Nestled in the heart of Alberta’s Peace Country, Fairview sits at the crossroads of Highway 2 and Highway 64A, roughly 82 kilometres southwest of Peace River and about 115 kilometres north of Grande Prairie. The town traces its origins to 1928, when the railway pushed westward from Whitelaw through the Beaver Indian Reserve, opening up a stretch of stubble field where the hamlet of Fairview took shape. The nearby community of Waterhole, located five miles to the south, was literally lifted onto skids and wagons and hauled to the new rail site. The first train arrived on November 2, 1928, and within a few months the settlement was incorporated as a village on April 22, 1929. It was elevated to town status in 1949.
According to the 2021 Census, Fairview had a population of 2,817 spread across 1,201 occupied private dwellings within a land area of 10.67 square kilometres, yielding a population density of roughly 264 people per square kilometre. This reflects a modest decline from 2,998 residents recorded in 2016 and 3,162 in 2011. Despite its modest size, the town supports a range of recreational facilities, including the Fairview Aquatic Centre – a 3.4-million-dollar project built in partnership with the Municipal District of Fairview No. 136 – which features a waterslide, a 25-metre lap pool, a zero-depth wading pool, a whirlpool, a Tarzan swing, monkey bars, and a climbing wall. Residents and visitors can also enjoy the Fairview Golf Course, the Fairplex skating facility, the Fairview Ski Hill, curling, and bowling. Throughout the year, the community hosts several events, including the Agriculture Society Fair, the Lions Club Old Time Country Music Festival, the Annual Waterhole Pro Rodeo and Parade, Malanka Ukrainian New Year celebrations, the Peace Classic Wheels Car Show, the Summers End Festival, and the Emergency Services Regimental Ball. Hockey fans can follow the Fairview Flyers, a junior team established in 2012 that competes in the North West Junior Hockey League. Fairview is governed by a mayor and six councillors, falls within the federal riding of Peace River-Westlock, and provincially sits within the electoral district of Central Peace-Notley.