies. The transaction was closed effective July 15, 2004. Many opponents – including CPR – accused the government and CN of rigging the bidding process, though this has been denied by the government. Documents relating to the case are under court seal, as they are connected to a parallel marijuana grow-op investigation connected with two senior government aides also involved in

2448-409: Was enacted into law on July 13, 1995, and by November 28, 1995, the Government of Canada had completed an initial public offering (IPO) and transferred all of its shares to private investors. Two key prohibitions in this legislation include, 1) that no individual or corporate shareholder may own more than 15% of CN, and 2) that the company's headquarters must remain in Montreal , thus maintaining CN as

2499-587: Was merged with Central Vermont in 1971 with the creation of the Grand Trunk Corporation. In 1991 the GTW was merged with CN under the "North America" consolidation program. Many of GTWs locomotives and rolling stock would be repainted and the motive power would get the new CN scheme. Illinois Central Railroad In 1998, IC was purchased by CN, which also acquired the Chicago Central in the deal. A year later,

2550-623: Was nationalized in 1918 and consolidated into the Grand Trunk Western in 1971 with the creation of the Grand Trunk Corporation. Duluth Missabe & Iron Range Railroad The DM&IR was purchased by Great Lakes Transportation and in 2011 the DM&IR was merged into CN's Wisconsin Central Subsidiary. The DM&IR was acquired at the same time as the Bessemer & Lake Erie Railroad. Duluth Winnipeg & Pacific Railroad The DWP

2601-562: Was nationalized with CN in 1918 and became a part of CN's Grand Trunk Corporation in 1971. In 2011 the DWP was merged into the larger Wisconsin Central Subsidiary of CN. Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway In 2009, CN acquired the Elgin, Joliet and Eastern Railway to assist with traffic congestion in Chicago and the surrounding area. In 2013 EJ&E was merged into the greater Wisconsin Central Subsidiary of CN. Grand Trunk Western Railroad The GTW

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