DeBolt is a hamlet

Hamlet (place)

A hamlet is usually a rural settlement which is too small to be considered a village, though sometimes the word is used for a different sort of community. Historically, when a hamlet became large enough to justify building a church, it was then classified as a village...

 in northern Alberta

Northern Alberta

Northern Alberta is a region located in the Canadian province of Alberta.Its primary industry is oil and gas, with large heavy oil reserves being exploited at the Athabasca Oil Sands and Wabasca Area in the east of the region...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 within the Municipal District (M.D.) of Greenview No. 16

Greenview No. 16, Alberta

The Municipal District of Greenview No. 16 is a municipal district in northwest Alberta, Canada.It covers the full extent of Census Division 18. The municipal seat is in Valleyview.- Demographics :...

. The hamlet's name is often mistakenly spelled Debolt, even by Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada

Statistics Canada is the Canadian federal government agency commissioned with producing statistics to help better understand Canada, its population, resources, economy, society, and culture. Its headquarters is in Ottawa....

. It was named after the DeBolt family, who settled the area in 1919.

The hamlet is located in census division

Census division

Census division is an official term in Canada and the United States. The census divisions of Canada are second-level census geographic unit, below provinces and territories, and above "census subdivisions" and "dissemination areas". In provinces where they exist, the census division may correspond...

 No. 18

Division No. 18, Alberta

Division No. 18 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the southeast corner of northern Alberta and its largest urban community is the Town of Grande Cache. The boundaries of the division are coextensive with the outer boundaries of the Municipal District of Greenview No...

.

Geography

DeBolt is located in Peace Country, 58 km (36 mi) east from Grande Prairie

Grande Prairie, Alberta

Grande Prairie is a city in the northwestern part of the province of Alberta in Western Canada. It is located on the southern edge of the Peace River Country . The city is surrounded by the County of Grande Prairie No...

 and 54 km (33.6 mi) west of Valleyview

Valleyview, Alberta

-History:*Late 1800s: The first visitors to the area arrived, seeking natives to exchange goods for furs. The trading was good and a Hudson’s Bay post was established on Sturgeon Lake...

 along Highway 43. It lies in the Smoky River

Smoky River

Smoky River is a river in western Alberta, Canada. It is a major tributary of the Peace River. The descriptive name refers to the presence of "smouldering beds of coal in the riverbank" noted by the Cree Indians....

 valley, at an elevation of 640 m (2,099.7 ft).

It gives the name to the DeBolt Formation

Debolt Formation

The Debolt Formation is a stratigraphical unit of Meramecian age in the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin.It takes the name from the hamlet of Debolt, Alberta, and was first described in the Amerada Crown GF23-11 well near Debolt by G...

, a stratigraphical unit first described in a well located 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) north of the settlement.

Economy

The economy is based on agriculture and cattle

Cattle

Cattle are the most common type of large domesticated ungulates. They are a prominent modern member of the subfamily Bovinae, are the most widespread species of the genus Bos, and are most commonly classified collectively as Bos primigenius...

 ranching, with services for the oil and gas industry growing in recent years. Forestry

Forestry

Forestry is the interdisciplinary profession embracing the science, art, and craft of creating, managing, using, and conserving forests and associated resources in a sustainable manner to meet desired goals, needs, and values for human benefit. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands...

, logging

Logging

Logging is the cutting, skidding, on-site processing, and loading of trees or logs onto trucks.In forestry, the term logging is sometimes used in a narrow sense concerning the logistics of moving wood from the stump to somewhere outside the forest, usually a sawmill or a lumber yard...

 and plywood production are other elements of the economy. Star Industries, Star Fabrication, DeBolt Contracting, P&G Kitchens, and Moore Seed are some of the main employers of the area.

The community is served by DeBolt Aerodrome , located 1 NM north of the settlement.

Attractions

The Hubert Memorial Park, a collection of early buildings and artifacts is located in DeBolt.

Legion Hall is part of the DeBolt and District Pioneer Museum.

The community has a fire hall, a church (Gospel Light Alliance Church), a pub (Blue Apple Cafe) and a general store and gas station.

DeBolt is the birthplace of Ken Belford

Ken Belford

Ken Belford is a poet from Bemont, Alberta presently living in Prince George, British Columbia. He is known for his prolific chapbook making. Belford has been active in Canadian poetry since the 1960s....

, a poet living in Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...

.

Demographics

As of 2006, DeBolt had a total population of 128 living in 55 dwellings. With a land area of 2.81 km² (1.1 sq mi), it has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

 of 45.6 /km2.

Industry Canada shows that DeBolt's greater rural area had a total population of 331 living in 144 dwellings in 2001. With a land area of 239.5 km² (92.5 sq mi), its greater rural area has a population density

Population density

Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...

of 18 /km2.