Photo courtesy of the Vulcan & District Historical Society

Homesteaders began to settle the area of what is now Vulcan County in the early part of the 20th century. Large numbers of farmers from Eastern Canada, immigrants from Britain and Western Europe, and many from the Central United States came to seek land and set up homesteads in the west.

The earliest record of local government in the Vulcan area is that of July 7th, 1906. During the early 1900’s, the area was divided into small municipal districts (with an elected council) or special areas (with an appointed council). During the 25-year period prior to 1943, the various Councils were busy administering ordinary business of the district. Tax levies were watched and maintained at a fairly low level. Road machinery was being acquired and a substantial number of miles of roads were graded and repaired. One item of major importance was the building of Highway 23.

The Great Depression

The Lomond area was one of the hardest-hit parts of the County during the Great Depression of the 1930s. Residents were moving away; taxes, seed grain, and relief liens were not being paid and land was forfeited for taxes. Special attention to this area was needed, and in 1935, Improvement Districts No. 156 and 126 were added to the Municipal District of Clifton No. 127. In 1937, the Municipal District of Clifton No. 127 was disorganized and put into Special Areas No. 4. This arrangement continued until 1951 when the residents were rehabilitated, and the area was ready for self Municipal Government.

The Municipal Districts were enlarged commencing in January 1943. The Municipal Districts of Harmony No. 128 and Royal No. 158 were amalgamated. That portion of the Municipal District of Marquis No. 157 South of the correction line and West of Lake McGregor and that portion of Twp. 16, Range 21, West of the Lake McGregor were added into the Municipal District of Vulcan No. 29.

In 1950, the Alberta Legislature passed an “Act to provide for the establishment of local government units to be known as counties.” In January 1951, the County of Vulcan No.2 was officially formed by merging the Municipal District of Vulcan No. 29 and part of MD of Blackie No. 30, Argyle No. 26, Barons No. 25, and parts of Special Areas No. 4, Foothills School Division No. 38, Macleod School Division No. 28, Bow Valley School Division No. 43, and Taber School Division No. 6.

Although the County of Vulcan was the first county to be created in Alberta, it did not receive the number ‘one’ designation, owing to the fact that the original idea with respect to counties came from the Grand Prairie School Division, which was promised the first number and was formed a day or two later.

The County was divided into 9 electoral divisions, and 9 councillors were sworn into office. All councillors were elected by acclamation except Divisions 3 and 7. The following were sworn into office at the first meeting held on March 8, 1951:

Allan McLean, Division 1

J.E. Carlson, Division 2

Richard A. Clements, Division 3

C.W. Loose, Division 4

Donald B. Smith, Division 5

Jack Dietz, Division 6

M. Willard, Division 7

J.M. McKay, Division 8

Donald A. McNiven, Division 9

The name of the County of Vulcan No. 2 was changed to Vulcan County in 1999.

See below for a list of all who have served Vulcan County as elected officials since 1951. We thank everyone for their service. Names are listed in alphabetical order based on last name.

A

• Annable, D. – 2006 – 2017
• Auch, C.W. – 1992 – 1998

C

• Carlson, J.E. – 1951 – 1962
• Christie, G.C. – 1989 – 1995
• Clark, D.J. – 1980 – 1986
• Clements, R.A. – 1951 – 1953
• Costen, D.A. – 2004 – 2007
• Cutforth, A. – 1957 – 1963

D

• Davey, R.W. – 1992 – 2007
• Dietz, J. – 1951 – 1970
• Dixon, J.S. – 1974 – 1980
• Donovan, I.A. – 1995 – 2012
• Donovan, S. – 2017 – 2021
• Dow, R.G. – 1982 – 1985

E

• Ellis, J.W. – 1973 – 1983
• Ericksen, E. – 1964 – 1968
• Ericksen, W.E. – 1983 – 1992

F

• Fisher, M.I. – 1986 – 1992
• Fleetwood, R. – 2017 – 2021

G

• Gateman, G. – 2013 – 2017
• Geschwendt, R. – 2007 – 2013
• Green, C.W. – 1954 – 1962
• Greenfield, H.Z. – 1980 – 1989

H

• Haga, I. – 1953 – 1977
• Hayes, S.J. – 1980 – 1985
• Helland, E.E. – 1958 – 1977
• Hubka, F.E. – 1958 – 1977

I

• Ingraham, A.H. – 1986 – 1995
• Irwin, R.S. – 1955 – 1974

J

• Jones, M.E. – 1977 – 1995

K

• King, C.R. – 1985 – 1995

L

• Lahd, G.A. – 1986 – 2004
• Logan, G.C. – 1995 – 2004
• Loose, C.W. – 1951 – 1955
• Lucas, R.S.J. – 2004 – 2017

M

• McAllister, A. – 1954 – 1973
• McDonald, D.L. – 1992 – 2007
• McDonald, H.M. – 1985 – 1995
• McFarland, B.G. – 1998 – 2000
• McIntyre, D. – 1998 – 2013
• McKay, J.M. – 1951 – 1965
• McLean, A. – 1951 – 1955
• McLean, M. – 2013 – 2017
• McNiven, D.A. – 1951 – 1983
• Middleton, J.G. – 1977 – 1981
• Monner, M. – 2013 – 2021

N

• Nelson, G.L. – 2004 – 2013
• Northcott, J.H. – 1977 – 1986

P

• Pasolli, S.S. – 1983 – 1992
• Prater, E.W. – 1966 – 1967

R

• Robinson, A.E. – 1968 – 1979
• Ruark, R.A. – 1995 – 2004 & 2007 – 2016

S

• Schneider, D.A. – 2007 – 2013
• Shearer, C. – 2000 – 2005
• Smith, D.B. – 1951 – 1957
• Smith, R.E. – 1995 – 2000
• Stabler, W. – 1980 – 1983

T

• Thurber, F.N. – 1962 – 1968
• Truesdell, W.G. – 1955 – 1958

U

• Ulrich, A.W. – 1962 – 1973
• Umschied, R.C. – 1970 – 1977

V

• VanderPloeg, S. – 1968 – 1974 & 1983 – 1989

W

• Wilderman, W.H. – 1989 – 1995
• Willard, M. – 1951 – 1980
• Williams, G. – 1983 – 1986
• Wyatt, M. – 2000 – 2013