Tucked into the heart of central Alberta, the village of Heisler sits roughly 23 kilometres south of Daysland and about 20 kilometres north of Forestburg, placing it within easy reach of several small communities in the region. The village covers a compact land area of 0.63 square kilometres and takes its name from Martin Heisler, the original landowner of the area. As of the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, Heisler had 135 residents living in 68 of its 79 private dwellings, giving it a population density of approximately 214.3 people per square kilometre. That figure represents a decline of about 15.6 percent from the 2016 census count of 160 residents, which was itself a modest increase of six percent over the 2011 population of 151.
Despite its small size, Heisler is home to a distinctive roadside attraction that draws visitors from well beyond the local area: Canada’s largest baseball glove, a larger-than-life sculpture that has become something of a landmark for travellers passing through this corner of Alberta. It is a fitting and memorable point of interest for a village that, like many small communities on the prairies, holds onto its character and history with quiet pride.