Conklin, Alberta


Conklin is a hamlet in northern Alberta, Canada within the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo. It is located on Highway 881 between Fort McMurray and Lac La Biche. It lies near the west end of Christina Lake at an elevation of, and was named for John Conklin, a railroad employee.
The hamlet is located in census division No. 16 and in the federal riding of Fort McMurray-Athabasca.

Demographics

As a designated place in the 2016 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Conklin recorded a population of 185 living in 71 of its 112 total private dwellings, a change of from its 2011 population of 211. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2016.
The population of Conklin in 2012 was 318 according to a municipal census conducted by the R.M of Wood Buffalo.
As a designated place in the 2011 Census, Conklin had a population of 211 living in 66 of its 86 total dwellings, a 6% change from its 2006 population of 199. With a land area of, it had a population density of in 2011.

History

The hamlet of Conklin was named for John Conklin, a railroad employee.. It was originally situated at the extreme northwestern end of Christina Lake, adjacent to its outlet at the Jackfish River. When the Alberta and Great Waterways Railway reached Conklin in 1921, the town was relocated alongside the railway tracks.
Conklin was an important centre for the local fur trade from 1940 to 1960. Mink pelts from several mink farms in the area were transferred by canoe and dogsled to the railway siding at Conklin for shipment to markets.
From 1940 to 1960 there was heavy commercial fishing in Christina Lake, and a fish processing plant was located at the outlet to the Jackfish River.
Conklin lies within the Athabasca Oil Sands region, and Cenovus Energy has been operating its Christina Lake project in the area since 2000. The Christina Lake project is a steam-assisted gravity drainage project that recovers bitumen from the McMurray Formation, which lies at a depth of at that location.