Tucked along Highway 13 between the cities of Camrose and Wetaskiwin in central Alberta, Bittern Lake is a small village with a history that stretches back to the late nineteenth century. The community’s first post office opened in 1899, operating out of the home of Ernest Roper. For several years the settlement went by the name Rosenroll, holding that designation officially as a village from 1904 until 1911, when it adopted its current name. That name is rooted in the Cree people of the region, who identified the area by the bittern birds found near the adjacent lake.
The lake itself sits beyond road access and is not well suited to boating or fishing, owing to its shallow depth and high alkali content. Residents and visitors instead enjoy the scenic walking trails that wind around the lakeshore, along with opportunities to observe the variety of native birds that nest in the surrounding area. For everyday shopping, residents travel to nearby Camrose. According to the 2021 Canadian Census, the village recorded a population of 216 people living in 83 of its 84 private dwellings, a modest decline of 1.8% from 220 residents counted in 2016, which itself reflected a similar 1.8% drop from 224 residents in 2011. The village covers a land area of 6.57 square kilometres, giving it a population density of approximately 32.9 people per square kilometre.