Valhalla Centre 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 County of Grande Prairie No. 1

Grande Prairie County No. 1, Alberta

The County of Grande Prairie No. 1 is a municipal district in northwestern Alberta, Canada in Census Division No. 19.It is bounded on the south by the Wapiti River, on the east by the Smoky River and on the west by the province of British Columbia....

.

It is located in the Peace River Country

Peace River Country

The Peace River Country is an aspen parkland region around the Peace River in Canada. It spans from northwestern Alberta to the Rocky Mountains in northeastern British Columbia, where the region is also referred to as the Peace River Block.- Geography :The Peace River Country includes the...

 at the junction of Highway 59 and Highway 723, northeast of the Village of Hythe

Hythe, Alberta

Hythe is a village in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located approximately 54 km west of Grande Prairie, the nearest major urban centre, on Highway 43. It is located in the centre of the Peace River Country, and supports a rural agricultural economy. It has an elementary school and a junior high...

 and west of the Town of Sexsmith

Sexsmith, Alberta

Sexsmith is a town in northern Alberta, Canada. It is located on Highway 2, north of the city of Grande Prairie.Sexsmith is located in the Peace River Country region of Alberta, and as such sits in one of the most fertile growing areas in the province...

. It is approximately 40 kilometres (24.9 mi) east of the British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 border and has an elevation of 735 metres (2,411.4 ft).

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. 19

Division No. 19, Alberta

Division No. 19 is a census division in Alberta, Canada. It is located in the west-central portion of northern Alberta and surrounds the City of Grande Prairie.- Census subdivisions :...

 and in the federal riding

Alberta federal electoral districts

As of 2006, the province of Alberta has 28 electoral districts represented in the Canadian House of Commons.*Calgary Centre*Calgary Centre-North*Calgary East*Calgary Northeast*Calgary Southeast*Calgary Southwest*Calgary West*Calgary—Nose Hill*Crowfoot...

 of Peace River

Peace River (electoral district)

Peace River is a federal electoral district in Alberta, Canada, that has been represented in the Canadian House of Commons since 1925. It is a rural riding in northwest Alberta, representing the counties of Saddle Hills, Birch Hills, Grande Prairie, Northern Lights, Mackenzie, and the municipal...

.

History

The hamlet was founded in 1912 by Scandinavians that moved north from Edson

Edson, Alberta

Edson is a town in west-central Alberta, Canada. It is located in Yellowhead County, west of Edmonton along the Yellowhead Highway and east of the intersection with Highway 47.- History :left|thumb|200px|Welcome Sign...

. It was named by Reverend Halvar N. Ronning after Valhalla

Valhalla

In Norse mythology, Valhalla is a majestic, enormous hall located in Asgard, ruled over by the god Odin. Chosen by Odin, half of those that die in combat travel to Valhalla upon death, led by valkyries, while the other half go to the goddess Freyja's field Fólkvangr...

, Odin's hall in Norse mythology

Norse mythology

Norse mythology, a subset of Germanic mythology, is the overall term for the myths, legends and beliefs about supernatural beings of Norse pagans. It flourished prior to the Christianization of Scandinavia, during the Early Middle Ages, and passed into Nordic folklore, with some aspects surviving...

. The first post office was established in 1916. The settlement grew around a creamery

Creamery

In a dairy, the creamery is the location of cream processing. Cream is separated from whole milk; pasteurization is done to the skimmed milk and cream separately. Whole milk for sale has had some cream returned to the skimmed milk....

 until 1945. The Melsness Mercantile building was built in 1925, and functioned as a store and post office until 1951. Today it hosts a museum dedicated to the Scandinavian heritage of the area, and was declared a Provincial Historic Site.

Demographics

The population of Valhalla Centre according to the County of Grande Prairie No. 1's 2006 municipal census is 48.

As of 2006, Valhalla Centre had a total population of 60 living in 22 dwellings. With a land area of 1.34 km² (0.517376892513997 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 44.9 /km2.

Amenities

The hamlet has a church (Valhalla Lutheran Church), curling

Curling

Curling is a sport in which players slide stones across a sheet of ice towards a target area. It is related to bowls, boule and shuffleboard. Two teams, each of four players, take turns sliding heavy, polished granite stones, also called "rocks", across the ice curling sheet towards the house, a...

 rink, skating rink, museum and K-8 school (Valhalla Community School). The school is one of 13 publicly funded Alberta Chartered Schools

Alberta charter schools

Alberta charter schools are a special type of public schools which have a greater degree of autonomy than a normal public school, to allow them to offer programs that are significantly different from regular public schools operated by district school boards. Charter schools report directly to the...

.

External links

• Valhalla Community School