Nestled in the east-northeastern part of Alberta, St. Paul is a town surrounded by the County of St. Paul No. 19. With a land area of 8.64 square kilometres, the community had a population of 5,863 residents according to the 2021 federal census, reflecting modest but steady growth from the 5,827 people recorded in 2016. The town’s population density sits at approximately 678.6 people per square kilometre, making it a compact and well-settled community for its region. A 2017 municipal census recorded a slightly higher figure of 5,963 residents, indicating that the town has maintained a fairly consistent population base over recent years.
A Community Rooted in Métis History
The story of St. Paul stretches back to 1896, when the settlement was established as a dedicated Métis colony following the efforts of missionary Albert Lacombe, who successfully petitioned the Canadian federal government for a land grant reserved for Métis families. The colony, originally called Saint-Paul-des-Métis, was built on four townships of federal land leased at a rate of one dollar per year over 99 years. Each Métis family who settled there received 80 acres of land, livestock, farming equipment, and access to shared collective land. Early infrastructure in the colony included a chapel, a boarding school, a sawmill, and a windmill. The settlement faced serious hardships, however, including damaging storms and a fire in 1905, which ultimately led to the colony’s failure and the end of the government lease in 1908. The name of the town itself comes from the Catholic mission and parish established in the late 19th century, which was dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle and served as a central gathering place for religious and social life among the local Métis population.
Growth, the Railway, and Changing Identity
After the Métis colony came to an end, the area was opened to broader settlement. Under the guidance of Father Thérien, an remarkable 450 people registered homesteads in the area over just two days in 1909, signalling rapid new growth. The community was formally incorporated as the Village of St. Paul de Métis on June 14, 1912, and was later referred to as St. Paul des Métis by June 1922. In 1920, residents took on the ambitious project of constructing a 48-kilometre railway line to connect the village to the broader Canadian railway network, which had previously ended at Spedden, Alberta. By December 15, 1936, the community incorporated as the Town of St. Paul, dropping the reference to the Métis from its official name. One lasting physical connection to the town’s founding era is the Old St. Paul Rectory, an original mission structure that served as the administrative centre for Oblate priests. This historic building remains standing today and holds designation as an Alberta Provincial Historical Resource.