Nestled in central Alberta roughly 70 km east of Edmonton, Mundare sits at the crossroads of Highway 15 and Highway 855, just 2 km north of the Yellowhead Highway. The Canadian National Railway line passes through the community, and the area is well connected to some of Alberta’s most recognizable natural and cultural landmarks. Elk Island National Park lies approximately 30 km to the west, while Beaverhill Lake can be found to the southwest.
Mundare takes its name from William Mundare, a railway station agent, and in July 2007 the town marked its centennial with a three-day celebration. According to the 2021 Census, the community had a population of 792 residents living across 348 occupied private dwellings within a land area of 4.12 km2, giving it a population density of roughly 192 people per km2. This represented a modest decline from the 852 residents counted in the 2016 Census. Among the town’s most notable draws is the Basilian Fathers’ Museum, which chronicles the history of Ukrainian settlement and the Basilian Fathers’ Mission in east-central Alberta and houses a rare collection of 16th and 17th century liturgical books originating from Ukraine. Across from the museum stands the Golgotha of Mundare, a garden and shrine built by the Basilian Fathers in 1934. The town is also home to the world’s largest sculpture of a garlic sausage – known as kielbasa or kovbasa – which cost approximately $120,000 to construct. Notable individuals with ties to Mundare include psychologist Albert Bandura and artist Evelyn Roth.